Greatest school footy teams: Sports reporter Matt Turner picks Adelaide High and Norwood Morialta’s all-time best 22s

Which Adelaide school has produced the best footballers? Sports reporter Matt Turner has pored over stats to pick eight more schools’ best 22s. Up next, Adelaide High and Norwood Morialta.

• See all our greatest school footy best 22s
• Greatest school footy teams ranked from 8-1
• Greatest school cricket XIs: Adelaide High, Norwood Morialta

The search for Adelaide’s best footy schools is back.

Twelve months after selecting eight Adelaide schools’ greatest 22s, The Advertiser sports reporter Matt Turner has picked another eight star-studded line-ups of old scholars.

He has again pored through the archives, scoured hundreds of footballers’ career statistics and spoken to dozens of historians and past players to finalise the teams.

There have been tough selection calls sure to cause debate — just as there will be discussions about which team is best.

Challenges of this exercise, which has taken more than three months, include comparing eras, choosing who to omit, weighing up team balance versus quality and short-lived brilliance against dogged longevity, and making calls on players we have not seen in action.

But with the help of the schools, footy-mad colleagues and SANFL club historians, particularly Rino Cialini and SANFL Budget editor Peter Cornwall, and school history buff Denis Brien, the squads have been chosen.

Turner has again made the final call with the same criteria as last year.

Players were picked on their post-school football careers, not First XVIII performances.

Achievements trumped ability, so emerging present-day footballers tended to be overlooked despite the possibility of future stardom.

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Search for Adelaide’s best footy school (part two): Adelaide High and Norwood Morialta.

Stellar SANFL careers before the Crows came into the AFL in 1991 were given more weight but long-serving modern stars were also considered favourably.

Ultimately, gut feel was just as important as research, statistics and chatting to fans, teammates and opponents.

Day two of the five-day online series features CBC and Pulteney Grammar.

* Statistics as of Monday, August 12, 2019. AFL statistics were from afltables.com and the AFL Record: Season 2019. SANFL statistics came from the SANFL, Rino Cialini, Peter Cornwall, australianfootball.com and club historians, including the late Mark Beswick.

ADELAIDE HIGH

Few schools in Adelaide can boast nine SA Football Hall of Famers among their old scholars.

But Adelaide High has that many, as well as three members of the Australian Football Hall of Fame — and more to come.

South Adelaide champion Jim Deane was inducted into the national Hall this year, joining West Torrens superstar Bob Hank, who has been named skipper of Adelaide High’s greatest team, and Hayden Bunton Jr, Norwood’s captain/coach at 19.

Between them, Deane and Hank have a staggering 15 club best and fairests, as well as four Magarey Medals.

There is also a present-day player who is a certain future Australian Football Hall of Famer — Hawthorn’s Shaun Burgoyne.

West Torrens great Bob Hank is captain of Adelaide High’s Greatest Team.

South Adelaide champion and Adelaide High old scholar Jim Deane.

Burgoyne attended Adelaide High before becoming a star at Port Adelaide then the Hawks, and the VFL/AFL’s all-time games record holder by an indigenous player.

He is versatile enough to slot into multiple positions but has been named at half-back.

Other SA Hall of Famers include the only player to kick 100 goals in a SANFL season between 1941-69, Glenelg superboot Colin Churchett (full-forward), brilliant North Adelaide big man Percy Furler (centre half-forward), Roosters 1939 Magarey medallist Jeff Pash (wing), 1920s and ‘30s star North and West half-back Jack “Snowy” Hamilton, 1951 Norwood Magarey-winning ruckman John Marriott and four-time Tigers best and fairest Colin Richens (back pocket).

A midfield headlined by Marriott, Hank, Bunton Jr, Deane and Pash would strike fear into opponents.

Helping Churchett and Furler in attack are four state representatives — West and Port tall Dexter Kennedy, South Team of the Century speedster Len Lapthorne, the captain/coach of West Torrens’ first premiership team in 1924, Roy Brown, and Magpies 1942 flag-winning skipper Lew Roberts.

