Counting down Port Adelaide’s 50 Greatest Players in club’s 150 years: those ranked 20-11

Robbie Gray has been ranked just outside the top 10 by our panel that’s chosen Port Adelaide’s Greatest Players from its 150 years. There are also some famous older Port names in the 11-20 group.

• Port’s 50 Greatest Players: 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21

• Port Adelaide’s 150 Greatest Players revealed
• How The Advertiser’s selection panel picked Port’s Greatest 150

Being at the forefront of many of Port Adelaide’s biggest AFL moments has cemented Gavin Wanganeen as one of the club’s most famous names in its 150 years.

This week, The Advertiser panel tasked with selecting Port’s 50 greatest players since 1870 ranked Wanganeen in 12th spot.

Wanganeen was the headline signing for the club’s entry into the national competition in 1997 – the prodigal son who returned to Alberton as captain after winning a Brownlow Medal and premiership at Essendon.

In 2003, he produced one of the finest individual seasons of any Power player and finished just one vote off a second Brownlow.

A year later, Wanganeen was at his mercurial best on the biggest stages.

Gavin Wanganeed in action for Port Adelaide in 1999. Picture: Supplied

When the scores were tied in the preliminary final against St Kilda at Football Park with seven minutes remaining, Wanganeen slotted the winning goal on the run from the boundary.

A week later, he helped swing the grand final, kicking four majors as the Power defeated Brisbane at the MCG.

Just how high Wanganeen – the first indigenous player to reach the 300-game milestone in the AFL – would have ranked if he played for Port from 1991-96 would be impossible to know.

The Advertiser’s selection panel, comprising club greats Warren Tredrea, Brian Cunningham, Tim Ginever, Bob Philp, historian Mark Shephard, media manager Daniel Norton and The Advertiser reporter Matt Turner, only judged him on what he did at Port, not the Bombers.

But the group believed Wanganeen’s contribution, which also included two All-Australians for the Power, the 2003 best and fairest and a SANFL premiership in 1990, and influence on success as a back pocket, small forward and midfielder, was significant enough to earn a berth just outside the top 10.

“His 2003 was amazing … and he was a big moments man – and they are some of the greatest moments you will see,” Tredrea said.

Turner added: “He was a matchwinner.”

The other Power player to feature among the 11-20 group is four-time All-Australian and triple best and fairest winner Robbie Gray, who sits at 14.

“He’s a modern-day great,” Tredrea said.

In 11th position, the panel selected Harold Oliver, who starred during the club’s run of success in the 1910s that netted three Champions of Australia crowns.

“He was one of the best and most popular players in his era,” Shephard said.

Tredrea, Cunningham, Ginever and Philp have left the room and virtual meetings when their names have been discussed throughout the selection process.

The panel chose Cunningham 13th overall.

“He was a bloody good player and captain,” Ginever said.

“(His dual-sided skills) were still the best I’ve seen.”

Rounding out the top 20 are six members of the club’s Hall of Fame: champion full-back John Abley (15), a star of Port’s 1914 “invincibles” Angelo Congear (16), eight-time premiership defender Neville “Chicken” Hayes (17), 1956 Magarey Medallist Dave Boyd (18), four-time best and fairest-winning midfielder Jeff Potter (19) and gun on-baller “Bull” Reval (20).

All of them except Congear are in the club’s Greatest Team.

Robbie Gray has been a star for Port Adelaide across many seasons. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

Philp, who played with Abley, Hayes, Boyd and Potter, called Abley unrivalled as a full-back.

“He was the best,” Philp said.

Philp said Potter had absolutely no fear, while Boyd was as silky as they came.

“Potter would put his body over the ball, get the ball and you couldn’t knock him over,” he said.

“Boydy was smooth – he had his socks up, hair down and always looked the part.”

Philp called Hayes absolutely ruthless.

“Everything he did was for the club,” he said.

The panel has taken about a dozen two-hour meetings, including several via video conferencing app Zoom, along with emailed discussions, to choose Port’s top 150, then rank the greatest 50.

Comparing eras has proven incredibly difficult throughout, but even more so towards the pointy end of the list.

Shephard’s knowledge of the club’s earliest stars has been invaluable, although their contributions have been toughest to gauge because no one saw them play and there is limited information.

Port’s top 10 greatest players of all-time will be revealed from next week.

Originally published as Counting down Port Adelaide’s 50 Greatest Players in club’s 150 years: those ranked 20-11