List of SANFL records explained

This is a list of records from the South Australian National Football League since its inception in 1877 (previously known as the South Australian Football Association and the South Australian Football League).

Club records

Largest score

Rank	Score	Club	Opponent	Year	Round	Venue
1	49.23 (317)	Glenelg	Central District	1975	17	Glenelg Oval
2	39.16 (250)	South Adelaide	Woodville	1984	14	Football Park
3	37.21 (243)	Port Adelaide	Woodville	1980	3	Football Park
4	36.21 (237)		West Torrens	1982	8	Richmond Oval
5	35.23 (233)	Central District	West Torrens	1988	4	Elizabeth Oval
source

Lowest conceded score

The lowest scores since the modern scoring system was adopted in 1897.

Rank	Score	Club	Opponent	Year	Round	Venue
1	0.0 (0)	West Torrens	Port Adelaide	1899	2	Alberton Oval
	0.0 (0)	West Torrens	Port Adelaide	1897	7	Alberton Oval
	0.0 (0)	West Adelaide	North Adelaide	1897	4	Adelaide Oval
	0.0 (0)	West Torrens	Norwood	1897	2	Kensington Oval
	0.0 (0)	West Adelaide	Norwood	1897	1	Kensington Oval
	0.0 (0)	West Torrens	Port Adelaide	1897	1	Alberton Oval
source

Individual records

Most career goals

Note: These tallies refer to goals kicked in premiership matches (home-and-away and finals matches) only.

Rank	Goals	Games	Player	Club(s)	Career
1	1417	224	Ken Farmer	North Adelaide	1929-1941
2	993	230	Tim Evans	Port Adelaide	1975–1986
3	836	268	Fred Phillis	Glenelg	1966–1981
4	817	177	Jack Owens	Glenelg	1924-1935
5	753	334	Rick Davies	Sturt South Adelaide	1970–80, 1982–86
source

Most goals in a game

Rank	Goals	Player	Club	Opponent	Year	Round	Ground
1	23	Ken Farmer	North Adelaide	West Torrens	1940	Round 12	Prospect Oval
	23	Anthony Daly	Norwood	Adelaide	1893	Round 16	Kensington Oval

Most goals in a season

Rank	Goals	Player	Club	Year
1	153	Scott Hodges	Port Adelaide	1990
2	151	Rick Davies	Sturt	1983
3	146	Tim Evans	Port Adelaide	1980

Most seasons as leading goal-kicker

Rank	Seasons	Player	Club
1	11	Ken Farmer	North Adelaide
2	7	Anthony Daly	Norwood
3	6	Tim Evans	Port Adelaide
4	5	Fred Phillis	Glenelg

Most games for each club

Rank	Games	Player	Club	Career span
1	448	Peter Carey	Glenelg	1971–1988
2	392	Russell Ebert	Port Adelaide	1968–1978, 1980–1985
3	379	Michael Redden	North Adelaide	1978–1993
4	371	Garry McIntosh	Norwood	1982-1998
5	364		West Adelaide	1979–86, 1988–90, 1992–97
6	360	Paul Bagshaw	Sturt	1964-1980
7	337	Stuart Palmer	South Adelaide	1969–1985
8	327	Lindsay Head		1952–1970
9	325	Ralph Sewer	Woodville	1969–80, 1984–90
10	308	Peter Vivian	Central District	1969–1985
11	266	Justin Cicolella	Eagles	1998–2012

Most Magarey Medals

Awards	Player	Club(s)	Years
4		Port Adelaide	1971, 1974, 1976, 1980
3	Tom MacKenzie	West Torrens North Adelaide	1902, 1905, 1906
	Walter Scott	Norwood	1921, 1924, 1930
	Dan Moriatry	South Adelaide	1919, 1920, 1921
	Len Fitzgerald	Sturt	1952, 1954, 1959
	Lindsay Head		1955, 1958, 1963
	Barrie Robran	North Adelaide	1968, 1970, 1973
	James Allan	North Adelaide	2007, 2010, 2011
source

Most club best and fairest awards

Awards	Player	Club(s)	Years
7	9	Bob Hank	West Torrens	1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1957
					8	Lindsay Head	West Torrens	1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967
					7	Barrie Robran	North Adelaide	1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973
Rick Davies		1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980
Peter Darley	South Adelaide	1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973
6		Port Adelaide	1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1981
	Walter Scott	Norwood	1920, 1921, 1923, 1926, 1928, 1930
	Michael Taylor	Norwood	1973, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986

Most premierships as player

Rank	Awards	Player	Club(s)	Years
1	9	Geof Motley	Port Adelaide	1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965
		Chris Gowans	Central District	2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
		James Gowans	Central District	2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
2	8	Neville Hayes	Port Adelaide	1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963
		Greg Phillips	Port Adelaide	1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992
		Scott Hodges	Port Adelaide	1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998
		Paul Northeast	Port Adelaide	1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999
		Matthew Slade	Central District	2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009

Most SANFL games coached

Rank	Games	Coach	Clubs
1	777	Jack Oatey	Norwood West Adelaide Sturt
2	628	Neil Kerley	West Adelaide South Adelaide Glenelg West Torrens Central District
3	574	Fos Williams	Port Adelaide South Adelaide West Adelaide
4	533	John Cahill	Port Adelaide West Adelaide South Adelaide