Norwood premiership player Jerry D’Antiochia has been named on the Adelaide High bench.

In defence with Burgoyne, Hamilton and Richens are Glenelg’s high-flying 1961 Magarey runner-up Hayden Linke (centre half-back), three-club state representative Peter Anderson (full-back) and North Adelaide Team of the Century member John Riley (back pocket).

Picked on the bench were three state players — North duo Neil McCann and Robert Taylor, and 1960s and ‘70s West and Port big man Ian Verrier — along with 1995 Advertiser Team of the Year representative Jerry D’Antiochia.

There were some very tough omissions.

Dual premiership winner Adrian Rebbeck, 1965 North best and fairest Fred Bloch, Sturt’s Bill Bentley and South’s Colin Haines narrowly missed selection, while Glenelg’s Ambrose Linke, Double Blues Brian Martin and Ray Wilson, Roosters John Plummer, Maurie Francou, Brad Ryan and James Craig, and West’s Bob Lee were also in the mix.

Three current players — Fremantle’s Brennan Cox, North Adelaide’s Cameron Craig and emerging West Adelaide 17-year-old Riley Thilthorpe — might make the side by the end of their careers.

Adelaide High has also produced a history-making official, Eleni Glouftsis, the first female field umpire of an AFL match.

School teams corrected version of Adelaide High

FP: Dexter Kennedy (West Adelaide/Port Adelaide): 286 games, 141 goals, one best and fairest (SANFL); state representative

Glenelg champion and Adelaide High old scholar Colin Churchett.

FF: Colin Churchett (Glenelg/South Melbourne): one game, 0 goals (VFL/AFL); 144 games, 555 goals (SANFL); state representative, four-time SANFL leading goalkicker, SA Football Hall of Fame

FP: Len Lapthorne (South Adelaide): 208 games, 363 goals, one flag (SANFL); state representative, South Adelaide Team of the Century

HF: Lew Roberts (Port Adelaide): 181 games, 50 goals, three flags, one best and fairest (SANFL); state representative

CHF: Percy Furler (North Adelaide): 187 games, 152 goals, two flags, one best and fairest (SANFL); state representative, North Adelaide Team of the Century, SA Football Hall of Fame

HF: Roy Brown (West Torrens/Glenelg): 115 games, 9 goals, one flag, one best and fairest (SANFL); state representative

South Adelaide’s Len Lapthorne.

W: Jeff Pash (North Adelaide): 137 games, 37 goals, one flag, two best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, North Adelaide Team of the Century, one Magarey Medal, SA Football Hall of Fame

C: Jim Deane (South Adelaide/Richmond): 33 games, 17 goals (VFL/AFL); 157 games, 95 goals, six best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, South Adelaide Team of the Century, two Magarey Medals, SA Football Hall of Fame, Australian Football Hall of Fame

W: Wybert “Will” Symonds (Norwood): 98 games, 12 goals, two flags (SANFL)

HB: Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide/Hawthorn): 373 games, 287 goals, four flags (AFL); 26 games, 4 goals (SANFL); one-time All-Australian

CHB: Hayden Linke (Glenelg): 137 games, 5 goals (SANFL)

HB: Jack “Snowy” Hamilton (North Adelaide/West Adelaide): 71 games, 22 goals, two flags (SANFL); state representative, SA Football Hall of Fame

BP: Colin Richens (Glenelg): 206 games, 220 goals, four best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, SA Football Hall of Fame

FB: Peter Anderson (North Adelaide/Glenelg/Woodville): 224 games, 137 goals, two flags (SANFL); state representative

BP: John Riley (North Adelaide/Footscray): one game, 0 goals (VFL/AFL); 250 games, 32 goals, one flag (SANFL); state representative, North Adelaide Team of the Century

Ruck: John Marriott (Norwood): 176 games, 122 goals, two flags, three best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, Norwood Team of the Century, one-time All-Australian, one Magarey Medal, SA Football Hall of Fame

Ruckman John Marriott is in both Adelaide High and Norwood High’s greatest teams.

