History of the
Glenelg Football Club
affiliated South Australian National Football League

Whilst 1924 was the year where Glenelg began to build a league standard squad (with the debuts of Jack Owens, Len Sallis, John Lloyd & Cyril Hoft), and 1925 was the first year that Glenelg won a game, and 1926 was the first year that Glenelg got off the bottom of the ladder, 1927 was the first year that Glenelg were a consistently competitive side, but it didn't show up on the premiership ladder because of a number of narrow losses. Led by Jack Owens with an SANFL record 80 goals, for the first time Glenelg were no longer the lowest scoring team in the league.

But because they won only 1 of their first 7 games, they were never in the finals hunt, and finished 7th with 4 wins - 13 losses, 6 games outside the top-4.
And the reason for their lowly finish was that they lost 5 games by less than a goal which they probably should have won, and another 3 games by 19-points or less.

There were six games which they lost, but possibly could have or should have won ...

• In round 2, Glenelg were down by 10-ponts to Torrens at 3/4 time, and had a multitude of opportunities in the last quarter but only kicked 1-7 to lose by just 5-points.
• In round 4, Glenelg were down by 18-points to Sturt at 3/4 time, but lost by 1-point when Jack Owens only registered a point with the last scoring shot of the match.
• In round 9, Glenelg came from 27-points down to Port at 3/4 time to be within 3-points, and would have hit the front when Cyril Hoft kicked a goal in the last minute, but a contentious free (against Hoft for juggling the ball) saw the goal disallowed, resulting in a 3-point loss.
• In round 10, Glenelg led Sturt by 19-points at 3/4 time, but after only kicking 0-4 in the last quarter, left the door open for Sturt to kick two goals in the last 3 minutes to steal victory from Glenelg by 4-points.
• In round 13, Glenelg led Norwood by 21-points at 3/4 time, but lost by 5-points.
• In round 17, Glenelg were level with eventual premiers West at 3/4 time, but lost by 10-points after only kicking 0-5 in the last quarter.

If they had won all six of those games, then they would have finished in 3rd place, a game in front of Torrens in 5th, but even winning 4 out of those 6 matches would have doubled their previous best tally of 4 season wins and had them in finals contention for the entire season.

Looking at the talent thay had available with 8 gun players in Jim Handby, Len Sallis, Cyril Hoft, Jack Sexton, Gordon Barbary, Jack Lloyd, Blue johnston, Jack Owens, it is not wishful thinking that they could have played finals.
Between them they would finish with 3 magarey medals and 13 Glenelg best & fairest awards (to 5 different players), not to mention 827 goals from Jack Owens.
In fact looking at that talent it is hard to believe that they didn't play finals - I guess the only caveat is that a number these players were early in their careers (Johnston in his 1st year, Barbary & Sexton in their 2nd/3rd) and hadn't yet reached the peak of their powers.

• Jim Handby continued as captain-coach for the 2nd season in a row.
• John 'Jack' Lloyd won his first Glenelg best and fairest award.
• Jack Owens kicked 80 goals and was Glenelg's top goal kicker for the 4th season in a row.
• Jack Owens was also the league leading goalkicker with the highest goal tally recorded since 1893. He was also the leading goalkicker in the 1926 minor round, but was passed by Roy Bent in the finals.

With Jim Handby continuing on in his 3rd consecutive year as captain-coach, Glenelg got off to a solid start by winning half of their opening four games of the 1932 season. They had two narrow wins over bottom-4 teams from 1931 (West by 8-points, Torrens by 12-points) and two losses against top-4 teams from 1931 (North by 22-points, Norwood by 10-points), which had them sitting in 4th position on percentage after 4 rounds.

Then in the next two rounds, Glenelg had their biggest wins in the history of the club to date.
In round 5 they thrashed Port Adelaide by 50-points at Alberton Oval (only their 2nd ever win against them), and the following round they beat that record again by belting South Adelaide by 60-points.

This had Glenelg sitting in 3rd place after 6 rounds with a 4-2 win-loss record, half a game behind 2nd placed Sturt who they would play in the next round. Unfortunately they got thrashed by Sturt by 52-points, and two more losses in the next two of rounds saw Glenelg slip out of the top-4 for the first time since round 2.

