KG Cunningham: South Australian Sporting Legend

 

 

 

Kenneth George Cunningham – born 26 July 1939

 

 

Cricket

 

Career Statistics

 

District: 5,925 runs at 32.95 (3 tons). 438 wickets at 15.8

 

South Australia: 1960/61 to 1974/75

 

 

Competition                 First Class         One day games

 

Matches                       97                    8

 

Runs scored                  5,497                180

 

Average                        37.14                25.71

 

100s/50s                      9/29                 0/2

 

High score                    203                  87

 

Balls bowled                 4,242                261

 

Wickets                        50                    10

 

Average                        30.00                18.30

 

Best bowling                 3/16                 3/20

 

Catches                        66                    0

 

Football

Umpired 130 SANFL games from 1961-67 including 4 Grand Finals and 3 state games

 

Media

 

Awarded Member of the Order of Australia for service to sport, 1990

 

12 time winner of SANFL Media Awards

 

Inducted into Australian Football Media Awards Hall of Fame, 2008

 

SA Press Club Lifetime Achievement Award, 2021

 

 

Ken Cunningham is a South Australian sporting icon: former State cricketer (far, far better than he gives himself credit for), esteemed league footy umpire, debuted on TV in 1968 and was the pioneer for sports radio commencing in 1977 and still going! Controversial, passionate, extremely biased towards SA, polarizing but overall bloody important. Arguably the most important and influential in SA sporting history.

 

Hey, I was KG’s fourth ever caller on his first night on 5DN at the age of 14 (KG is still going 45 years later, quite incredible). He reckons I may have even got the famous ‘How’s it going champ?’. Hopefully I reveal a bit about the real Kenneth George Cunningham, not what people think he is without knowing him.

 

Anyway, back to the beginning.

 

Ken was born on 26 July 1939 and is the son of the late Kenneth and Thelma and has a sister, Deanna. He was extremely close to his parents and constantly is thankful for and thinks of their influence. Ken attended Sturt St and Ascot Park Primary Schools and then Goodwood Technical School.

 

He had a bad stutter of which he was extremely self-conscious. Ken would be asked to run an errand to the corner shop and would then watch and wait until there were no other customers before entering. At times, he was unable to get the words out re. the shopping and would rush home crying. While at Goody Tech he was teased and bullied mercilessly about his stutter (back then the attitude was ‘toughen up princess’, thank goodness that’s an area we have improved upon to some extent).

 

KG, while academically going ok, especially his reading and writing, was struggling emotionally, big time. His parents had him assessed by a doctor who strongly suggested Ken leave school. Kenneth and Thelma and the doctor had to apply to the education department for Ken to be granted a medical exemption which arrived a fortnight later. So, Ken left school soon after turning 13 (hey, just reflect on what Ken has been able to achieve in life – it’s a staggering achievement!) and for quite a while just stayed home with his mum.

 

Cricket

At the age of 14, Ken started work as an apprentice tailor at Frederick Walsh & Sons – performing that job for a couple of years. Cricket was vital in rescuing KG – he debuted for Adelaide that year, playing against Glenelg. The late, great Graeme Hole launched KG’s wrist spin into the tennis courts next to Glenelg Oval on several occasions (I sub fielded a couple of times for Kensington C-grade which happened to be captained by Graeme – he was a lovely man, a truly special person).

 

Cricket forced Ken to mix and learn how to communicate better by talking slower. Yes, while the stutter has always remained it is nowhere near the extent as when he was younger. His dad was vital with his huge support during this time, starting work early in the morning at Balfours then knocking off and picking Ken up to take him to Adelaide training back then at Adelaide No. 2 (the back of Adelaide Oval).

 

Shield cricket

It took a while before KG made his Shield debut in 1960/61. He puts himself down constantly re. his cricket – he was way better than he gives himself credit for – a very important part of 3 winning Shield sides in 1963/64, 1968/69 and 1970/71. KG in making 5,497 runs at an average of 37 with 9 tons and 29 fifties shows that he was a ferocious competitor. Yes, he went too far at times and I can just remember him at Shield level.

