Greatest school footy teams: Sports reporter Matt Turner picks Pembroke and Unley High’s all-time best 22s
Which Adelaide school has produced the best footballers? Sports reporter Matt Turner has again pored over statistics to pick eight more schools’ greatest 22s. First are Pembroke and Unley High.
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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 chosen 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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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.
We kick off the five-day online series with King’s College/Pembroke and Unley High.
Let the debate recommence.
* 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.
KING’S COLLEGE/PEMBROKE
This is an all-time team with a modern feel.
Seven members of the King’s College/Pembroke 22 are still playing in either the AFL or SANFL and another three have taken to the field in the past decade.
Yet two of the biggest stars of the Kensington Park school are heroes of yesteryear – brilliant five-club forward of the 1970s and ‘80s Phil Carman and six-time Sturt premiership backman of the ‘60s and ‘70s Brenton Adcock.
Many thought only injury and suspensions stopped Carman from being considered one of the greats of the game, such was his talent and output.
Adcock was an All-Australian in 1966, inducted into the SA Football Hall of Fame in 2002, named in Sturt’s Team of the Century and chosen in a back pocket for this side.
He is one of two King’s/Pembroke All-Australians, along with former Melbourne captain and two-time Demons best and fairest Todd Viney, who has been selected on the ball and given the nod as skipper.
Viney is joined in the midfield by his younger brother, Jay, ex-Sturt, Port Adelaide and Carlton ruckman Barnaby French and Norwood rover Peter Oatey.
In attack with Carman are two other former Redlegs who went on to play for Collingwood, Stephen Patterson and Justin Staritski, current players George Horlin-Smith and Lewis Johnston, and clever Double Blues, Essendon and Port Adelaide goalsneak Angus Monfries.
The defence also has two present-day players – Sturt’s 2017 Jack Oatey medallist Fraser Evans at centre half-back and Norwood skipper Jace Bode in a back pocket – along with hard-running Nick Duigan and Sturt premiership winner Nigel Wark.
Anthony Ingerson could play as a key forward for this side but was named in defence, where he made his name at Melbourne.
On the wings are Norwood 1978 premiership player Chris Fienemann and Sturt dual flag winner James Battersby.
Choosing the bench was difficult.
Headlining the tough cuts were 1971 North Adelaide premiership backman Terry Collins, recently retired Rooster George Thring, South Adelaide state representative David Parkinson, Redlegs premiership player Alex Forster and ex-Redleg and Panther Bob Haines.
Two flag winners in their early 20s – North’s Maris Olekalns and Sturt’s Tom Read – were also overlooked, given it was still so early in their careers, while women’s players Ali Evans (West Adelaide) and Lane Trenorden (Sturt) came into consideration.
Ultimately, the four interchange spots went to Double Blues state ruckman Angus Kurtze, Ken Farmer Medal winner Mark Evans, Roosters premiership captain Max Thring and 1940s West Torrens player Stewart Glastonbury.
FP: Stephen Patterson (Norwood/Collingwood): 96 games, 88 goals (AFL); 86 games, 116 goals, one best and fairest (SANFL); state representative
FF: Lewis Johnston (North Adelaide/Adelaide/Norwood): 10 games, 16 goals (AFL); 113 games, 170 goals (SANFL); state representative
FP:Angus Monfries (Sturt/Essendon/Port Adelaide): 211 games, 248 goals (AFL); 20 games, 21 goals (SANFL)
HF: George Horlin-Smith (Geelong/Gold Coast): 55 games, 27 goals (AFL)
CHF: Phil Carman (Norwood/Collingwood/Melbourne/Essendon/North Melbourne): 100 games, 204 goals (VFL/AFL); 58 games, 89 goals (SANFL); state representative
HF: Justin Staritski (Norwood/North Melbourne/Collingwood): 26 games, 4 goals (AFL); 62 games, 38 goals (SANFL)
W: Chris Fienemann (Norwood): 63 games, 29 goals, one flag (SANFL)
