In to the old nursery robe, third drawer down and what do I see inside a ziplock bag but a small pile of assorted sports cards from the 90s, including these lysergic sport designs.
I hadn’t realised that Select had drafted in Timothy Leary as design consultant for this, the AFL Acid-Test card series. Was the new stadium behind Spencer Street going to be called Itchycoo Park? Was Prince almost booked for the 1998 Grand Final entertainment? Did these cards come with purple pills instead of powdery pink chewy? Why Mark Merenda? The Electric Gatorade is on the left.
But wait, there’s more, just under the unopened pack of Minute Maid World Cup ’94 soccer cards (Gu Sang Bum anyone?).
Can you spot the odd one out from these twenty? Yep, that’s right. Only Nick Holland played for the Adelaide Uni Blacks. The other nineteen just wished they had.
I think that these might have just been my spares. I’m not game to drag out my full collection, which has been untouched since the kids came along. Then again, I just cleaned out the shed for the first time in a decade, so I may as well revisit them. I might find that rare autographed Tony Shaw card (he could write, who knew?).
Is it just me, or do we all have secret sporting stashes? What’s in yours?
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
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Swiish I’ve got every Carlton premiership footy record since 1968. I fear I won’t have another one in my lifetime
Are these cards actually real Swish or are we being pranked? Truly, truly AwFuL!
Not sure how to respond to that Tony, if you get my drift.
JD – No prank, i wish I was that clever. You can have the full set for $40
http://www.cardzone.com.au/index.php?route=product/category&path=87_1242_1505
Wonderful! I was an on and off card collector throughout my youth. Starts with scanlens rugby league cards and sticker albums from the early ’80s, through to the cricket sticker albums of the mid-’80s, NBA in the late ’80s, early ’90s, then AFL, X-Files (yes, I know), tennis in the mid-’90s. Have a shoe box and a couple of albums full of collector cards. There’s still a magic there
I’m pretty sure Ricardo Rocha may have slotted in to key defender spot for Uni Blacks.
Hmm, sporting memorabilia? I have all the SANFL Footy Budgets for winning West Torrens finals from my birth in 1955 until 1990 (they merged with the Peckers in ’91). My framed $10 ticket on Black Caviar (uncollected) so I could go out a winner.
Not very inspiring. I will just have to dig around in the boxes for my 1960’s autograph book if it has not turned to termite poo. May contain some interesting scratchings for Croweaters over 50.
Red-rattler spotting.
I have a ticket to the first ever Eagles VFL game against Richmond at Subi Oval in 1987. The one where Peter Wilson made his debut for Richmond and the Eagles came back from some 4-5 goals down to win. Would be worth something I would gather.
I also have a Footy record from mid 1995 with a black and white hands shaking saying ‘racism stops here’ on the cover. Yeah the AFL may have dropped the ball with that one…
Numerous cards including a Tony Modra rookie card.
And when I mean ticket I mean ticket stub. I know that the game was some 29 years ago now and may have missed it.
They are truly awful cards Swish.
I have a reasonably complete collection of footy and cricket cards from the mid 80’s to the mid 90’s. Neatly stored in folders. Still get them out occasionally to show my boys.
Bring your swaps to the next Almanac lunch!!!
I am looking for suggestions on how I should best display my old footy cigarette cards.
It is a crime for them to be hidden away in a shoebox in a cupboard.
Thanks all.
I was fairly half-hearted when it came to cards etc. For a few years in the 90s I’d start the season with good intentions, but I’d peter out in about late May after finding my fifteenth Tony Delaney card and no-one to swap them with.
One day I’m gonna fill that 1965 SA Mobil album (2/3 full, garage sale $2), but at $15 per card, probably not.
I have been slowly buying back Footy Budgets and ABC Cricket books; hope Mrs Swish doesn’t notice.
Not a fan of these cards, Swish. They ooze nascent professionalism and are devoid of character, apart from Ricardo.
No, much prefer the 70s snapshots taken on a dimly lit training night, players wearing mismatching socks and shorts while looking decidedly hung over. A bit like this one of Mick Nolan: http://www.footycards.com.au/1976-vfl-afl-scanlens-37-mick-nolan.html
Smokie – wallpaper your shed, old mate.
Phil – twin gasometers!!!
Try this for size – at least Mick was wearing footy shorts. Gawd knows what Mal Brown is wearing here.
https://dgesfootytalk.wordpress.com/2009/05/page/3/
Come on Swish – he is wearing Brown cords – everybody had them. You had them. Photographer is probably wearing them too. The mistake the photographer made was going to training and expecting Mal to actually be training. If he wanted a picture in shorts he should have gone on match day.
Come on yourself Neil – mine were pin wale, Mal’s were whale wale
I’d never seen those acid-house trippy units Swish, I think you may have fallen through a wormhole. Was Jesus Jones playing on the radio while you were inside the wardrobe? Yup – time vortex. Put it out for the hard rubbish, best thing.
Hey Mr Boat, maybe you could use them for some inspiration – must be time for Footy Enigmas of the 90s
I’ve just located my (complete) 1971 Mobil SA footy photo album but can’t seem to post photos on here.
Swish, which 4 Centrals players do you reckon would be in this album?
Farnham, Nicks, Casserly, Morey
Correct – thought Phil Houghton was stiff not to get a guernsey.
Cracker Haughan didn’t start at the Dogs until ’71, so probably, unlike his name, wasn’t that stiff.
The Bob Neil footy card?
Not Bob, Mickey, but pretty close
Are these worth anything ive got a bunch at home.