NON-PREMIERSHIP MATCHES

NFL - 1976 WILLS CUP

RESULTS
ABOUT
TEAMS
FORMAT
EVENTS
FOOTAGE
MATCH REPORTS
RESULTS

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

Date

Teams

1/4

1/2

3/4

Final

Margin

Venue

Day / Time

Crowd

PRELIMINARY ROUND 1

May-17

Glenelg

3.2 (20)

7.5 (47)

11.7 (73)

11.10 (76)

14

Football Park,

Mon

13,693

Richmond

4.0 (24)

5.3 (33)

8.4 (52)

9.8 (62)

Adelaide

(D)

Jun-01

Port Adelaide

3.3 (21)

5.6 (36)

13.9 (87)

14.13 (97)

34

Norwood Oval,

Tue

5,818

Footscray

1.1 (7)

4.5 (29)

7.6 (48)

9.9 (63)

Adelaide

(7:00pm)

Jun-07

West Perth

0.1 (1)

1.2 (8)

6.3 (39)

7.4 (46)

61

Subiaco Oval,

Mon

9,860

Hawthorn

4.3 (27)

9.6 (60)

10.9 (69)

15.17 (107)

Perth

(D)

Jun-08

Carlton

8.4 (52)

11.6 (72)

16.11 (107)

22.16 (148)

125

Norwood Oval,

Tue

1,500

South Fremantle

1.0 (6)

1.3 (9)

1.4 (10)

3.5 (23)

Adelaide

(7:00pm)

PRELIMINARY ROUND 2

Jun-12

Swan Districts

2.3 (15)

4.5 (29)

8.6 (54)

10.8 (68)

17

Subiaco Oval,

Sat

10,876

Glenelg

1.3 (9)

5.7 (37)

9.9 (63)

11.19 (85)

Perth

(D)

Jun-14

Sturt

6.0 (36)

11.3 (69)

11.7 (73)

14.9 (93)

30

Football Park,

Mon

12,777

West Perth

2.3 (15)

3.4 (22)

5.9 (39)

9.9 (63)

Adelaide

(D)

Jun-15

Port Adelaide

1.0 (6)

3.3 (21)

3.4 (22)

5.7 (37)

50

Norwood Oval,

Tue

9,000

North Melbourne

7.3 (45)

8.8 (56)

10.10 (70)

12.15 (87)

Adelaide

(7:00pm)

Jun-22

Norwood

2.6 (18)

11.9 (75)

13.14 (92)

22.14 (146)

106

Norwood Oval,

Tue

7,500

Carlton

2.5 (17)

2.5 (17)

5.7 (37)

5.10 (40)

Adelaide

(7:00pm)

PRELIMINARY ROUND 3

Jun-29

Richmond

3.1 (19)

4.3 (27)

11.10 (76)

18.15 (123)

73

Norwood Oval,

Tue

400

Swan Districts

2.2 (14)

6.4 (40)

6.6 (42)

7.8 (50)

Adelaide

(7:00pm)

Jul-06

Sturt

5.0 (30)

6.2 (38)

7.2 (44)

8.5 (53)

42

Norwood Oval,

Tue

8,839

Hawthorn

2.5 (17)

5.9 (39)

10.16 (76)

13.17 (95)

Adelaide

(7:00pm)

Jul-13

North Melbourne

4.2 (26)

10.2 (62)

15.4 (94)

16.8 (104)

28

Norwood Oval,

Tue

2,081

Footscray

2.3 (15)

5.4 (34)

7.6 (48)

11.10 (76)

Adelaide

(7:00pm)

Jul-20

Norwood

1.4 (10)

4.8 (32)

8.11 (59)

11.19 (85)

15

Norwood Oval,

Tue

3,250

South Fremantle

2.2 (14)

2.4 (16)

7.9 (51)

10.10 (70)

Adelaide

(7:00pm)

 

PRELIMINARY ROUND LADDERS

GROUP A

League

Wins

Losses

For

Against

%

Points

Glenelg

SANFL

2

0

161

130

123.8

8

Richmond

VFL

1

1

185

126

146.8

4

Swan Districts

WANFL

0

2

118

208

56.7

0

GROUP B

League

Wins

Losses

For

Against

%

Points

North Melbourne

VFL

2

0

191

113

169.0

8

Port Adelaide

SANFL

1

1

134

150

89.3

4

Footscray

VFL

0

2

169

201

84.1

0

GROUP C

League

Wins

Losses

For

Against

%

Points

Hawthorn

VFL

2

0

202

99

204.0

8

Sturt

SANFL

1

1

146

158

92.4

4

West Perth

WANFL

0

2

109

200

54.5

0

GROUP D

League

Wins

Losses

For

Against

%

Points

Norwood

SANFL

2

0

231

110

210.0

8

Carlton

VFL

1

1

188

169

111.2

4

South Fremantle

WANFL

0

2

93

294

31.6

0

 

