Chris McDermott: My footy favourites still smell sweet after 50 years

SOUTH Australian footy legend Chris ‘Bone’ McDermott has 50 years of fond memories of his time as a SANFL supporter and player. The inaugural Crows captain, who played over 250 games for Glenelg and captained the state team eight times, has selected his favourite 25 players.

Chris McDermott with former Glenelg teammate Scott Salisbury. Bone has looked back on 50 years of SANFL memories and named his favourite 25 players.

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I’VE always loved the SANFL and while it isn’t the same as it once was, it is still a very special competition, with great memories of the past and some equally great memories to come in the future.

My first real memory of Australia’s oldest running football competition was the smell of change rooms in 1969. After the big men of the game had returned from their battle on the field and were recovering post match.

Green and gold stripes sitting in silence. Yes it had been another loss.

There was no joy in defeat. I learned to hate losing as a Woodville supporter. Hate it. I learned to lose with your head up.

Never sulk but no matter where the Woodville Woodpeckers were on the premiership table and no matter what time of the season it was, you had to hate losing, I did.

The sight of Craig McKellar, Malcolm Blight, Ray Huppatz, John Cummins, Frank Stemper, Billy Ruth, Eddie Holland and the great Buff Tyrell just to name a few, made my weekend, win, lose or draw, but mainly lose. I was hooked for life.

I got the odd sneak peak into West Adelaide’s change rooms and an occasional look inside Glenelg’s rooms. I was truly a kid in a lolly shop.

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My love of the game began right there and of course sitting in the outer watching the action.

Woodville rover Ralph Sewer excited me but the high-leaping Glenelg forward Graham Cornes left me in disbelief. How did he fly so high? Even then I knew that was beyond me.

Port Adelaide’s Russell Ebert was surely not mortal and North Adelaide’s Barrie Robran was like a TV hero, he wasn’t real. He couldn’t be.

Former Port Adelaide Magpies footballer Russell Ebert and North's Barrie Robran compare their Magarey Medal collections. Picture: Neon Martin

Time would make them more human but nonetheless impressive, maybe more.

Did Norwood Roger Woodcock ever miss a kick a for goal, was North Adelaide’s Bob Hammond ever beaten in his position?

I can remember West Adelaide’s Peter Meuret running at no more than a gallop but no one could touch him.

How did the Magpies giant Greg Phillips play, built like a “block of flats” and at the other end of the scale was Norwood’s Michael Aish, rail thin.

And then there was Baggy! Everyone loved Paul “Baggy” Bagshaw.

Suddenly almost in the blink of an eye, I wasn’t watching them on TV anymore, I was playing alongside of them. They had become the enemy to be feared not admired.

Port Adelaide’s toughman Stephen “Bomber” Clifford was laughing at me and giving me lip while Norwood’s “Mr Cleancut” Michael Taylor was doing the same, just more politely and almost apologetically.

Sturt’s immortal Rick Davies, “the Jumbo Prince” was laughing at everyone and everything.

“C’mon young fella, relax,” he’d say.

Glenelg footballer Peter Carey is carried from the field by John Seebohm and Chris McDermott after breaking the Australian senior games record in 1988.

Norwood’s Keith Thomas just impressed you while West Adelaide Grantley Fielke’s skills made you shake your head and West Torrens Bruce Lindsay made you bow your head.

Then Redlegs hardman Garry “Macca” McIntosh came along and suddenly I was an older bloke having the mickey taken out of me by a young turk.

The game goes on and suddenly it’s 50 years later.

There were other great SA stars, like my great Tigers’ mate Stephen Kernahan and one of my Woodville heroes Malcolm Blight but both spent the best years of their careers across the border in Victoria.

The game goes on and 55 years later and the giants of our state’s great league are distant memories.

Time flies and yes it was fun. The good and the bad. It’s all been fun.

Now I’m taking my lad to the footy and we’re in the change rooms after the match.

The wheel has turned a full circle.

The game has changed but it changed 50 years ago and we still love it and we still love those great men that made it what it is today.

Chris McDermott was the inaugural captain of the Adelaide Crows and played 277 games with the Glenelg Tigers in the SANFL