In this cabinet are some of the oldest items in the Port Adelaide Football Club memorabilia collection. Among them you’ll see an 1887 Jubilee Medal which was given to all players to celebrate both 50 years since the proclamation of South Australia and the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne. The 1888 team photo including captain William Bushby shows a very different looking Port Adelaide at a time when the club wore magenta and blue jumpers.
You’ll see at the top of the cabinet a modern take on the magenta and blue guernsey. In honour of the colours worn from 1883 to 1901, the club created a replica to wear in the 2004 Heritage Round. If you look closely, you’ll see the guernsey has the years of all of Port Adelaide’s premierships including three won while wearing these colours in 1884, 1890 and 1897. Of course the club would later that year – in 2004 - win its inaugural AFL premiership.
In the bottom left of that cabinet, you’ll see a portrait of William Bushby who captained the club for 60 games and was widely regarded as one of the finest players in the colony. During his career between 1883 and 1891, he was part of the club’s first premiership team in 1884 and the 1890 premiership and Champions of Australia sides.
Spend some time taking in the various memorabilia items – the invitations and programs to premiership and Champions of Australia dinners, the 1914 Lady’s Season ticket, and the skull caps that you’ll find at the top of the cabinet. There are two different caps displayed – the cap on the left was worn by players on the field prior to World War one, and the cap on the right was presented to members of the premiership team along with a premiership pennant until 1922. The premiership cap displayed with the SAFL insignia and the year 1914 belonged to champion player of the pre-World War one era, Angelo Congear.
During our second stop on this tour, we talked about the 1936 Centenary Year trophy and you can see here at the top of the cabinet an image of the then Governor Sir Winston Dugan presenting this cup to Port Adelaide captain and star winger Jack Dermody. The lace up guernsey next to this image belonged to Dermody. You can see he was not a big man compared to our current day players.
Look now to the bottom of the cabinet, where you’ll see some intricate medals presented to a legend of the club Sampson “Shine” Hosking. One of only a handful of men to win multiple Magarey Medals as the state’s fairest and most brilliant player, he was part of the club’s premiership and national championship winning teams in 1910, 1913 and 1914, as well as playing in Port’s 192 premiership side.
His career at Port Adelaide started in 1907 and he played continuously until 1921, before bobbing up to play league football in 1927 and 1936 as well. Incredibly he played his last game as a 48 year-old! Shine Hosking also coached the club to multiple premierships across 12 seasons and he also led the combined Port-Torrens side during World War two.
Port and Torrens combined between 1942 and 1944 during the second world war, winning the 1942 Patriotic league premiership, beating a combined West – Glenelg side by six points in the final. You can see the team photo in this cabinet.
On the topic of war, one of Shine Hosking’s teammates – William Roy Drummond – became the first Port Adelaide player to be awarded a Military Medal for bravery while serving his country in France in World War one. You can see his military medal in the display alongside Hosking’s medals.
The other Port Adelaide player to be awarded a military medal was the legendary Bob Quinn. On the field, Quinn was a captain, three-time premiership player, four-time best and fairest and two-time leading goalkicker for Port Adelaide, as well as a two-time Magarey Medal winner.
Made more incredible is that the second of his Magarey Medals was won after he suffered shrapnel wounds and was told he may never walk again following the Battle of Tobruk during World War Two. His devotion, courage and leadership in that battle earned him his Military Medal. Sadly, Quinn’s brother George Quinn died while serving in 1942. You can see a collection of medals belonging to the Quinn brothers in the framed display in the cabinet.
Port Adelaide Football Club had many players, staff and volunteers serving in the military to protect Australia including inaugural AFLW player Maria Moloney who serves in the Air Force. The club’s relationship with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has been consistent and in recent years the club has implemented programs that support Defence personnel and their families.
Continue along the cabinet where we’ll look at the club’s record-breaking golden era.