R/R: Bob Hank (West Torrens) (c): 224 games, 61 goals, two flags, nine best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, one-time All-Australian, two Magarey Medals, SA Football Hall of Fame, Australian Football Hall of Fame

Rover: Haydn Bunton Jr (North Adelaide/Norwood): 151 games, 160 goals (SANFL); state representative, one-time All-Australian, SA Football Hall of Fame

I/C: Neil McCann (North Adelaide): 150 games, 0 goals (SANFL); state representative

Robert Taylor (North Adelaide): 141 games, 74 goals, two flags (SANFL); state representative

Jerry D’Antiochia (Norwood): 204 games, 22 goals, one flag, one best and fairest (SANFL)

Ian Verrier (West Adelaide/Port Adelaide): 199 games, 85 goals (SANFL); state representative

All-Australians: 4 — Bunton Jr, Burgoyne, Hank, Marriott

Magarey medallists: 4 — Deane, Hank, Marriott, Pash

Brownlow medallists: Nil

SA Football Hall of Famers: 9 — Bunton Jr, Churchett, Deane, Furler, Hamilton, Hank, Marriott, Pash, Richens

Australian Football Hall of Famers: 3 — Bunton Jr, Deane, Hank

NORWOOD HIGH/NORWOOD MORIALTA

Norwood High/Norwood Morialta’s greatest line-up unsurprisingly features loads of Redlegs stars.

Only one player in its 22 — 1970s and ‘80s Sturt rover Jim Derrington — has no league experience for Norwood and there are four members of the club’s Team of the Century: Bruce Schultz, Robert Oatey, Alick Lill and John Marriott.

Robert Oatey is the Norwood High/Norwood Morialta all-time team’s skipper.

Schultz’s career may have ended in 1941 but he remains the Redlegs’ all-time leading goalkicker with 669 majors from 124 games — an impressive average of 5.4.

If not for legendary North Adelaide contemporary Ken Farmer, Schultz’s feats would almost certainly be more appreciated today.

Four-time Norwood best and fairest Robert Oatey squeezes into a forward pocket in the Redlegs’ Team of the Century but is the school side’s rover, while two Magarey winners and fellow SA Football Hall of Famers, ruckman Marriott (1951 medallist) and Lill (1925), join him on the ball with durable former state captain Neil Craig.

Marriott attended Norwood High, which merged with Morialta High in 1993, before switching to Adelaide High.

Oatey, who captained the Redlegs from 1968-73, was named this team’s skipper but that title could have gone to several others.

Nine other members of the side have led Norwood: four-time flag-winning ruckman and 1922 Bay Sheffield winner turned Redlegs administrator Ern Wadham, Lill, Norwood High Greatest Cricket XI member Eric Johnson, Schultz, Marriott, 1950s defender Ron Reimann, stellar full-back Peter Aish, gutsy triple premiership player Greg Turbill and 1984 premiership captain Danny Jenkins.

Redlegs teammate and Norwood High old scholars Greg Turbill and Bruce Winter in 1982.

Six of the 22 have coached the Redlegs: Wadham, Lill, Johnson, Oatey, Craig and dual premiership mentor Nathan Bassett.

Bassett, a 2006 All-Australian, was named on one half-back flank and another recent player, dual Brisbane best and fairest Joel Patfull, on the other.

Merv Roberts and Brian Burke, who played together in Norwood’s 1946, ‘48 and ‘50 flags, are in the back pockets and dual premiership key-position player Jim Thiel is centre half-back.

Joining Schultz, Turbill (forward pocket) and Derrington (half-forward) in attack are Patfull’s grandfather, 1948 flag winner Pat Hall, mercurial 1970s left-footer Roger Woodcock, who has an end named after him at The Parade, and SA Football Hall of Famer Bruce Winter, although the 353-gamer can also feature in defence.

In a move likely to stir debate, there is no room for Essendon’s Orazio Fantasia — on the field or the bench.

Orazio Fantasia (right) has narrowly missed selection for Norwood High’s all-time team. Picture: Michael Klein

Fantasia has kicked 108 goals from 73 AFL games and is a SANFL premiership player from five Redlegs matches but he has not done enough to make this side — yet.

