Ken Farmer
Encyclopedia
Kenneth William George "Ken" Farmer (born 25 July 1910 in Adelaide
- died 5 March 1983 in Adelaide) was an Australian rules football
player in the South Australian National Football League
during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. He was a prolific goalscoring full forward and successful premiership winning coach for North Adelaide
.
Farmer left school at 14 and did not play football again until 1927, when he played with North Adelaide Ramblers Seconds and the Marryatville amateur team. In 1928 he was invited to play with the North Adelaide juniors, where he demonstrated some talent at marking and goalkicking, winning the best and fairest
award.
He played in the winning 1930 Grand Final side despite the great personal distress of his brother Elliot's death weeks earlier from a motorcycle crash that also involved Ken. In 1931 he kicked his 125th goal (exceeding Gordon Coventry
's VFL record of 124) in a winning Grand Final performance.
Farmer captained North for five seasons (1934–1935, 1937–1938, 1941) and was club best and fairest in 1936.
Farmer's great goal scoring came from many attributes. His goals came readily, from superb concentration and the ability to read the play and be in position. Not only was he a brilliant fast lead, but Farmer was described as having a very powerful grip and hence a strong mark. He was unnervingly accurate shooting for goals with the screw and flat punts (drop punts not being part of the game at that time).
Farmer's goalscoring prowess was also evident when representing South Australia in interstate matches, where he averaged five goals per game.
Farmer's playing career ended when he went into the wartime RAAF. He took over the reins of coach for North Adelaide for four seasons from 1949, winning the premiership twice (1949, 1952).
runscorer, Donald Bradman
. Farmer's goalkicking was certainly prolific.
Farmer's SANFL goalkicking record:
In 13 seasons and 224 games for North Adelaide, Farmer kicked 1419 goals, making him the highest goal scorer in the history of the SANFL, a record that stands to this day. His total and average of 6.33 goals per game exceeds that of even VFL legends such as Peter McKenna
, Gordon Coventry
and Tony Lockett
(VFL/AFL record 1360 goals), and also that of Bernie Naylor
. On 35 occasions he kicked 10 goals or more. In 224 games he was held goalless only once, when he was carried off injured after 10 minutes of play. His Highest in a year was 134, but rather than kicking more in a season, he kicked 100 goals 11 times.
Ken Farmer 17 representative games for South Australia yielded a further 81 goals, giving him a career total of 1500 goals; he places second behind only Peter Hudson
as the highest goal-scorer in top-level senior Australian rules football history.
He holds the equal record for most goals kicked in a SANFL match with 23 goals against West Torrens
. His 23.6 were a contribution to his side's winning score of 26.11.
Highest tally against other SANFL Clubs
".
Surprisingly left out of the initial inductees to the Australian Football Hall of Fame
in 1996, he was inducted in 1998.
In 2000 Farmer was the inevitable selection as full forward in North Adelaide's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century'.
Farmer was an inaugural inductee to the SANFL Hall of Fame
in 2002.
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
- died 5 March 1983 in Adelaide) was an Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
player in the South Australian National Football League
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. He was a prolific goalscoring full forward and successful premiership winning coach for North Adelaide
North Adelaide Roosters
North Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club, who play in the South Australian National Football League.- History :Formed in 1888 as Medindie, in 1893 the club renamed itself to North Adelaide. It is the fourth oldest club still in operation in the SANFL...
.
Early life
Farmer grew up in the North Adelaide area and attended North Adelaide school, where he played Australian rules football on Fridays, and soccer on Saturdays. His early prowess in the round ball code resulted in being selected in the State Schoolboys soccer team.Farmer left school at 14 and did not play football again until 1927, when he played with North Adelaide Ramblers Seconds and the Marryatville amateur team. In 1928 he was invited to play with the North Adelaide juniors, where he demonstrated some talent at marking and goalkicking, winning the best and fairest
Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
award.
SANFL career
In 1929 the 18-year-old Farmer debuted in the North Adelaide League side. Playing at full-forward in his first season, he kicked an impressive 62 goals in only 14 games. In 1930 he became the first SANFL player to kick over 100 goals in a season. He repeated this feat for the next ten seasons.He played in the winning 1930 Grand Final side despite the great personal distress of his brother Elliot's death weeks earlier from a motorcycle crash that also involved Ken. In 1931 he kicked his 125th goal (exceeding Gordon Coventry
Gordon Coventry
Gordon "Nuts" Coventry was an Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League . With 1,299 goals over 18 seasons, Coventry remains one of the greatest full forwards the game has ever seen...
's VFL record of 124) in a winning Grand Final performance.
Farmer captained North for five seasons (1934–1935, 1937–1938, 1941) and was club best and fairest in 1936.
Farmer's great goal scoring came from many attributes. His goals came readily, from superb concentration and the ability to read the play and be in position. Not only was he a brilliant fast lead, but Farmer was described as having a very powerful grip and hence a strong mark. He was unnervingly accurate shooting for goals with the screw and flat punts (drop punts not being part of the game at that time).