 

KG playing an expansive shot (photo courtesy of KG Cunningham)

 

SA had a player named Gary Sobers in 1963/64 – just a casual 973 runs at an average of 74 and 47 wickets at 27! Rex Sellers with 46 wickets at 26 with Les Favell and Ian Chappell also vital contributors with the bat. KG played 5 games, making 218 runs averaging 36. KG makes the point Gary would open the bowling and was sharp, then Les would effectively say ‘change of bowler’ and Sobers would then bowl left arm orthodox and then later on left arm wrist spin. He was also a dynamic fielder. KG is quite rightly in awe of Gary Sobers, easily the best cricketer he had the privilege of playing with.

 

A huge highlight of KG’s career was being chosen to tour New Zealand with an Australian second XI in 1966/67, earning him a ‘baggy green’. The players were informed upon returning from a Shield game in WA. The team had a heavy SA contingent with Les Favell (c), Barry Jarman, Eric Freeman, Allan Frost and KG representing Australia. KG ended up opening the batting and performed solidly without dominating. Australia defeated Auckland and Otago, lost to Canterbury, defeated New Zealand in the first ‘Test’ match and drew the other games on tour – these weren’t official test matches.

 

In 1968/69, KG was again consistent with 358 runs at an average of 35.80 with a top score of 72 and chipping in with 8 wickets at 24. In 1970/71 Barry Richards absolutely dominated: 8 matches, 12 innings, 1101 runs at an average of 100.09 with a top score of 356 against WA against an attack of Dennis Lillee, Garth McKenzie, Ian Brayshaw, Tony Mann, and Tony Lock, mind you. KG is very firm that Barry Richards is the best batsman he played with which is significant in that he played with Ian and Greg Chappell and Sobers.

 

The District competitor

It’s more at district level I have vivid memories of Ken. How SA cricket would kill for senior players such as KG, Bob Blewett, Clacker Clarke, Bunger Hurn, John Causby etc. to set the example and teach youngsters. District cricket was more ruthless then and it showed re. higher standard and in our Shield team’s performance. Hell, we didn’t need the Hussey report to tell us we have too many teams and play too long hours – get back to quality not quantity!

 

At district level KG was a FEROCIOUS competitor. For Kensington and Payneham readers I see a comparison between KG and Alwyn Baker. Both could have got more out of their cricket careers with more self-belief. Ian Chappell has also made the point, if only Ken had believed in himself more, he would have been a chance re. higher honours. KG admits readily he regrets some of his behaviour and how much he sledged allowing his anger over his father’s illness to overcome him and boil over.

 

I scored for Kensington as a kid so I was at Adelaide Oval in 1978/79 to see Sturt defeat Kensington with KG as captain/coach – it was a fitting way to end his career! It was Sturt’s first premiership since 1965/66. KG also coached Adelaide to a flag in 1974/75 after a 16 year hiatus. He makes the point he would never have left Adelaide if they hadn’t decided to relocate and not have Adelaide No. 2 as their home ground. He was very, very firm in his belief the club should be based in the city (I admit I’m struggling to write KGs cricket career in chronological order so I will go to the old trusty dot points in no particular order):

 

1. KG feels he was privileged to be coached as a youngster by the great Clarrie Grimmett.

 

Ken originally bowled leg spin and actually debuted at district level as a leggie (hence Graeme Hole belting him into the tennis courts). He did manage to take the only hat trick of his career against Kensington in the same season. A finger injury playing footy put paid to the idea of bowling leg spin, concentrating on his batting and bowling some medium pacers – Clarrie was a tad disappointed with that decision.

 

2. KG cannot give enough thanks to the support of the legend Les Favell – Les backed him to the hilt. Ken feels without the unwavering backing of Les he may not have been picked on a couple of occasions. Who knows where his career and life in general may have ended up? KG acknowledges obviously Les and Ian Chappell as brilliant captains but, if forced, nominates Les as the best Captain he played under.