It is hard to displace anyone from the forward line, which boasts players with lengthy careers, and the interchange includes three club captains — Wadham (1931), Johnson (1933) and Reimann (1957) — along with 205-game ruckman Michael Gregg.

Fantasia is arguably the most notable name to miss selection but there are several others, including Norwood’s Bob Williams, Scott Bassett, Josh Donohue, John Hall, Don Woodcock and Harold Allington, and North’s Garry Gum.

Ivan Holliday, who stood and beat Essendon legend Dick Reynolds in a state game and was a prodigy with unbelievable potential, would likely have been squeezed in had a crippling knee injury not forced him to retire after just 38 games in 1948.

Richmond’s Oleg Markov, like Fantasia, may make the team by the end of his career but it is too early right now.

Norwood High/Norwood Morialta’s greatest 22.

FP: Pat Hall (Norwood/Glenelg): 145 games, 128 goals (SANFL)

FF: Bruce Schultz (Norwood): 124 games, 669 goals (SANFL); once SANFL leading goalkicker, Norwood Team of the Century

FP: Greg Turbill (Norwood): 128 games, 236 goals, three flags, one best and fairest (SANFL)

HF: Jim Derrington (Sturt): 188 games, 232 goals (SANFL)

CHF: Bruce Winter (Sturt/Norwood): 353 games, 158 goals, two flags (SANFL); state representative, SA Football Hall of Fame

HF: Roger Woodcock (Norwood): 267 games, 602 goals, two flags (SANFL)

Footballer Roger Woodcock during Norwood training.

W: Danny Jenkins (Norwood): 198 games, 87 goals, three flags (SANFL); one Jack Oatey Medal

C: Alick Lill (Norwood): 123 games, 9 goals, two flags, three best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, Norwood Team of the Century, one Magarey Medal, SA Football Hall of Fame

W: David Palm (Norwood/Richmond): 104 games, 38 goals (VFL/AFL); 65 games, 79 goals (SANFL)

HB: Joel Patfull (Norwood/Brisbane/GWS): 220 games, 26 goals, two best and fairests (AFL); 51 games, 59 goals (SANFL)

CHB: Jim Thiel (Norwood): 156 games, 71 goals, two flags (SANFL)

HB: Nathan Bassett (Norwood/Adelaide): 210 games, 25 goals (AFL); 48 games, 27 goals (SANFL); one-time All-Australian

Defender Joel Patfull in 2016.

BP: Merv Roberts (Norwood): 162 games, 6 goals, three flags (SANFL); state representative

FB: Peter Aish (Norwood): 162 games, 9 goals, two best and fairests (SANFL); state representative

BP: Brian Burke (Norwood): 80 games, 38 goals, three flags (SANFL)

R: John Marriott (Norwood): 176 games, 122 goals, two flags, three best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, Norwood Team of the Century, one-time All-Australian, SA Football Hall of Fame

R/R: Neil Craig (Norwood/Sturt/North Adelaide): 319 games, 220 goals, one best and fairest (SANFL); state representative, SA Football Hall of Fame

Neil Craig during his playing days at Norwood.

Rover: Robert Oatey (Norwood/Sturt): 299 games, 433 goals, one flag, four best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, Norwood Team of the Century, SA Football Hall of Fame

I/C: Eric Johnson (Norwood): 124 games, 192 goals, one flag (SANFL); state representative

Ern Wadham (Norwood): 144 games, 155 goals (SANFL); state representative, SA Football Hall of Fame

Ron Reimann (Norwood/South Adelaide): 190 games, 9 goals, two flags, one best and fairest (SANFL)

Michael Gregg (Norwood/West Adelaide): 205 games, 92 goals, one flag, one best and fairest (SANFL); state representative

All-Australians: 2 — Bassett, Marriott

Magarey medallists: 2 — Lill, Marriott

Brownlow medallists: Nil

SA Football Hall of Famers: 6 — Craig, Lill, Marriott, Oatey, Wadham, Winter

Australian Football Hall of Famers: Nil