South Australian National Football League

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:47): Today, I visited an exhibition at the State Library of South Australia with Katrine Hildyard, the member for Reynell, Michael Atkinson, the member for Croydon, and also Tim Whetstone, the member for Chaffey. The exhibition celebrates 140 years of the South Australian National Football League in an exciting exhibition about South Australia's much loved game.

The exhibition celebrates how the SANFL has evolved throughout the years, celebrating the characters and icons of the sport through rare and cherished memorabilia, trophies, scrapbooks from members of the public and football clubs, many of them held together with decades of old sticky tape, pictures of players from well-known and celebrated clubs, including, for instance, the Adelaide Crows. The photographs of players past and photographs of the teams, spectators, Football Park and Adelaide Oval showcase our loved game in South Australia.

Of particular note, of course, was the little known fact that the Adelaide Football Club was in fact the first registered club in South Australia. The exhibition displays 50 Magarey medals, which are unique in their design. The medals were all handmade and individually designed by a local South Australian jeweller until 1990, when a standard design was adopted. The collection is almost complete, with only around six medals missing from the collection.

The exhibition at the State Library of South Australia allows the public to relive and fondly remember some of the great moments of the game with archival footage of SANFL matches, including grand finals. This display allows you to listen to recorded footy conversations and hear some of the past legends of the game. The exhibition also provides an insight into social change in South Australia. One example of this is a rule book from approximately 1956 that asks female spectators to adhere to strict guidelines while at the football. I am very glad that times have changed for the better in this respect.

The photographs display the true spirit of the game and what it meant to be a passionate supporter by showcasing the images of the crowd from years past. How times have changed, with mainly men, all formally dressed in their Sunday best and hats to watch a local game of football. The exhibition celebrates all levels of the game. Juniors, Indigenous teams, woman's football and country leagues are all celebrated. This display of football memorabilia would not be possible without the dedication and passion of local football fans, who over the years have been meticulously collecting the football guides, badges, playing cards, scrapbooks and photographs.

The staff at the SANFL and the State Library must also be thanked and recognised for their hard work in restoring and digitising many of these priceless items, with some of these items being more valuable than others, depending, of course, upon what football team you might support. The exhibition entitled 'Straight Through the Middle—Football in South Australia' is on until 13 August and the Treasures Wall at the State Library of South Australia is where it is located. The exhibition is free and brilliantly displays South Australia's rich football history by showcasing a great collection of sports memorabilia, photographs, guernseys, medals and trophies.