Goodwood Saints’ David Bartel reflects on premierships, opponents and teammates
A Goodwood Saints legend has looked back on his career and picked his top opponents and teammates after being named as the top Adelaide Footy League player of the 21st Century.
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A six-time Adelaide Footy League premiership player and dual league medallist, not many local SA footballers can match Dave Bartel’s resume.
Winning a division two premiership with northern suburbs club Pooraka before becoming arguably the greatest captain in Goodwood Saints history, Bartel was known around the competition for his hard approach to the contest, slick skills and impressive goalkicking ability.
Recently picked as number one in our list of the top 40 Adelaide Footy League players of the 21st Century, he has reflected on his dazzling career and named his top opponents and teammates.
“Those are some of the best years of your life,” Bartel said as he looked back.
The dominant onballer joined Pooraka in 1999 after spending time with Norwood and quickly made his mark, being selected in two teams of the year and winning a D2 flag in 2001 after failing to crack regular SANFL League football for North Adelaide following a leg break.
He would then make a significant and eventually fruitful decision on his local footy future.
“Another couple years went by and Pooraka was going to get relegated back to division two so I decided I wanted to keep playing as good a standard of footy as I could,” Bartel said.
“I remember it pretty clearly, me, Adam Crossman and Michael Carter were going to move and we decided that we’d go somewhere together.
“We ended up deciding on Goodwood because we knew there were some really good quality people there such as trainer Hans Ellenbrook, who recently passed away, and it was really because of the culture.”
It was a decision which would pay dividends for Bartel.
Playing under coach Trevor Hill and eventually Trent Mills, the natural leader would become captain and lead the Saints to five consecutive premierships from 2005 to 2009, the first of which came from fifth spot.
Bartel was surrounded by talent but would often dominate big games, winning two best on ground medals in premierships and two league medals in 2005 and 2008 to go with his five premiership medallions.
“I don’t know if I was anything special, I was just someone who could read the ball and had a good fitness base,” Bartel said, brushing off his accolades.
“I just tried to get to as many contests as I could and I guess I had a bit of a goal sense as well which also helps.
“Maybe the bleached hair I had back then made me stand out a bit as well.
“I think that run of five premierships we had, you get people talking about premiership windows but I think we probably jagged a couple before we were truly in our window. That first one especially when we came from fifth, we were just surviving every week and got on a bit of a roll.”
While the premierships were major highlights, Bartel also spoke of his pride for captaining the club and players he admired greatly.
“Just being a leader for a team of great guys, I really loved that.
“I’m just hugely proud and I guess it’s humbling to have been a part of that run.
“I had a role but we were really a great squad of 30.
“I guess the hardest thing was the pressure I put on myself to perform as captain and that was part of the reason I stepped down towards the back-end of my career.”
Goodwood would continue to experience occasional success in D1 after Bartel’s but recently suffered relegation back to division two for the first time in 33 years.
The club great said now was an important time for the Saints to show solidarity.
“It was obviously pretty disappointing to go down but now it’s really important to make sure it’s not a slide further down the divisions, which can happen to clubs.
“It’s just about consolidating division two at the moment and then if you can’t get a quick bounce back, just build from there and move back up.”
BARTEL’S BEST
We asked Bartel to select the top opponents he faced and players he took the field alongside.
Here are his picks of the best in alphabetical order.
MICHAEL CARTER
(Pooraka, Goodwood Saints)
One of Bartel’s stand out teammates, Carter was a versatile player who could impact the game in a number of ways.
“He would probably have the longest and best kick of anyone I’ve ever played with,” Bartel said.
ADAM CROSSMAN
(Pooraka, Goodwood Saints)
Bartel recalled Crossman being “one of the maddest guys I’ve ever played with.”
“I remember him going at the footy once and he just had that fierce look where everyone got out of his way.”
A strong and determined player in the contest with reliable skills.
JOE HAY
(Salisbury North)
A consistent star during his time with Salisbury North, Bartel named Hay as one of his toughest opponents.
Hay was a strong and tireless player who racked up high disposals and created goalkicking opportunities.
Won the D1 medal in 2010.
