FOR the first time, a Premiership team has been inducted into the Port Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame.

The record-breaking 1954 to 1959 teams that won six consecutive Premierships were the first to be honoured, in what will become an annual tradition.

The teams become the 37th inductees into the Port Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame.

Led by club legend captain-coach Fos Williams for all but the last Premiership, the sides have gone into folklore for defining the club ethos of existing to win Premierships.

The special induction was carried out by current Senior Coach Ken Hinkley and Captain Travis Boak who described the feats as inspirational.

Geof Motley played in each of the Premierships and coached the side to the 1959 flag, the club’s 20th overall.

He was in attendance at the Port Adelaide Season Launch and Hall of Fame gala at the Adelaide Convention Centre with seven of his teammates to receive the honour.

While he is already a member of the Port Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame, Motley said sharing the honour with the men who helped the club to an Australian record six consecutive Premierships meant more than his individual recognition.

“It meant everything to me to be involved at Port Adelaide firstly, so to be in the Hall of Fame for Port Adelaide is a bonus that I’ll cherish forever of course because that has a lot of meaning,” he said.

“I am unbelievably proud to be a part of those teams, just to be one of them.

“Unfortunately there’s only a few of us left now but it was so important for us to perform for Port Adelaide at that time and we are unbelievably proud of that record and the fact it still stands nearly 60 years on.

“We played on the basis that we could not possibly let down the followers of the Port Adelaide football Club - the greatest gift we could give them was a Premiership.”

While the record lives on, many of Motley’s teammates do not – a fact he was eager to point out in recognition of their many and varied contributions.

And as to whether the record will ever be broken, Motley said he could not answer that.

“All records were made to be broken, but that one I think you will find extremely difficult to break.”

“If there is a club that’s going to do it, and is capable of doing it, I hope to god it is Port Adelaide.”

 

1954 Premiership 
Adelaide Oval, October 2nd
Crowd: 42,895

Port Adelaide 11.13 (79) def
West Adelaide 10.16 (76) 

Best: L. Zucker, C. Parham, F. Williams, A. Whelan, G. Motley, D. Boyd
Goals: L. Zucker 4, G. Motley 3, B. Jaggard, B. Coldwell, J. Hall, N. Hayes

1955 Premiership 
Adelaide Oval, October 1st
Crowd: 44,826

Port Adelaide 15.11 (101) def
Norwood 5.8 (38)

Best: F. Williams, D. Thompson, D. Boyd, L. Stevens, M. Kretschmer, J. Abley
Goals: B. Coldwell, R. Whitaker 3, T. Williams, L. Zucker 2, A. Marrett, L. Stevens, T. Garland, G. Motley, F. Williams

Coach/Captain: F. Williams

1956 Premiership 
Adelaide Oval, September 29th
Crowd: 45,514

Port Adelaide 12.9 (81) def
West Adelaide 9.11 (65) 

Best: A. Whelan, D. Thompson, R. Clift, G. Motley, T. Williams, F. Williams
Goals: R. Johns 4, G. Motley 3, J. Sawford, L. Zucker, D. Trowse, A. Blagrove, A. Whelan

Coach/Captain: F. Williams

 

1957 Premiership 
Adelaide Oval, September 28th
Crowd: 58,924

Port Adelaide 15.15 (105) def
West Adelaide 9.11 (65) 

Best: A. Whelan, G. Motley, P. Obst, F. Williams, M. Kretschmer
Goals: G. Motley 7, R. Johns 3, L. Zucker, P. Obst, F. Williams, T. Williams

Coach/Captain: F. Williams


1958 Premiership
Adelaide Oval, September 27th
Crowd: 54,282

Port Adelaide 14.10 (94) def
West Adelaide 14.8 (92)

Best: N. Hayes, L. Zucker, M. Kretschmer, G. Motley, F. Williams
Goals: R. Johns, P. Obst 4, T. Williams, L. Zucker 2, I. Hannaford, D. Boyd

Coach/Captain: F. Williams

1959 Premiership
Adelaide Oval, October 3rd
Crowd: 49,884

Port Adelaide 13.9 (87) def
West Adelaide 11.11 (77)

Best: G. Motley, L. Zucker, T. Obst, N. Tull, D. Thompson, D. Gill
Goals: W. Dittmar 4, P. Obst 3, N. Tull 2, J. Potter, T. Williams. D. Boyd, J. Cahill

Coach/Captain: G. Motley

Australian Record - 6 consecutive Premierships, 1954-1959