Back to West Adelaide Part 1
In 1941 West reached the major round for the first time in twelve years. A 16 point win over Port Adelaide in the first semi final raised hopes, but eventual premiers Norwood proved too strong in the preliminary final, winning by 25 points, 9.16 (70) to 6.9 (45).
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The SANFL conducted a scaled down competition between 1942 and 1944 with the eight clubs being paired off on a more or less geographical basis. West's partners during this period were Glenelg and, bearing in mind the recent records of the two clubs, a hard time ahead might have been predicted. However, in its first year the combine surprised, reaching the grand final were it suffered a narrow loss in a high standard game to Port Adelaide-West Torrens. All told, West Adelaide-Glenelg won 18 of 42 matches played, the third best record of the four war time combinations. With the resumption of full scale competition in 1945 West were set to embark on the longest sequence of consistently being either there or thereabouts in the club's history; unfortunately, however, it tended to be a case of rather more thereabouts than there. In the nineteen seasons between 1945 and 1963 West contested the finals on thirteen occasions, reaching the grand final seven times. However, only twice, in 1947 and 1961, was the team good enough to claim the ultimate prize. |
Fred A'Court (157 games from 1949 to 1959) in action against arch 1950s rivals Port Adelaide. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.) |
West Adelaide's 1947 premiership side was arguably the best credentialled in the club's history containing as it did players of the calibre and high renown of Johnny Taylor (203 games between 1936 and 1949), Bernie Smith (who played 55 games with West before going on to win a Brownlow Medal and play in two premiership teams with Geelong), Colin Smith (215 games from 1934 to 1949), Fos Williams (54 games with West and later coach of nine Port Adelaide premiership sides), and Brian Faehse (222 games between 1944 and 1956).
After finishing the minor round in 3rd position with 10 wins and 7 defeats West proceeded to outclass both Sturt (by 59 points) in the first semi final and Port Adelaide (by 38 points) in the preliminary final. The grand final opposition was provided by Norwood, and West surprised most observers by controlling a low scoring affair from start to finish to get home by 5 goals, 10.15 (75) to 5.15 (45). Best afield was half back flanker Bernie Smith , with the victors also well served by rover Fos Williams, centreman Gar Burkett, centre half back Brian Faehse and follower Johnny Taylor.
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Ken Eglinton, who played 163 games for the club between 1950 and 1959. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.) |
Within three years all but Faehse had left the club - yet more evidence of West's inveterate propensity to shoot itself in the foot. West struggled between 1950 and 1953, missing the finals each year, but by 1954 they had rebuilt sufficiently well to contest another grand final. The opponents this time were Port Adelaide, and the pattern which events took in the match was to become sickeningly familiar to those associated with West over the course of the next decade. By half time the black and reds had established a comfortable 25 point lead and seemed firmly in the box seat. However, an incident just before the half time bell effectively changed the match. West centre half back Brian Faehse felled Port centreman Dave Boyd with a fierce but legitimate shirt front, and an all in brawl developed. Then, as the West players tried to leave the field, they were besieged by angry Port supporters, with several players suffering actual physical assault. |
Hardly surprisingly, it was the Port players who settled down more swiftly after the interval, and by three quarter time West's lead had been trimmed to just 2 points. A frenetic last term saw Port clinging desperately to a narrow lead late on as West piled on the pressure, but fate was against the black and reds as numerous opportunities went begging, a shot from West rover Jim Wright in the dying seconds even hitting the goal post. Final scores were Port Adelaide 11.13 (79) to West Adelaide 10.16 (76), and West players and supporters had some justification - and not for the last time - for feeling 'robbed'.
After an abysmal 1955 campaign which saw the team slide to second from bottom West were back as a force the following year, reaching the grand final only to succumb once more to Port Adelaide. There could be few arguments this time, however, with the Magpies never looking in any serious danger as they took out the flag by 16 points, 12.9 (81) to 9.11 (65).
In 1957 Jack Oatey took over from Laurie Cahill as coach but West went down in the preliminary final to Norwood.
In 1958, West Adelaide played their first League match at their new home ground of Richmond Oval. The result was a 10 point win over West Torrens, and West went on to record victories in all but one of their home fixtures for the season. They were almost as impressive away from Richmond, winning 15 out of 18 home and away matches all told to secure the minor premiership for only the second ever time. A comfortable 26 point defeat of North Adelaide in the second semi final followed, but the grand final was to produce yet another agonising twist in the ongoing West Adelaide-Port Adelaide saga.
