Port Adelaide wingman Greg Anderson inducted into SA Football Hall of Fame
He was kicked out of the Port Adelaide cheer squad as a kid only to take the field for the league team a year later in a career that gave fans plenty to celebrate. Now Greg Anderson joins South Australian greats in the Hall of Fame.
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SOUTH Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee Greg Anderson was kicked out of the Port Adelaide cheer squad when just 15 years old.
The passionate Magpies fan had been standing in the group for only five minutes before being told to leave when he could not produce a cheer squad membership badge.
Less than 12 months later, Anderson wondered whether the person who had thrown him out was now vocal in his cheering when he kicked a goal in his league debut against Sturt in front of 20,000 fans at Football Park in round 3, 1983.
“I used to stand next to the cheer squad in my duffel coat with Russell Ebert’s name on the back and there was a game where someone from the cheer squad had to go somewhere so asked if I’d grab the flogger,” Anderson said.
“I thought fantastic. But after five minutes a bloke came up to me asking to see my membership badge and then told me to get out. I had to walk away with my head between my tail and go back to the side of the cheer squad.
“The next year I kicked a goal in my first league game and was thinking if the bloke who threw me out was now flogging the flogger.”
The classy wingman with the trademark long hair was just 16, a schoolboy at St Michaels, when he made his debut for the Magpies.
The previous year, he had played a few under 17 and 19 games for the Magpies early and late in the season with most of his football being with the school side.
Ebert, Tim Evans, Andy Porplycia, Brian Cunningham and Ivan Eckermann were “super heroes” for Anderson growing up and there they all were, at his first pre-season with the senior side.
“That was a big enough thrill for me,” Anderson said. “After a few practice matches I would have been happy to play some consistent reserves football.
“I played a couple of reserves games and then Russell Ebert came to me on the Thursday night and said he wanted to play me on the half forward flank in the league side. I’m like ‘sorry, wow’.”
While excited at the opportunity, Anderson was unsure if he wanted to play. He was a schoolboy and would be playing against men. Although at the time, he thought of himself as a man.
“Looking back, that was young, especially in that era,” he said. “I was playing against Rick Davies, Peter Motley, Frank Spiel, Flash Graham and Neil Craig.
“We had a fantastic win and I got a little of the ball. The next day at school I was king of the kids.”
The 1986 Magarey Medallist and dual All-Australian joined Essendon in 1988, playing in a losing grand final in 1990 before returning to South Australia to front for the Crows in 1993.
“I loved state footy and I remember thousands being turned away for the 1984 game against Victoria,” he said. “Johnny Platten, Craig Bradley, Stephen Kernahan, Tony McGuinness, Chris McDermott, it was a strong side.
“Going back to the Crows was similar to that with the one town, one team.”
Finally, in 1995, he became a premiership player with the Magpies. It was a feat repeated the next season.
And 23 years after retirement, Anderson describes his induction into the Hall of Fame as a huge honour.
“I’m over the moon, overwhelmed,” he said.
As for the hair, he was asked to have it cut many times. Even former Bombers coach Kevin Sheedy told him he was “sick” of looking at his hair down the back of his shoulders.
Then at his 30th birthday it happened, he admitted there was no resisting when Andrew Jarman approached him with clippers, cutting his hair while being held down by David Pitman, Rod Jameson and his brothers Peter and Brian.
“That is what makes footy special,” he said. “Your success on the ground is measured, but no question what happens off the ground with your teammates makes for fantastic times.”
GREG ANDERSON HONOUR ROLL
PLAYING RECORD
150 games and 87 goals for Port Adelaide in SANFL (1983-1987; 1995-1997)
103 games and 60 goals for Essendon in VFL/AFL (1988-1992)
59 games and 19 goals for Adelaide in AFL (1993-1996)
PREMIERSHIPS
Member of premiership teams for Port Adelaide (SANFL) in 1995 and 1996
MATCHES FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA
12 matches for South Australia
ACHIEVEMENTS
1986 Magarey Medal
1987, 1993 All-Australian
1993 Fos Williams Medal
Adelaide Football Club Team of the Decade (1991-2000)
2018 SANFL Player Life Member (200 Club)
COACHING RECORD
Coach of South Adelaide 2000-2003
SERVICE RECORD
18 years of service as a player/coach to Australian Football