1985 Australian Football Championships

The 1985 Australian Football Championships was an Australian rules football series between representative teams of the three major football states. Games involving Victoria were played under State of Origin rules, whilst the match between Western Australia and South Australia involved players based in their respective states at the time. The competition drew controversy when the result of the game between Victoria and South Australia, originally a 57 point win to Victoria, was overturned and awarded to South Australia as a result of Victoria fielding too many players when coach Kevin Sheedy snuck Shane Heard into the squad and into the team as an extra player.[1][2] The competition was won by South Australia, and it was their first Australian championship since 1911.[3]

1985 Australian Football Championships
Tournament information
SportAustralian football
LocationAdelaide and Perth, Australia
Dates14 May 1985–16 July 1985
FormatRound Robin
Teams3
Final champion
South Australia
← 1984
1986 →

Results edit

Game 1 edit

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date Time Broadcast Network
South Australia 11.10 (76) Victoria 20.13 (133) Football Park 44,287 14 May 1985 [4] 8:00pm Seven

Game 2 edit

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date Time Broadcast Network
South Australia 30.18 (198) Western Australia 16.15 (111) Subiaco Oval 15 June 1985 [3]

Game 3 edit

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date Time Broadcast Network
Victoria 19.16 (130) Western Australia 9.11 (65) Subiaco Oval 38,000 16 July 1985 [6]

Standings edit

1985 Australian Championship[7]
TEAM P W L D PF PA % PTS
1 South Australia 2 2 0 0 274 244 112 4
2 Victoria 2 1 1 0 263 141 186 2
3 Western Australia 2 0 2 0 176 328 53 0

All-Australian Team edit

Following completion of the series, the best players over the three games were selected in the All-Australian team.[8]

1985 All-Australian team
B: Garry Foulds (Vic) Gary Pert (Vic) Terry Daniher (Vic)
HB: Rod Lester-Smith (WA) Paul Roos (Vic) Peter Motley (SA)
C: Craig Bradley (SA) Geoff Raines (Vic) Gary Buckenara (WA)
HF: Dermott Brereton (Vic) Stephen Kernahan (SA) Mark Harvey (Vic)
F: Leon Baker (WA) Roger Merrett (Vic) John Platten (SA)
Foll: Mark Lee (Vic) Russell Greene (Vic) Dale Weightman (Vic)
Int: Malcolm Blight (SA) Michael Mitchell (WA)  
     
Coach: Kevin Sheedy (Vic)

Squads edit

South Australia
 
Victoria
 
[9]
Western Australia
 
[10]

Coach/es: Neil Balme
Captain/s: Malcolm Blight
Vice Captain/s:
Deputy Vice Captain/s:
Both Games

vs Victoria

vs Western Australia

Coach: Kevin Sheedy
Both Games

vs South Australia

vs Western Australia[11]

Other Squad Members

Coach/es: John Todd
Captain/s: Don Langsford, Ross Glendinning
Vice Captain/s:
Deputy Vice Captain/s:
Both Games

vs South Australia

vs Victoria

References edit

  1. ^ a b "League sacks Victoria". The Canberra Times. 17 June 1985. p. 28. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  2. ^ McFarlane, Glenn (29 May 2014). "Glenn's 10: Glenn McFarlane names the top 10 moments in State-of-Origin footy". News Limited. Herald Sun. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "SA regains lost prestige". The Canberra Times. 16 June 1985. p. Sport 6. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  4. ^ "Win for Victoria". The Canberra Times. 15 May 1985. p. 45. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Fos Williams Medallist". South Australian National Football League. South Australian National Football League. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  6. ^ Smithers, Patrick (18 July 1985). "Victorious Vics don't hurt a bit". The Age. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  7. ^ Doherty, Francis (2000). "Australian National Football Councils Carnivals". The Aussie Rules: Records & Stats Trivia Book. New Holland Publishers. p. 243. ISBN 9781740514019.
  8. ^ "Sheedy tables his top 20 in 20 years". The Age. 18 July 1985. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  9. ^ "Selectors name 9 'rookies'". No. Round 7. VFL Media Department. The Football Record. 11 May 1985. p. 11. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  10. ^ "State Games 1951-2011". wafooty.com.au. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  11. ^ "Match Statistics". Westside Football. 18 July 1985. p. 11.