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A near record crowd of 54,282 witnessed the 1958 grand final in which West seemed in control for long periods only for the Magpies to repeatedly fight back and keep themselves within striking distance. With nine minutes to go Port hit the front and, despite being under pressure for most of the remainder of the game, managed to hold onto their lead until the end. As if to rub salt into the wound, with ninety seconds remaining a shot from West ruckman Jack Richardson hit the goal post, leaving the Blood 'n Tars just 2 points in arrears. Even then West had another chance to recapture the lead, a set shot from Colin Brown failing to make the distance from just forty yards out in the final few seconds. The final scoreboard read Port Adelaide 14.10 (94) to West Adelaide 14.8 (92), with the losers best served by Jeff Bray, Ken McGregor, Jim Wright, Ken Eglinton and Bert Johnson. |
Max Hewitt, 129 games from 1949 to 1960. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.) |
A piece of football folklore was created in the aftermath of the 1958 grand final as a group of West Adelaide supporters returned to Adelaide Oval late the same night and made off with the 'infamous' goal post which had got in the way of Jack Richardson's late shot.
Almost unbelievably, the 1959 season was to yield similar heart break to 1958. West finished the minor round as runners up to Port Adelaide but then comprehensively outplayed the Magpies to the tune of 25 points in the second semi final to go straight through to the 'big one'. However, on grand final day it was the same old story as Port managed to raise their game just sufficiently to keep out a fast finishing Blood 'n Tars combination and win by 10 points, 13.9 (87) to 11.11 (77). Best for Westies included wingman Ken Eglinton in the last of his 163 games for the club, Kerley, Eustice, Barker and Garnett.
After slumping to 4th in 1960 Jack Oatey departed to be replaced as coach by Neil Kerley. Under Kerls the Blood 'n Tars proved irrepressible in 1961, taking out the minor premiership and then overwhelming arch rivals Port Adelaide in the second semi by 17 points, 11.24 (90) to 9.19 (73). After Norwood surprisingly accounted for the Magpies in the following week's preliminary final West, having already outpointed the Redlegs in two of their three previous meetings for the season, entered the grand final as odds on favourites. Moreover, there was the clear advantage of having had a week's rest while Norwood were slogging their way to an energy-sapping 2 point victory over Port.
Some Blood 'n Tars Stars of the Sixties |
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Geoff Sara (138 games) |
Ron Benton (178 games) |
Robert Day (137 games) |
Jeff Bennetts (101 games) |
Rodney Pope (207 games) |
John Pannenburg (107 games) |
As it turned out, fitness and freshness were even more of the essence than usual, as the grand final took place in unprecedented heat which saw the thermometer rise to over 96 degrees Fahrenheit during the opening term. In retrospect, the match can be seen to have been won and lost during that initial phase, with West changing ends at quarter time only 9 points down despite Norwood having had the advantage of a 3 or 4 goal northerly breeze. Over the final three quarters the Blood 'n Tars held sway all over the ground as they surged to a comfortable 36 point victory, 16.13 (109) to 11.7 (73). Notable performances for the victors in a match quickly dubbed by the press 'the Turkish bath grand final' came from Kerley, Reu, Eustice, Benton, Ryan and De Broughe. (For a much more detailed account of this match, click here.)
If there was a tinge of disappointment amidst the euphoria which inevitably attends a premiership victory it was to do with the fact that West's grand final victims had not been the detested Magpies. A year later, however, West had the opportunity to put the record straight. Despite suffering the indignity of a 73 point second semi final hiding against Port, West fronted up to the Magpies again on grand final day in confident frame of mind having returned to form in the previous week's preliminary final against Norwood. The fact that no two games of football are ever the same was amply demonstrated as Port and West locked horns in one of the tightest grand finals in SANFL history. In a low scoring affair the lead changed hands repeatedly, but not quite repeatedly enough for Westies, who found themselves 3 points adrift at the final siren. The final scores were Port 8.10 (58) to West 7.13 (55), with commendable performances for the Blood 'n Tars coming from Kerley, Tregenza, Bennetts, De Broughe and Reu.
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It was to be West's last grand final appearance for twenty-two seasons. Future prospects were not helped soon after the 1962 grand final when the powers that be at Richmond Oval decided to dispense with Neil Kerley's services as coach and replace him with Doug Thomas. Despite his success, Kerley was seen as something of a firebrand, and his frequent clashes with club president Cliff Semmler obviously did nothing to further his cause. In addition, he was believed to be seeking more money than the committee was prepared to pay. |
David Jonas, West's top goal kicker in 1969, 1970 and 1971. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.) |
The upshot of it all, however, was that West immediately went into decline. Between 1963 and 1980 the club only contested five finals series, with 3rd place in 1969 under Murray Weideman and in 1977 under Fos Williams representing their best efforts. During that time no fewer than eight different coaches were tried with only Weideman, at the helm from 1968-71, even managing to balance the ledger in terms of wins against losses. Weideman, a 179 game veteran with Collingwood, who later went on to coach that club, believed that a prime cause of West's failure was a lack of mental toughness on the part of players:
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West Adelaide action from the 1976 season: Michael Broderick flies for a mark against Sturt. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.) |
"I played in the same side as those West
Adelaide players (for two years) and did the hard work for them...... And then
when I took over as non-playing coach and asked them to do the rough work for me
I found they were treating me too much as a mate."