So after 9 rounds Glenelg were sitting in 5th place, one game outside the top-4, but if they could beat 7th placed Torrens in the next round they would again be equal with the 4th placed team and well in finals contention.
However, when they lost this round 10 match against Torrens by 3-points, Glenelg's finals chances started to slip away - they would still remain in contention but it would be an uphill battle.

Another loss in round 11 (their 5th loss in a row) saw them slip 2 games out of the top-4, but an upset 7-point win against Port in round 12 (their 2nd win against Port for the season and only their 3rd ever) saw Glenelg claw back to only being one game outside the top-4 in 6th place with a 5-7 record and 5 games remaining.

But then two consecutive losses to bottom placed South by 14-points, and 4th placed Sturt by 13-points, left Glenelg in 7th place, 2.5 games outside the top-4 with only 3 games left. Glenelg then lost their last 3 games (for 5 losses in a row) to finish the season in 7th place with 5 wins - 12 losses.

• With 102 goals, Jack Owens became the first Glenelg player to kick 100 goals in a season, and became Glenelg's top goalkicker for an incredible 9th season in a row.
• Jack Owens was the league's leading goalkicker at the end of the minor round for a 4th time. And even after Ken Farmer equalled his tally after kicking 13 goals in the finals, Jack Owens was the leading goalkicker in the league at the end of the season for a 3rd time.
• George 'Blue' Johnston won his first Glenelg best & fairest award.
• Despite their lowly finish, Glenelg were the 2nd highest scoring team in the league.

In 1933, after Jim Handby's retirement, Jack Owens was appointed Captain, and Bruce McGregor, dual Magarey Medallist and Captain-Coach of West's 1927 premiership side, was appointed Coach.

The season got off to a poor start when Glenelg lost to the previous season's wooden-spooners South in round 1, but despite the loss there was genuine excitement about the debut of 19-year-old Clem Rosewarne (father of club stalwart, Laurie) who kicked 11 goals on his debut.

They got their season back on track with 3 wins from their next 4 games, including wins against top-4 sides, Norwood and North. So after 5 rounds Glenelg were sitting in equal 3rd position on 3 wins - 2 losses. This was a terrific start considering Glenelg's best ever season before this was 7 wins in total.

But then successive heartbreaking losses to Torrens by 5-points, Port by 1-point, and Norwood by 18-points in rounds 6,7 & 8 would ultimately prove to be decisive in Glenelg not making their first ever finals appearance, as it left them in 6th position, 2 games outside the top-4 after 8 rounds.

However they kept fighting on, and won 5 of their next 6 matches, including a 27-point win against top of the table Sturt in round 14, to have them sitting in 6th position on 8 wins - 6 losses (already a club best season), and only half a game outside the top-4, with three rounds remaining.

Unfortunately though their last 3 games were against the 2nd, 3rd & 4th ranked teams (two of them away), which meant if they were going to make it they would definitely have to earn it. As it turned out they lost to Norwood by 41 points at The Parade and Torrens by 26 points at The Bay, but beat 2nd placed North at Prospect by 4 points in the last round to finish the season in 6th position on the ladder with 9 wins & 8 losses, 1.5 games outside the final four.

The most encouraging aspect of the season was that they were competitive against the top sides, as they played the top four teams on 10 occasions, for 4 wins and 6 losses - and half of those losses were by 3 goals or less. Had they won those two games that they lost by less than a goal in rounds 6 & 7, they would have finished equal 2nd on the ladder, but third on percentage.

• Len Sallis won his 4th Glenelg best & fairest award, and was 2nd in the Magarey Medal, only 2 votes behind winner W.K. Dunn of Sturt.
• Clem Rosewarne with 74 goals, pipped Jack Owens by 1 goal to win the club's top goalkicking honour.
• The team achieved their highest score and their biggest winning margin in their history, when they kicked 24.21 165 to beat West by 86 points.
• Glenelg finished the season with more wins than losses for the first time, and had a percentage above 50% for the first time.

From 1935 to 1947, in the 10 seasons of the regular 8-team SANFL competition either side of World War II, Glenelg had won just 30 out of 170 matches, and finished last 6 times, 2nd last 3 times, and 3rd last once.
1948 was the first season since 1934 that Glenelg showed some signs that they could become competitive again.
It was the first season in Glenelg's history where they did not lose 3 games in a row, 8 wins easily exceeded their previous best since 1934 of 5 wins in a season, and they won at Alberton for the first time since 1936.

