In the 55 years between its first premiership in 1884 and the outbreak of World War one in 1939, Port Adelaide won 13 premierships. Then came a 12-year drought.
But in the 1950s, something changed. The club won its next ten premierships in just 15 years - an unprecedented period of success that included a remarkable six premierships in a row between 1954 and 1959 – a feat that remains an Australian record to this day.
Our next stop on our audio tour will look at what is known as the “golden era” at Port Adelaide.
Two men were the key architects of this success and arguably Port Adelaide’s place as the most successful top flight football club in the nation. They were Allan Robert Charles McLean and Foster Neil Williams.
Big “Bob” McLean as he was known, had played in the 1939 premiership in his first season at the club after crossing from bitter rival Norwood. A ruck/forward, he retired in 1948 and stepped into the role of club secretary, then general manager and later club chairman – administrative roles he would hold almost continuously for 40 years until 1989. So significant was his impact on the club that the function room above our club museum is named after him, as is the club’s SANFL best and fairest medal – the A. R. McLean Medal.
It was early 1950 when Big Bob brought another “outsider” to the club – Fos Williams. Then at West Adelaide, he beat a field of 12 applicants to become the club’s new captain/coach.
In 447 matches in two stints at Port Adelaide, Williams left a legacy which includes nine premierships and playing finals in all but one of his 21 seasons as coach.
Williams was known for his ruthless approach to the game and ability to motivate players. Listen in to some audio of his speech to the players before the 1958 Grand Final.
“We expect you to fight until you can’t even run anymore. We’ve got two reserves. Let me know when you’ve just had it and you can go right off, but don’t stay out unless you can do your job, now let’s go do that (cheers).”
After guiding the club to a fifth successive premiership in 1958, Fos Williams retired and Big Bob lauded him at the premiership dinner.
"Today we have come to the end of an era in the Port Adelaide club with the retirement of Fos Williams, Tom Garland and Lloyd Zucker. I think that as has been said, in years to come we’ll look back on the era from 1950 to 1958 and it will certainly go down as the Foster Williams era ...and if one person is responsible or due for any more congratulations or compliments or anything else, it’s our captain-coach Foster Williams. Now give it up…
Fos Williams’ first premiership in 1951 saw the club awarded the SANFL Jubilee Cup you might have seen in our premiership cabinet and the Commonwealth Jubilee trophy you’ll spot next to the photo of Fos and the club’s best and fairest player of that season, Dick Russell, in the middle row of this display.
You’ll also see the 1962 Stanley H Lewis Memorial Trophy. 1962 was the first time the trophy was ever awarded. Named in honour of the late chairman of the SANFL competition Stanley H. Lewis, the trophy has been won by Port Adelaide 12 times and is awarded to the club that is best performed across all five grades of SANFL football - Men’s League, Women’s League, Reserves, Under 18 and Under 16. Since 2015, Port Adelaide has not had teams in the latter four of those competitions.
Another first came in 1963 when the Thomas Seymour Hill trophy was first awarded… you guessed it… to Port Adelaide after the club beat North Adelaide in the Grand Final that year. The side was coached by Fos Williams and captained by another club great Geof Motley. Spot the photo of Motley holding the trophy in 1963. As we explained at the trophy cabinet stop, the Thomas Seymour Hill trophy is a perpetual memento which is passed to the SANFL premier every year, so replicas are on show in our cabinet.
As a coach, Fos Williams had Port Adelaide players completely committed to every game until the last second, and that was no more evident than in the 1965 semi-final against South Adelaide. Trailing by one point with three seconds to go, Peter Mead was awarded a free kick, seemingly too far out from goal to score. Somehow, through a sea of players on the goal line, Mead’s kick made it.
“and here’s the player Mead to take his kick... he’s 55 to 60 yards out... I don’t think he can get the distance... he got a goal... with the last kick of the game, he’s got a goal and they’ve won it. Port Adelaide have won this game... what a fantastic finish to this game.”
The ball from that game is displayed in the bottom right of this cabinet, and of course the side went on to win the 1965 Premiership.
The contribution of Bob McLean and Fos Williams to football beyond just here at Alberton has been recognised more broadly with their respective induction into the Port Adelaide, South Australian and Australian Football Halls of Fame.
The six-in-a-row and 1962, 63 and 65 premiership sides were among the first teams to be elevated into the Port Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame.
We will talk more about Fos Williams and the contribution of his family when we go outside later, but for now, head around towards the Port Store and turn right into our locker room stop.
Before you go inside, notice the letter on the wall from Big Bob to Fos Williams from January 1950 offering him the role as playing coach for that season for the princely sum of 130 pounds, with a 20-pound bonus on offer should he guide the club to the premiership.