Pokies arrive and a St Kilda legend makes a surprise ‘comeback’ with the Sharks
SOUTHPORT pulled off a recruiting coup, for want of a better description when, late-season, they had a father and son both registered as players.
Exploiting a loophole in the AFL’s father-son recruiting rules, former St Kilda star Barry Lawrence was officially listed by Southport for a QAFL round-20 match against Mayne.
Lawrence was aged 47 at the time – so the Sharks fittingly listed him as No.47 on the day’s team sheet for the final home-and-away match.
Ironically, his place in Southport’s 22 was at the expense of son Steven, then a hugely promising 17-year-old destined for the AFL.
Under the AFL’s father-son drafting laws of the day, if a youngster’s dad had played in the QAFL then the son would be eligible to be drafted by the Brisbane Bears.
Lawrence Snr never actually took the field – the Sharks played a man short – but the fact he had been registered by the Sharks, then listed in a senior team, made young Steve eligible to be drafted by either Brisbane or St Kilda.
Lawrence Jnr subsequently played several seasons of AFL at the Gabba before being traded to St Kilda.
After a premiership year in 1992 under Cameron O’Brien, the Sharks looked to have recruited strongly. They landed ex-Sydney Swan Jamie Duursma mid-season, Warwick Capper was still in the white and black, Steve McLuckie was back from Brisbane and a big talent in Brent Green, a local junior, burst on to the scene.
Green, who tragically drowned in the Gold Coast surf in 2009, was a Brisbane project player, a towering ruckman who could move forward, with a good kick and a safe pair of hands making him difficult to match up. He was signed by the Bears along with another top Coast talent Clark Keating and many good judges rated Green a better prospect than Keating.
Yet it was Keating who went on to be a part of Brisbane’s triple AFL premiership run while Green, a likeable youngster who sadly lacked the focus and desire to make it really big on the AFL stage, eventually went to Sydney.
Green played centre half-forward in Southport’s losing grand final this year, with captain-coach O’Brien at full-forward and the enigmatic Capper pushed to centre half-back.
Capper made a good fist of the job and seemed to appreciate not being the centre of the defensive attention he invariably copped.
During the regular season, the Sharks lost twice and won once against grand final rivals Morningside, then they beat the Panthers by 33 points in the second semi-final.
Yet they somehow managed to complete another incomprehensible form reversal a fortnight later, losing the grand final to Morningside by 8.9 (57) to 16.22 (118) – the second time they had lost a premiership decider to Morningside by 61 points (the same happened in 1991).
Season details: Games played 20, won 15, lost 5.
Best and fairest: Craig Headland.
Leading goalkicker: Craig Crowley (45).
State Championship: Beat Queensland Country 23.19 (157) to 9.12 (66) at Salk Oval.
MATCH RESULTS 1993
Round 1 (May 28):
SOUTHPORT 2.4 9.9 10.13 18.15 (123)
COORPAROO 3.2 7.3 9.7 13.8 (86)
Southport goals: C Headland 5, R Enders 2, D Ashkar 2, C O’Brien 2, S McLuckie, J Cotter, C Rippon, T Deacon, S Lawrence, M Walker, M Smith.
Southport best: S McLuckie, S Rippon, J Cotter, R Enders, J Millane, C O’Brien.
At Fankhauser Reserve, Musgrave Hill.
Round 2 (Apr 4):
SOUTHPORT 7.5 12.10 18.13 22.20 (152)
WEST BRISBANE 2.1 2.2 5.8 5.9 (39)
Southport goals: C Headland 5, W Capper 4, C Black 3, S McLuckie 3, C Rippon 2, D Ashkar 2, C O’Brien 2, S Stephens.
Southport best: J Cotter, S McLuckie, C Headland, J Millane, S Stephens, M Walsh.
At Chelmer Oval, Brisbane.
Round 3 bye
Round 4 (Apr 18):
KEDRON-GRANGE 3.1 6.6 8.7 9.8 (62)
SOUTHPORT 2.4 2.7 4.10 6.15 (51)
Southport goals: C O’Brien 2, S McLuckie, C Crowley, R Jones, D Ashkar.
