Australian Football

1988 Adelaide Bicentennial State of Origin Carnival

×

Right ▼

+

Despite showcasing arguably the greatest collection of football talent ever assembled in one place, the NFL's 1988 state of origin carnival failed to capture the imagination of the Adelaide public, and attendances proved to be as derisory as some of the football was outstanding. In effect, the carnival not only hastened the demise of the state of origin concept, it also probably helped smooth the way for the VFL's transition from the strongest state competition in the land, to - under the banner of the Australian Football League - the self-appointed 'guardians of the game'.

For the first and probably only time, all eight of Australia's states and territories, plus representative teams from the VFA and the amateur leagues of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania ('Australian Amateurs'), competed in the same carnival, albeit in two separate grades, or sections. The top section included football's three acknowledged 'superpowers' in the shape of South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia, with the fourth place going - a mite surprisingly, in the view of some - to New South Wales.

The remaining six teams contested section two. The eligibility criteria differed slightly to those in use at previous state of origin carnivals in that, "a player (was) now firstly eligible for selection with the state (or competition, in the case of the VFA) in which he was first registered after the age of 15".¹ An analysis of the ten carnival squads in terms of the leagues in which the players were currently competing makes interesting reading, and reaffirms the often forgotten fact that, prior to its metamorphosis into the AFL, the VFL was by no means Australia's only stamping ground for top quality football talent.

Competing squads analysed in terms of players' source competitions

The surprise packets of the competition proved to be controversial section one contestants New Wales, and carnival debutants Northern Territory, competing in section two. New South Wales began with a tenacious display against the host state, South Australia, which was not finally lost until late in the game, and then went on to score a thrilling two-point win over Western Australia in the consolation final. Meanwhile the Territorians, who undoubtedly benefited from the fact that the competition took place right in the middle of the 'northern' football season, outclassed Tasmania in their opening game, finished strongly to overcome Australian Amateurs in their semi final, and rounded off what had been a dream debut carnival by comprehensively outplaying reigning section two champions the VFA in the final.

The major highlight of the competition, however, was the torrid section one championship decider between a South Australian team "anxious to justify its decision to stay out of the extended Victorian competition"² and Victoria. After the Victorians had booted the game's first goal, South Australia leapt into top gear and "methodically dissected the Big V for the third successive year".³ The only disappointment was that there were fewer than 20,000 spectators at Football Park to see what was arguably South Australian football's finest moment since the state side's 1963 triumph over the VFL at the MCG.

Match summaries

DAY ONE - Wednesday 2 March at FOOTBALL PARK

Game One (Section Two - Preliminary Stage)

BEST
Northern Territory: D. Dunn, Vigona, Jones, Helyar, M. Rioli, M. Long, Ahmat
Tasmania: Nichols, Pritchard, Eade, Barwick, Armstrong

GOALS
Northern Territory: D. Dunn 5; Vigona 4; M. Long 3; Moscheni, Roe 2; Ahmat, M. Rioli, C. Dunn
Tasmania: Nichols 6; Plain 2; others uncertain

Game Two (Section Two - Preliminary Stage)

BEST
Australian Amateurs: Botten, Miles, Beasley, Ischenko, Morrissey
ACT: James, Thompson, Allison, Bishop, Kennedy

GOALS
Australian Amateurs: Beasley 6; Botten 4; Morrissey 3; King
ACT: James 5; Allison 2; Kennedy, Sculley, Smith, Suckling, Tutt

Game Three (Section One - Semi Final)

DAY TWO - Thursday 3 March at FOOTBALL PARK

Game Four (Section Two - Preliminary Stage)

BEST
VFA: Ezard, Murphy, R.Evans, James, Chadband, Round, Wallace, Mourney
Queensland: Taylor, Gibson, Dunnell

GOALS
VFA: Mourney, Murphy 3; Burgman, Ezard, Round, Wright 2; R.Evans, Fairley, James
Queensland: Crowley, Dunnell, Grimley, Maclure

Game Five (Section Two - Semi Final)

BEST
Northern Territory: Rioli, D.Dunn, Ahmat, Hughes, M.Motlop, Wanganeen
Australian Amateurs: Morrissey, Obst, Ischenko, Curtain, Helyar, Gleeson