With five rounds remaining, Glenelg were still in finals contention on 6 wins - 6 losses, just two games behind 4th placed West, whom they played the following round - if they won that game, they would only be 1 game outside the top-4. Unfortunately they lost this pivotal match and finished the season in 6th place with 8 wins & 9 losses - two games and percentage out of the final four.

• Ray Curnow was Glenelg's coach for the 5th successive season (either side of the war), and Norm Betson was captain.
• Alex Donaldson won Glenelg's best & fairest award.
• Colin Churchett was Glenelg's top goalkicker with 88 goals, and became the 2nd Glenelg player, after Jack Owens, to be the league's leading goalkicker.

In 1949, Glenelg adopted the black guernsey with a yellow sash, as worn by Richmond, and appointed Port legend Allan 'Bull' Reval as coach - ending Ray Curnow's reign as coach which had begun in 1941.

After 10 rounds Glenelg were sitting in 6th position, but equal with Torrens and Port in 4th & 5th, on 5 wins - 5 losses.

In round 11 Glenelg narrowly lost to Torrens by 4-points - putting them a game behind - but they kept in touch with the top-4 by defeating top side Norwood by 4-points at Norwood Oval in round 12 thanks to a goal on the final siren by Don Laffin - this was only their 2nd win at Norwood Oval since 1934.

Unfortunately this good work was undone the following week in round 13 when they suffered a 2-point loss to bottom side Sturt (for just their 2nd win of the season).

So with just 4 rounds remaining, Glenelg were in 6th position on 6 wins - 7 losses, 1 game and percentage behind new 4th side West, who they were due to play in the next round in a must win match for Glenelg.

Unfortunately Glenelg sabotaged their finals chances with appalling kicking for goal, kicking 11-20 in a 36-point loss to West which left them 2 games and percentage behind 4th placed West with only 3 games remaining.
Despite winning 2 of their last 3 games Glenelg finished the season in 5th position with 8 wins & 9 losses, 3 games and percentage ouside the top-4.

• Allan Crabb was appointed Captain and won Glenelg's best & fairest award. He also tied with H.R. Phillips in the Magarey Medal. Unfortunately at the time, ties were resolved using a countback method, and Crabb was adjudged to be runner-up with Phillips the sole winner.
  Forty-Nine years later this countback system was abolished and all players who had come second on a countback were retrospectively awarded the Magarey medal.
  So in 1998, Allan Crabb became a 1949 Magarey medallist.
• Colin Churchett was Glenelg's top goalkicker for the 3rd season in a row with 72 goals, including 13 goals in a match against South at Glenelg Oval.
• Colin Churchett was also the league's top goalkicker for the 2nd season in a row.

After two lean seasons in 1960 & 1961, with only 6 wins from 37 games, 1962 saw Doug Long recruited from Geelong and appointed Captain-Coach at just 21 years of age, and a change in uniform to a black guernsey with a yellow yoke and colllar.

Under the new leadership Glenelg showed a substantial improvement in 1962. Whilst they were defeated atleast once by every other side, atleast they were able to defeat every other side apart from eventual premier Port Adelaide (where the closest they got was a 5-point loss in round 12).

During the season Glenelg were twice able to string 3 consecutive wins together (a feat not achieved since 1959), and if not for that 5-point loss to Port in round 12, would have won 7 in a row.

After 15 rounds, with 4 matches remaining, Glenelg were sitting in 4th spot on 9 wins & 6 losses - half a game in front of Torrens in 5th position, who they were due to play in the next round.
Unfortunately they lost convincingly to Torrens in round 16, which put them half a game out of the top four, but were due to play 2 of the bottom 3 sides in the last 3 rounds and were still a chance to make the finals.

In round 17, a golden opportunity to re-enter the top 4 presented itself when the two sides who were half a win above them on the ladder played each other, whilst Glenelg played South Adelaide at Glenelg Oval, who were bottom with 1 win - 15 losses and had an average losing margin of 11 goals. In a match where Glenelg trailed for most of the day, three points to Glenelg late in the last quarter levelled the scores, until two points to South in the last 90 seconds secured them the win, and effectively ended Glenelg's finals chances.