Date

Teams

1/4

1/2

3/4

Final

Margin

Venue

Day / Time

Crowd

SEMI FINALS

Jul-27

Glenelg

2.1 (13)

3.1 (19)

7.4 (46)

8.8 (56)

26

Norwood Oval,

Tue

8,086

Hawthorn

2.2 (14)

7.7 (49)

9.11 (65)

11.16 (82)

Adelaide

(7:00pm)

Aug-03

North Melbourne

5.1 (31)

6.2 (38)

8.4 (52)

8.5 (53)

18

Norwood Oval,

Tue

5,000

Norwood

1.0 (6)

4.2 (26)

5.4 (34)

5.5 (35)

Adelaide

(7:00pm)

GRAND FINAL

Aug-17

Hawthorn

3.6 (24)

5.6 (36)

7.12 (54)

12.17 (89)

48

Norwood Oval,

Tue

7,374

North Melbourne

1.1 (7)

1.5 (11)

4.9 (33)

5.11 (41)

Adelaide

(7:00pm)

 

ABOUT

ABOUT THE 1976 SERIES

By 1975 the NFL (formerly the ANFC) had embraced its role as Australian Football's governing body, introducing a number of programs designed to provide a consistent standard of coaching across the country and ensure the game was marketed in a unified way throughout the developing states.

The creation of a national competition overseen by the NFL was seen as a key step in their plan to further promote the game. Since 1972 the NFL had successfully run the end-of-season Champions of Australia tournament - contested by the premiership winning teams of the VFL, SANFL, WANFL, and Tasmania - so their expansion plans were not without merit.

After lengthy negotiations between the NFL and Australia's three major state leagues, the launch of a national night competition for the 1976 season was formally announced. The series would feature the top teams from each league, and matches would be played midweek during the season, primarily under lights at Norwood Oval in Adelaide, and broadcast nationally by the Channel Nine network.

Tobacco company W.D. & H.O. Wills sponsored the competition, officially known as the NFL-Wills Cup, and provided prizemoney of $91,000, the most offered in Australian Football to that point in the game's history. The winning team received $21,000.
The 1976 series was planned as a forerunner to a full-scale national competition in 1977 that would feature all the VFL, SANFL and WANFL teams plus representative teams from Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT. [Canberra Times, 15-4-1976]

Ultimately, the 1976 competition would be the only one to feature the VFL clubs - the Victorian League chose to break away in 1977 and run a rival competition (the Amco-Herald Cup); their place in the NFL series was taken by the VFA. The NFL competition was severely weakened by the VFL's departure and by 1979 the WANFL clubs and all of the state representative teams had switched to the Victorian competition and the NFL series was doomed.

TEAMS

PARTICIPATING TEAMS

The 1976 Wills Cup featured the top teams from Australia's three major leagues, ranked by their placings in the 1975 premiership season:
VFL
1st - Hawthorn
2nd - North Melbourne
3rd - Richmond
4th - Carlton
7th* - Footscray
SANFL
1st - Norwood
2nd - Glenelg
3rd - Port Adelaide
4th - Sturt
WANFL
1st - West Perth
2nd - South Fremantle
3rd - Swan Districts

*NOTE - the NFL's original plan was for the VFL's top five clubs of 1975 to participate in the series.

However, Collingwood (5th) declined the NFL's invitation.
Their spot was offered to St Kilda (6th) who also chose not to participate.
This allowed Footscray (7th) to make their debut on the national stage.

FORMAT

SERIES FORMAT

The 12 teams were divided into four groups of three with each group playing a round robin during the preliminary stages:

A - Glenelg (SANFL), Richmond (VFL), Swan Districts (WAFL)
B - Footscray (VFL), North Melbourne (VFL), Port Adelaide (SANFL)
C - Hawthorn (VFL), Sturt (SANFL), West Perth (WAFL)
D - Carlton (VFL), Norwood (SANFL), South Fremantle (WAFL)
The four group winners then contested the semi finals:

First semi final - winner of Group A (Glenelg) vs winner of Group C (Hawthorn)
Second semi final - winner of Group B (North Melbourne) vs winner of Group D (Norwood)

The two winning semi finallists advanced to the Grand Final.
EVENTS

NOTABLE EVENTS

ROUND 1 - GLENELG vs RICHMOND
Due to the Tigers of the SANFL and the Tigers of the VFL both wearing black jumpers with a gold sash, a clash jumper was required.

