Jack Oatey's Sturt Team 1961-1982

After coaching the Double Blues for 22 seasons, for 7 flags in 9 grand finals, master coach Jack Oatey sat down and penned his best Sturt team of players he coached in that era. The team was:

F: Rick Davies, Malcolm E Jones, Roger Rigney
HF: Michael Graham, John Halbert, Brendon Howard
C: Trevor Clarke, Rick Schoff, Tony Burgan
HB: Terry Short, Phil Nelson, Bob Shearman (vc)
B: Brenton Adcock, Bruce Jarrett, Keith Chessell

Ruck: Tony Clarkson, Paul Bagshaw (c), Roger Dunn
Res: Robbert Klomp, Brenton Miels, John Murphy

A very good team for sure, and who am I to question Oatey? I was a little surprised by some selections and wondered who others viewed this team.

For one, slighly surprised by the selection of Howard at HF over John Tilbrook. Sure Howard was a better player but Tilbrook was a very dangerous and productive HF flanker.
No spot for Colin Casey or Michael Nunan. Was Dunn a better rover than Nunan?
Trevor Clarke before Darryl Hicks on the wing?

What do people think?

First thought is why Shearman is at half back and Schoff at centre. I'd have thought the reverse was the more common scenario.

My recollection of Tilbrook is that he was very dangerous but inconsistent.i.e. could go missing for long stretches (and then kick 4 goals in a quarter.)

Schoff played a lot of his footy at either CHF, centre, or CHB. I doubt he played much footy at all on the HB flank, whereas Shearman played a lot of footy on the forward and back flanks, as well as centre.

Aother one I thought of was Ken Whelan. Twice kicking the ton, but Emmy Jones picked ahead of him. I rate Emmy the better FF, but it's an interesting call just the same.

I wonder if Nunan's omission had anything to do with his departure from Blueland.

I have heard stories about JO's favs.
Maybe he was still carrying the scars of that one at the time.
I don't think Nunan's comments after the 1978 GF would have earned him Christmas cards from JO.

Someone may know the exact transcript, but it went something like;
Interviewer: "What is it like beating your old team by a point?"
Nunan: "Beating them by half a point would have been better."

Howard is curious, as my recollection was of him mainly in the centre. And I think he was one of those stay at home type centremen. Probably moved around a bit later on in his career, but I don't have memories of him much at HF. Would have thought either he or Shearman were the centre natural options.

This may also be a bit before my time, but did Schoff play much in the middle? Our team of the century has him at Half Back.

Not easy selections all the same given the purple patch between 1966-1978 and the players that were around in that period.

Chambo Off To Work We Go wrote:I wonder if Nunan's omission had anything to do with his departure from Blueland.

This may also be a bit before my time, but did Schoff play much in the middle? Our team of the century has him at Half Back.

That thought did cross my mind. I know Oatey and Nunan weren't very pleased with each other at the time. Also, Bruce Winter transfered to Norwood, but you could argue he wouldn't be in Oatey's best ever team anyway.

Schoff did play a bit in the centre, but as the team was from 1961, perhaps it would have been better having Schoff at CHF and Halbert in the middle.

Far from me to comment on this team, all great names from an era that has left a lasting impression for those who can remember it. This is Jack Oatey's best team, and I guess he would know.

Wikipedia (I know but still) says Schoff started as a forward but played most of his footy at half-back. He also represented SA at half-back and was picked in Sturt's team of the century at half-back.

Yes, Schoff began at FF but played centre in the 1965 GF. He played CHB for South Australia but Phil Nelson played there for Sturt, so Schoff played wherever he was needed.

I am amazed that Halbert was as effective as he was at HF.
He is not a big man at all.

Given his goalscoring output over the time, was a bit surprised Malcolm Greenslade did not get a mention.

I wasn't around in the 60's, but have heard of most of these players. Haven't heard of Trevor Clarke though. Perhaps there was something personal between Oatey and Hicks, and which resulted in Hicks going to coach at Centrals (just hypothesizing )

I'm also surprised that Casey didn't make the side, obviously Jarrett was highly rated.

Just to take this thread off on a tangent slightly, if we extended the time (past Oatey's coaching era) period to 1990 (being the last year before the Crows changed the nature of the SANFL competition), would there be many additional players in this side ie. if period was from 62 - 90.

Perhaps Paynter and Derrington. Scott Russell (although he may not have played long enough at Sturt given he went to Collingwood?). Willmott?

FOOTYfollower wrote:Just to take this thread off on a tangent slightly, if we extended the time (past Oatey's coaching era) period to 1990 (being the last year before the Crows changed the nature of the SANFL competition), would there be many additional players in this side ie. if period was from 62 - 90.

Perhaps Paynter and Derrington. Scott Russell (although he may not have played long enough at Sturt given he went to Collingwood?). Willmott?

Only ones I can think of that COULD be considered are Peter Motley, Neil Craig and Greg Whittlesea.

It would be very hard to break into that team.

I saw plenty of the great Sturt side of the 60's. They revolutionised the game and their skill level was a step above anything that had been seen until then.

Just for interest, I was at Richmond Oval the day Brian Martin kicked 10 goals. He was dropped for the next game (for ME Jones?).

Adelaide Hawk wrote:

FOOTYfollower wrote:Just to take this thread off on a tangent slightly, if we extended the time (past Oatey's coaching era) period to 1990 (being the last year before the Crows changed the nature of the SANFL competition), would there be many additional players in this side ie. if period was from 62 - 90.