 

3. It hasn’t been smooth sailing a lot of times in KG’s life and at one stage he had lost a considerable amount of money from a hotel investment. It then required contacts to get a guarantor for a home so when Ken and his wife, Sandra, arrived at the property in Panorama to move in understandably the mood was rather subdued. Sturt Cricket Club, led by Brian Williams the scorer/manager, had heard about the Cunninghams’ plight and arranged fruit, veg, meat and groceries on the veranda in eskies. Ken immediately thought ‘hey, how lucky am I!’ It symbolised sport perfectly.

 

4. Ken was struggling to find employment which would accommodate his cricket career and was seriously considering retiring (hey, Shield players were generously paid the huge sum of $32 a game less tax and dry cleaning! In reality, how anyone managed to play first class cricket is staggering.) Ken went to the Secretary, Hugh Millard, to inform he may have to retire. He was working at Esso Standard Oil and was struggling to get time off to work. Hugh said he would have a word to Sir Donald Bradman (KG was blown away by that). KG was then told to ring Ron Wagstaff, general manager of the South Australian Gas Company. He was interviewed and gained employment as a stapler of gas books.

 

SA had been defeated by Victoria early on a Monday. Still without paid leave to play cricket, while the other players went and played golf, KG decided to go back to work. It was a master stroke decision as suddenly Ron Wagstaff appeared in the basement where KG was working. Not long after, he received a memo. As is KG’s personality he expected the worst, but it was a note from Ron explaining from now on he would be paid when playing for SA – it was news the Cunninghams needed.

 

5. Barry Jarman was a huge help to KG donating cricket creams and gear when he made his SA debut – Barry picked it from KG’s quiet mood and demeanour at training. KG asked Jars ‘what do I owe you?’ Barry just replied ‘fix me up when you can’. It was customary generosity from Barry from which many players benefited over the years.

 

6. KG has always maintained his dad was the biggest influence on his career. He truly had a special relationship with both his parents. As is KG, he made the huge decision to bury his baggy green with his father. As always, a decision truly made from the heart.

 

 

KG with famed mentor Les Favell (photo courtesy of KG Cunningham)

 

Overall, Ken Cunningham was an outstanding cricketer – left-handed batsman with an unusual grip (hands a long way apart) with a highest score of 203 against the Big V. He once made tons in both innings against WA and was a cagey right arm medium pacer. He would be well suited to the current era of 8 million T20 games. He played in 3 Sheffield Shield winning teams (as South Aussie fans, hell, we know they don’t grow on bloody trees! We’ve only won 13 in our entire history!) Ken as a coach had a huge influence on both the Adelaide and Sturt clubs and is a very important part of the cricket history of SA.

 

Football

Ken was a talented junior footballer with West Adelaide but a knee injury and worries how it would affect his first love of cricket made him reluctantly end up taking up umpiring this was by the persuasion and persistence of his dad. Ken was a boundary umpire originally quickly moving through the ranks at the SANFL and was appointed to umpire the 1959 Grand Final.

 

In 1961, Peter Shugg was field umpire in a reserves game in which KG was boundary umpiring. Peter did a calf and so at half time a boundary umpire had to replace him. KG put up his hand and volunteered (ironically, really, going against KG’s personality) and it so happened that George McDonough, chairman of the umpiring board, was present at the game and was impressed with KG’s performance. Word filtered through and having a crack at field umpiring properly was suggested. Again, KG had to be persuaded, his father yet again playing a major role and his field umpiring career was born.

 

Meanwhile, in his personal life, KG was contacted by Maurie Smith to take Sandra Wright who had a role with the SANFL at that stage to an umpires’ picnic. KG straight away said ‘I’m not going on any bloody blind date’. Maurie kept at KG and he agreed under sufferance to take Sandra; he admits he was completely smitten at first sight. Now it didn’t progress immediately as it turned out Sandra had a boyfriend who was in Italy. Sandra contacted KG further down the track and away it went. Sandra was the love of Ken’s life (I urge everyone to listen to Graham Cornes conversations link about Sandra – he is brutally honest about himself and Sandra, immense respect KG!)

