Mystery on the finish to 1978 SANFL grand final cleared away as SA football celebrates 140th anniversary
FINALLY, the controversial finish to the 1978 SANFL grand final is explained, as field umpire Des Foster clears up the mystery to his infamous - or if you are a Norwood fan, famous - call late in the game.
IT has taken 39 years, but the mystery behind the contentious finish to the 1978 SANFL grand final can now be swept away.
Norwood wingman Phil Gallagher kicked the winning goal from a set shot granted to him by famed field umpire Des Foster. Or the infamous Des Foster, according to angry Sturt fans who continue to carry the pain.
So was it a free kick — and for what infringement of the rules? — or a mark?
“Either way,” Gallager said, “I’m happy with it.”
Foster told The Advertiser on Thursday at Unley Oval — where Sturt and Norwood will continue their rivalry on Saturday — his decision was a mark.
“Definitely a mark,” said Foster, in his first media interview on the moment that decided a grand final. “Many say I paid a free kick, but no-one could ever get close to ‘Gags’ to give away a free kick to him.
“So it was a mark.”
And Sturt great and Hall of Famer Rick Davies has taken this call by Foster 39 years later with dismay while delivering his own verdict.
“To this day, I still have not known what that kick was for,” said Davies, who was the first Sturt player to challenge Foster as the whistle blew.
“And if Des is saying it was a mark, I’ll say it is the worst decision in the 140 years of SA football.
“Mark?
“Even if it was a free kick, it is still a bad call. It cost us the game,” adds Davies, who has his own scars from missing two shots at goal late in the grand final in which Sturt kicked 14.26 to Norwood’s 16.15.
“And it cost us the flag.”
Foster agrees on one count — but not on his whistle deciding the premiership.
“It is the worst decision, Rick is right on that point,” Foster told The Advertiser.
“I was in the perfect position when (Sturt defender) Colin Casey had that kick (from the goalsquare) ... I say again, I was in the perfect position.
“And as the ball started to go down, half a dozen players get in front of my line of vision. Check the video. When they clear away, I see this bloke (Gallagher) has the ball ... and I call mark.”
Foster notes the controversial call is not mentioned in the official umpire observer’s report.
“It’s not until I pick up the Sunday Mail the next day to read (former league umpire) KG (Ken Cunningham) say I was a brave man to pay the mark,” Foster recalled.
“See, KG knew it was a mark while the rest of you have been going on about a free kick all these years.
“So I looked at the replay. And when I saw what happened, I cacked myself. Yep, Rick’s right — that is the worst decision ...
“But to say it cost Sturt the premiership is too much. They had plenty of chances to win that game — even Rick had them in the last five minutes.”
Norwood had turned a 29-point deficit into a three-point lead at that start of time-on of this grand final in the Redlegs’ centenary season. Sturt regained the lead, by four points, in time-on before Gallagher was handed his chance to become a hero in the 29th minute from 15m.
“Everyone forgets while they argue push-in-the-back or mark that I still had to kick that goal,” Gallagher said.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au