C: Jay Viney (Sturt/Melbourne/North Adelaide): 23 games, 4 goals (AFL); 157 games, 76 goals (SANFL)
W: James Battersby (Adelaide/Sturt): 119 games, 36 goals, two flags (SANFL)
HB: Nick Duigan (Norwood/Carlton): 43 games, 10 goals (AFL); 87 games, 11 goals (SANFL)
CHB: Anthony Ingerson (Central District/Adelaide/Melbourne): 158 games, 40 goals (AFL), 121 games, 101 goals (SANFL)
HB: Nigel Wark (Norwood/Sturt): 108 games, 1 goals, one flag (SANFL)
BP: Brenton Adcock (Sturt): 259 games, six goals, six flags (SANFL); state representative, one-time All-Australian, Sturt Team of the Century, SA Football Hall of Fame
FB: Fraser Evans (Sturt): 151 games, 35 goals, two flags (SANFL); state representative, one Jack Oatey Medal
BP: Jace Bode (Melbourne/Sturt/Norwood): 9 games, 3 goals (AFL), 194 games, 20 goals, three flags (SANFL); state representative
R: Barnaby French (Sturt/Port Adelaide/Carlton): 133 games, 40 goals (AFL), 31 games, 11 goals, one flag (SANFL)
R/R: Todd Viney (Sturt/Melbourne) (c): 233 games, 92 goals, two best and fairests (AFL); 45 games, 30 goals (SANFL); state representative, one-time All-Australian
Rover: Peter Oatey (Norwood): 120 games, 110 goals (SANFL)
I/C: Angus Kurtze (Sturt): 137 games, 130 goals (SANFL); state representative
Mark Evans (Norwood/Sturt): 131 games, 226 goals, two flags (SANFL); one Ken Farmer Medal
Max Thring (North Adelaide): 123 games, 98 goals, one flag, one best and fairest (SANFL)
Stewart Glastonbury (West Torrens): 101 games, 39 goals (SANFL); state representative
All-Australians: 2 – Adcock, Viney
Magarey medallists: Nil
Brownlow medallists: Nil
SA Football Hall of Famers: 1 – Adcock
Australian Football Hall of Famers: Nil
UNLEY HIGH
Not picking an Unley High team last year created debate in itself.
How could a school that has produced a swag of SANFL, mostly from Sturt, be overlooked?
The reality was last year’s series focused on arguably the eight best football schools in Adelaide right now, including public powerhouses Brighton and Henley.
It was not meant to be a slight on Unley High, which was a football factory from its establishment in 1910 through to the 1960s.
Unsurprisingly, given its location – originally on Belair Rd where Mitcham Girls now stands, now in Netherby’s backstreets – Unley High’s greatest team reads like a Sturt who’s who.
There is 1961 Magarey medallist John Halbert in the centre, 1930s superboot Bo Morton, who the club’s best and fairest medal is named after, at full-forward, cult hero Peter Endersbee in one forward pocket, All-Australian big man Clayton Thompson in the other and the SANFL’s 10th-most prolific goalkicker Malcolm Greenslade on an attacking flank.
Wingman Clarrie Scrutton and four-time premiership-winning centre half-back Rick Schoff, like Halbert and Morton, are in Sturt’s Team of the Century.
Reliable defender Terry Short has five Double Blues flags, while on the opposite wing to 1920s star Clarrie Scrutton is Ross Treleaven, a triple best and fairest recipient of the ‘30s.
In fact, only six members of this team did not play league football for Sturt.
They are: 1950s tennis ace and state footballer Ken McGregor (centre half-forward), former Crows captain and five-time All-Australian Simon Goodwin (half-back), South Adelaide Team of the Century member Bob Schmidt (half-back), Glenelg’s 1934 Magarey medallist George “Blue” Johnston (ruck), another brilliant tap man, former West captain Colin Smith (bench), and the third-placed finisher in the 1954 Brownlow Medal, Essendon club champion John Gill, who is also a ruckman (interchange).
Finalising the squad was incredibly difficult.
Sturt’s Reg Whitehead’s two premierships, captaincy in 1926 and best-on-ground performance in ruck in the 1919 flag win earnt him a spot on the bench.
But his younger brother, Charlie, was overlooked despite being a consistent ruckman during a similar era and claiming one premiership.
Others to narrowly miss selection were gritty 1930s Double Blues half-back flanker Edgar Sims, Sturt goalkicker Paul Caust, ex-South, Sydney and Norwood ruckman Stephen Doyle, former Crows and Saints backman James Begley and 1991 North premiership player Tim Nunan.