 

KG was incredibly successful as a field umpire. Not having seen him umpire in some regards it’s hard to comment but in any conversations about the best ever umpire in SA footy, 3 names are always brought up: Ken Aplin, Murray Ducker and Ken Cunningham. 130 league games from 1961-67 including 16 finals, and 4 consecutive Grand Finals from 1963-66. Ken also umpired 3 state games including Victoria v WA at the G in 1964 and he was SAs umpire in the Australian carnival which took place in Hobart in 1966

 

 

It can’t be denied that Ken’s umpiring career had more than its share of controversy. In one incident, KG was umpiring the preliminary final in 1964 between Sturt and South. He had a few run-ins with Neil Kerley during the day and in the third quarter a ball is booted forward from a ball-up. KG, bum down, starts sprinting and all of a sudden, bang! KG is flattened and is carried off. Mark Posa replaces Ken and the Panthers come from behind to win.

 

That week, KG is given an ultimatum – he has to pass a fitness test to be appointed for the Grand Final. He does so, helped by a few painkilling injections in his ankle. On Grand Final day he lines the players up to do the old boots inspection (geez, I can just remember that), wishes Kerls luck and Neil replies ‘don’t worry about luck, give us a decent go today or the same thing which happened last week will happen again’. The penny drops, bloody Kerley! The absolute irony is South Adelaide win and Kerls to this day is one of KGs closest mates!

 

 

 

Ken has 2 massive footy regrets:

 

1: Reporting his close mate, Eric Freeman, for abusive language. ‘Fritzy’ was KG’s cricket teammate and the gun Port Adelaide full forward. The Freeman and Cunningham families were close back then but as soon as you uttered ‘the word’ you were reported, that was final. Now days the report would be withdrawn (heaven forbid, an area in which the game has improved, and common sense is used – unfortunately few and far between). Fritzy was suspended for 2 games and this put a huge strain on their relationship. KG received threats at the time and the odd brick through a window. Obviously, this must have been huge news at the time, thankfully both swallowed their pride and bridges were mended.

 

2: The other huge one was KGs premature retirement. He had been well praised in the press for his umpiring of the semi final between Glenelg and Port in 1967 and he felt he had done a good job (as a fellow maggot, I totally agree with Ken you know when you have umpired well). However, he got to training and received only a ‘fair’ as his report from the observer, Peter Shugg (yes, the same man he replaced in the reserves game which kick-started his career). KG was ropeable – he blew his stack to umpires’ coach Brian Lees and didn’t train. Instead, he went home and wrote out his resignation.

 

 

He admits he was pig headed and regrets it massively, not only missing the thrill and adrenaline of umpiring league footy but for not considering anyone else. Especially his father who had been such an incredible supporter, going to every game Ken umpired including interstate and being Ken’s personal trainer, rubbing his legs with a concoction he had made up during the breaks. Kenneth, who was a huge lover of footy, never went to the footy again, something which Ken regrets dearly.

 

Overall though, Ken’s massive contribution to umpiring and footy in this state will never be forgotten. Watch Ken’s induction to the SA Football Hall of Fame Induction speech Here.

 

 

Media

WOW! KG started on television in 1968 on the Channel 9 show Football Inquest at 5.30 on a Saturday night with guests from each club. It was a huge part of the SA footy landscape with often some theatre thrown in – KG was the master in that regard:

 

Then in 1977 when KG was poised to make a comeback to Captain SA during World Series cricket days he was suddenly contacted by Marty Smith and arranged to have a meeting with Marty and Paul Linksom at 5DN. He was offered the role of the first ever drive time host of a sporting show. KG thought ‘why in the hell are you contacting me for? I stutter, I butcher the English language’ and he was going to knock the offer back until Sandra told him very forcibly ‘you have always put everyone else first, it’s about time you put you and your family first’ (Ken admits the language Sandra used was colourful and the fact that he’d never heard Sandra talk like that before played a part in the decision).

