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NORWOOD - Part One: 1878 to 1925
Affiliated: SAFA 1878-1906; SAFL 1907-1926; SANFL 1927-present
Club Address: P.O. Box 145, Norwood 5067, South Australia
Home Ground: Coopers Stadium (formerly known as Norwood Oval - ‘The Parade’)
Formed: 1878
Colours: Navy blue and red
Emblem: Redlegs
Premierships: SENIORS - 1878-79-80-81-82-83, 1887-88-89, 1891, 1894, 1901, 1904, 1907, 1922-23, 1925, 1929, 1941, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1984, 1997 (27 total) SECONDS/RESERVES (from 1919) - 1921, 1930, 1937-8-9, 1960-1, 1966, 1969-70, 1972, 1974-5-6, 1978, 1985-6, 1995, 1998 (19 total) THIRDS/UNDER 19S (from 1936) - 1940, 1945, 1947, 1952, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1971-2, 1980, 1983, 1985-6, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1997 (17 total) COLTS/UNDER 17S (from 1939) - 1965, 1981-2-3-4, 1986, 1988-9, 1991 (9 total) OTHER PREMIERSHIPS - Championship of Australia 1888, 1907 (2 total); Stanley H. Lewis Memorial Trophy 1965, 1974, 1982, 1984-5-6-7, 1995-6-7-8 (11 total); NFL Series 1977 (1 total); SANFL Night/Knock-out/Pre-season Series 1956, 1958 (2 total); Living Health Cup (minor premiers) 1997
Magarey Medallists: A.Green 1898; C.Perry 1915*; W.Scott 1921*, 1924 & 1930; A.Lill 1925; W.McCallum 1936; J.Marriott 1951; R.Kneebone 1966; M.Aish 1981; G.McIntosh 1994 & 1995; A.Jarman 1997 (9 Medallists/11 Medals)
Tassie Medallist: Graham Molloy 1969
All Australians: J.Marriott 1953; K.Wedding 1961; G.Molloy 1969; M.Aish 1983 & 1986 (5 total)
League Top Goalkickers: W.Dedman (12) 1878 & (12) 1879; J.Traynor (7) 1880; W.Duffy & J.Pollock (both 7) 1881; C.Woods (29) 1888, (55) 1891 & (46) 1892; A.Daly (88) 1893, (47) 1894, (46) 1895 & (32) 1899; W.Miller (44) 1901 & (35) 1904; R.Townsend (22) 1909; R.Bent (42) 1921, (53) 1924, (59) 1925 & (65) 1926; T.Hart (50) 1922; B.Schultz (100) 1941; P.Dalwood (70) 1946; M.Mayo (78) 1953; I.Brewer (96) 1965; M.Coligan (81) 1972; J.West (80) 1997 (25 total)
Norwood's Official 'Team of the Century': Click here
Highest Score: 33.21 (219) versus North Adelaide 10.9 (69) in round 6 1977
Most Games: 371 by Garry McIntosh from 1982 to 1998
Record Home Attendance: 20,280 in round 8 1971 at Norwood Oval: Port Adelaide 14.21 (105); Norwood 9.13 (67)
Record Finals Attendance: 58,924 for the 1957 grand final at Adelaide Oval: Port Adelaide 15.15 (105); Norwood 13.16 (94)
Overall Success Rate 1907-2007: 57.2%
* indicates awarded retrospectively by the SANFL in 1998.
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Norwood's 1879 Premiership Team |
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In Men Of Norwood, his penetrative if brief survey of the history and famous names associated with the Norwood Football Club, Mike Coward makes the sage and telling observation that, following the establishment of the Adelaide Crows in 1991, Norwood had become "a conduit rather than a career for the most talented and ambitious" (see footnote 1). In some ways this could be interpreted as a depressing fall from grace for a club which possessed a pedigree and a reputation every bit as rich and illustrious as that of any other club in Australia. Following the admission to the AFL of Norwood's arch rivals Port Adelaide in 1997 the profile of the SANFL - and of Norwood by association - wilted still further. The fact that the Redlegs had been party to a counter bid to that of Port only served to rub proverbial salt into the wounds (see footnote 2). Nevertheless, the Norwood club hierarchy remained ambitious and optimistic. The powers that be at the AFL may for the time being have discounted the possibility of any more South Australian-based clubs entering their competition but longer term it would be unwise to bet against the men from the Parade occupying their 'rightful' place among the nation's elite.
The term 'rightful' is carefully chosen, and is intended to suggest the invocation of a kind of 'natural justice', the realisation - or restoration - of a state of affairs conforming to the natural order. Such an assertion is easy to defend. Right from the beginning, Norwood were successful. Indeed, the club's early years brought virtually unparalleled success. Formed at a meeting at the Norfolk Arms Hotel, Rundle Street on 28 February 1878 the club won a premiership in its debut year. With South Australia having only recently adopted the Victorian code (see footnote 3) the presence in the Norwood side of a preponderance of ex-Victorians obviously contributed to the club's success, but an astute administration was arguably just as significant. Not only was the team successful at home, in 1880 it became the first South Australian combination to defeat a Victorian side (see footnote 4), and over the years, as will emerge later, its record against Victorian opposition was second to none among South Australian clubs.
