Tracking your Team - South Adelaide

Thanks for everyone' submissions and assistance, very much appreciated.

From that we can deduce that Sturt have worn their current club emblem continuously for 60 years followed by South for approx 55 years, just a little info for the history buffs amongst us.

Cheers

Quick update passed on from Ron Fuller on where things are at,

Friday 18th January 2013 - By Ronny's Blog

We have been back to training post Christmas for about a fortnight now and it is a good time to report to our supporters on the progress of the squad.
After a pre Christmas program that focused on adding some size we have been putting a little more into game movement and fitness as well as maintain the work in the gym.
All of our recruits have been training with only Roland AhChee a little limited due to having a shoulder operation 6 months ago, but he is also ready to jump into full training.
We believe we have a squad that runs to about 30 to 35 who are all capable of being in our best team and that depth is something that has taken us a few years to develop.
The other bonus at this time of year is that we have our entire leadership group training with none of them being restricted as to what they have been able to do.
As mentioned this depth can give us confidence to cover the injuries, that occur to all clubs, better than we have been able to do in the past.
Whilst we were disappointed to lose one or two of last season’s contributors we think we have been able to overcome it with some good recruiting.
Brett Eddy is a Key position forward who has played a couple of seasons of state league with Collingwood’s VFL team.
Tom Fields is a tall defender from Labrador who can match it with shorter forwards too and this gives our defence some more security along with Jordan Taylor from the Murray Bushrangers who can play forward or back.
He is 190 cms tall and can also play on shorter as well as taller players.
These players as well as AhChee, Shannon Snook, John McDonald and Brede Seccull who were at the club pre Christmas, can help to make selection more competitive to improve our performances.
The hard work to make this happen is what waits for us between now and the start of the season.
I hope to report with positivity our progress throughout.

Ron Fuller.

Can any South supporter tell me anything about a young player or ex-player by the name of Driscoll??

This may be too early to call, but could it be South that end up with the wooden spoon in season 2013?

Yep we will finish bottom .... No question about that.

Something not right down there.

Is it Fuller? I'm starting to think he won't be there after Round 6 if things continue the way they are.

Go Legs wrote:Thanks for everyone' submissions and assistance, very much appreciated.

From that we can deduce that Sturt have worn their current club emblem continuously for 60 years followed by South for approx 55 years, just a little info for the history buffs amongst us.

Cheers

This is the 50th year that South have worn their current emblem. The first year they wore it was a premiership year. I thought that despite only coming 8th last year they weren't far away from their next flag. Of course it is only two games into the season for them this year, but it is stating the bleeding obvious to say that unless they turn things around quickly they are looking likely to again finish about 8th but without any of the future promise.

I thought that the Glenelg game was only an aberration, but no matter how good Westies are, and I suspect they are very good, South should never lose by 106 points at Noarlunga.

South won't finish bottom IMO, way too much talent down there. For some reason they just cannot play well at home. I would love to know their home record over the past three years, it would be woeful. Playing away next week so a win is just around the corner.

2 home games and 2 losses for South, not the start they wanted, and last nights thrashing won't do there confidence any good but they have plenty of the season left to rectify the problem.

Don't know who would want to coach south to be honest .

Why was it not feasible (perhaps Panther supporters can answer this) instead of investing down at Norlunga, why couldn't they have invested in the oval at St. Mary's instead? i think they called it Panther park at the time.
It's closer the CBD and transport, car parking looked ok etc...
As you can see in the pic below, there seems to be enough room for development of and around the ground.



Was the oval at St Mary's big enough? Was it a council thing similar to Unley where they couldn't use it to develop as a home ground?
It's just my personal opinion but i think the Panthers would have been better off around St. Mary's instead of Norlunga. Don't get me wrong, the facilities are great down at Norlunga but the distance seems to be a huge turn off for a lot of SANFL supporters.
I'm just throwing it out there.

Nice photo FB.... roof of the house where I grew up is visible, parents still live there.
The main reason for South moving out of St Marys was pressure from the sanfl and some minor incentives...to move further South.This then facilitated West extending into the area and increase their zone not only into St marys but further south as well, flagstaff hill, Aberfoyle Pk and Happy Valley .I seem to recall that the Mitcham council of the time were not particularly keen on Panther Park as a league venue, perhaps they should have asked my family!!!
Panther Park was just another step in Souths gradual migration from its original heartland in the city centre which began in the early 1900s. Board meetings were held at the time in the Arab Steed Hotel! South are the only sanfl club that have none of its original zone.
I lived in the next street over from Panther Park from 1958 -1983, it was Souths zone in that time, I think it was early 90's when South vacated.
I recall a trial match at Panther Park in 1971, I was 12!! South played the previous years VFL premier Carlton. Nicholls, Gallagher, Walls, Gallagher,Jones, Jezza etc playd that day, still have a program from the match. There was a massive crowd, South went down by about 8 goals I think. Darley(who incidently was at Hickinbotham Oval on Fri night...) was best for South. I recall the duel between Darley and Nicholls - perhaps the two best big men in the game at the time, was something to behold.