 

People said KG wouldn’t last 2 ratings surveys, no surprise Ken thought one – he’s still going at the age of 80 having signed a 3 year contract extension with 5AA. The way he’s going I will retire before him! Considering KG has now been on radio for 45 years I may have rung Ken more than anyone else in my life (just short of cracking 30 years of marriage, KG, so it may go down to the wire between you and Emma).

 

Ken was a huge success at 5DN which wasn’t an easy gig as they still broadcasted the races. It was hard to get any continuity in the show but the ratings grew substantially before 5DN decided to change direction (not exactly successfully in the end). Then of course KG became the institution on 5AA with Hookesy never afraid to throw a grenade and then KG and Cornesy quite often playing good cop/bad cop. I admit as a sports nut I didn’t really enjoy that but understood the theatre.

 

KG and Rick Davies (photo courtesy of KG Cunningham)

 

At the height of KG’s radio career, it would be nothing for anyone to be parked in the driveway for half an hour or more. None of us could miss a minute of KG and Hookesy or KG and Cornesy. Fiercely parochial to SA – one thing I’ve always laughed about is the accusation re. Crows bias, they have always had EXACTLY the same number of segments and guests from both AFL clubs. My gripe is more focus on the SANFL and other AFL clubs, please! KG’s latest focus is Adelaide United because of their SA, home grown, attitude.

 

Time for a couple of truth bombs:

 

KG is known to have similarities with Driving Miss Daisy. KG’s sponsored cars would have prangs and received parking tickets and speeding fines constantly. Yes, everyone you were correct – Scott Cunningham, blood is thicker than water.

 

A mate from Payneham, Wayne Margitich, works for Rheem. They were sponsoring 5AA at the time and Wayne was in AA and saw a sheet titled – ‘Prize Pigs not to be given prizes’ and I was listed at number 2. I was absolutely shattered to hear this news and wanted to know what in the hell I had done wrong! Why wasn’t I number one!?!

 

Rulebook, with KG, Tim Ginever and D’Arcy Evans (photo courtesy of Malcolm Ashwood)

 

Now folks out there you can probably blame me that there isn’t a regular quiz on the sports show anymore. Now, some areas seem to have a quicker phone reception re. getting through than other areas. We worked out the Adelaide University FC change rooms were the king in that regard, so we had 2 phones put in. I was generally on one line giving the answers to the physio Tim Horry (Tim was very good on golf and basketball, not my strengths, so we were a good team). Tim may have been well organized and kept a record when guys were eligible to win a prize or others who were in the room went on air. That was until Ken hurt his back and Tim was treating him at Adelaide Uni at one stage and found out about our schemes, now that was bloody sad!

 

One coach, Peter Simmons, banned us from the quiz as it was interfering with training and it was finals time. Hey, we were only obeying John Turnbull – Adelaide University is a social club loosely based on footy! 5AA, thanks for the dinners, golf clubs etc. I didn’t only restrict it to 5AA – being banned on 7 different radio stations at one stage is my all-time record (hey, Jerk, those Crownies went down a treat for a FGA grand final win after all the whole side won at some stage during the season). Ahh, the good old days sadly long gone.

 

KG for a consistent time topped the ratings (ratings not Ken’s favourite time, he always used to worry, and of comedian Jon Blake’s send ups – Behind Closed Doors probably the one closest to the mark and definitely more than a shade of the truth). He was a genuine radio super star, bizarrely sacked by AA when he was still top of the pops. He was then on Triple M for close to a decade but is now thankfully back at home on 5AA which is probably an admission of making an error.

 

It’s impossible to really describe to outsiders how big KG was (and still is) in SA. He is undoubtedly our biggest ever sporting media identity and has had a massive influence on sport in SA. I admit he’s not a close mate, but I do know he’s a ferocious family man, generous to a fault, spoils his kids and grandkids something rotten. He had a special relationship with Sandra (who died in 2015), not without its problems and dramas; don’t the overwhelming majority of relationships?

 

I do know KG well enough to recognise how shy he is and lacks confidence. I was interviewing him at a Payneham Norwood Union FC lunch. Sitting with him beforehand he was literally shaking in his boots but once on stage it was like a different person emerged – the consummate professional!

