AUFC Blacks 1982: Join The Club

I was looking for an important piece of personal documentation the other day, in a place that it had no right to be found. Of course, it was, but I had no idea that in the same place, I had kept this artefact.

 

The Adelaide University Football Club (double-underlined) Information For New Players (capitalised for effect) from 1982 helps explain the Club’s success and longevity.

 

In the current on-line vernacular, I could give you the TL;DR version, but that would ruin both the fun for any Blacks non-members and the knowing grins from those of us who have been fortunate enough to be involved with The World’s Greatest Football Club. I’ll leave it to you to give it a personal squiz.

 

What I will say is that there is some appalling spelling and grammar contained within this yellowing sheet of foolscap, probably paid for out of the Commerce Department stationery budget. Surely no-one involved in the production of this would have kicked on in the world of Higher Ed (would they 6% ?)

 

But there are ample pointers to why the thrill of belonging to The Blacks gets you in for a lifetime, even if you are a Spooner with a tautological liking for the snow.

 

Let us know of any memories that this prompts for you. And don’t forget to tick your name on the “availiability list”.

 

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About Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt

Saw my first SANFL game in 1967 - Dogs v Peckers. Have only ever seen the Dogs win 1 final in the flesh (1972 1st Semi) Mediocre forward pocket for the AUFC Blacks (1982-89) Life member - Ormond Netball Club -That's me on the right

Comments

  1. ‘HOLIDAY DIFFICULTIES’

  2. Typos weren’t so easily erarsed pre-computer. Hadn’t heard of a club where you had to buy your own jumpers and sew on the numbers yourself. How did you get on moving between grades with number duplicates, or was everyone uniquely numbered 1-227?
    Loved the check what team you are in and where you are playing on the notice board in the NW corner of the Cloisters on a Friday. No internet of information. Things were both much simpler and more complicated.
    Great memories of rushing to the butcher shop window on Fridays to check if I made the team and review the ins and outs in the seniors. No positional ducks and drakes back then. You played in the position on the sheet.
    There were always pro-forma printed team sheets with the names pencilled in by the selectors in the pub after training on Thursday night. Who sponsored those sheets? Amscol? Or did local businesses get the printers to knock out a ream or two? Yorketown had a population of 1,000 in the early 70’s and a weekly local paper (maybe 2,000 in the larger catchment). I can remember the clatter and clank of the printing press on production day. Hand type set with lead type I guess. Rupert has a lot to answer for………..

  3. A brilliant historical club artefact, Swishter.

    My favourite line: “Thus you must buy a jumper which is your own, which saves you flogging it off us…”

    Does the AUFC have a museum? If so, this document should have pride of place

  4. Luke Reynolds says

    “The A7 side is an autonomous ‘contract’ side which defies definition”

    So many great lines. What an important document.

    Is this the first Blacks article I’ve ever read that doesn’t mention M.Ashwood?

  5. Love the spelling re Mike Weatherald ahh the old avallabity sheet,Chocka did you tick the sheet ?
    No What school did you go to ? Saints ahh it’s your right ( said v sarcastically ) many a Friday look at the teams in the cloisters and to bar ( my 1st year was 84 Luke )

  6. GOLD!

    The Club was a little more sophisticated in its communications by the time I played my First Season – 1993 – but the Spirit was, and still is, exactly the same!

    “Arson Garson”
    P.

  7. I’m sure the Schwartz family would be pleased to know that back in the day our A3 coach, Mark, scharted……

  8. Thanks Swish. That’s a brilliant set of instructions. “If you can’t not tick or cross the list get someone else to…” Can’t see much going wrong there!

    Our boys’ cricket club is using an app for communications this season and while I love an app as much as anyone, I’ve deleted it as it is a bit of a mess although I’m sure it will improve. Now relying on the coach and his weekly email. Much more effective.

    As a Kapunda boy footy and cricket team sheets were (and are) posted in the front window of Rawady’s main street deli. I imagine this was true of most country towns.

    Despite the spelling and grammatical issues this is probably the only sporting club instruction sheet I’ve seen that includes the Latin abbreviation “et al”.

  9. The exception to Rule 10 about being fined for wearing the wrong coloured shorts was of course the Club Legend’s grey pair.

  10. Nothing like the pressure of checking the team sheets at 11am on the way to the ground, and hoping that it wasn’t too far away.

  11. Mark Duffett says

    to high or to low, that is the question.

    In a crowded field of regrettable aspects to my undergraduate career at Adelaide Uni, not getting involved with the Blacks is right up there.

  12. Memo to Graham Stanway – Even if you are getting married on Saturday, mark the availability list.

  13. I read through this and do not remember any details of the text. It is definitely Chocka’s style. ALL CAPS FOR SKIING is a Chocka-Block give-away.
    However, seeing the hand-written “any” at the bottom of page 1 looks very familiar.
    The 12th commandment at the bottom of the document is definitely my handwork.

    As for the AUFC museum, I think it is at the bottom of your draw Swish. I have a stack of substandards in my basement. The yellow paper that the Sports association used was definitely not “low acid”, so they are falling apart. I am not sure these are suitable for scanning and posting on the Almanac. Is there a statute of limitations?

    Final question: What was the piece of paper to the right of the list of coaches covering up Swish?

  14. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says

    Thanks everyone for your responses. How did we do it? I’d love to hear some stories about selection night.

    PB, there would be the occasional number clash, but nothing that Elastoplast couldn’t fix.There weren’t too many double ups if I recall, but if they were, the differences in grades usually sorted that out.

    Feral Cat, I was never certain of my selectid team (I played A6R, A6 and A9 in my first few weeks) so a trip into the cloisters was a Friday lunchtime routine for me, even though I worked out of the city for most of my time at The Blacks.

    6% I also found a couple of Substandards. They would be career killers these days. I hastily covered up the coaches’ home phone numbers in case someone decided to ring them up a chew them out over some deep seated selection issues.

  15. Graham Stanway will always be my favorite JT goose winner,I was in Chockas office when the phone rang
    Graham hi Chocka I can’t play Saturday Chocka replies whys that Graham I have to work
    Chocka oh it’s Uni holidays you can take your choice to play either a early game and leave at 3 q time or late game and get there at q time Graham goes I can’t I’ve got a wedding,Chocka says stuff that just go to the reception,Graham I can’t,Chocka look Graham we desperately need you,Graham no I have to go to the wedding,Chocka WHY,Graham replies it’s my own I reckon we were both rolling around on the ground laughing for at least,20 min and yes he had ticked the availability sheet

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