Dogs Drought-Breaker

By DION HAYMAN

Central District snapped a 12-game, 22-year finals drought, holding on for 17 nervous minutes to defeat Norwood by four points in the 1994 first semi-final.

It was a victory full of courage and one that laid the platform for the club’s unprecedented dominance of the 2000s when it won its first and also its ninth premiership.

Coach Alan Stewart said a concerted effort to alter the destiny of the club ultimately paid huge dividends.

“I wanted to build an environment for sustained success rather than just trying to pick off one premiership and then slip back,” Stewart said.

“We went away from trying to get the high-profile recruits. It was a bit of a new direction we set based on local talent and selective recruiting. By the end of 1992, my second year there, we needed to make a lot of change, particularly in the area of culture.”

That’s when he engaged Ray McLean to introduce his leadership and empowerment program into the sporting realm – the one that would become the now highly-accredited ’Leading Teams’. McLean was working at the RAAF base teaching pilots how to remain calm under pressure.

“I liked everything he said in a two-hour meeting,” Stewart said. “He said, ‘I’m not sure this will work in footy,’ and I said I was sure because it made the lines of communication between coaches and players much easier. And the establishment of really good values was the way to underpin what we were trying to do.”

More decorated coaches and players at Elizabeth had failed in September. “I don’t want to be derogatory to the previous coaches but there were people like ‘Cowboy’ Neale and Daryl Hicks and Neil Kerley who got into finals series but never won a finals match,” Stewart said.

“This was just a little bit of a stepping stone in the building of a foundation that underpinned the success Central had down the track. The cream on the cake was in the 2000s when they dominated the competition.”

It began with this knockout final against Norwood – a week after their nearest miss yet, an extra-time defeat to Port in the qualifier.

Central had first use of a stiff breeze and jumped to a 30-point lead with four goals in the last 10 minutes of the term. Incredibly, two came from the boot of 19-year-old Marty McKinnon, who drifted down off half-back.

“There was probably a little bit of a sense of adventure about my game that day I think,” reflected McKinnon, now director of teaching and learning at Prince Alfred College.

“I gained a little bit of confidence having played in the Crows’ side for the last eight games of the season and I was playing very much on the front foot.”

His third goal, scored seven minutes into the second quarter, was something special. Again, he roamed miles from defence where Scott Stevens found him deep in the left forward pocket at the lake end. Without breaking stride, McKinnon slotted home with the aid of Adam Richardson’s shepherd. “It was meant to hit the top of the square but floated through,” McKinnon admitted.

The grandson of Norwood Hall of Famer Sam Gallagher, McKinnon tended to save his best for the Legs. “My uncle, Philip Gallagher, was on the bench part of (coach Neil) Craig’s gang for Norwood and I remember pointing at him and saying, ‘that one’s for you Phil’. I enjoyed that moment.”

Norwood threw Craig Balme into ruck and he gave it impetus with 19-year-old Matthew Primus struggling. But the Bulldogs continued to look like winners.

A five-handball chain and follow-up by Gary Ellis produced a 55-metre goal early in the third quarter. And Daniel Healy’s one-handed mark and a killer Craig Luhrs handball finished with a walk-in goal for Richardson.

The margin stretched to 34 points in the throes of three-quarter-time but the Redlegs persisted and two late goals kept them in the hunt.

With the flags snapping southward, Norwood stormed to within a kick after just 11 minutes of the last quarter – more Central heartbreak looked likely. But this Bulldogs side was made of sterner stuff than its predecessors.

Central choked Norwood’s supply leaving full back Jonathon Tumes with the only genuine chance to win it – a 20-metre snap in heavy traffic that sailed wide. Again it was McKinnon who effected two clutch plays. He flew third-man-up to rake in a spectacular mark deep in defence with minutes to play.

“I remember feeling the pressure of that and thinking it was better to mark than to punch it because it felt like everything on the ground was being swept up by Norwood,” McKinnon said.

Moments later, he sensed the danger Stephen Patterson presented as he turned goalward, halting him with a game-saving tackle. “Unfortunately for him, he ran into me more than anything else.”

That lone tackle and every one of McKinnon’s 17 possessions and nine marks hurt Norwood badly.

“He was so brave. He didn’t worry about the scoreboard, he always attacked the footy,” said Stewart, who played no small part in convincing McKinnon to choose the Bulldogs over the Redlegs. “He always found a little bit extra playing against Norwood.”

Jubilant Bulldogs belted out the club song on the ground after the game. The manner of the win was evidence the framework Stewart had put in place would likely result in success.

“The way it was done in the last quarter typified a different approach from our group,” Stewart said. “We played the last 15 minutes of footy with no goals scored and that typified the grit and the ability to win back some respect in the SANFL.

“I don’t think we were respected at all in the northern suburbs. I think this was the start of the emergence of Central District, to win a finals match like that. I wasn’t surprised that it resulted in a dynasty going forward.”

Central was thrashed by Port in the preliminary final and succumbed to the Magpies in the next two grand finals. But Healy, Rick Macgowan, Stephen Schwerdt and Damien Arnold would still be in the colours in 2000 when the Bulldogs won their first premiership under Peter Jonas. McKinnon himself was part of the Dogs’ 2001 premiership team. While long gone as coach, Stewart had achieved what he set out to do. “The club owes Stewy a lot I believe,” noted McKinnon.

After three years overseas, McKinnon returned to Adelaide in 2005 finally joining Norwood to play alongside his cousin James Gallagher. But he struggled after so long out of game and managed only six appearances. “I still got more Magarey votes that year than he did!”

CENTRAL  6.1  7.3  10.5  11.6 (72)

NORWOOD  1.1  4.5  6.7  10.8 (68)

BEST – Central: McKinnon, Macgowan, Girdham, Potter, Stevens, Arnold, Haraida, Abbott. Norwood: Patterson, Burns, Pitt, D’Antiochia, Bassett, Cowham.

SCORERS – Central: Richardson 3.1, McKinnon 3.0, Reimers 2.1, Ellis 2.0, Handley 1.0, Cook, Macgowan 0.1, rushed 0.2. Norwood: Pitt 2.2, Robran 2.1, Byrnes, Irvin 1.1, Bassett, Cowham, Burns, Fleming 1.0, Tumes 0.1, rushed 0.2.

UMPIRES – Ron Bettridge, Kevin Chambers.

CROWD – 28,806 for double-header at Football Park.