MARK DEMASI
(Goodwood Saints)
One of Goodwood’s many standouts during the 2000s, Demasi was a reliable forward utility throughout an enjoyable period of success for his club.
“His goal sense was amazing,” Bartel said.
Shared the 2008 league medal with Bartel and was best on ground in the grand final that year.
JOSH HAND
(Gepps Cross, Tea Tree Gully)
“I think he was at Gepps Cross at the time but Hand was a player towards the back-end of my career who had heaps of speed and was always good,” Bartel said.
A dominant midfielder, Hand claimed two league medals, one for the Rams and one with Tea Tree Gully.
SCOTT HODGES
(Seaton Ramblers)
The former Port Adelaide star spent time with Seaton Ramblers as a typically dominant key forward during Bartel’s playing days.
“He was a man mountain and just a real focal point when we played against him at Pooraka,” Bartel said.
Was leading goalkicker multiple times.
MATT ILLMAN
(Goodwood Saints)
A dominant and classy ruck who boasted brilliant tapwork and used the footy well.
“A lot of our success as midfielders came down to the work of our rucks,” Bartel said.
Illman made three teams of the year during his career and won five flags.
Bartel also made mention of Danny Wakelin and Ken Tyrrell as standout ruckmen.
SHANE JORDAN
(Salisbury North)
“He could win games off of his own boot,” Bartel recalled.
Jordan was one of Salisbury North’s top performers throughout the 2000s and could often turn a game with his ability to win the contested footy and deal to teammates or boot goals.
ERIC KELLS
(Goodwood Saints)
Goodwood Saints’ greatest goalkicker, Kells was an obvious selection for Bartel.
“You’d put your house on him to kick a goal and he could win a game for you.”
TOM MARTIN
(Adelaide Uni)
A tough and tireless player around the contest, Martin was one of the first named by Bartel.
“When you played against him you’d come off the ground spent,” he said.
“Around the contest I remember trying to go to him to negate what he did but he’d almost always match you.”
MICHAEL O’MALLEY
(Pooraka)
A constant goal threat who could impact the game in a number of roles, Bartel recalled O’Malley as one of his great teammates.
“He just had freakish goal sense,” he said.
CHRIS RADETTI
(Gaza)
The Saints formed a rivalry with Gaza through the 2000s after a number of important clashes and Radetti was the player Bartel named as the toughest to go up against.
A high IQ player, Radetti dominated off of halfback and could do damage on the ball.
Was named in six teams of the year and won two flags with the Eagles in 2003 and 2011.
MARK RYAN
(Goodwood Saints)
A restless onballer, Bartel named Ryan as one of his most courageous teammates.
“He was a smaller onballer but I remember him always diving over someone’s boot to win the ball and it’d galvanise the team.”
MATT SPENCER
(Goodwood Saints)
Another star during Goodwood’s era of dominance in division one, Spencer was one of the Saints’ most important players for a number of seasons.
A tall and strong key defender, Spencer could control a game from the backline.
An obvious pick for Bartel, Spencer was in five teams of the year and played in four premierships.
CHARLIE THOMAS
(Goodwood Saints)
Bartel described Thomas as “one guy I’d always want in the trenches with me.”
Vice-captain through a number of the successful Saints years, Thomas was a courageous and fearless player in the contest.
MARCUS TRIMBOLI
(Rostrevor OC)
Trimboli was highly regarded throughout the 2000s for Rostrevor OC and has often been considered one of the club’s greatest ever players.
Captain from 1998-2007, Trimboli was a triple division two medallist and was just as effective in division one as an athletic and supremely skilled player.
JASON TURNER
(Henley)
“Turner was a little bit later on in my career but a great player,” Bartel said.
“He was a bit of a big mouth and got under your skin but he could tear a game apart.”
SHANNON VAN SOEST
(Tea Tree Gully)
A talented fullback, Bartel listed Van Soest as one of the top opponents his teams came up against.
“He wasn’t so much a direct opponent for me personally but he was a quality player.
“He’d be one of the all-time full backs.”
SCOTT WEBB
(Goodwood Saints)
Bartel only spent one year playing with Scott Webb but had high praise for the talented halfback.
“He would run all day and always be in the line of an oncoming full forward and get crunched while taking a big mark.”
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