Times have changed but my memories of SANFL football in the 1970s live strong
FOOTBALL in the 1970s brings back many fond memories for former Glenelg and Adelaide Crows skipper Chris McDermott, who grew up a passionate Woodville supporter.
FOOTBALL in the 1970s meant Woodville Oval and the mighty Peckers.
Plastic footies and cheer-squad floggers.
Two reserves a side and no interchange.
Channel 9 Footy clinics in the Parklands. Saturday night replays. The long kick at the Royal Adelaide Show and the Coca-Cola Cup.
The Sunday Footy Show with Max Hall and Wally May.
Meat pies, hot chips and a Coke. Some things never change.
Cheap entry. Others do!
For a 10-year-old in those days, footy was never better.
Jumping the fence to have a kick after the game and sneaking into the changerooms for an autograph from Malcolm Blight, Ray Huppatz, Craig McKellar, John Girardi, Frank Stemper and, of course, Barry “Buff” Tyrell.
I loved this game.
What about that State game at Adelaide Oval in 1973 — South Australia v the Vics. A four-point loss for the Croweaters in one of the greatest games ever.
Footy was hard and tough in those days but that’s just the way it was, and the way your dad said it was. None were tougher than Ray Hayes at West Adelaide.
John Wynne, maybe? Wayne Phillis, possibly. Every team had their enforcer.
The game has never looked better than from those 10-year-old’s eyes.
On the rare occasions I couldn’t get to a game I would watch Channel 7’s Saturday afternoon movie — a Tarzan classic or an Abbott and Costello laugh fest — waiting for the scores to flash up on the screen. The picture was nothing but black and white at the McDermott household. But it didn’t matter because Woodville was rarely in front.
Screw punts and the odd drop kick were the order of the day. High marks courtesy of Graham Cornes, fabulous Phil Carman or Tyrell and, of course, for a Woodville lover, losses were a regular part of my football experience.
These were tough times for Pecker fans, but also great fun. The wins were special and a real reason to celebrate.
By the mid ’70s the game started to change. No bigger change came in the form of moving the home of football to West Lakes.
My parents had driven me past the ground for years, watching the former swamp become an oval.
I was there in 1974 when the first ball was bounced. I didn’t miss a grand final until I got to play in one with Glenelg seven years later.
By the end of the ’70s, the meat pies were dearer and so was the entry price.
The game was faster and the drop kicks were gone, replaced by drop punts and a frenzy of handballs. The centre diamond had turned into a square and KG Cunningham had changed his umpire whites to a shirt and tie, and was now a TV star. Blight, McKellar and Huppatz were gone — to Victoria, of all places.
I watched The Winners on Channel 2 with amazement — and a little disappointment, that my Woodville heroes were in different colours. I became a Footscray fan when Huppatz joined them. I jumped to North Melbourne when he did too.
It seems like yesterday. But it was more than 40 years ago.
Fair to say the game is not the same, on field or off it. specially off it.
And I wonder if the kids in 2018 enjoy it quite as much?