Southport best: J Millane, J Cotter, M Walker, R Jones, C O’Brien, C Black.
At Fankhauser Reserve, Musgrave Hill.
Round 5 (Apr 26):
SOUTHPORT 4.5 6.9 9.12 14.15 (99)
NORTH BRISBANE 1.2 2.3 4.9 6.12 (48)
Southport goals: W Capper 4, C Rippon 3, C O’Brien 2, S Stephens, J Millane, M Smith, A McKenzie, A Turner.
Southport best: J Cotter, R Jones, C O’Brien, S Lawrence, S Stephens, W Capper.
At O’Callaghan Park, Brisbane.
Round 6 (May 3):
MORNINGSIDE 4.4 7.7 9.8 12.10 (82)
SOUTHPORT 1,5 5.9 8.12 10.16 (76)
Southport goals: C Rippon 4, C O’Brien 3, S McLuckie, J Cotter, R Jones.
Southport best: C O’Brien, M Walsh, M Walker, J Cotter, C Rippon, B Green.
At Fankhauser Reserve, Musgrave Hill.
Round 7 (May 9):
SOUTHPORT 6.2 10.5 16.8 23.14 (152)
MAYNE 1.1 4.4 7.7 10.9 (69)
Southport goals: C Rippon 6, C O’Brien 3, R Jones 3, D Ashkar 2, B Green 2, C Crowley 2, P Siede 2, J Cotter, S Stephens, M Smith.
Southport best: R Jones, C Black, S Stephens, C Headland, W Capper, M Walsh.
At Windsor Park, Brisbane.
Round 8 (May 15):
SOUTHPORT 5.10 12.13 13.20 20.25 (145)
COORPAROO 2.2 5.3 7.3 9.5 (49)
Southpor4t goals: C Rippon 4, S Lawrence 4, C Headland 3, S McLuckie 2, C Crowley 2, C Black, J Cotter, R Enders, M Walker, D Ashkar.
Southport best: S McLuckie, R Jones, M Walsh, C Headland, C Black.
At Giffin Park, Brisbane.
Round 9 (May 24):
SOUTHPORT 3.4 6.7 12.11 15.16 (106)
WEST BRISBANE 0.1 2.3 5.6 6.10 (46)
Southport goals: C O’Brien 5, C Headland 2, C Rippon 2, P Siede 2, M Walker, M Walsh, D Ashkar, M Smith.
Southport best: C O’Brien, M Walsh, S McLuckie, ??? Giarusso, W Capper, M Walker.
At Fankhauser Reserve, Musgrave Hill.
Round 10 bye
Round 11 (Jun 6):
KEDRON-GRANGE 1.6 4.8 7.13 11.14 (80)
SOUTHPORT 3.1 6.8 6.13 9.16 (70)
Southport goals: C Crowley 7, C O’Brien 2.
Southport best: C Crowley, C Headland, R Enders, W Capper, D Herft.
At Dittmer Park, Mt Gravatt.
Round 12 (Jun 20):
SOUTHPORT 5.4 7.5 14.10 19.13 (127)
NORTH BRISBANE 3.2 8.6 9.9 13.9 (87)
Southport goals: J Cotter 3, C O’Brien 3, C Crowley 2, C Rippon 2, C Headland 2, C Black, M Walsh.
Southport best: J Cotter, S Stephens, C Headland, C Black, M Walsh.
At the Gabba, Brisbane.
Round 13 (Jun 27):
SOUTHPORT 4.2 8.4 13.8 15.12 (102)
MORNINGSIDE 4.1 6.4 8.7 10.9 (69)
Southport goals: C Crowley 6, C Rippon 3, C Black, S McLuckie, R Enders, P Siede, S Stephens, C O’Brien.
Southport best: S McLuckie, P Siede, C Crowley, C O’Brien, R Jones, J Millane.
At the Gabba, Brisbane.