Kicks after the siren

Goal to win

Player	Team	Opponent	Year	Score	Details
Alby Williams	South Adelaide	West Torrens	1923	90–86	^[1] ^[2]
Laurence Matulich	West Torrens	Glenelg	1939	104–99	^[3]
Gordon Scott	West Torrens	West Adelaide	1939	104–103	^[4]
John Taylor Jr	West–Glenelg	Port–Torrens	1942	89–88	^[5]
			1945	33–32	^[6]
Peter Mead	Port Adelaide	South Adelaide	1965	112–107	^[7]
			1977	98–95	^[8]
			1984	117–115	^[9]
			2012	37–36	^[10]
Liam Delahunty			2023	86–80	^[11]

Goal to draw

Player	Team	Opponent	Year	Score	Details
Dean Dawson	Norwood	Port Adelaide	1904	37–37	^[12]
Tom Leahy	North Adelaide	Sturt	1928	80–80	^[13]
Justin McConnell			2009	81–81	^[14]

Behind to win

Player	Team	Opponent	Year	Score	Details
Richard Townsend	Norwood	West Torrens	1911	40–39	^[15]
Ossie Bertram	West Torrens	Port Adelaide	1932	82–81	^[16]
			2016	56–55	Under-18s Grand Final^[17]

Missed opportunities

A list of instances where a player had a shot at goal after the siren to win or draw the game but missed, resulting in a loss, or instances where a player has had a kick after the siren with scores level but failed to score.

Player	Team	Opponent	Year	Score	Outcome	Details
Edward Nancarrow	South Adelaide	Norwood	1907	51–56	Norwood win by 5 points	^[18]
Clarence Gittings	South Adelaide	North Adelaide	1915
Vincentus Leahy	North Adelaide	West Torrens	1919	32–35	No score (fell short)	^[19]
Arnold Caust	South Adelaide	Norwood	1921	37–42	Behind (over the goal post)	^[20]
Jack Owens	Glenelg	Norwood	1924	71–72	Behind	^[21]
Frank Tucker	North Adelaide	Port Adelaide	1928	87–90	Behind	^[22]
Horrie Blight	West Torrens	Sturt	1936	98–101	No score (fell short)
Ian McKay	North Adelaide	Glenelg	1948	114–116	Behind	^[23]
Don Prior			1952	49–50	West Adelaide win by a point.	^[24]

See also

• List of VFL/AFL records
• List of VFL/AFL reserves records
• List of Tasmanian Football League records
• List of VFA/VFL records
• List of WAFL records

Notes and References

1. News: Winning Goal Kicked After the Bell. . . LXXX . 5,977 . South Australia . 18 August 1923 . 2 July 2023 . 17 . National Library of Australia.
2. News: Souths' Sensational Win. . . LXXXVIII . 25,780 . South Australia . 13 August 1923 . 2 July 2023 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
3. News: Goal Kicked After Bell . . South Australia . 26 June 1939 . 2 July 2023 . 13 . National Library of Australia.
4. News: Torrens d. West . . South Australia . 24 July 1939 . 2 July 2023 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
5. News: West-Glenelg Get Home . . 31 . 1,566 . South Australia . 30 May 1942 . 2 July 2023 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
6. With scores level in the Semi-final, Thoms gathered the ball and kicked a goal after the bell began ringing. The umpire hadn't signalled the end of the game so it was allowed and booked West Torrens a spot in the Grand Final.http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/West_Torrens.htm
7. Web site: Friday Flashback - 1965 2nd Semi-Final . 2023-07-02 . SANFL . en-US.
8. Took a strong pack mark fifteen metres out, directly in front of goal, with six seconds remaining. Cornes easily converted the goal. In a later interview, Cornes admitted that he hadn't known the siren had gone until his teammates were celebrating the winning goal. Footage of the goal and interview
9. Harris intercepted a short pass by Russell Ebert, sixty metres out from goal. The siren went as he was about to kick the ball forward, so Harris started his run-up again and took the shot. The ball wound up just passing over the line and missing all the Port Adelaide defenders. Footage of the shot.
10. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/rodan-steals-it-for-legs/story-e6freckc-1226406419711 Converted from 40m on a 45-degree angle in terrible conditions
11. https://sanfl.com.au/league/news/round-18-hostplus-sanfl-snapshot-super-saturday Converted from 40m out from goal directly in front. The goal prevented West Adelaide from drawing two matches in a row.
12. News: Football. . . LXIX . 17,948 . South Australia . 23 May 1904 . 4 July 2023 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
13. News: Sturt Unfortunate. . . LXX . 3,740 . South Australia . 26 May 1928 . 2 July 2023 . 23 . National Library of Australia.
14. Sunday Mail, 26 July 2009
15. News: West Torrens v. Norwood. . . 2 . 468 . South Australia . 4 September 1911 . 3 July 2023 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
16. News: Port Loses Because of Forward Weakness . . LXXIV . 3,943 . South Australia . 30 June 1932 . 2 July 2023 . 22 . National Library of Australia.
17. Web site: Toby Pink drafted by Sydney after kicking crazy winning point in SANFL under-18 Grand Final . Herald Sun.
18. News: Norwood v. South Adelaide. . . LXXII . 18,971 . South Australia . 2 September 1907 . 2 July 2023 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
19. News: Football. . . LXII . 18,954 . South Australia . 14 July 1919 . 4 July 2023 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
20. News: Football Titans . . XII . 3601 . South Australia . 3 October 1921 . 3 July 2023 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
21. News: Glenelg Still Unsuccessful . . LXXXIX . 26,113 . South Australia . 5 September 1924 . 4 July 2023 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
22. News: After the Bell. . . South Australia . 28 May 1928 . 2 July 2023 . 18 . National Library of Australia.
23. News: Kick After Bell Could Have Won For North . . 13,137 . South Australia . 3 May 1948 . 4 July 2023 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
24. Prior received a free kick from twenty yards out on a slight angle, having been held by a West Adelaide player, but missed. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47433899