Glenelg proceeded to lose their last 2 matches (making it four losses in a row) to finish in 5th spot with 9 wins & 10 losses - only 1.5 games out of the final four.
But, if not for 2-point and 10-point losses to bottom placed South and third bottom North in the last 3 rounds, it all could have been different.

• Don Hewett won the club best & fairest award.
• Colin Richens was the club's leading goalkicker with 29 goals.

After narrowly losing to eventual premier Port Adelaide by 3-points in round 1, Glenelg were then soundly beaten by the other two finalists (Sturt & South) from the previous season, and were sitting winless at the bottom of the ladder after 3 rounds.

But from rounds 4 to 8 Glenelg's draw got easier and they won 5 games in a row to be sitting in 5th position with 5 wins - 3 losses, and only percentage behind Sturt & North in 3rd & 4th.

In the next 7 rounds Glenelg lost again to the top 3 sides (Port, South, Sturt) for a second time, but continued to beat everyone else that they played, so that after 15 rounds Glenelg were on 9 wins - 6 losses, in 6th place on the ladder, but equal on wins with Norwood & North in 4th & 5th.

In round 16, this pattern of losing to the top 3 and beating everyone else changed when Glenelg hung on to defeat Sturt in a tight finish, which left Sturt, Norwood, North & Glenelg all in equal 3rd place with 10 wins - 6 losses. With only four rounds to play, only two of those four sides were likely to make the finals, and Glenelg would need to win one game more than the others as they had a vastly inferior percentage.

With matches away to North and Norwood in the next two rounds, Glenelg's fate was in their own hands, they could make the finals if they were good enough to beat North and Norwood for a second time. Unfortunately they lost them both, along with the two matches after that, and they finished the season in 6th position with 10 wins & 10 losses. So just as had happened in 1962, after being in 4th or equal 4th spot with 4 rounds remaining, they lost their last 4 matches to miss the finals - although on this ocassion Glenelg were never in the top 4 at any stage during the season.

Unfortunately, and not for the last time, the inequities in the SANFL draw may have also played a role in the shaping of the final four, as both Norwood & North's two extra games were against bottom 3 sides (with 7 wins between them), whereas Glenelg's two extra games were against the eventual grand finalists (with 30 wins between them) - quite a stark difference.

• Len Fitzgerald continued as coach for a second season, and Harry Kernahan continued as captain for a second season.
• Brian McGowan won the best & fairest in 1965.
• Ray Button was the club's top goalkicker in 1965 with 61 goals.

In Neil Kerley's second year as Captain-Coach, Glenelg recruited state captain and 1962 Magarey Medallist Ken Eustice, who had just completed a four year stint as the inaugural captain-coach of expansion club Central Districts.

Due to making finals in 1967, the Bays had a tougher draw in 1968, but after losing their opening two games against the previous season's grand finalists, they then won 10 of their next 13 games, including victories over finalists Port, North and West and a 1 point loss to top side Sturt.
This had them sitting comfortably inside the top 4 after round 15 with a 10 - 5 win-loss record, 1 game behind Port in 2nd, and 2 games ahead of West in 5th, with just 5 games remaining.

But then the wheels fell off.
Up until round 15 the only teams Glenelg had lost to were the other 3 sides in the top 4 (Sturt, Port & North). But in round 16 they lost to 9th ranked Centrals, with Neil Kerley getting suspended for the next 2 matches, and in round 17 they only kicked 3-15 in a 42-point loss to North.

Then after a round 18 loss to 7th ranked South, Glenelg were replaced in the top 4 by West Adelaide, who they would face in the next round in a match which would decide which team secured the last finals spot.

In this do-or-die round 19 clash, West jumped to a 4 goal lead at half-time, and despite only scoring 3 points in the 2nd half, managed to hold on and win by 6 points.
In the last round, for Glenelg to qualify for the finals, they needed to beat bottom side Norwood by atleast 15 goals and hope West lost to 8th side Centrals. Neither of these things happened (although Glenelg did win by 43-points) - so the Bays finished in 5th spot, with 11 wins & 9 losses - a wasted season.

• Graham Cornes won his first club best & fairest award.
• Fred Phillis was the club's leading goalkicker with 30 goals and 31 points (and quite a few out of bounds) - after starting his career as a defender.