Carlton 22.15 def South 14.12

Carlton - Walls 5, Jezza, Gallagher & Keogh each 3
South - Howlett 3, Backman, Darley, Ronaldson & Murphy each 2

BEST PLAYERS

Carlton - Walls, Gallagher, McKay, Robertson
South - Coombe, Schmidt Darley, Backman

Great memories, B&W. Extend the map only a little bit past the old South Road PS and you'll see where I lived, not that far from you.

Looking at the best players from that game, Peter Darley was at the game last Friday night. Coombe was the best player on your list. Mark Coombe, I think. Did he go to Marion HS, across the road, my old school too. I know Brian Threadgold did and I umpired a school game at Urrbrae once where there was a totally dominant player who played a couple of games for the Panthers.

Stuart Palmer.

firstblood wrote: It's just my personal opinion but i think the Panthers would have been better off around St. Mary's instead of Norlunga. Don't get me wrong, the facilities are great down at Norlunga but the distance seems to be a huge turn off for a lot of SANFL supporters.
I'm just throwing it out there.

No sympathy from me here. Mind you, I'm used to travelling 300-400km to play and/or watch "amateur" football (we have to here in Tasmania), so when I find Adelaide people complaining about the max 55km to get down to Noarlunga (the distance you have to travel if you live out at Elizabeth, for example) then I find it disappointing that the 'travel' is the main excuse keeping people away.

People in Sydney have to travel just as many km to watch NRL (65km from Bondi to Penrith, for example).

The next excuse that I hear is that 'it's only local footy, so why should we travel?'. That is pathetic in itself. But, it is Adelaide that we are talking about. Why do I expect any different?

I agree HTWWW.

Noarlunga and Elizabeth...same distance so dont see it an issue. Really it aint that far.

Mind you I have fond memories as a kid having drinks (red cordial and lemonade) at the St Marys club rooms and getting my drink coasters signed with my Grandfather and Uncle. Grandparents lived in Clovelly Park (English Ave).

Players like Gordon Gatti, Mark Bickley, Michael Bennett, David Stockel, Greg Klanger Clenjens, Trevor Mitton, Chris Stazza Stanoski (RIP)...etc....

John Reid as coach as well.

I think the distance thing is a poor excuse too. If South start actually winning games people will jump on the wagon!!! and crowds will follow.

The world's getting smaller on here, Southee. Before my parents moved to St Marys, we lived in Clovelly Park. One street away from English Avenue - Norrie Avenue.

I got married in the church in English Avenue

The main thing that South walked away from when they left St Mary's was club room on South Road -- hind sight is great but clubs would kill now for that location.

My recollection from that time was residents & council made parking difficult and would not support ground improvements - also I thought that the government wanted a sports centre further south so placed a fairly good financial approach to South.

redandblack wrote:Great memories, B&W. Extend the map only a little bit past the old South Road PS and you'll see where I lived, not that far from you.

Looking at the best players from that game, Peter Darley was at the game last Friday night. Coombe was the best player on your list. Mark Coombe, I think. Did he go to Marion HS, across the road, my old school too. I know Brian Threadgold did and I umpired a school game at Urrbrae once where there was a totally dominant player who played a couple of games for the Panthers.

Stuart Palmer.

Mark Coombe umpired SANFL league footy for a while & i have a feeling he was a 'fitness guru' for a couple of clubs as well but not 100% with the latter

redandblack wrote:The world's getting smaller on here, Southee. Before my parents moved to St Marys, we lived in Clovelly Park. One street away from English Avenue - Norrie Avenue.

I got married in the church in English Avenue

My parents were married there in 1969. (grandparents lived across the road).

Dad is still going but Mum passed away in 2006....one week before the elimination final at Adelaide Oval v's Port Magpies. (Which we won) I was a mess as Mum loved South and never got to see much success.....Robert Pyman knew about me and my Mum and came down the race after the game to give me a big hug and say "How about that hey?".

Very rare with Pyman that moment let me tell you

I used to go down to the deli "Nicky's" (on South Road) to get my bag of mixed lollies and cricket cards!!!

oldfella wrote:The main thing that South walked away from when they left St Mary's was club room on South Road -- hind sight is great but clubs would kill now for that location.

My recollection from that time was residents & council made parking difficult and would not support ground improvements - also I thought that the government wanted a sports centre further south so placed a fairly good financial approach to South.

Thanks B&W and Oldfella, and i do remember the location of the club, on the corner opposite Mitsubishi i believe.

I'm not sure of the memories as South never played there and the Govt of the day helped move South and establish themselves in the South which makes sense. South didn't invest a lot to move and are now much more secure than they were . Most footy supporters would agree they were very fortunate and have been due to this yet still don't achieve.
I'm sure there are a few clubs that could argue a point about contribuiting more than South have for the overall competition and receive the same "free kick". Good luck to South I say .