Footballs at the SANFL History Centre

BY NEIL J SMITH

Some of the most intriguing photographs in the collection at the SANFL History Centre are the early photos of footballers in their uniforms.  Most are team photos but other examples provide a different insight – in this case, a photograph of Sturt players Fred Odgers & Billy Mayman taken at training shows that the footballs used in 1921 were considerably larger than the current balls.

The Centre also has an extensive collection of footballs, although none of them is especially old.  Some research suggests that the oldest is in fact a white Faulkner ball that was won as a “door prize” by Chris Halbert at the 1966 Magarey Medal presentation.  She remembers that there were very few women at the awards night in those days.  It has some precious signatures, gleaned by Chris on the night, including Len Fitzgerald, Bob Hank, “Shine” Hosking, Ian Mackay, Alick Lill, Dave Boyd and John Halbert.

Autographed footballs feature quite prominently in the collection, which is largely displayed hanging from the ceiling in “onion bags”!

Then there are more that are displayed on wooden stands, such as the Burley ball with signatures of Grand Final Field Umpires from 1955 – 1999.  Some well-known names – R.Schofield, M.OÇonnell, Ron Bettridge, Ken Aplin, N.Thorp, D.Foster, M.Avon, D.Woodcock, R.Kinnear, K.Cunningham, L.Argent, M.Ducker, M.Hall.

There are footballs from State games, footballs from finals, footballs decorated, a football autographed by the North Adelaide women’s team used during the 2017 grand final, the football used in the Indigenous Round between the Crows and Port Adelaide in Port Pirie in 2019.

There are Faulkners, Sherrins, Burleys, maybe even a “Lyrebird” – and a “Lindsay Head Special” “Distributed by John Mehaffeys”.

Interestingly, the oldest ball is one of the oldest objects in the SANFL History Centre collection –  a small gold replica football presented to South Australian captain George Downs, presented after the playing of the first inter-colonial game between a South Australian representative team and a Victorian team in 1877.

The South Australian Advertiser on Monday 13 August 1877 has more information about the game:

“Mr. George E Downs founded the Victorian team [in South Australia] in 1874, and was the captain of the first interstate team to play in Melbourne, ie the Victorians v Melbourne. (Soon after the SA team’s name was changed to South Australia).

A round ball was used and each team consisted of 20 players…”