Farmer's goalscoring prowess was also evident when representing South Australia in interstate matches, where he averaged five goals per game.
Farmer's playing career ended when he went into the wartime RAAF. He took over the reins of coach for North Adelaide for four seasons from 1949, winning the premiership twice (1949, 1952).
Record
In South Australia Farmer was known as "The Bradman of Goalkickers", a reference to the contemporary prolific cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
runscorer, Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
. Farmer's goalkicking was certainly prolific.
Farmer's SANFL goalkicking record:
- 1929 62 goals
- 1930 105
- 1931 126
- 1932 102
- 1933 112
- 1934 106
- 1935 128
- 1936 134
- 1937 108
- 1938 112
- 1939 113
- 1940 123
- 1941 86
In 13 seasons and 224 games for North Adelaide, Farmer kicked 1419 goals, making him the highest goal scorer in the history of the SANFL, a record that stands to this day. His total and average of 6.33 goals per game exceeds that of even VFL legends such as Peter McKenna
Peter McKenna
Peter McKenna is a former Australian rules footballer, who played 180 games and kicked 838 goals with the Collingwood Football Club between 1965 and 1975, where he spent the majority of his career...
, Gordon Coventry
Gordon Coventry
Gordon "Nuts" Coventry was an Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League . With 1,299 goals over 18 seasons, Coventry remains one of the greatest full forwards the game has ever seen...
and Tony Lockett
Tony Lockett
Anthony Howard "Tony" Lockett is a former Australian rules football player. Lockett is the highest goal scorer in the history of the VFL/AFL with 1,360 goals in a career of 281 games, that commenced in 1983 with the St Kilda Football Club, and finished in 2002 with the Sydney Swans...
(VFL/AFL record 1360 goals), and also that of Bernie Naylor
Bernie Naylor
Bernard George "Bernie" Naylor was an Australian rules footballer who was one of the most successful full-forwards in the history of the West Australian Football League...
. On 35 occasions he kicked 10 goals or more. In 224 games he was held goalless only once, when he was carried off injured after 10 minutes of play. His Highest in a year was 134, but rather than kicking more in a season, he kicked 100 goals 11 times.
Ken Farmer 17 representative games for South Australia yielded a further 81 goals, giving him a career total of 1500 goals; he places second behind only Peter Hudson
Peter Hudson
Peter John Hudson AM is a former Australian Rules Football player, considered one of the greatest full-forwards in the game's history....
as the highest goal-scorer in top-level senior Australian rules football history.
He holds the equal record for most goals kicked in a SANFL match with 23 goals against West Torrens
West Torrens Football Club
West Torrens Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1897 to 1990...
. His 23.6 were a contribution to his side's winning score of 26.11.
Highest tally against other SANFL Clubs
- West TorrensWest Torrens Football ClubWest Torrens Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1897 to 1990...
23 - South AdelaideSouth Adelaide Football ClubSouth Adelaide Football Club competes in the South Australian National Football League . Known as the Panthers, their home ground is Hickinbotham Oval , located in Noarlunga Downs in the southern suburbs of Adelaide....
16 - Glenelg 15
- NorwoodNorwood Football ClubNorwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
13 - West AdelaideWest Adelaide Football ClubWest Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League . Commonly known as The Bloods and Westies, the clubs home base is City Mazda Stadium located in Richmond, an inner-western suburb of Adelaide.-Early Years :West Adelaide was formed in...
13 - SturtSturt Football ClubSturt Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League. The club is best known for its period of dominance from 1966–76 under legendary coach Jack Oatey, during which it revolutionised the style of play by emphasising teamwork and accurate ball...
13 - Port AdelaidePort Adelaide Football ClubThe Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
12
Honours
Farmer was made a Life Member of the North Adelaide Football Club in 1937. In 1980 the "Ken Farmer Gates" were dedicated on the eastern side of North Adelaide's home ground, Prospect Oval. Since 1981 the leading goalkicker in the SANFL each season has been awarded the "Ken Farmer MedalKen Farmer Medal
The Ken Farmer Medal is named in honour of the Australian rules footballer , North Adelaide Football Club full forward Ken Farmer. The medal is awarded to the SANFL's top goalkicker at the end of the minor round of matches each season and was instigated in 1981.- Ken Farmer Medallists :- Leading...
".
Surprisingly left out of the initial inductees to the Australian Football Hall of Fame
Australian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
in 1996, he was inducted in 1998.
In 2000 Farmer was the inevitable selection as full forward in North Adelaide's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century'.
Farmer was an inaugural inductee to the SANFL Hall of Fame
South Australian Football Hall of Fame
The South Australian Football Hall of Fame was created in 2002 to recognise the players, coaches, umpires, administrators and journalists who had made a significant contribution in the South Australian National Football League...
in 2002.