In the Right Direction

BY STEVE BARRETT

Incoming West Adelaide president John Kantilaftas has been in the hot seat for barely a fortnight but the Bloods have already ticked the first box in his list of objectives. He wanted West to become competitive again, as a starting point, and a quick glance at the team’s on-field results in 2023 suggests that goal has been realised.

Coming off four straight wooden spoons, the Bloods are one victory shy of fourth position on the ladder, having already won – by mid-June –as many games as last year and more than in each of 2019-21, with their best percentage since 2018.

Impressing under rookie coach Adam Hartlett, West has chalked up wins over last year’s grand finalists Norwood and North Adelaide and came within four points of snapping Sturt’s unbeaten start to the year.

“I said at the end of last year, the first thing we have to do is become competitive all the time,” Kantilaftas said. “So far, we’ve been very competitive. From there, we start building on that with these young players, then I think the success will come as time goes on. I’m under no illusion this is a long-term plan for us on the field. I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

While Kantliaftas is new in this role, he is no stranger to making key behind-the-scenes decisions at SANFL level. He served as CEO at Woodville-West Torrens from 200108 – the Eagles winning a flag and playing in four grand finals in this time – and the Bloods from 2013-17, which included their droughtbreaking 2015 premiership.

Kantilaftas has spent the past seven years building surf clubs around the state working as a project manager for Surf Life Saving SA and was sought out for the vacancy at Richmond Oval by outgoing president Murray Forbes. “After Murray made the decision to retire, he approached me and thought I have the skills or temperament to take us to the next step,” said 62-year-old Kantilaftas, whose daughter Anna is a former Football Budget editor. “He convinced me I should do it. Financially we’ve got our challenges and so do we on the field. There’s a lot to do but I’m looking forward to working with the board and progressing the club further.”

John Kantilaftas is welcomed into West Adelaide's Hall of Fame in 2021 by Neil Kerley.

Kantliftas has red and black coursing through his veins, having played 156 games for the Bloods from 1979-88, primarily as a back pocket. A Westies Hall of Famer and best-and-fairest winner in 1981 –Neil Kerley’s first season in his return to the club as coach –Kantilaftas’s most cherished football memory will always be the 1983 premiership. The Bloods will be celebrating the 40-year anniversary of their 34-point grand final triumph over Sturt when these sides clash at Hisense Stadium in Round 12.

“When I walked onto the field that day, I was supremely confident if we got off to a good start, I didn’t think we could lose it,” Kantilaftas recalled of that special day. “I remember Michael Graham kicked a few goals on me early in the game (Graham kicked all four of Sturt’s second-quarter goals) and I thought, ‘geez, I’m in for a hard day’. But we kicked 10 in that quarter and by halfway through the third, I felt we were going to win that premiership. An opposition team had to kick a really big score to beat us because we were kicking 20 goals every week.”

West averaged an eye-popping 145 points per game in the minor round before piling on 24.16 (160) to thump the Redlegs by 74 points in the second semi-final, then slotting 21.16 (142) a fortnight later against Sturt.

“We had so much firepower – Bruce Lindner and Roger Luders at centre half-forward and full forward, and Michael Smith could play any of those positions,” Kantilaftas said. “(Captain and Jack Oatey Medallist) Ian Borchard was as mentally tough as anyone I’ve ever met in my life ... and Neil was the best coach I ever played under.”

Kantilaftas knows all about the good times at Westies and wants to help bring them back.