Shannon Gill

The AFL, as it's now become, is trying to get up the national competition and South Australia are the holdouts here.

So 1990, after this big 90,000 crowd, it would be expected that Victoria would go to South Australia next year, which would be a big windfall for the SANFL because there'd be a packed crowd wanting revenge.

So the AFL decide that, no, we will not schedule a game with South Australia this year because of their unwillingness to come to the table and talk about joining the national competition.

So the fixture being used as a retribution to the recalcitrant.

Absolutely.

And instead, they decide to play a game with New South Wales.

Now, Sandy Roberts will explain why.

Okay, so diplomatic, but pointed.

Diplomatic, and cut the line of promotion off is also cut the line of revenue off.

Then Sandy goes to speak to a Victorian voice, and what more Victorian voice can you have than Ted Whitten?

Yes.

I feel like perhaps there was a little bit of showbiz involved in that interview, but that was the scenario.

Everyone was a little bit confused.

Why the hell are we playing New South Wales?

Why aren't we playing South Australia?

And so it was almost like we can see the argument about not playing South Australia, but New South Wales, everyone was left scratching their heads.

This is bad, dark old days for Sydney Swans.

Just in the fortnight before this game had happened, players had been asked to take pay cuts.

And there was this idea that...

the Swans might be dead soon and that footy in New South Wales might die soon.