Off season reminiscences for history heads

[KSAS]

i recall Carlton were trying to claim Allender as he was residentially in their zone, even though Port Melbourne was our still zone & feeding VFA club. Think the VFL eventually ruled him in our favour.

[Blood Fever]

They tried to pinch everybody. They got Rhys jones and Evans and went after Teasdale as well. Think he went to Collingwood but injuries ruined him there.

[sharp9]

The Bombers did manage to play all 4 Danihers in one game - Chris gets overlooked, but he played over 100 games.

In a lot of ways, 1977 should have been the start of a great Swans era - but Carlton poached Ian Stewart and we appointed Tuddy.

The top five disasters of modern Swans history.
#1 Stewart/Carlton/Tuddy/Daniher
#2 Greg Miller/Ron Thomas/Carey/Longmire
#3 Eddie McGuire/COLA/Scholarship/Academy
#4 The actual move to Sydney (not the decision to move just the execution)
#5
Actually I'll leave #5 free for now - Nominations anyone?

Did you leave J. Hurd off the Carey/Longmire line? IIRC we had access to him.

[wolftone57]

When was the last time we had an AA ruckman on the list? Have we EVER had an AA ruckman on the list? (Looks like Spida Everitt was).

Darren Jolly, but for Pies.
Mummy made the 44 Squad
Adam Goodes won a Brownlow in the ruck
Not sure AA was around in Barry Round's days but if it had been he would have been one of the first picked. Brownlow Medal winner. SA great feat for a ruck.
There was no AA when Graham Teasdale won the Brownlow but he would have been a walk up.

We had what was considered the best ruck combo in the AFL in Mummy/Pyke. Sometimes two is better then one.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Did you leave J. Hurd off the Carey/Longmire line? IIRC we had access to him.

I felt I could group Horse and Carey together, because it was a single episode. But the Hird event took place three years later under a different administration.

You are right we could select two ACT players as part of the draft intake in 1990-91. We selected Robert Neill (who should have beeen a very good player, but Buckenara probably put paid to that) and Ben Aulich (who became a lawyer and has had an 'interesting' legal career).
I have heard stories that the non-selection of Hird was down to the mesmerism of Kevin Sheedy. Apparently Kevin talked the kid down, claiming he didn't think much of him and that he'd only be drafting him as a favour to his grandfather.

It's a contender for the open #5 spot in the Top five Disasters of Modern Swans History list - I was hoping to hear what else might be nominated.

[KSAS]

My possible no. 5 contention, which I confess being unsure between fact v fiction with this one, is the VFL freezing funds to maintain/develop the Lakeside Oval?

My understanding is that the VFL as part of it's ground rationalisation program, stopped funding on certain grounds where it saw no future, in which the Lakside Oval was one. It was encouraging co-tenancy as we saw begin happening in the 1970's.

I thought this was perhaps one of the driving forces behind our relocation to Sydney?

I thought the Lakeside Oval could've been developed as the Jewel in crown of the competition. Similar in the way the Adelaide Oval has been developed, incoporating the picturesque surrounds of Albert Park Lake and open parklands, plus the advantage of multi public transport access.

It would've been a better alternative imo, than the soulless Docklands decades later and utilised better than it is today, taking it's inner city location into consideration.

[Sandridge]

My possible no. 5 contention, which I confess being unsure between fact v fiction with this one, is the VFL freezing funds to maintain/develop the Lakeside Oval?

My understanding is that the VFL as part of it's ground rationalisation program, stopped funding on certain grounds where it saw no future, in which the Lakside Oval was one. It was encouraging co-tenancy as we saw begin happening in the 1970's.

I thought this was perhaps one of the driving forces behind our relocation to Sydney?

I thought the Lakeside Oval could've been developed as the Jewel in crown of the competition. Similar in the way the Adelaide Oval has been developed, incoporating the picturesque surrounds of Albert Park Lake and open parklands, plus the advantage of multi public transport access.

It would've been a better alternative imo, than the soulless Docklands decades later and utilised better than it is today, taking it's inner city location into consideration.

Spot on again, KSAS! The freezing of the funds was definitely the catalyst for our move to Sydney.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

My possible no. 5 contention, which I confess being unsure between fact v fiction with this one, is the VFL freezing funds to maintain/develop the Lakeside Oval.

Spot on again, KSAS! The freezing of the funds was definitely the catalyst for our move to Sydney.

As the fund freezing led to the Swans migrating, does that make that VFL action a contender for a spot in the Top five Disasters?
Or does it depend on whether you think the move North was a good thing.

Many KSAS supporters at the time felt emphatically that moving North was a bad move. From that perspective the fund freezing is definitely a contender for a spot in the Top five Disasters.
Others, expecially Sydneysiders, think of the move north as a great thing - therefore the fund freeze wasn't a disaster but a beccasary stepping stone to a pair of 21st century premierships.

[111431]

Spot on again, KSAS! The freezing of the funds was definitely the catalyst for our move to Sydney.