[see
footnote 3]
As ever, West fielded their share of champion players, even during what was arguably the most inauspicious era in the club's history. (What is unarguable is that twenty two years between grand final appearances represents an unparalleled barren spell.) Among such champions were ruckman Dexter Kennedy, who at just fifteen years and eleven months of age in May 1970 when he made his debut was the youngest player ever to appear in the SANFL; Bob Loveday who played 263 games for West between 1963 and 1978 as well as both captaining and coaching the side; three time Trabilsie Medallist [see footnote 4] and 1966 All Australian Robert Day; former Hawthorn star Bob Keddie; 209 game defender Rodney Pope, who went on to play with equal distinction for Norwood; 1977 Magarey Medallist Trevor Grimwood [see footnote 5]; and 1979 All Australian Geoff Morris, who alone of the above was still at the peak of his ability as a player when the Bloods next tasted premiership success in 1983. |
Ironically, the architect of that premiership success turned out to be the same as twenty-one years earlier. In 1981, 'King' Kerley was lured back 'home' after having repeatedly demonstrated his coaching prowess elsewhere. [see footnote 6] As ever, the response of the team was both immediate and dramatic, 6 wins and narrow avoidance of the wooden spoon in 1980 being transformed into 11 wins and a berth in the elimination final during Kerley's first season in charge twelve months later. West did even better in terms of wins in 1982, but missed the finals on percentage. It was becoming obvious, however, that the side was rapidly maturing into something special, and in 1983 everything slotted into place as the Bloods proceeded to win all bar 4 of their minor round matches to secure the minor premiership with ease. A 24.16 (160) to 13.8 (86) second semi final triumph over Norwood followed, and when grand final day arrived with Sturt providing the opposition there were few who doubted where the premiership pennant was heading. The Double Blues managed to keep in touch for a quarter and a bit, but West always seemed to have something in reserve and once they broke clear there was no stopping them. Best for the Bloods in a 21.16 (142) to 16.12 (108) win included skipper Ian Borchard, whose performance earned him the Jack Oatey Medal for best afield, Geoff Morris, Peter Meuret, Leon Grosser and Robbie McKinnon.
The side was ravaged by injuries to star players in 1984 and dropped to 6th place. Kerley left the club at the end of the year and his replacement as coach, John Cahill, was to remain in charge for the following three seasons. During Cahill's stint as coach the Bloods managed a creditable 3rd in 1985 followed by a disappointing decline to 7th in each of the following two campaigns.
| Progress under Cahill's successor, Kevin Morris, was slow,
but by 1991 the team was widely considered to be strong enough to challenge for a
premiership. However, a calamitous start to the season brought only 3 wins from
the opening 11 matches and at that stage even finals participation appeared
unlikely. Thereafter, though, West proved to be the form team of the
competition, winning 9 of their last 11 fixtures to leapfrog Norwood
and
Glenelg and eventually claim 5th spot going into the major round. An 84 point
elimination final defeat of Port Adelaide would have brought particular
satisfaction to West supporters with memories stretching as far back as the
1950s and early 1960s, and when this was followed by comfortable wins over
Woodville-West Torrens in the first semi final and South
Adelaide in the
preliminary final, expectations in the Bloods' camp understandably soared.
However, on grand final day North Adelaide was a fresher, hungrier and
altogether more talented team than West, winning a spiteful game by 75 points,
21.22 (148) to 11.7 (73). Goss, Carlson, Schumann and Winton did well for the
losers, but after a closely fought first term the result was never really in
doubt.
Kevin Morris departed in controversial circumstances shortly after the grand final and, amidst allegations of back stabbing and stories of a club that was split asunder, favourite son Neil Kerley was invited to resume the coaching hot seat. Sadly for West it was to be a case of third time unlucky as the team failed to perform to potential, missing the finals in each of Kerley's two seasons in charge. |
West's Lachlan Ross took this 'speccy' against South Adelaide at Football Park in 1990. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.) |
Geoff Morris (no relation to Kevin) took over as coach in 1994 and, in what was by this stage an extremely even SANFL competition, narrowly failed to get his charges into the major round.