​When these teams had met previously in the 1973 Champions of Australia tournament, a coin-toss was held with Glenelg losing the toss and wearing an all-gold jumper.

However, in 1976 it was Richmond forced to change uniforms, wearing a gold and red jumper supplied by the NFL. This was paired with red socks and white shorts (see below).
​
​
Picture
Richmond's clash jumper worn against Glenelg in their Round 1 match (footyjumpers.com)
ROUND 1 - CARLTON vs SOUTH FREMANTLE
Carlton rested nine of its regular senior players including Jesaulenko, Southby, Jackson, Jones and Walls, but still annihilated their WAFL opponents by 125 points. Sixteen-year old Jim Buckley kicked 6 goals on debut for the Blues.


ROUND 2 - NORWOOD vs CARLTON
After experiencing such success in the first round with what was little more than a reserves team, Carlton arrived in Adelaide without 11 members of their senior team... and minus their coach!

This time the Blues paid a heavy price for underestimating their opponents, finishing on the wrong end of a 106 point thrashing.
This was an unprecedented margin of victory for any SANFL club against VFL opposition. Carlton's senior coach Ian Thorogood had chosen to stay in Melbourne due to "business pressures" and the side was coached by his assistant, Hugh Mitchell who had only been appointed six weeks earlier.

Mitchell was later heavily criticised for failing to make changes during Norwood’s 9 goals to nil second-quarter blitz. The senior players rested were Jesaulenko (captain), Keogh, Pascoe, McKay, Doull, Halloran, Buckley, Southby, Walls, Pinnell, and Ashman.


GRAND FINAL - HAWTHORN vs NORTH MELBOURNE
In what must surely have been a first for a top-level, in-season match of Australian football, both teams were led by assistant coaches rather than the senior coach. Hawthorn's assistant David Parkin had actually been in charge throughout the series in what amounted to an apprenticeship for a senior role (he officially took over the head coaching role from John Kennedy at the end of the season).

North Melbourne were led by assistant Ray 'Slug' Jordon due to head coach Ron Barassi's involvement in a serious car accident on the morning of the match. Barassi was recovering back in Victoria at the Geelong Hospital when his team took the field in Adelaide.


PLAYER OF THE MATCH
At the end of each match the player voted best on ground by football media covering the game received a Phillips colour television:

PLAYER OF THE MATCH WINNER

MATCH

PLAYER

CLUB

OPPONENT

1

David Thorpe

Richmond

Glenelg

2

Russell Ebert

Port Adelaide

Footscray

3

Peter Knights

Hawthorn

West Perth

4

Rodney Galt

Carlton

South Fremantle

5

Graham Cornes

Glenelg

Swan Districts

6

Mick Nunan

Sturt

West Perth

7

John Burns

North Melbourne

Port Adelaide

8

Greg Parke

Norwood

Carlton

9

Allan Edwards

Richmond

Swan Districts

10

Alan Martello

Hawthorn

Sturt

11

Wayne Schimmelbusch

North Melbourne

Footscray

12

Philip Gallagher

Norwood

South Fremantle

13

Graham Cornes

Glenelg

Hawthorn

14

Michael Taylor

Norwood

North Melbourne

15 (GF)

David O'Halloran

Hawthorn

North Melbourne

 

PLAYER OF THE SERIES
After each match the field umpire awarded votes to the players considered: best-on-ground (first preference) and second best-on-ground (second preference).

GRAHAM CORNES (Glenelg) was declared the B.S. Stillwell Ford Player of the Series after receiving 2 first preference votes and 1 second preference vote in the three matches he played. During half-time of the Grand Final he was presented with a Ford Cortina "valued at $5700". [NFL Program, 17-8-1976, p.11]
FOOTAGE

MATCH FOOTAGE

RD.1 - West Perth vs Hawthorn
RD.2 - Norwood vs Carlton
MATCH REPORTS

MATCH REPORTS

Listed below are match reports for all 15 games played during the series. This is the first time these reports have been collated and published online or in print.

Details of all matches played in Adelaide were sourced from The Advertiser newspaper.
Details of the two matches played in Perth were sourced from The West Australian newspaper.

