TOPIC:

This was a good year, one which saw some of the following:

SF at their best
SD at their best, but they let it slip
CL underperformmed -- again
EP inconsistent
WP missed the finals somehow
Perth won some games, especially against EP and Subi
EF a diabolical defence of the flag from the great club
Subi -- well let us avoid discussing Subi

I think EF set a record in round 1. What was it?

1980....What an amazing year AR.....except the ending!

Pretty sure EF played us in Round 1 1980 and copped a 100+ point loss?....Therefore I am going to hazard a guess it may have been the biggest loss for a reigning Premier in its very next game?

BH: a good year -- Swan's winning streak and South's to go on and win the flag has always stayed in my memory. I think your right in the answer. T he third worst defeat of a premier was Subiaco in 1989 (77 points) and second worst WP, whom sufferred at the hands of EP in 1976 (85 points).

1980: SD 24.17
EF 6. 14

Southys boys well and truly had our measure in that period late 70s-early 80s AR it probably wasnt until 1982 we finally broke that hoodoo against them to be honest.
Despite that amazing 18 game winning streak through 79-80 we were actually still only a side on the rise with plenty of young quality talent blooded during that time that blossomed with a bit more experience under the belt like- Solin, Baker, Fitzgerald, Richardson, Hutton, Langsford, Outridge, Sartori, Cransberg, Rance, A.Sidebottom, Fogarty, M.Smith, Shine, Ware, D.Holmes, P.Narkle, Williams, Hoyer.

I was very disappointed on Grand final day that year but looking back on it it was no shame to be beaten by a South Fremantle team that had some of the all time legends of the game. We played our best footy in the early part of season and I particularly remember a game at Fremantle, round 7 I think, where the Doggies played really well but Swans still won by 7 or 8 goals!

To be clear & fair - Claremont & Swan Districts were both still emerging from long barren periods and in 1980 Swan Districts dominated the first 12 or 13 rounds but just couldn't sustain it , Claremont were still building their side and had run out of petrol when East Perth got them in the 1st Semi.

South Fremantle timed it in beautifully as it panned out , and were a damned good wet weather side too , winning crucial games in big wets (read Basso Oval, Claremont Oval & then Subi Oval in the 2nd semi)

And then there was 20 to 25 minutes of Maurice Rioli in the Grand Final second quarter that was just unbelievable given the quality of opposition , and Stephen Michael wasn't that far behind him either
There wouldn't have been a side that could have contained those two that day

Beasley Hutton wrote: 1980....What an amazing year AR.....except the ending!

Pretty sure EF played us in Round 1 1980 and copped a 100+ point loss?....Therefore I am going to hazard a guess it may have been the biggest loss for a reigning Premier in its very next game?

Was that Mark Olsen's one and only game for EF BH....fark one of the worst recruits EF picked in my 40 odd years of watching EF play....MO, Norsworthy and Nifty Neville Fields all came with big reps and fizzled badly....Dave Rankin,Jeff Cassidy and Colin Waterson came with no fanfare and delivered in spades....

ArkRoyal wrote: This was a good year, one which saw some of the following:

SF at their best
SD at their best, but they let it slip
CL underperformmed -- again
EP inconsistent
WP missed the finals somehow
Perth won some games, especially against EP and Subi
EF a diabolical defence of the flag from the great club
Subi -- well let us avoid discussing Subi

I think EF set a record in round 1. What was it?

Doug Green went to South Melbourne Ark....say no more and Ian Thomson got older and balder which didnt help EF cause....things got worse when that ex SF crab Ken Smith took over in 81...fark what ever was Merv Cowan was thinking

Freezin wrote:

Beasley Hutton wrote: 1980....What an amazing year AR.....except the ending!

Pretty sure EF played us in Round 1 1980 and copped a 100+ point loss?....Therefore I am going to hazard a guess it may have been the biggest loss for a reigning Premier in its very next game?

Was that Mark Olsen's one and only game for EF BH....fark one of the worst recruits EF picked in my 40 odd years of watching EF play....MO, Norsworthy and Nifty Neville Fields all came with big reps and fizzled badly....Dave Rankin,Jeff Cassidy and Colin Waterson came with no fanfare and delivered in spades....

Could well have been Freeze didnt he get injured in the game from memory?

waflfootyfacts.net/season/games/stats.php?GameID=6209

I have a feeling he tried to make a comeback tho ultimately unsuccessful the next year in 1981?

Also Freeze is that a future Essendon Premiership rover in that EF team from Round 1 1980...and I dont mean The Budgie?

Freezin: Don't forget Darren Williams -- he did not do much at all. Three games I think.

Southerner: The other thing I would add to your very good post, also to do with wet weather football, is that SD could not play in the wet.

They lost to you at least twice in the wet and once to EP; in addition, SD nearly lost to Subi in the famous twelve game straight win.

It is no coincidence that SD's brillant 13 game streak cane ealier in the season, which of course, tends to be dryer.