Perhaps Paynter and Derrington. Scott Russell (although he may not have played long enough at Sturt given he went to Collingwood?). Willmott?

Only ones I can think of that COULD be considered are Peter Motley, Neil Craig and Greg Whittlesea.

Yeah forgot about those ones, good to see you're on the ball even if i'm not AH

redandblack wrote:Just for interest, I was at Richmond Oval the day Brian Martin kicked 10 goals. He was dropped for the next game (for ME Jones?).

Correct. M.E.Jones was the regular full forward, Martin filled in at FF when Jones was unavailable. Martin was a member of the premiership team that season (1966), and also 1968.

What about the bloke that just possed in and out of the side when they needed him? Malcolm Hill from the Riverland. Not a bad super sub.
Probably didn't play enough to get in JO's side. Not sure how many games he played all up.

I think of the extended 1983 - 1990 brigade, I would only have Motley in the side. He also made the Team of the Century. But who to drop?

Possibly Clarke to the bench, with Murphy dropping out?

Fair players, though.

Chambo Off To Work We Go wrote:What about the bloke that just possed in and out of the side when they needed him? Malcolm Hill from the Riverland. Not a bad super sub.
Probably didn't play enough to get in JO's side. Not sure how many games he played all up.

He played 41 games, his last 4 games saw 3 premierships. He was recruited from Hawthorn where he played in their 1961 premiership team.

The last couple of years saw them just suddenly bring him down for the finals, my vague memory recollects?

redandblack wrote:The last couple of years saw them just suddenly bring him down for the finals, my vague memory recollects?

Yep, down from the Berri Hotel, which he owned.

I used to do work up there and met him a few times.
I think he managed the pub which is one of these community owned pubs that seem to proliferate in the Riverland.

Hard to fathom that they just subbed him in for finals when needed.
Just can't see it quite happening today.
Although Centrals did something vaguely similar last year in having Schell qualify didn't they?

Adelaide Hawk wrote:After coaching the Double Blues for 22 seasons, for 7 flags in 9 grand finals, master coach Jack Oatey sat down and penned his best Sturt team of players he coached in that era. The team was:

F: Rick Davies, Malcolm E Jones, Roger Rigney
HF: Michael Graham, John Halbert, Brendon Howard
C: Trevor Clarke, Rick Schoff, Tony Burgan
HB: Terry Short, Phil Nelson, Bob Shearman (vc)
B: Brenton Adcock, Bruce Jarrett, Keith Chessell

Ruck: Tony Clarkson, Paul Bagshaw (c), Roger Dunn
Res: Robbert Klomp, Brenton Miels, John Murphy

For the purpose of comparison, are you going to select a Norwood side for the 1961-1982 period, AH?

FOOTYfollower wrote:For the purpose of comparison, are you going to select a Norwood side for the 1961-1982 period, AH?

I had to leave out so many players who could have made the team, so I selected a first and second team.

First Team
Coach: Bob Hammond
F: Neville Roberts, Ian Brewer, Greg Turbill
HF: Michael Aish, Ross Dillon, Roger Woodcock
C: Phil Gallagher, Phil Carman, Glen Rosser
HB: Danny Jenkins, Jim Thiel, Peter Aish
B: Michael Taylor, Ron Kneebone, Graham Molloy
Ruck: Bill Wedding, John Wynne, Robert Oatey
Int: Neil Button, Keith Thomas, Garry McIntosh

Second Team
Coach: Neil Balme
F: Jim Michalanney, Michael Coligan, Haydn Bunton
HF: John Lill, Brian Adamson, Brian Sawley
C: Duncan Fosdike, Neil Craig, Dennis Modra
HB: Rodney Pope, Stephen Kerley, Frank Stemper
B: Greg Nicholson, Ian Stasinowsky, Bruce Winter
Ruck: Greg Kuchel, Michael Poulter, Terry Von Bertouch
Int: Michael Gregg, Rodney Seekamp, Gil Butchart

Apologies to several players.

Adelaide Hawk wrote:

FOOTYfollower wrote:For the purpose of comparison, are you going to select a Norwood side for the 1961-1982 period, AH?

I had to leave out so many players who could have made the team, so I selected a first and second team.

First Team
Coach: Bob Hammond
F: Neville Roberts, Ian Brewer, Greg Turbill
HF: Michael Aish, Ross Dillon, Roger Woodcock
C: Phil Gallagher, Phil Carman, Glen Rosser
HB: Danny Jenkins, Jim Thiel, Peter Aish
B: Michael Taylor, Ron Kneebone, Graham Molloy
Ruck: Bill Wedding, John Wynne, Robert Oatey
Int: Neil Button, Keith Thomas, Garry McIntosh

Second Team
Coach: Neil Balme
F: Jim Michalanney, Michael Coligan, Haydn Bunton
HF: John Lill, Brian Adamson, Brian Sawley
C: Duncan Fosdike, Neil Craig, Dennis Modra
HB: Rodney Pope, Stephen Kerley, Frank Stemper
B: Greg Nicholson, Ian Stasinowsky, Bruce Winter
Ruck: Greg Kuchel, Michael Poulter, Terry Von Bertouch
Int: Michael Gregg, Rodney Seekamp, Gil Butchart

Apologies to several players.

You might have to make some adjustments 'AH'.
Forget team, I'm not sure Balmey and Kerls could stand being in the same suburb mate !

Pretty good 1st team if your 3 interchange players can't get off the pine.

Maybe to make it interesting publish the Sturt team and Norwood team together with the match ups.

Would like to see that game on the "Field of Dreams"