I’m a long time Sth Melb / Swans fan but I think the fact we were hopeless and had no money determined our fate. At the time it was difficult to accept but it was the wisest decision ever made - even if it was hard to accept at the time

[Roadrunner]

I’m a long time Sth Melb / Swans fan but I think the fact we were hopeless and had no money determined our fate. At the time it was difficult to accept but it was the wisest decision ever made - even if it was hard to accept at the time

Exactly. We allegedly had a terrible administration and the club was broke, so relocating to Sydney was the only solution, as much as it hurt South supporters. Look what happened to poor Fitzroy who were in a similar situation. Clearly, the city of Melbourne (ok, and Geelong) could no longer support 12 teams so the VFL had to evolve into the AFL. Btw, does the AFL still own us?

[Sandridge]

Exactly. We allegedly had a terrible administration and the club was broke, so relocating to Sydney was the only solution, as much as it hurt South supporters. Look what happened to poor Fitzroy who were in a similar situation. Clearly, the city of Melbourne (ok, and Geelong) could no longer support 12 teams so the VFL had to evolve into the AFL. Btw, does the AFL still own us?

Agree with you and 111431 that we had poor finances and low membership numbers and were therefore "ripe for the picking." My understanding, though - and I'm happy to be told I'm wrong - is the same as KSAS' belief that the VFL withholding funds to us was the tipping point.

Could not agree with you more, though, that time has shown that the move to Sydney was the best thing to happen to us. I'm positive that we would've suffered the same fate as Fitzroy if we'd stayed in Melbourne. The move to Sydney was initially tough for all of us South Melbourne supporters but I have to say that not one of my many South Melbourne loving family members and friends dumped the club. We all embraced the move and our passion for the club did not dwindle one little bit. The result? We've seen 2 Premierships that I thought I would never see, we've appeared in numerous finals and our club now boasts over 60,000 members! That's just magnificent!

[111431]

Agree with you and 111431 that we had poor finances and low membership numbers and were therefore "ripe for the picking." My understanding, though - and I'm happy to be told I'm wrong - is the same as KSAS' belief that the VFL withholding funds to us was the tipping point.

Could not agree with you more, though, that time has shown that the move to Sydney was the best thing to happen to us. I'm positive that we would've suffered the same fate as Fitzroy if we'd stayed in Melbourne. The move to Sydney was initially tough for all of us South Melbourne supporters but I have to say that not one of my many South Melbourne loving family members and friends dumped the club. We all embraced the move and our passion for the club did not dwindle one little bit. The result? We've seen 2 Premierships that I thought I would never see, we've appeared in numerous finals and our club now boasts over 60,000 members! That's just magnificent!

you could never have imagined it in the 1970's

[Ruck'n'Roll]

you could never have imagined it in the 1970's

Moving to Sydney, or making a success of it?

I think the VFL report into the feasability of a team in Sydney envisioned exaclty that - but the clubs collectively ensured that none of recomendations from that report were followed.

It robably put progress in Sydney back by a decade or two. I had it as #4 in my Top Five Disasters of Modern Swans History - but maybe it should be higher?

[Nico]

The President of the VFL at the time was one Alan Aylett, ex North Melbourne player and Captain and there was no way he was going to let them go to Sydney, even though as I believe, they were worse off than us.

We had been in the gun for a few years as we had proposed to set up an interstate night competition at the South ground, as it was the only ground at the time that had lights. The South Melbourne Cricket Club was the tenant of the ground, and the VFL sent a letter to the cricket club saying that if it went ahead then South would no longer be able to play at the Lake Oval. How do I know this; I read the letter.

Initially the VFL tried to pack Fitzroy off to Sydney, but the Fitzroy president at the time Leon Weigard arced up and managed to get the supporters to rally around the club and the VFL backed off. So logically we were going to be the next.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the funding the VFL pulled was for the new stand that was to be built on the bowling green side of the ground. I also saw those plans. Once Fitzroy was out of the equation I believe the wheels were put in motion to shaft us.

[Sandridge]

The President of the VFL at the time was one Alan Aylett, ex North Melbourne player and Captain and there was no way he was going to let them go to Sydney, even though as I believe, they were worse off than us.

We had been in the gun for a few years as we had proposed to set up an interstate night competition at the South ground, as it was the only ground at the time that had lights. The South Melbourne Cricket Club was the tenant of the ground, and the VFL sent a letter to the cricket club saying that if it went ahead then South would no longer be able to play at the Lake Oval. How do I know this; I read the letter.

Initially the VFL tried to pack Fitzroy off to Sydney, but the Fitzroy president at the time Leon Weigard arced up and managed to get the supporters to rally around the club and the VFL backed off. So logically we were going to be the next.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the funding the VFL pulled was for the new stand that was to be built on the bowling green side of the ground. I also saw those plans. Once Fitzroy was out of the equation I believe the wheels were put in motion to shaft us.

On This Day: Swans move to Sydney

I believe this article backs up most, if not all, of what you say, nico.

I'm not sure if the funds that were frozen were earmarked for the grandstand or if the proposed grandstand was separate to the ground improvement funds we were supposed to receive but the upshot was, Sydney or bust!

Yep, then VFL President Alan Aylett would never have let Norf be the club that moved.

And, yep, the VFL tried to send Fitzroy to Sydney first. They withstood the pressure and, unfortunately for their supporters, that did not end well for them. Worked out very well for us, though, eventually!