1920 Premiership Flag

Anyone who has visited our fantastic Legends Room will no doubt be familiar with the photo below, but there is a much richer story associated with the day it was presented. 

As was common practice at the time, many honour rolls were erected to troops that had fought in The Great War.  North Adelaide also did this and it was noted in the 1920 Annual Report that….

“A most handsome Roll of Honor, made of cedar, containing the names of those players – 1913, 1914, and 1915 – who enlisted in the Great War, is to be unveiled at the Adelaide Oval on our opening day.”

The opening round of 1921 was on the holiday Monday of May 9th against Sturt at the Adelaide Oval (North’s home ground at the time).  As “The Register” on Tuesday the 10th of May reported…

“Immediately prior to the opening of the match, a war honour roll in connection with the North Adelaide Club was unveiled by the Patron (Ald. L.Cohen), who congratulated those who had enlisted, and expressed sympathy with the relatives of those who paid the supreme sacrifice.
Among those present were the secretary of the league (Mr F. Marlow).The names on the board were players in 1913,1914 and 1915 and were as follows: - J.Ashhurst, R.G McKail, L.Sneyd, W.Barnes, C.Dayman, J.Earl, R.Foale, F.N Le Messurier, R.Perryman, G.P Pratten, L.Thomas, R.Nixon, F.Crossman, T.Sadlier and W.Hamilton. The three first names were killed in action. At the base of the board was the inscription: - “They played the game.”  Trumpeter K.Looker sounded “the last post”.
During the long interval was presented the premiership pennant for 1920, in the South Australian sports colours of chocolate and blue, and bearing the lettering, “North Adelaide, 1920” . The Chairman of the League (Mr A.J.McLachlan), in handing the gift to Skipper T.Leahy, congratulated the members of the team on their success.  Cheers were given for the reds, and Leahy responded.”

Missing that day from the premiership 18 that had won the 1920 flag were the following players…
Lloyd Davies (out injured), Ivan Davey (who had since taken up the license at the Georgetown Hotel), Richard Foale and Daniel O’Brien (who had both retired).

As the article notes, North Adelaide lost three former players during the Great War.  Ron McKail, who joined the club from St Peter’s College in 1907 and had captained the club in 1913, was killed in action at Pozieres in August 1916.  John Ashhurst, who played 5 games in 1915, was killed in action in Belgium in July 1917.  Leslie Sneyd joined the club in 1913 and had played 17 games.  He was awarded the DCM for actions in France before he fell at Guedecourt in November 1916.

(NB: Of the players who enlisted, William Barnes, Clem Dayman, Clarrie Perryman and Lewis Foale also played after the war.  Foale also played in the 1920 premiership team.
Also note this was the first actual flag that North won as the practice had begun in 1907, and thus the 1900, 1902 and 1905 teams had missed out.)

Nick Haines
History Committee