ROUND 1
ROUND 2
ROUND 3
LADDER
SEMI FINALS
G.F. TEAMS
GRAND FINAL
ROUND 1

PRELIMINARY ROUND 1

Glenelg vs Richmond
Port Adelaide vs Footscray
West Perth vs Hawthorn
Carlton vs                South Fremantle
Glenelg vs Richmond

ROUND 1 – Monday, May 17 (afternoon)

 

GLENELG

3.2 (20)

7.5 (47)

11.7 (73)

11.10 (76)

 

 

RICHMOND

4.0 (24)

5.3 (33)

8.4 (52)

9.8 (62)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

GLENELG

Weston, Lihou, Cornes, Rebbeck, W. Phillis, McInerney

 

RICHMOND

Thorpe, Sheedy, Mattson, Lamb, Monteath, Carter

GOALS

 

GLENELG

Rebbeck 4, McInerney 2, Caldwell, D. Phillis, Hercock, Copping, MacFarlane

 

RICHMOND

Monteath 3, Heard 2, Balme, Thorpe, Edwards, Cumming

 

UMPIRE

Mead (SANFL)

 

 

CROWD

13,693 at Football Park, Adelaide

 

 

SOURCE

The Advertiser

 

 

Played on the Adelaide Cup public holiday.

Both teams wore black jumpers with a gold sash so a coin toss was held to decide who would wear clash jumpers supplied by the NFL.

Richmond lost the toss and wore a gold jumper with red stripes and white numbers. This was worn with red socks and white shorts (see the EVENTS tab at the top of this page for an image of the clash jumper).
Port Adelaide vs Footscray

ROUND 1 – Tuesday, June 1 at 7pm

 

PORT ADELAIDE

3.3 (21)

5.6 (36)

13.9 (87)

14.13 (97)

 

 

FOOTSCRAY

1.1 (7)

4.5 (29)

7.6 (48)

9.9 (63)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

PORT ADELAIDE

Ebert, Porplycia, G. Phillips, Cunningham, Gerlach, Fragomeni, Light

 

FOOTSCRAY

Lynch, Salmon, Dempsey, Kelly, Hampshire

GOALS

 

PORT ADELAIDE

Gerlach 5, Cunningham 2, Broderick 2, Porplycia, Light, Whatman, G. Phillips, Cahill

 

FOOTSCRAY

Henwood 3, Lynch 2, Whitten, Dempsey, Templeton, Welsh

 

UMPIRE

Foster (SANFL)

 

 

CROWD

5,818 at Norwood Oval, Adelaide

 

 

SOURCE

The Advertiser

 

 

West Perth vs Hawthorn

ROUND 1 – Monday, June 7 (afternoon)

 

WEST PERTH

0.1 (1)

1.2 (8)

6.3 (39)

7.4 (46)

 

 

HAWTHORN

4.3 (27)

9.6 (60)

10.9 (69)

15.17 (107)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

WEST PERTH

Prunster, Dempsey, McGuinness, Logan, Kent, Fong

 

HAWTHORN

Knights, Tuck, Martello, Hendrie, Scott, Rowlings

GOALS

 

WEST PERTH

Valli 2, Adamson, Dellacqua, Hillier, Northcott, Wilson

 

HAWTHORN

Moncrieff 3, Scott 3, Bennett 3, Meagher 2, Tuck 2, Rowlings, Martello

 

UMPIRE

Capes (WANFL)

 

 

CROWD

9,860 at Subiaco Oval, Perth

 

 

SOURCE

The West Australian

 

 

Played on the Foundation Day public holiday.

Carlton vs                South Fremantle

ROUND 1 – Tuesday, June 8 at 7pm

 

CARLTON

8.4 (52)

11.6 (72)

16.11 (107)

22.16 (148)

 

 

SOUTH FREMANTLE

1.0 (6)

1.3 (9)

1.4 (10)

3.5 (23)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

CARLTON

Galt, Austin, Pickett, Buckley, Maclure, Doull, Dickson, Catoggio, McKay

 

SOUTH FREMANTLE

Cooper, Rioli, Rose, Ciccotasto, Marley

GOALS

 

CARLTON

Buckley 6, Maclure 5, Dickson 4, McKay 3, Catoggio 2, Pickett, Halloran

 

SOUTH FREMANTLE

R. Bouskis, Brookes, Rioli

 

UMPIRE

Scholefield (SANFL)

 

 

CROWD

1,500 at Norwood Oval, Adelaide

 

 

SOURCE

The Advertiser

 

 

Carlton was without 9 of its regular senior players including Jesaulenko, Southby and Walls.
Sixteen-year old Jim Buckley kicked 6 goals on debut for Carlton.

