A vintage photo-montage of the 'South Adelaide Football Club. Played 16 Matches. Won 14. Drawn 1. Lost 1. Premiers 1892'
A gelatin silver photograph (visible image size 526 × 398 mm), in the original gilt-edged mat, behind glass in an antique-style modern wooden frame (external dimensions 780 × 632 mm).
The photograph is in excellent condition; the original mat is a little mottled, with minor surface loss to silverfish; the frame has slight damage to the bottom edge; overall, a very attractive item.
The 31 individuals featured in the photograph are (as numbered): Hon C.C. Kingston MP (president), W.G. Coombs (chairman), J. Maddern (secretary), F. Marlow (treasurer), J. Reedman (captain), W. Bushby (vice-captain), W. Anderson (committee), S. Shepherd (committee), A. Ramsay (committee), A. Hamon (committee), G. Rowley, A. Goode, A. Bushby, T. Cook, R. Dawe, A. Dawes, F.A. Fischer, R. Hancock, E. Jones, J. Kay, A. Marlow, E. Merrigan, E. Monck, A. Rimes, S. Reedman, J. Scott, J.J. Walkley, E. Chaplin, A. Cudmore, A.E. Rossiter (all players), and J. Coppinger (trainer). 'The 1890s was South's halcyon decade. Captained by Jack "Dinnie" Reedman, one of the club's, and South Australia's, all time great players, as well as a fine tactician, the Blue and Whites adopted a system that repeatedly left its rivals floundering. (For example, Reedman allegedly came up with a method for creating and then exploiting the loose man, an idea which, in some ways, could almost be regarded as the cornerstone of the modern game.) South also boasted some of the era's most accomplished players, notably the extraordinarily versatile Alf Bushby who, allegedly, was recognised as the finest player in South Australia of this period, and second only to A.J. Thurgood of Essendon, Victoria, as the champion footballer of Australia. Other greats included the prolific goalsneak, Jack Kay; Ernie Jones [present in this photograph] and Clem Hill, both of whom achieved even greater fame as Test cricketers; and not forgetting Reedman himself, a formidable ruckman to rank with the best who enjoyed a record eleven seasons (1888-98) as club skipper. After finishing third in 1890 and 1891, the Blue and Whites were either premiers (six times) or runners up (three times) in each of the ensuing nine seasons. In fact, they might be considered somewhat unlucky not to have procured seven premierships during this time: in 1897, the last season in South Australia in which behinds were not included in the score, they lost by a goal against Port Adelaide in what was effectively a premiership play off. And the scores? Port Adelaide 3.1; South Adelaide 2.14. Overall, however, there could be no doubt whatsoever that, for most of the 1890s, South Adelaide was South Australia's strongest team' (AustralianFootball website).
Item #122121
Price (AUD):
$3,750.00