Roosters and Redlegs tall Greg Schlein, West Torrens state player Ossie “Pat” O’Grady, dual Panthers flag winner Errol Sterzl, West and Glenelg’s Brooke Fogden and Double Blues Don Harris, Gordon Day, Don Bartlett, Laurie Simon, Bill Kutcher and Bruce Raymond were also considered, along with current players Andre Parrella and Henry Carey.
Even though the team already has two players with fewer than 60 matches to their names with Endersbee (46) and McGregor (54), 58-game spearhead Malcolm “Emmy” Jones’s also makes the cut in a tight call.
Jones’s finals feats, including six goals during the 1965 grand final loss to Port Adelaide and a club record 19 during the next year’s major round with eight in the Double Blues’ flag win over Port, as well as legendary coach Jack Oatey picking him at full-forward of his greatest Sturt 21 got him the nod over Charlie Whitehead.
Halbert, who captained Sturt from 1962-68, including to the 1966 flag, was named skipper of this side.
FP: Clayton Thompson (Sturt/Hawthorn): 50 games, 54 goals (VFL/AFL); 151 games, 236 goals, two best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, one-time All-Australian, SA Football Hall of Fame
FF: Bo Morton (Sturt): 138 games, 561 goals, one flag, three best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, Sturt Team of the Century, SA Football Hall of Fame
FP: Peter Endersbee (Sturt): 46 games, 65 goals, three flags (SANFL)
HF: Malcolm Greenslade (Sturt/Richmond/Glenelg ): 2 games, 7 goals (VFL/AFL); 239 games, 622 goals, three flags (SANFL); state representative
CHF: Ken McGregor (West Adelaide): 54 games, 89 goals (SANFL); state representative
HF: Gordon Scrutton (Sturt): 87 games, 201 goals, one flag (SANFL)
W: Ross Treleaven (Sturt): 171 games, 3 goals, one flag, three best and fairests (SANFL); state representative
C: John Halbert (Sturt) (c): 244 games, 253 goals, one flag, four best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, one Magarey Medal, one-time All-Australian, Sturt Team of the Century, SA Football Hall of Fame, Australian Football Hall of Fame
W: Clarrie Scrutton (Sturt): 111 games, 7 goals, one flag, three best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, Sturt Team of the Century
HB: Bob Schmidt (South Adelaide): 164 games, 0 goals, one flag, one best and fairest (SANFL); state representative, South Adelaide Team of the Century
CHB: Rick Schoff (Sturt): 214 games, 151 goals, four flags, one best and fairest (SANFL); state representative, two-time All-Australian, Sturt Team of the Century, SA Football Hall of Fame
HB: Simon Goodwin (South Adelaide/Adelaide): 275 games, 162 goals, two flags, three best and fairests (AFL); 18 games, 1 goal (SANFL); state representative, five-time All-Australian, SA Football Hall of Fame, Australian Football Hall of Fame
BP: Terry Short (Sturt): 250 games, 17 goals, five flags, one best and fairest (SANFL)
FB: Colin Ingham (Sturt): 87 games, 14 goals (SANFL); state representative
BP: Jack Wadham (Sturt): 164 games, 5 goals, two flags (SANFL)
R: George “Blue” Johnston (Glenelg): 203 games, 161 goals, one flag, three best and fairests (SANFL); state representative, one Magarey Medal, SA Football Hall of Fame
R/R: George Tilley (Sturt): 174 games, 54 goals, two best and fairests (SANFL); state representative
Rover: Alby Wundersitz (Sturt): 113 games, 254 goals, one flag (SANFL); state representative
I/C: Colin Smith (West Adelaide): 215 games, 271 goals, one flag, one best and fairest (SANFL); state representative, West Adelaide Team of the Centuries, SA Football Hall of Fame
Reg Whitehead (Sturt/Glenelg): 127 games, 50 goals, two flags (SANFL); state representative
Malcolm “Emmy” Jones (Sturt): 57 games, 205 goals, two flags (SANFL); state representative
John Gill (Essendon): 107 games, 76 goals, one best and fairest (VFL/AFL); state representative
All-Australians: 4 – Goodwin, Halbert, Schoff, Thompson
Magarey medallists: 2 – Halbert, Johnston
Brownlow medallists: Nil
SA Football Hall of Famers: 7 – Goodwin, Halbert, Johnston, Morton, Schoff, Smith, Thompson
Australian Football Hall of Famers: 2 – Goodwin, Halbert
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