Australian Football

The honour board at Alberton contains a greater number of illustrious names than most, but none more celebrated than that of Robert Berriman Quinn who was without doubt the most talented and highly renowned rover ever to don the famous black and white of the Port Adelaide Football Club. But for World War II, in which he served with distinction for five years, Quinn’s record might ultimately have rivalled even that of the most individually decorated Magpie of them all, Russell Ebert.

Voted Port Adelaide’s best and fairest player four times and placed in the top three of the Magarey Medal count on four occasions (for two wins) it was nevertheless more in the intangible, unrecordable sphere that Quinn truly excelled. Never one to chase personal glory ahead of the needs of the team, he epitomised the Port Adelaide philosophy even before it had been formally articulated by Fos Williams.

Quinn made his league debut with the Magpies as an 18-year-old in 1933, and when he retired after the 1947 Preliminary Final he had played a total of 186 SANFL matches. He was also a fine player in the interstate sphere, representing South Australia 14 times, and kicking 27 goals. Quinn died in 2008, aged 93.

Author - John Devaney