Round 14 (Jul 4):
SOUTHPORT 3.4 8.7 15.10 18.12 (120)
MAYNE 2.2 5.5 7.11 10.14 (74)
Southport goals: C Crowley 6, T Deacon 3, J Cotter 2, C Rippon 2, C O’Brien 2, C Headland, J Free, S Young.
Southport best: T Deacon, J Cotter, C Crowley, C Headland, C Black, J Free.
At Fankhauser Reserve, Musgrave Hill.
Round 15 (Jul 11):
SOUTHPORT 6.0 8.6 13.10 18.10 (118)
COORPAROO 2.1 2.4 6.8 9.13 (67)
Southport goals: C Rippon 5, C Crowley 3, R Jones 3, C O’Brien 3, J Cotter, S Stephens, C Headland, S Young.
Southport best: W Capper, D Ashkar, M Smith, C Headland, C Black, T Deacon.
At Fankhauser Reserve, Musgrave Hill.
Round 16 (Jul 17):
SOUTHPORT 4.7 10.10 15.13 22.18 (150)
WEST BRISBANE 3.2 5.5 10.10 12.13 (85)
Southport goals: C Crowley 7, C Black 2, H Stanton 2, C Rippon 2, S Young 2, J Cotter, T Deacon, S Stephens, R Jones, M Smith, C O’Brien, W Capper.
Southport best: C Headland, C Crowley, C Black, B Green, R Jones, M Smith.
At Chelmer Oval, Brisbane.
Round 17 (Aug 1):
SOUTHPORT 4.4 6.11 10.15 12.18 (90)
KEDRON-GRANGE 3.5 3.7 7.11 12.15 (87)
Southport goals: C Black 3, T Deacon 2, J Cotter, C Rippon, S Young, C Mansbridge, S Lawrence, M Smith, W Capper.
Southport best: R Jones, C Black, J Cotter, S Stephens, S Lawrence, G Schulz.
At Fankhauser Reserve, Musgrave Hill.
Round 18 (Aug 8):
MORNINGSIDE 6.1 13.2 15.6 25.9 (159)
SOUTHPORT 3.8 8.11 10.12 10.16 (76)
Southport goals: C Crowley 4, J Cotter, C Rippon, C Mansbridge, T Deacon, R Jones, B Green.
Southport best: R Jones, J Cotter, D Ashkar, B Green, C Headland.
At the Gabba.
Round 19 (Aug 15):
SOUTHPORT 4.2 10.7 12.10 16.16 (112)
NORTH BRISBANE 2.2 4.6 9.9 11.13 (79)
Southport goals: A Hamilton 6, T Deacon 2, J Cotter, H Stanton, P Siede, C Mansbridge, S Lawrence, R Jones, J Parkinson, C Headland.
Southport best: J Parkinson, C Headland, D Ashkar, A Hamilton, R Jones, T Deacon.
At Fankhauser Reserve, Musgrave Hill.
Round 20 (Aug 22):
SOUTHPORT 4.5 10.8 14.13 18.15 (123)
MAYNE 2.1 8.1 10.1 16.6 (102)
Southport goals: A Hamilton 6, C Rippon 3, J Cotter 2, M Smith 2, B Green 2, J Free 2, P Siede, C Mansbridge, J Parkinson, R Jones.
Southport best: C Black, J Cotter, M Smith, W Capper, B Green, J Millane.
At Windsor Park.
Second semi-final (Aug 29):
SOUTHPORT 2.6 9.11 12.12 14.17 (101)
MORNINGSIDE 2.3 3.3 8.6 10.8 (68)
Southport goals: C O’Brien 8, C Crowley 4, J Cotter, J Free.
Southport best: M Smith, C O’Brien, J Parkinson, J Cotter, J Duursma, A Rankin.
At the Gabba, Brisbane.
Grand final (Sept 12):
MORNINGSIDE 2.7 6.12 10.16 16.22 (118)
SOUTHPORT 0.4 3.4 6.8 8.9 (57)
Southport goals: C O’Brien 4, R Enders 2, C Crowley, J Parkinson.
Southport best: S Stephens, C O’Brien, R Enders, J Parkinson.
At the Gabba, Brisbane.
