THE PREMIERSHIPS
1973
The Glenelg football club won its second premiership in 1973. The match between Glenelg and North Adelaide is one of the most famous grand finals. After losing only 1 game all season, Glenelg were warm favourites to take the flag. North Adelaide had other ideas and the match, played in 31 degree heat, became a classic battle. The following match report is extracted from "The Advertiser".
THE UNTAMEABLE TIGER!
By KEITH BUTLER
A leap of desperation over a pack to hold a mark of rare
judgement and a pressure goal from Graham Cornes in the time- on
period, and the 1973 league football premiership belonged to
Glenelg - the untameable Tiger.
The winning margin was seven points, as
a crowd of 56,525 watched in a state of dehydrated excitement in
31 degree heat. At the time of Cornes' sensational goal which put
Glenelg a Point in front, North Adelaide looking almost out on
its feet mid-way through the quarter, had come from 15 points
down to hit the front by five points. The clock showed 29 minutes
and 12 seconds. Three minutes remained. North was not prepared to
compound. Three times it forced the ball forward and three times
a fanatical Glenelg defence turned it back. The timekeepers had
begun to toll the count down of the final few seconds when John
Sandland marked. The siren button was hit for the last time as
Sandland went back, took his kick and goaled. In the white-hot
finish when it looked as if Glenelg, leading by 15 points, needed
only one more score to clinch the issue, North full back Bob
Hammond reached unbelievable heights to stop Glenelg. Time and
time again he bounced out of defence to inspire his players as
North cut back the deficit. Then John Plummer marked and goaled
to give his side the lead. At that point 3 minutes and 45 seconds
were left. It looked like North going on to its third successive
premiership.
Born of desperation after 39 years without a premiership,
Glenelg, fashioned and moulded by coach Neil Kerley in months of
sweat, refused to buckle and in doing so went on to a well
deserved victory after suffering only one loss in 23 games.
If one had to pinpoint
the difference
between the two teams it was in goal kicking accuracy. Glenelg in
the last half booted 12.1 to North's 11.6. If one individual
could be held responsible for whisking the title away from North
it was Peter Carey in his mastery at centre half-forward. If one
player could have won the premiership for North it would have
been Hammond.
It was a virtuoso display from the 19-year-old Carey. He
commanded the air, handed out the ball with foot and hand and
finished with six goals. In the process he outclassed a somewhat
loose Neil Sachse, who moved around like a frustrated alligator
unable to put anything like a bite on the youngster. With the
exception of Hammond and Alan Howard the North defence at times
was deplorably loose. John Robinson was the epitome of this
weakness from his back pocket where rover Rex Voigt, with extreme
accuracy, finished with 7. 1. Whatever the postmortems the match
was the ultimate football spectacle. There were seven lead
changes, all with startling rapidity, with Glenelg's 23 points in
the third quarter and North's 21 points at the first change.
Glenelg, which had felt severe ruck strain from the outset
against Gary Sporn , began to founder when Bob Tardif was injured
and in the last 10 minutes of the first quarter North kicked 5.1
without reply - four in the time-on period. Although Glenelg was
to profit by the advent of John Sandiand from the reserves' bench
it would have been in dire trouble but for the magnificent and
tireless ruck work of Bob Tregenza and rover Greg Bennett.
Anything but a stylist, Tregenza's concept of the complete ruck
performance is to outrage the opposition by sheer strength and at
the same time set up his team mates. He did it to perfection .
Despite a kink in his legs from incessant work on the ball he
stayed unbowed and unbroken until the finish when he could barely
crawl.
Sporn, Charlie Payne and John Plummer were the more effective
combinations on the day, but Glenelg possibly got the ball clear
of the diamond more often. This was largely due to the creative
skills of centreman Kerry Hamilton, who in co-operation with
Carey and the rovers, Was the Force behind Glenelg's brilliant
second quarter when it kicked 5.7 to 1.4 to lead by a goal at
half time.
Until the arrival of Adrian Rebbeck in the third quarter North
did not have a winner ahead of centre where the Glenelg
Half-backs, particularly Steve Hywood and Wayne Phillis were on
top. Behind them full back Peter Anderson, with some sensational
leaps over Dennis Sachse qaurded his goals superbly.
But because of the great roving of David Marsh, the speed and
kick placement of Barry Stringer on his wing, together with
Payne's straight ahead methods, North was always in touch.,br>
When Voigt potted two goals in time-on, Glenelg had kicked seven
straight goals for the third quarter to start the last quarter
with an eight-point break.The pair squared off for the final run
home indulging in goal-for-goal for the first 15 minutes until
North shot clear by five points after goals from Rebbeck, Dennis
Sachse and Plummer.
But then came Comes's leap.
Glenelg 4.3 9.10 16.10
21.11 (137)
North 7.6 8.10 14.14 19.16 (130)
Goalkickers - Glenelg - Voigt, 7. 1; Carey, 6. 1;
Sandiand, 4.3; Wickens, 1.2: Bennett, Hamilton, Comes, 1.0;
Caldwell, 0.2; Marker, 0.1; rushed 0.1
North Adelaide - Rebbeck, 4. 1; D. Sachse, 3.3; R. Robran, 3. 1;
Marsh, 2.2: Plummer, 2.1; von Bertouch, Payne, 2.0; B. Robran,
1.2; Stringer, 0.3: Hearl, 0.2; rushed 0. 1.
Best players-
Glenelg - Carey, Tregenza, Hamilton, Voigt, Bennett, W. Phillis.
North Adelaide - Hammond, Marsh, Howard, Stringer, Spom, Payne.
Attendance: 56,525.
Umpire - M.E. Ducker.
Major Round Results
Elimination Final, Sept. 8: Norwood 23.11 (149) d Port 17.13
(115).
Attendance: 17, 734.
Umpire M. Ducker.
Norwood Oval
Qualifying Final, Sept. 8: Sturt 12.17 (89) d North 12.11 (83)
Attendance: 26,803.
Umpire D. Foster.
'Ist Semi Final, Sept. 13: North 13.17 (95) d Norwood (90)
Attendance: 17,749.
Umpire P. Mead.
Norwood Oval.
2nd Semi Final, Sept. 15: Glenelg 20.13 (133) d Sturt I 1. 10
(76)
Attendance: 34,140.
Umpire M. Ducker.
Preliminary Final, Sept. 22: North 25.18 (168) d Sturt 9.21 (75)
Attendance:34, 495.
Umpire: D. Foster.
1973 PREMIERSHIP TABLE Team p W L D F A P % GLENELG 23 22 1 0 3117 2063 44 60.17 NORTH 25 18 7 0 2706 2336 36 53.66 STURT 24 18 6 0 2774 1996 36 58.15 NORWOOD 23 11 12 0 2435 2197 22 52.56 PORT 22 11 11 0 2306 2238 22 51.08 Central 21 10 11 0 2076 2084 20 49.90 Torrens 21 9 12 0 1967 2153 18 47.74 Woodville 21 4 16 1 2024 2589 9 43.87 South 21 4 17 0 1734 2840 8 37.90 West 21 3 17 1 1780 2423 7 42.35
