Adelaide club bows out with win over British Lions rugby team in 1888 playing according to Australian rules
Adelaide Football Club 1886 premiership team in the South Australian Football Association competition.
The original Adelaide Football Club had a final triumph in 1888 when it defeated the British Lions rugby union team, 6.31 to 3.5, at Adelaide in July 1888 – playing Australian rules. (Two days earlier, the Lions defeated a powerful Port Adelaide side by a goal.)
Adelaide’s win was fittingly symbolic. Formed in 1860 as a social outing, Adelaide club developed and codified the Victorian rules that became the Australian game. It disbanded in 1876 when other clubs were following Kensington club’s rugby-like rules.
“Old Adelaide” rejoined the South Australian Football Association that adopted its rules in 1877. Its open playing style saw it finish third but the club declined, having to briefly merge with Kensington, also struggling.
After three years in mothballs, Adelaide returned in 1885 to collect a wooden spoon but rediscovered its style in 1886 to win the premiership – captained by J.D. Stephens, with A.M.Pettinger (vice-captain), ace goalsneak Richard Stephens, F.W.Warren, R.Lewis and W.Reid also shining.
In 1887, Adelaide had another triumph when it thrashed visiting Victorian Football Association premiers Carlton by an unprecedented nine goals to three, with Richard Stephens kicking six. Over the next few seasons, sloppy management let many key players leave. After more wooden spoons 1891-93, the plug was pulled and “Adelaide” disappeared from senior club football for nearly a century.
The Adelaide club had brought Australian football a long way from the typical 1861 adjourned game between 40 Past and Present Collegians and other club members in the North Parklands on a wet wintry Saturday afternoon:
Spectators were chiefly “horsemen” and “ladies, who kept guard of the prizes they presented to players … With hearty goodwill, the players went to work; in about an hour, the College party gained a goal. Elated with their success, they were rewarded with another goal after about two hours exertion … in the course of the afternoon a horse, belonging to one of the spectators, bolted across the playground. Master Gwynne immediately rode in pursuit but, just as he reached him, one of the players ran between the horses causing them to fall and throwing Master Gwynne. Fortunately, no one was injured.”