SANFL Commentators - All who called

Ben Warren

I think Bob Simunsen did some radio work too didn't he?

Bob Simunsen and Lindsay Backman were boundary riders for the ABC.

Couple of fair players there.

Nipper Christie, who I believe was a former back pocket player for Woodville.
And Peter Obst commentated for the ABC.

Nipper was a rover, not a back pocket. He is actually Peter Obst first cousin.

Yes, there's another Woodville back pocket player I'm thinking of then who was a radio caller, but can't recall his name.

robranisgod wrote:[
Additionally Lawrie Sweeney didn't call football but was a panellist for years on World of Sport. Lawrie didn't officially play for Port but according to Doug Thomas umpired with a black singlet under his white shirt.

I am straying a bit here and it may have only been coincidence but legend has it that in the 1960 Second Semi Final North had been dominating but with Sweeney paying a number of dubious frees to Port they got to within a kick half way through the last quarter. At that stage Sweeney went down with stomach cramps, was stretchered from the ground and North steadied and won by about 10 points. Norwood then beat Port in the preliminary final with Brenton Whitford umpiring instead of Sweeney thus ending Port's premiership reign. Once again Doug Thomas is adamant that if Sweeney had stayed sound he would have got Port home in the second semi and subsequent Grand Final.

Indeed the emboldened text seems correct. Refer the Motley / Kerley thread. Kerls says this very thing re 1959 GF.

i know he only did the ''special comments'' as they call them today, so perhaps he isn't an actual commentator of the play by play as most others mentioned but i'll put up Wally May anyway...

here's one i've heard or read in the past  

Max Hall ''comment Wally May''
Wally May ''no comment''
Max Hall ''good comment'' (thanks to rig)

That is only two thirds of the conversation
After Wally May's "No comment" Max Hall responded with "Good comment"

ah that's right, thanks, will now edit mine

Yeah I remember that. It became their thing. Almost "Who's on First-ish".

Wally Miller and Fred Heaton, on 5DN.

Roger Wills and Peter Walsh have also both called SANFL, play by play, as two of the eminent ABC Radio callers.

Other more obscure names who called for Pine Lodge Studios (who produced SANFL DVD's of non-broadcast games in the mid 2000's):

Damian Woodards
Jim Hough
John Callaghan

Phil Smyth also called at least one match on radio - it may have been SEN during their very brief Adelaide sojourn?

Clayton Lamb (ex Glenelg and West) called at least twice on ABC-TV in the early 2000's as play by play.

CK, who do you think would have called for the most different outlets. Reckon some of the current callers would give it a shake?

What are your best memories of your calling. (Apart from the Norwood premiership where you presented the players - that can't be beaten).

Wasn't Stuart Dew a ''special comments'' man a few years ago ?

Lee wrote:CK, who do you think would have called for the most different outlets. Reckon some of the current callers would give it a shake?

What are your best memories of your calling. (Apart from the Norwood premiership where you presented the players - that can't be beaten).

Many of the golden era callers were predominantly for one or two stations: KG called for 5DN and 5AA, from memory. Dennis Browne was certainly 5AD and 5RPH, I'm unsure on other stations that he called play by play for.

I have called play-by-play for at least six different outlets: 5RPH, Life FM, ABC 891, ABC-TV, plus the old Pine Lodge Studios and the SANFL Stream Team (within the latter, I consider the 2014 matches called specifically for live SANFL streaming to be the same outlet). Have been part of the 5AA SANFL Show but never called play by play for them.

John Nankivell would be close. He has called for 5RPH, Life FM, SEN, plus Pine Lodge and the SANFL Stream Team.

As far as best memories, there are many over such a long time. Being fortunate enough to call the 2014 SANFL Grand Final - the last Grand Final broadcast on 5RPH - was a special experience. Calling state football for ABC-TV in 2013 was something I had always aspired to as a SANFL fan virtually since birth. Calling Brant Chambers's 100th goal in 2008 - probably the last time we will see that feat in SANFL history - was something I didn't fully appreciate at the time but understand now as being very special.

The stunning comeback by South Adelaide this year, coming from seven goals down to defeat Adelaide on the last kick of the day, was one that will stick in the memory for a long time. The infamous night at Glenelg against Adelaide when the lights went out, resulting in an incomplete match declared a draw was quite surreal also, with Neil Cross and Phil Aspinall with me that night. Actually, I have been one of the callers a few times that lights have failed at grounds - mainly Noarlunga - so wondered for a while if I was the common thread.

