Russell Ebert leads Port Adelaide to its first flag at Football Park after 12-year drought

"IT took a bloody long time, but by geez it's worth it.'' With those words, Port Adelaide's Russell Ebert held the 1977 premiership cup aloft.

"IT took a bloody long time, but by geez it's worth it.''

With those words, Port Adelaide great Russell Ebert famously held the 1977 SANFL premiership cup aloft at Football Park to signal the end of the Magpies' 12-year premiership drought.

After being a beaten favourite the previous year against Sturt and losing six grand finals since its last flag in 1965, Port produced one of the great backs-to-the-walls grand final triumphs in SANFL history, pipping Glenelg in a thriller.

In a brutal match, the Magpies overcame the early losses of wingman Kym Kinnear (concussion) and Darrell Cahill (upper leg) and a badly corked thigh to tough half-back flanker Ivan Eckermann to storm to victory after trailing late in the third quarter.

Four-times Magarey Medallist Ebert, who vowed before the game that he would happily exchange the three Magarey Medals he had already won for a first flag, described the eight-point win as his greatest moment and a turning point in the famous club's history.

"The 1977 premiership was the best team and club moment that I've ever been involved in because we'd had a fair drought and the pressure was right on us,'' Ebert recalled this week as Port prepared for its final match at Football Park.

"It was the culmination of 12 years of Port Adelaide building towards a premiership and 1977 was extra special because of that time gap, the fact it was our first premiership at Football Park and came off the back of a really disappointing grand final the year before.

"It had been so long for the club - some of the children at the ground had never seen a Port Adelaide premiership, others had waited 12 years.''

Ebert described the high-scoring 17.11 (113) to 16.9 (105) contest, which ebbed and flowed all day, as "brutal''.

"Glenelg had been successful in the last grand final at Adelaide Oval in 1973 and we'd had some real rivalries in those early 1970s so it was on from the start,'' Ebert said.

"They were up and about, they had some tough players in the Phillis boys (Wayne and Fred), 'Super'' Carey and David Holst and, like us, they were desperate to win.

"The game started at a frenetic pace, we lost Kinnear and Cahill, who couldn't come back onto the ground and Eckermann was on one leg.

"It was a no-holds barred game and somehow we found something to get across the line.''

Kinnear was accidentally knocked out by Glenelg star Graham Cornes just before half-time, Fred Phillis had flattened Port's seven-goal hero Tim Evans, the flying Bruce Light was reported for striking and 20 players were involved in a brawl at the half-time siren.

The Tigers appeared to be taking control of the game in the third term and Ebert, the Magpies' captain, heard best-afield Kym Hodgeman, who had 38 disposals, tell teammates "two more goals and we've got them''.

Ebert, who starred with 27 disposals, recalled how Light brilliantly won the next contest, Port goaled and never looked back.

A hobbled Eckermann, with his right leg heavily bandaged, was forced to stay on the field and moved forward in the second half to kick three goals in a matchwinning cameo.

Twenty-four-year-old Randall Gerlach retired after the game after playing for two years with kidney problems.

"It was just a fantastic game and everyone pushed themselves to the limit,'' said Ebert, who would go on to play in three flags for the Pies after being a member of losing grand final sides in 1968, 1971, 1972 and 1976.

"I was starting to think I wouldn't play in a premiership team so when I got to lift the trophy I held it as high as I could, not realising how bloody heavy it was, to acknowledge our supporters and the fact that Port Adelaide was back.''

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