Tradition is not something which emerges overnight. Nevertheless, the building blocks which go toward creating a tradition can be laid at any time, and in the case of Norwood the process commenced immediately. One of the most identifiable Norwood trademarks was present right from the outset: for its first ever match - a 1-0 defeat of reigning premiers South Adelaide - the players donned distinctive red stockings giving rise to the nickname 'Redlegs' which has remained with the club ever since.
As was alluded to earlier, the winning tradition was also swift to emerge. The 1878 flag was followed by five more in succession, and indeed before the turn of the century the club had won no fewer than eleven premierships and never once finished lower than third.
During the early years, Norwood's sternest opposition was provided by Victorian, with matches between the two sides typically close and hotly contested. Even so, the Redlegs managed to go through the entire 1878 and 1879 seasons unbeaten. When they did finally taste defeat, in 1880, it was at the hands of Victorian. (See footnote 5)
Football may only have been in its infancy at this time, but its participants and supporters knew how to celebrate. In the wake of a dramatic early win over 'the Vics', club patron Arthur Diamond even composed a song (to the tune of 'Killarney'):
| Then we met the sprightly Vics | ||||
| With their little marks and tricks, | ||||
| People thought 'twould be a fix, | ||||
| Too much for the Norwoods. | ||||
| But like the Souths, the Vics were licked, | ||||
| Traynor for us one goal kicked. | ||||
| xxxxxx | ||||
| Cheer the bonnie red and blue, | ||||
| Cheer the colours fast and true, | ||||
| Keep their honour still in view, | ||||
| Forward men of Norwood. | ||||
| (See footnote 6) |
In 1888, under the captaincy of Alfred 'Topsy' Waldron (see footnote 7) Norwood took on the might of VFA premiers South Melbourne in a three match series at Kensington (see footnote 8) which was ostensibly to determine the championship of Australia. To the surprise of most observers the Redlegs not only won the series they achieved a clean sweep (see footnote 9).
In 1889 Norwood and South Melbourne again won their respective premierships but attempts to arrange a repeat of the previous year's championship play offs fell through when the Victorians, who were entitled to home advantage, claimed - conveniently? - that they were unable to find a suitable ground. Championship matches between the Victorian and South Australian premiers continued intermittently after the formation of the VFL in 1897, but the credence accorded the matches tended to vary significantly depending on where you resided (see footnote 10).
Among the many champions to don the navy and red colours during the club's first three decades two sets of brothers - the Dalys and the Plunketts - stand out. Rover John 'Bunny' Daly was arguably Norwood's finest player of the nineteenth century, while his brother Anthony (nicknamed 'Bos') was a phenomenal spearhead in an era of generally low scores. In a game against South Adelaide during his debut season of 1893 'Bos' managed to split the uprights on no fewer than 23 occasions from 28 attempts, establishing a record which has since been equalled - by Ken Farmer in 1941 - but never bettered.
The four Plunkett brothers - Nug, Mick, Olley and Bill - all gave sterling service to the Redlegs around the turn of the century with Nug and Bill both skippering the side. In 1901 Bill managed the rare feat of playing in both the Norwood and West Perth premiership sides, while three years later he was appointed captain of Western Australia's first ever state team.
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In terms of actual premiership success, Norwood have found the twentieth century to be considerably less productive than the nineteenth (see footnote 11), but there can be no disputing the fact that they remain one of the SANFL's two most highly renowned clubs (the other being Port Adelaide). Over the years Norwood and Port have engaged in one of football's most intense rivalries, with the origins probably going back as far as 1884 when the Portonians brought Norwood's run of six successive premierships to an end. When Norwood downed Port in an at times brutal encounter in 1894 for the right to challenge South Adelaide for the premiership the feeling between the clubs intensified still further. Prior to 1898 the premiership was normally awarded to the team with the best overall record during the season (although, as in the 1894 instance alluded to above, there were occasional exceptions to this); since the 1898 season, however, the destiny of the flag has been decided on the basis of a single match, whether the challenge final or the grand final. The intense drama that inevitably attended such occasions served to augment specific club rivalries, most notably that between Norwood and Port. In 1901, 1904 and 1907 the two arch rivals faced one another in the ultimate match of the season with the Redlegs triumphant each time. The 1904 meeting was especially memorable, with Norwood recovering from a 35 point three quarter time deficit - a fairly substantial margin even now, but a huge one then - to win by 4 points. (Click here for a contemporary report of this match.) |
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Norwood's success against Victorian opposition also resumed in this era. In 1906 the team travelled to Melbourne and, to an unusually generous press evaluation, won all three matches contested against the Ballarat Football Association, Fitzroy (2nd in that season's VFL competition) and Essendon (4th). The following season saw Norwood confront VFL premiers Carlton in Adelaide in a match designated as being for the championship of Australia. After a hard fought and high standard game Norwood proved too strong, winning 13.12 (90) to 8.9 (57) to underline their claims to be the best side in the country at the time.