 

I felt it was important to include David Wildy’s thoughts.

 

David Wildy and KG (photo courtesy of Malcolm Ashwood)

 

David Wildy on KG

The first time I met KG was my first A-grade game for Prospect CC. I was 17 years old and we played Sturt at Unley Oval. The first ball I faced was bowled by KG who back then was belligerent and very vocal. He called me every name under the sun. When he batted, I managed to run him out for not many and he gave me another serve on his way back to the pavilion.

 

11 years later, KG rang me inviting me to join 5DN as part of the footy team. At the time he had the top rating sports show and was bigger than Ben Hur. I accepted and immediately retired from league footy with North Adelaide and that decision has shaped my life for the next 33 years – a decision I’ve never regretted.

 

For 22 years I was lucky enough to be KG’s co-commentator. He provided the colour and star-power and I was the straight sidekick. The combination worked because we were the number one in footy for many years and called over 900 games together. During that time, we forged an amazing friendship and have never had a cross word in all that time. KG was kind enough to speak at my 40th, 50th and 60th birthdays, something that I was grateful and honoured. p.s. I doubt he will speak at my 70th (mind you Wilds, KG’s 80th has been going for about 3 bloody years so I wouldn’t count him out yet!)

 

KG is one of the most loyal and generous men I’ve ever met. Throughout my media career he has backed me 100 per cent and taught me the art of THEATRE in radio land – he often made out he wasn’t that smart; I say he was as dumb as a fox. He maintained to be successful you had to have at least 51 per cent of people to like you and the rest to be either neutral or against.

 

KG is an enigma, so confrontational brash and forthright when on air yet so nervous, shy and somewhat uncomfortable in the outside world. To this day I don’t believe he realizes what an influence he has been for decades in SA sport but to me he clearly has been our greatest media performer. He pioneered talk-back radio and pre-internet days was a must listen 4 to 7. The decision to cut him from his beloved sports show back in 2010 was to me a gross direction of judgement. Rating number one with Cornesy the drive show was the best in the country. That decision really hurt KG and I’m not sure he ever got over it completely – 10 years later, 5AA asked him back! Work that out, at 82 going on 83 it’s testimony to his talent that he is indeed still working on radio

 

Thank you, KG!

 

It’s important to include this podcast recorded by Graham Cornes a few years ago. It’s just a superb conversation/interview and shows KG’s personality and life warts and all.

 

Leith Forrest on ‘Kage’

There’s so many great KGisms.

 

He’s a creature of habit.

 

Even now, as he prepares for his regular 9am Saturday Sport Show shift, he’s in at 6.15 am.

Imagine that, 3 hours early. Think any breakfast teams are in at 3am to start at 6? Reads the paper back to front.

 

Even when I started 21 years ago. Show started at 4pm. ‘Kage’ would be in at 10. Read the paper, talk to his sources, make some phone calls. The problem with that was 6 hours is a REALLY long time to be in to prep your show. You’re waiting around. Pre-internet and pay tv. But Kage hated the idea of leaving work – even just get lunch – so he’d come up with excuses:

 

“Gotta move the car” – to avoid a parking fine. (Kage had one of the only all-day car parks in the old building)

 

“Ohhh. Channel 7” to record one of the short tv spots he’d do. A spot that was once or twice a week. Not every day.

 

I remember once an “ohhhh, channel 7” where he left at around midday.

 

Literally 3 mins later Kerls rang and said “Leith, tell Kage I’ll be late for lunch”

 

Stanley’s or Mannys Fish Cafe was where many of the Channel 7s or car moving would occur.

 

If he’d had ONE glass of wine he’d always come back chewing mints. Not wanting people to know and think it was unprofessional. Remember, this was the era of Bob Francis who could polish off 1-3 bottles a night.

 

The best bit working with Kage for all of those years was the love for his family. Every single day, every single hour, he would call Sandra in the producer’s booth. “How’s Sal? Scott? How’s the grandkids? Give them a kiss for me.” Every. Single. Time.

 

The best.

 

 

To read more by Malcolm Ashwood click here.

 

 

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