Picture
Carlton's Vin Catoggio in action against South Fremantle (NFL Night Programme)
ROUND 2

PRELIMINARY ROUND 2

Swan Districts vs Glenelg
Sturt vs                  West Perth
Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne
Norwood vs           Carlton
Swan Districts vs Glenelg

ROUND 2 – Saturday, June 12 (afternoon)

 

SWAN DISTRICTS

2.3 (15)

5.5 (29)

8.6 (54)

10.8 (68)

 

 

GLENELG

1.3 (9)

5.7 (37)

9.9 (63)

11.19 (85)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

SWAN DISTRICTS

Nowotny, Skulley, Olsen, Sidebottom, Brown, Bell

 

GLENELG

Cornes, Hodgeman, Weston, Carey, Rawson, McInerney

GOALS

 

SWAN DISTRICTS

Olsen 4, Skulley 3, Walker 2, Close

 

GLENELG

Hodgeman 2, McInerney 2, W. Phillis 2, Rady, Rebbeck, Marker, Caldwell, F. Phillis

 

UMPIRE

Buckley (WANFL)

 

 

CROWD

10,876 at Subiaco Oval, Perth

 

 

SOURCE

The West Australian

 

 

Sturt vs                  West Perth

ROUND 2 – Monday, June 14 (afternoon)

 

STURT

6.0 (36)

11.3 (69)

11.7 (73)

14.9 (93)

 

 

WEST PERTH

2.3 (15)

3.4 (22)

5.9 (39)

9.9 (63)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

STURT

Nunan, Greenslade, Lloyd, Davies, Klomp, Graham, Whelan

 

WEST PERTH

Whinnen, Logan, Watling, Adamson, Fong

GOALS

 

STURT

Whelan 5, Graham 2, Greenslade, Burgan, Bagshaw, Schultz, Nunan, Davies, Cece

 

WEST PERTH

Smeath 3, Watling 2, Sheridan, Fong, Hillier, Heal

 

UMPIRE

Foster (SANFL)

 

 

CROWD

12,777 at Football Park, Adelaide

 

 

SOURCE

The Advertiser

 

 

Played on the Queen's Birthday public holiday.

Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne

ROUND 2 – Tuesday, June 15 at 7pm

 

PORT ADELAIDE

1.0 (6)

3.3 (21)

3.4 (22)

5.7 (37)

 

 

NORTH MELBOURNE

7.3 (45)

8.8 (56)

10.10 (70)

12.15 (87)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

PORT ADELAIDE

Cunningham, Light, Cahill, Nott

 

NORTH MELBOURNE

Burns, Dench, Schimmelbusch, Keenan, Dawson, Feltham, Moore, Ramsay

GOALS

 

PORT ADELAIDE

Cahill, Broderick, G. Phillips, Cunningham, Gerlach

 

NORTH MELBOURNE

Zantuck 3, Feltham 2, Smith 2, Dawson 2, Kekovich, Schimmelbusch, Cowton

 

UMPIRE

Mead (SANFL)

 

 

CROWD

9,000 at Norwood Oval, Adelaide

 

 

SOURCE

The Advertiser

 

 

Norwood vs           Carlton

ROUND 2 – Tuesday, June 22 at 7pm

 

NORWOOD

2.6 (18)

11.9 (75)

13.14 (92)

22.14 (146)

 

 

CARLTON

2.5 (17)

2.5 (17)

5.7 (37)

5.10 (40)

 

BEST PLAYERS

 

NORWOOD

Parke, Nicholson, Thiel, Button, Wynne, Gallagher, Seekamp, Rosser

 

CARLTON

Catoggio, Heath, Armstrong

GOALS

 

NORWOOD

Parke 5, Woodcock 4, Gallagher 3, Dunstan 2, Seekamp 2, Michalanney 2, Nicholson, Taylor, Rosser, Wynne

 

CARLTON

Ohlson, Deledio, Galt, Mangles, Dickson

 

UMPIRE

Mead (SANFL)

 

 

CROWD

7,500 at Norwood Oval, Adelaide

 

 

SOURCE

The Advertiser

 

 

Carlton arrived in Adelaide with a stand-in coach and minus 11 of their regular senior players and paid a heavy price for underestimating their opponents.

Senior coach Ian Thorogood chose to stay in Melbourne due to "business pressures" and the side was coached by his assistant, Hugh Mitchell who had only been appointed six weeks earlier.

Mitchell was later heavily criticised for failing to make changes during Norwood’s second-quarter blitz.

The senior players rested were: Jesaulenko (C), Keogh, Pascoe, McKay, Doull, Halloran, Buckley, Southby, Walls, Pinnell, and Ashman