BRING THE WAVE
WHITE CLAW HARD SELTZER ®
SPARKLING WATER WITH ALCOHOL
A FORCE IN SA FOOTY May the Fourth be with you. It’s quite a date to celebrate although it probably won’t mean a lot to Central District and North Adelaide players running out for their games on Star Wars Day. But 50 years ago on this day the Bulldogs beat the Roosters in the historic first game on SANFL’s new West Lakes headquarters, the not-really-completed-yet Football Park. North triple Magarey Medallist and Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend Barrie Robran won the toss but there wasn’t much for the Roosters to celebrate after that, Central claiming a famous first-up win by 30 points. Long-time Central District president and club great Tom Zorich was credited with the first official kick after Bulldogs captain-coach Tony Casserly flew for the first
touch, a hit-out. North’s Barry Hearl kicked the first league goal at the ground that quickly became an integral part of the SA sporting scene, until 2013 being regularly packed out for SANFL and AFL games (from 1991). But the league’s move away from Adelaide Oval had been a long time coming and there were plenty of teething problems, including a protracted battle to erect floodlights for night footy. Long-serving SANFL chief executive officer Leigh Whicker, one of the major movers and shakers in Football Park’s remarkable history – along with the likes of presidents Max Basheer and Don Brebner, project director Ray Kutcher and SANFL general manager Don Roach – gives his take on the great old ground that was demolished in 2018-19 on Pages 6 and 7. sanfl.com.au
3