THE TEAMS that won the 1962, 1963 and 1965 SANFL Premierships have been inducted into the Port Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame.
The teams become the 40th inductees into the Hall of Fame and the second group of premiership teams to be recognised after the Australian record six-in-a-row side of the 1950s.
At the time of its first Premiership in the 1960s, Port Adelaide had endured a lean three-year spell before the legendary Fos Williams returned to the helm as coach of the Magpies and guided the side to the minor premiership with 17 wins and two losses.
Having haunted West Adelaide in the previous decade with four Grand Final defeats, the Magpies inflicted yet another loss on the Bloods on the biggest stage in 1962, and by just three points.
The club went back-to-back in 1963, this time running over North Adelaide in the decider by 33 points, having burst out of the blocks in the first quarter of the final and never being headed.
Having lost the 1964 Grand Final, Port Adelaide was minor premiers again in 1965, but needed a free kick and a goal to Peter Mead with the last kick of the game in the Second Semi-Final against South Adelaide to make it through to the Grand Final.
The club met Sturt in the Grand Final to record yet another premiership win - a record ninth for captain Geof Motley, and the club’s most recent premiership success at Adelaide Oval.
With names like Motley, Eric Freeman, John Cahill, Jeff Potter, Neville Hayes, David Gill, Trevor and Peter Obst, Ron Elleway and Ian Hannaford among others making up those teams, and four members of the sides being included in the club’s Greatest Team (1870-2000), it was no wonder the club achieved so much success in such a short period of time.
The special induction was announced in a video tribute by four-time Magarey Medallist Russell Ebert who said the group had set a strong precedent for future Port Adelaide sides to follow.
“Coming down from the country in 1968, ten of those players from the 1965 side, let alone the 62 and 63, were still playing so I had the privilege of coming into an environment that just demanded success,” Ebert said.
“That legacy was just almost a gift for us.. but then to meet Fos and have him.. we thought we aren’t going to be able to carry out his instructions and knock walls down and knock people down and put your head where you wouldn’t put a line burners boot.
“But we wanted to play, we wanted a game and that was what everyone else was doing so you just did it – if you didn’t do it there were 10,11, 12 13 of those Premiership heroes who would tell you, that’s not how we do it here.”
Peter Mead was part of the 1963 and 1965 sides.
He was on hand at the Port Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame and Season Launch gala event at the Adelaide Convention Centre with ten of his teammates to accept the honour.
“It’s an amazing experience, in fact I was only a minor cog in a very great era of football,” he said.
“Most of these guys were just fantastic players and totally committed to the Port Adelaide Football Club.
“I was lucky enough to kick a goal but there were loads of other people involved in that – Steve Traynor in particular held back half of Adelaide so it snuck over, but everybody here were great contributors to a fantastic era, and it’s a privilege to be here.”
1962 Premiership
Adelaide Oval, September 29
Crowd: 43,567
Port Adelaide 8.10 (58) def
West Adelaide 7.13 (55)
Best: I. Hannaford, P. Obst, G. Motley, D. Gill, J. Potter, J. Cahill
Goals: J. Cahill, J. Potter, G. Virgo 2, N. Hayes, D. Gill
1963 Premiership
Adelaide Oval, October 5
Crowd: 52,668
Port Adelaide 11.14 (80) def
North Adelaide 6.11 (47)
Best: T. Obst, R. Philp, R. Elleway, J. Cahill, R. Fabian, N. Hayes
Goals: R. Philp 3, S Traynor 2, T. Obst, B. Luke, P. Obst, J. Potter, D. Gill, R. Bray
1965 Premiership
Adelaide Oval, October 2
Crowd: 62,543
Port Adelaide 12.8 (80) def
Sturt 12.5 (77)
Best: G. Motley, J. Cahill, J. Potter, R. Philp, R. Elix, K. Salmon
Goals: E. Freeman 3, J. Potter, P. Mead 2, J. Cahill, R. Philp, T. Obst, S. Traynor, R. Beaufoy
