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When Stephen Curtis played his eighty fifth game for Port Adelaide Magpies in the South Australian National Football League, he became the youngest player in any of the major football States to play three hundred games of league football.  A product of the Dianella Junior Football Club, where his Dad, Dudley, was coach, Curtis was sixteen when he was named on the bench for East Perth in the first game of the 1972 season, but didn't see any action, as in those days the nineteenth and twentieth men were reserves, not interchange. Later that year he  was again named as a reserve in a game against East Fremantle, when he went onto a half forward flank midway through proceedings and was greeted by Trevor Sprigg. He immediately made an impression, and, moving to a back pocket, soon becoming one of the league's top defenders. The five foot ten Curtis was the epitomy of determination, playing the specialist back pocket position to perfection.  A purposeful player, he was not overly skilful, but this was more than compensated for by his courage and competitiveness; qualities that made him the best small backman in the league for a decade.  He recalled a pre season training weekend under coach Polly Farmer at Mandurah, when a gruelling run along thirteen kilometres of sandhills with fitness director Bruce Sinclair, in summer conditions, was a real slog. “Bruce's instructions were: “Just keep going. Don't stop under any circumstances,” he said. “I developed a bad chafe, and took some gear off but it made no difference, so I ended up stripping the lot off, which felt a lot better. Jimmy Haines, who was giving Bruce a hand, was quick to notice, and, with visions of newspaper headlines blaring out stories of nude East Perth footballers tearing around the countryside, yelled at me to put my clothes back on. Pelting along the beach after me, Hainesy did a hammy, and as he struggled on one leg in pain to the finish line, he was livid. “Curtis, you're a disgrace, back to Perth, it's the end of your weekend,” then collapsed in a heap. “The situation was resolved when Polly had a quiet chat with Jimmy and all was forgiven, the funny side was seen, I stayed.”       Curtis was selected for the first of his twelve appearances for Western Australia in 1976, against Victoria at  Waverley, minding resting rovers Leigh Matthews and Kevin Bartlett, in a year that he also played in his first grand final, losing to Perth.  1977 saw him selected in the inaugural State of Origin match for WA, followed  by  his first F.D.Book Medal as the Royals fairest and best. The following season Curtis tasted premiership champagne when vengeance was achieved over Perth.  In 1982, coach Grant Dorrington added a new dimension to the already brilliant career of Stephen Curtis by playing him as a ruck rover. Steve revelled in the onball role and won his second F D Book Medal. But the move backfired for the Royals, when South Australian club, Central Districts, who had been preying on West Australian clubs for a few years in the search for premiership success, with Curtis's former team mate, Phil Haughan, a member of the side, made him a good offer to play with them in 1983. “It was a bloody shamozzle,” recalled Steve. “ The bloke who was backing them, plus a few other clubs around the country, went broke and left a few  footy teams and players in the lurch while he eventually ended up behind bars. In the meantime, I'd moved to Adelaide, lock, stock, and barrel, and had applied for a clearance.” Port Adelaide quickly seized the initiative, and so it was that Curtis became a Magpie.  The Magpies couldn't believe their luck in having a player of his ilk drop in their lap, and Stephen's form in  the 1983 season, as a ruck rover,  had them in raptures. Picked in the South Australian side for the match against WA in his first season as a croweater, Curtis was awarded an All Australian blazer in the same season. “Port were a good club with lots of flags, but they were going through a lean period,” Steve said. In 1984 they made the grand final, but lost. In 1987, at the age of thirty one, Curtis displayed some of the best form of his career, finishing sixth to Andrew Jarman for the Magarey Medal, and third to Russell Johnson for Port's fairest and best.  It was also to be his swansong season in league football. “I did a groin in the preliminary final, and retired before the start of the following season. Port went on to win six out of seven premierships,”he lamented. Curtis played with Port Districts Amateurs in 1989, 90, and 91, before taking over as non playing coach in 1992 for two seasons. “By the end of ninety one I was in a forward pocket, and gave  it away after that, but in my time there we were runners up twice and premiers once,” he said. Steve then tackled the Masters competition. He was a runner for Port reserves coach Gary Tredrea(Warren's Dad), for five years, and at the same time served as a selector for Port Magpies league side.  He rated Matthews, Jim Krakoeur(Claremont) and Gary Wilson(Fitzroy/Victoria) as toughest opponents, and two champions in Barry Cable and Russell Ebert as the best he'd played with. These days, Stephen Curtis is a busy plumbing contractor in Adelaide, still playing masters football, and now and again manages to spend some time with wife Gene'. He has a son in England playing hockey, and a daughter who is an air hostess, still follows Port Magpies and Port Power, and likes nothing better than getting back for an East  Perth reunion.  Stephen Curtis is held in high regard at both East Perth and Port Adelaide, being selected in the Royals Team of The Century 1945 to 75. Not only was he one of the best back pocket players ever to play for East Perth,  but the best in WA for the decade he was here.                          

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