West End State Game Rewind – 1985

By ZAC MILBANK

South Australia’s team was littered with superstars of the game in 1985.

Winning the Australian Football Championship in that year, the Croweaters boasted a line-up full of hard-running midfielders, dour defenders and strong-marking forwards.

And there was no better example of that than the trip to face Western Australia at Subiaco Oval which saw two of SA’s greatest forwards paired together for a rare appearance inside 50m.

Australian Football Hall of Famers Malcolm Blight and Stephen Kernahan went on a goal kicking rampage, booting 13 between them in the 87-point thrashing of the Sandgropers at Subiaco Oval.

Blight, who was captaining SA, kicked six majors and Kernahan seven as fleet-footed wingman Craig Bradley earned the Fos Williams Medal as South Australia’s best afield.

Coached by Neil Balme, the Croweaters were also well served by Magarey Medallist Greg Anderson on his wing, West Torrens veteran Bruce Lindsay and a tenacious John Platten.

Interestingly, SA was awarded the AFC title despite losing to Victoria in the opening match of the 1985 carnival after the Big V used 22 players in the game instead of the mandated 21.

15 June 1985 at Subiaco Oval
South Australia 30.18 (198) d Western Australia 16.15 (111)
Fos Williams Medal – Craig Bradley

Vision courtesy of Channel 7