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One of the bona fide early 'greats' of the game, Norwood captain-coach of the 1920s Syd White. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.) |
It was probably the last time the club could make such a claim. In 1908, despite topping the ladder after the minor round, the club could not overcome West Adelaide in either the final or challenge final, while 3rd place in 1909 and 4th the following year represented Norwood's last involvement in the September action until 1920. Indeed, in the five seasons of league football contested between 1912 and 1919 (the SAFL going into recess between 1916 and 1918) the Redlegs managed just 14 wins from 60 starts, being consigned to the ignominy of the wooden spoon on no fewer than four occasions. The arrival of Walter 'Wacka' Scott as a player in 1920 is often regarded as the main inspiration behind Norwood's return as a major force. Scott was one of the best and most influential half back flankers the game has known, rarely performing below par. He was in consistently sterling form in both 1920 and 1921 as the Redlegs ran 2nd, and was a prime architect of the long overdue premiership win in 1922. After entering the finals in pole position the side downed South Adelaide by 11 points in a high standard 1st semi final before overrunning West Adelaide in the final by 33 points, 9.7 (61) to a lamentable 2.16 (28). Each Norwood player received the princely sum of £4 - rare reward for the time. The pattern was repeated the following year when South Adelaide (8.10 to 2.9) and North Adelaide (9.12 to 6.4) were vanquished in quick succession, with a South Australian finals record of 37,000 attending the second of these premiership deciders. The Redlegs' coach in both 1922 and 1923 was former West Adelaide, North Adelaide and state ruckman Tom Leahy. |
Norwood finished 3rd in 1924 but were back in premiership form in 1925. It was a real struggle this time though as Sturt in a semi final (7 points) and West Torrens in the final (1 point) offered stern resistance. Norwood was captain-coached on this occasion by veteran centreman Sid White, who before the first world war had twice won the club's best and fairest award, and in the seasons immediately following its cessation was a regular member of South Australian interstate teams. White was widely regarded as "an entirely satisfactory leader. Not only (did) he direct the team well........he invariably (played) a determined and skilful game, coming through the crushes in great style." (See footnote 12.) Not for nothing is the first half of the 1920s often looked back on as 'the Sid White Era' (the immensity of Walter Scott's contribution notwithstanding).
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Footnotes
1. Men Of Norwood by Mike Coward, page 5. Return to Main Text
2. Norwood's petition to enter the AFL involved amalgamation with fellow SANFL club Sturt, which at the time was struggling for survival. In the circumstances it seems clear that Norwood would have emerged as the senior partners in a merger which would have produced an AFL side with a training base at Norwood Oval playing home matches at Football Park, and an SANFL club based at Unley and playing home games at Adelaide Oval. The chief thrust of the bid - and indeed its main virtue in the eyes of most observers - was the way in which it postulated a geographical, east versus west, basis for the city's AFL rivalry. Such a basis would have mirrored that which historically existed in the SANFL, as well as among the AFL's Melbourne-based clubs. A similar state of affairs also existed in Western Australia following Fremantle's entry to the AFL in 1995, reinforcing the traditional rivalry between Fremantle and Perth, where the state's original AFL club, West Coast, was based. Return to Main Text
3. See A Game of Our Own: the Origins of Australian Football by Geoffrey Blainey, pages 76-78. Return to Main Text
4. During a 6 match tour of Victoria Norwood's record was 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 defeats. Three years later Norwood was also successful in inflicting the first ever defeat on a visiting Victorian side after downing Essendon. A key reason for the presence in the Norwood team of a large number of Victorian players was that Arthur Diamond, a Victorian who managed the local Falk and Co. wholesale jewellery warehouse, had attached himself to the club, and was instrumental in attracting top quality footballers to Adelaide with the offer of employment. Return to Main Text
5. I am indebted for this information to Norwood Football Club historian Chris Lane. Return to Main Text
6. 'The Observer', 11/10/1924, page 47a. Return to Main Text
7. Waldron captained Norwood in eight of the thirteen seasons between 1881 and 1893. Return to Main Text
8. Norwood played home games at Kensington Oval from 1878 to 1898 before moving to the Jubilee Oval for two seasons. Since 1901 the club's home base has been Norwood Oval, popularly referred to as 'the Parade'. Return to Main Text
9. The results of the matches were: Saturday 6/10/88 - Norwood 6.12 d. South Melbourne 4.10; Wednesday 10/10/88 - Norwood 6.8 d. South Melbourne 2.11; Saturday 13/10/88 - Norwood 6.4 d. South Melbourne 4.15. Behinds, although included in the published scores, were not actually counted until 1897. Return to Main Text
10. See the entry on Adelaide for a more detailed discussion of this point. Return to Main Text
11. The introduction of electorate football in 1899, whereby players were compelled to play for the clubs based in their own electoral districts, was arguably the chief cause of Norwood's decline. Certainly the loss of players of the calibre of 1898 Magarey Medallist Alby Green, the Daly brothers, and former skipper Dick Correll dealt the club a body blow from which it was difficult to recover. Return to Main Text
12. From 'The SA Footballer', 19/8/22, page 17. Return to Main Text