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Paul Bagshaw was one of the most skilful players ever to appear in South Australian League football. During a 17 season career which began in 1964 Bagshaw played a total of 374 games (360 club and 14 state), kicked 258 goals (topping the club list with 74 in 1978), and was voted Sturt best and fairest player on 5 occasions. He took part in each of Sturt's 7 'Oatey era' premierships. While the majority of his football was played as a ruck-rover Bagshaw was just as effective as a key position player or centreman. One of the game's last truly great exponents of the drop kick, he was also a master of handball, a superb mark, and had that rare champion's ability of always seeming unflustered, even when under the most intense pressure. A knack for achieving the seemingly impossible in tight situations gave rise to the nickname 'Mr. Magic'; when you consider that the Sturt teams in which Bagshaw appeared were some of the most magical in the history of the SANFL this is high praise indeed. |
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Known,
in South Australia at any rate,
as 'football's Bradman', Ken Farmer was quite simply the most prolific
goalkicker in the history of the game. In 13 seasons with North
Adelaide he booted no fewer than 1419 majors, at an average of 6.3 per
match. In addition to topping the club goalkicking list in every
season of his career, Farmer topped the league list in 11 consecutive
seasons, topping the century each time. The keys to his success were
strong hands, speed off the mark, and extreme accuracy when kicking for
goal, whether from a set shot (typically using a torpedo punt, although he
was also proficient in the use of the 'checkside' or 'banana' kick), or when snapping
for goal from seemingly impossible positions à la Daicos.
Farmer was no slouch when it came to interstate football either, averaging 5 goals a game, mostly in losing sides against the Vics. After World War Two Farmer steered North to 2 premierships in 4 seasons as non-playing coach. |
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The honour
board at Alberton contains more illustrious names than most but none more
celebrated than that of Robert Berriman Quinn who was without doubt the
most talented and highly renowned rover ever to don the famous black and
white of the Port Adelaide Football Club. But for World War Two, in
which he served with distinction for 5 years, Quinn's record might
ultimately have rivalled even that of the most individually decorated
Magpie of them all, Russell
Ebert.
Voted Port Adelaide's best and fairest player 4 times and placed in the top 3 of the Magarey Medal count on 4 occasions (for 2 wins) it was nevertheless more in the intangible, unrecordable sphere that Quinn truly excelled. Never one to chase personal glory ahead of the needs of the team he epitomised the Port Adelaide philosophy even before it had been formally articulated by Fos Williams. Quinn, a decorated Rat of Tobruk, died in 2008 aged ninety-three. |
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