In 1995 the Bloods scraped into the finals in the most dramatic of circumstances with a last round victory over Glenelg, while their rivals for 5th spot, South Adelaide, were losing a thriller against Norwood. However, North Adelaide quickly ended West's premiership aspirations with a 20 point elimination final triumph. Glenn Kilpatrick's joint Magarey Medal win afforded some consolation.
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West Adelaide's 'games played' record holder, Grantley Fielke, who retired in 1997 after representing the Bloods 364 times. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.) |
Former Norwood and Collingwood player Michael Taylor took over the coaching duties in 1996 but events proceeded in much the same way as twelve months earlier: the Bloods reached the finals, only to succumb at the first hurdle, this time to Woodville-West Torrens. Things got even worse in 1997 as the side failed to make the finals, finishing 6th. However, in 1998 there was major improvement as the Bloods qualified for the finals in 2nd spot with many observers regarding them as, physically, the toughest team in the league. This reputation was enhanced with a hard fought qualifying final victory over reigning premiers Norwood, but then the old, familiar West Adelaide inconsistency re-emerged: Sturt was comfortably victorious in the 2nd semi final and, even more humiliatingly, Port Adelaide overran the Bloods in the preliminary final amassing 7.8 to 0.0 in the last term to win by 77 points. The rot continued in 1999 and 2000 as West plummeted down the list to 6th and then 7th. Coach Michael Taylor departed at the end of the 2000 season after a club record five consecutive seasons at the helm. Season 2001 at least brought a measure of improvement as the Bloods qualified for the finals but any satisfaction was short-lived as Norwood secured a comprehensive victory in the elimination final. It was more or less the same story a year later, albeit that on this occasion it was the Eagles who inflicted the coup de grace. |
In 2003, with former Adelaide and Hawthorn as well as West Adelaide ruckman Shaun Rehn installed as coach, the Bloods made their most concerted stab at a premiership for over a decade. After qualifying for the finals in 2nd place the side overcame the disappointment of a narrow 2nd semi final loss against Central District to enter its first grand final since 1991 via the back door of a 30 point preliminary final defeat of the Eagles. The team's performance in the preliminary final suggested that it was returning to the sort of form which had seen it emerge as the league's pace-setter during the first half of the season, but sadly on grand final day it proved unable to cope with Centrals' controlled aggression, cohesive team qualities, and pace. The Bulldogs won by 34 points, 17.9 (111) to 11.11 (77).
In 2004, injuries to key players effectively ruined the team's chances, with 5th position following a 33 point elimination final loss to North Adelaide probably representing the best return possible in the circumstances. Much worse was to follow, however. In 2005 the Bloods managed just 3 wins from 20 matches for the season and plummeted to their first wooden spoon in more than three decades. Hardly surprisingly perhaps, senior coach Shaun Rehn opted to resign.
Under Rehn's successor as coach, Wayne Weidemann, there was no immediate improvement. Far from it, in fact, as the side managed a mere 2 wins in 2006 to succumb to the indignity of a second successive wooden spoon. There was more ignominy in store in 2007 as the side's 3-17 record was once again the poorest in the competition, and for the first time in more than a century Westies had finished last on three consecutive occasions.
Twelve months later there had been little if any observable improvement as the Bloods again finished a distant and dismal last.
Despite the disappointments of the past few years, however, the immediate future for the club seems promising. With club finances looking secure, an able and energetic coach in Andy Collins, and a young and promising squad of players, the Bloods can confidently be expected to mount a sustained challenge for the premiership within the next two to three of seasons. Given the resources available it is doubtful if West will ever be able to create a dynasty on the order of those established at Alberton or the Parade, and currently emerging at Elizabeth, but a continuation of the club's habit of winning a premiership every decade or so looks perfectly feasible.
Where now?
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3. 'Football Life', April 1975, page 27. Return to Main Text
4. Awarded annually since 1958 to West's best and fairest player. Return to Main Text
5. Grimwood was something of a rarity as far as West Adelaide Football Club is concerned in that he commenced his career elsewhere (Port Adelaide) but only really achieved notoriety after moving to Richmond Oval; more often than not over the course of West's history the cream has tended to flow in the opposite direction. Return to Main Text
6. In 1964 in his first season as coach of South Adelaide he had lifted the Panthers straight from a wooden spoon to a premiership. During his three years at South the side never missed the finals. Taking over at Glenelg he oversaw easily that club's most consistently successful era up to that point including a premiership in 1973 and losing grand final appearances in 1969, 1970, 1974 and 1975. A four year stint at West Torrens immediately prior to his return to West failed to add to the premiership tally but did nothing to diminish Kerley's reputation as he took a club which had been in the doldrums longer than any other to two finals appearances and, equally importantly, a new-found - albeit short-lived - respectability. Return to Main Text