Calling some of the bigger marks of the 2000's has been a privilege. Taite Silverlock's massive hanger against Glenelg in 2013, one of the best marks I've ever seen anywhere, was a great moment, as was Ben Kane's mark against North at Unley later that same year. Richmond Oval has actually been a venue for some huge marks I've been lucky enough to call, with Brett Ebert and Ian Callinan taking enormous grabs within 20 metres of the same spot on the grandstand wing in different games, A big mark by Kieran McGuinness at Norwood Oval in 2014 also stood out.

One of the hardest matches I ever had to call was a late season minor round game at Alberton in 2012, Port v West. One of my best and closest friends, a Port fan who bled black and white and was always at Alberton any time I called for TV or radio, lost his life in sudden and very tragic circumstances on the Wednesday before that match. It was our ABC-TV match and I was calling with Michael Maney. It was one of the hardest matches I have ever called in my life, as the whole day was very saddening and confusing for me personally and only the on-air crew that day knew of my personal circumstances. I can tell you that Port won comfortably that day but can tell you very little of the match itself, as I found it all very hard to keep my emotions in check for the full match. As soon as the siren went, I was able to release what had been building up for days. To this day, it is the only match I called for television that I never went back and did my traditional post-game review/rewatch for.

Port v West have, oddly, formed some of my most unusual moments in commentary. It was the first match I ever called anywhere, at Alberton Oval. They were the opponents in a night game at Richmond in 2010 when Port kicked 3.4 and won the match against West was one of the strangest nights I've ever seen. A few other matchups that I mention in this post also.

It's really only been in the last couple of seasons that I have fully understood and appreciated that I have been lucky enough to be part of some very pivotal moments in SANFL - the last match ever broadcast on 5RPH (Port defeating West at Alberton, round 19, 2015), as well as 5RPH's last grand final; the last match ever telecast on ABC-TV (the 2013 GF you alluded to above); the last state game (to this point) shown on free-to-air TV; the last time 100 goals were kicked in SANFL; the first time in 90 years that a SANFL quarter was scoreless by both teams (Norwood v W/WT in 2012 on ABC-TV) - and have looked back on those moments and been very proud but humbled to have been part of them.

bayman wrote:Wasn't Stuart Dew a ''special comments'' man a few years ago ?

He certainly was, Bayman. For ABC-TV at Glenelg Oval - I can't remember for sure who the opponent was but believe it may have been Central.

David Wildy
Doug Oakley
John Casey
Brenton Yates
Darryl Smith
Stephen Rowe
Dale Lewis
Peter Walsh
Matt Clinch
Adrian Pickles
Jarrod Lienert

Daniel Norton )Port Adelaide media manager) has also called with 5AA, as has Tom Rehn (Channel 9).

rocket_rooster wrote:I don't know if this is drawing a long bow but John Callaghan and Jim Hough call the games for the SANFL on the Internet.
Also as well as the well known media commentators like PhilH, Big Phil and CK, I believe another regular poster who may have the best all round knowledge of the SANFL of any poster was a special comments man for a North vs South game about 6 yeas ago.

My apologies, RR, I missed this post for some reason. Racking the memory banks about who you mean there?

Kym Morgan also called with 5RPH and was part of the last ABC-TV commentary team.

Corey Ogilvy was our ABC-TV stats man for the last two seasons.

It has been incredibly remiss of me to not mention Ian "Moggy" Mogridge, our wonderful statistician for so many years on ABC-TV. Moggy was truly one of the most incredible resources I have ever met in SANFL, and it was a true privilege to work with him for so many years. A diehard Sturt man who always brought his stats books to a game in his old Double Blue kitbag, we would spend hours before, during (at breaks) and after games swapping stories, memories and comparing players in SANFL.

So many times we would still be at a game long after it finished, talking about some of the old time champions, and many of the lesser known players. He was one of a very select small and trusted group that I passed my all time Top 50 SANFL players to have a look over before it was published, to ensure there were no factual errors, howlers or ones that seemed incongruous. His honest feedback was largely extremely positive and he largely agreed with the vast majority of the list, but there was one he disagreed with being placed so high in the list - a top 10 player - and he always joked for years afterwards that it was because said player always struggled against his beloved Double Blues.

One of the most genuine gentleman I have ever worked with.

Moggy seemed to shun the spotlight, CK?

Happy with his role without over-reaching.

A real loss to the SANFL community.

C.K wrote:

rocket_rooster wrote:I don't know if this is drawing a long bow but John Callaghan and Jim Hough call the games for the SANFL on the Internet.
Also as well as the well known media commentators like PhilH, Big Phil and CK, I believe another regular poster who may have the best all round knowledge of the SANFL of any poster was a special comments man for a North vs South game about 6 yeas ago.

My apologies, RR, I missed this post for some reason. Racking the memory banks about who you mean there?

Not Andy Lee, CK !!!

Very much so Lee. He always played his role.- an extremely valuable and highly researched one - very seriously and with a minimum of fuss.