GOALS
Northern Territory: D.Dunn 7; Roe 2; M.Long, M.Motlop
Australian Amateurs: Beasley, Gleeson 2; Botten, Curtain, Miles, Summers

Game Six (Section One - Semi Final)

BEST
South Australia: Payze, McGuinness, Kernahan, Bradley, Platten
New South Wales: Wright, T. Daniher, Morwood, Thripp, Carroll

GOALS
South Australia: Lindner 4; Kernahan, McGuinness, Platten 2; Hall, Payze
New South Wales: Brownless, T.Daniher, Morwood 2; Bradmore, Hawke

DAY THREE - Friday 4 March at NORWOOD OVAL

Game Seven (Section Two - Wooden Spoon Play Off)

BEST
Tasmania: Eade, Nichols, Armstrong, Webster, Goulding, Pritchard, Paton
Queensland: Crowley, McIvor, Mace, Taylor

GOALS
Tasmania: Nichols 3; Armstrong, Parsons 2; Barwick, Goulding, Noye, Pearce
Queensland: Crowley, Dunnell, Dunstall, Maclure 2; Gibson, Willet

Game Eight (Section Two - Semi Final)

BEST
VFA: Murphy, Wallace, Dudley, James, Ezard, Eade, Pastore, Marcon
ACT: Wynd, Barich, Kennedy, Killer

GOALS
VFA: Ezard 3; Bergman, Mourney, Murphy, Pastore, Thornton, Wright 2; Dudley, Sheldon, Wallace
ACT: James 3; Allison 2; Barich, Kennedy, Smith

DAY FOUR - Saturday 5 March at FOOTBALL PARK

Game Nine (Section Two - Final)

BEST
Northern Territory: M. Long, M. Rioli, Ahmat, Jones, McLean, Briston
VFA: Wallace, Ezard, Wright, Martin, Round, O'Riley

GOALS
Northern Territory: D. Dunn 4; M. Long, McLean 3; Ahmat, Briston 2; Jones, P. Motlop, Vigona
VFA: O'Riley, Round 2; Bergman, Eade, Martin, Mourney, Thornton

Game Ten (Section One - 3rd Place Play Off)

BEST
New South Wales: T. Daniher, Thripp, Murphy, Cordy, O'Donoghue, Morwood
Western Australia: Mainwaring, Malaxos, Mifka, Buckenara, Laidley, Glendinning

GOALS
New South Wales: Scott, Thripp 2; Bradmore, Brownless, T. Daniher, Hawke, Norwood, O'Donoghue
Western Australia: Buckenara 2; Bairstow, Dean, Lockyer, Mifka, Richards, Scott, Wrested

Game Eleven (Section One - Final)

1988 All Australian Team

1988 Adelaide Carnival: Tassie Medallist

Paul Salmon (Victoria)

1988 Adelaide Carnival: Leading Goalkickers

SECTION ONE
8 - S. Kernahan (South Australia), P. Salmon (Victoria)
6 - B.Lindner (South Australia)
5 - A. Lockyer (Western Australia), J. Platten (South Australia)

SECTION TWO
16 - D. Dunn (Northern Territory)
9 - M. Long (Northern Territory)
8 - S. Nichols (Tasmania)
5 - W. Botten (Australian Amateurs), G. James (ACT), B. Mourney (VFA)

Some Stars of the 1988 Adelaide Carnival

×

Center ▼

Graham Cornes (SA) All Australian team coach

×

×

Center ▼

Paul Roos (All Australian Team)

×

Center ▼

David Murphy (All Australian Team)

×

×

Center ▼

Ross Glendinning - WA team captain

×

Center ▼

Mark Motlop (NT) - star Nightcliff performer

×

Center ▼

Barry Round - VFA team captain

×

Center ▼

Nick Burne (AA) - veteran Xaverians ruckman

×

Center ▼

David Pearce (Tas) - 'Mr. Versatility

×

Center ▼

Tony Wynd (ACT) - multiple Mulrooney Medallist

×

Center ▼

Ray Sarcevic (Qld) - former Geelong star

×