Author(s): Ben Porter

Sport

In 1964 two new clubs joined the SANFL to make up ten suburban clubs-marking the start of the "Golden Age" of football in South Australia. If the weather was kind, it was common for over 40,000 supporters to turn up and soak up the atmosphere after a hard week. The SANFL Grand Final played in the spring was televised across the country and attracted 50,000 spectators. The 1976 clasic between traditional rivals Sturt and Port Adelaide attracted an official crowd of 66,897. Many pundits indicated that around 80,000 were actually there, as the Police opened the gates and allowed spectators to sit near the boundry grass!