Prediction Bruce Weber for Port Hall of Fame

[Lockhart Road]

WALK OF FAME

As we enter the Port Club in the days during the 150th Anniversary in 2020, and forever after, there should be a row of pedestals adorned with angry bronze busts sculpted by an appropriate artist.

These busts should include Club administrators who were instrumental in taking PAFC down the correct walkway at various historic and acrimonious crossroads.

One bust would definitely be that of Bruce Weber.

Another would be of Bob McLean.

Another, perhaps, a 'Mount Rushmore' style memorial of the 1870 committee: a test for only the best of Club historians, with a dose of imagination needed in lieu of photos on record anywhere.

Etcetera etcetara etcetera. And so on and so forth.

Suggestions invited.

Also a future podcast topic before we get too close to 2020 and it's all too late.
Perhaps KT's next interview.

The Club is developing plans for 2020 now.
There should be a liaison with BigFooty and other PAFC support groups setting up a series of brainstorming sessions.

 

[Needs Gravy]

WALK OF FAME

As we enter the Port Club in the days during the 150th Anniversary in 2020, and forever after, there should be a row of pedestals adorned with angry bronze busts sculpted by an appropriate artist.

These busts should inlude Club administrators who were instrumental in taking PAFC down the correct walkway at various historic and acrimonious crossroads.

One bust would definitely be that of Bruce Weber.

Another would be of Bob McLean.

Another, perhaps, a 'Mount Rushmore' style memorial of the 1870 committee: a test for only the best of Club historians, with a dose of imagination needed in lieu of photos on record anywhere.

Etcetera etcetara etcetera. And so on and so forth.

Suggestions invited.

Also a future podcast topic before we get too close to 2020 and it's all too late.
Perhaps KT's next interview.

The Club is developing plans for 2020 now.
There should be a liaison with BigFooty and other PAFC support groups setting up a series of brainstorming sessions.

Hope that other project the club hoped to have finalised by 2020 will still come to fruition to LR.
Weber and Big Bob busts sounds like a great idea btw.

 

[Onward To Victory]

WALK OF FAME

As we enter the Port Club in the days during the 150th Anniversary in 2020, and forever after, there should be a row of pedestals adorned with angry bronze busts sculpted by an appropriate artist.

These busts should include Club administrators who were instrumental in taking PAFC down the correct walkway at various historic and acrimonious crossroads.

One bust would definitely be that of Bruce Weber.

Another would be of Bob McLean.

Another, perhaps, a 'Mount Rushmore' style memorial of the 1870 committee: a test for only the best of Club historians, with a dose of imagination needed in lieu of photos on record anywhere.

Etcetera etcetara etcetera. And so on and so forth.

Suggestions invited.

Also a future podcast topic before we get too close to 2020 and it's all too late.
Perhaps KT's next interview.

The Club is developing plans for 2020 now.
There should be a liaison with BigFooty and other PAFC support groups setting up a series of brainstorming sessions.

The number one thing on the list for 150th celebrations should be to wear the prison bars in the AFL for that season.

 

[SgtSchulz]

WALK OF FAME

As we enter the Port Club in the days during the 150th Anniversary in 2020, and forever after, there should be a row of pedestals adorned with angry bronze busts sculpted by an appropriate artist.

These busts should include Club administrators who were instrumental in taking PAFC down the correct walkway at various historic and acrimonious crossroads.

One bust would definitely be that of Bruce Weber.

Another would be of Bob McLean.

Another, perhaps, a 'Mount Rushmore' style memorial of the 1870 committee: a test for only the best of Club historians, with a dose of imagination needed in lieu of photos on record anywhere.

Etcetera etcetara etcetera. And so on and so forth.

Suggestions invited.

Also a future podcast topic before we get too close to 2020 and it's all too late.
Perhaps KT's next interview.

The Club is developing plans for 2020 now.
There should be a liaison with BigFooty and other PAFC support groups setting up a series of brainstorming sessions.

I'd like a set of footy cards.

150 heroes from 150 years of Port Adelaide.

 

[SgtSchulz]

The number one thing on the list for 150th celebrations should be to wear the prison bars in the AFL for that season.

22 games?

How about our 22 most significant guernseys?

Culminating in the V/Panel in Round 23.

Sydney, Collingwood, Brisbane & Carlton at Adelaide Oval.

 

[Jojay]

Can't believe I've skipped over this thread for over a month...

Where do I sign!?!

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Here is a bit about Bruce Weber the man as well as the president of the PAFC. I asked my colleague in my technology development project who is a civil engineer and knew Bruce socially for many years before he dealt with him on a professional basis, to write something about Bruce. My colleague was senior engineer at Delfin Property Group on the West Lakes development and then Chief Engineer at Woodville Council, before heading off to Queensland. Talks between Port and the VFL were happening long before July 1990 about Port entering in the expanded VFL.

I first met Bruce Weber at the Henley and Grange pool when we were both involved in competitive swimming. Bruce was in the Ethelton Swimming Club and I in the Henley and Grange Swimming Club. Over the years, we caught up at various swim meets.

He was both a strong swimmer and good water polo player, as was his older brother. Bruce's laconism and dry wit did not endear him to all he met, but I rather enjoyed his approach to things and thought of him them as I still do, an all round good, strong, no nonsense bloke who made his mark on whatever he took on. I recall beating him in the swimming contests but that was only because I did more training than Bruce.

I always enjoyed catching up with Bruce and enjoyed the repartee re his latest ventures. In following his career I thought in personal strengths and commitment came to the fore in what he achieved in his contracting business. A tough game at anytime, Bruce rose to the challenges and generally succeeded with the only setback I recall being the challenges with weather conditions in marine work, which he encountered, and which cost him heavily in his involvement on a pipeline across Spencer Gulf, from Port Pirie to Whyalla.

It was during the latter half of 1989, I was waiting at Tullamarine Airport for a delayed flight back from Melbourne to Adelaide. At the time I was City Engineer for Woodville City Council and with the then Mayor, John Dyer, we were returning from a HIA Conference in Melbourne. It was during the airline strike period and delays in flights of 2 hours or more were not uncommon. Whilst waiting in the lounge, I spotted Bruce in the Lounge looking somewhat troubled with whatever was on his mind.

I asked Mayor John Dyer, if he had ever met Bruce Webber, President of the Port Adelaide Football Club? John replied that he had not, which somewhat surprised me considering the proximity of Alberton Oval to Woodville. I said to John: " Well it is about time you did. Come and I will introduce you." John was quite familiar with Bruce's roll in lifting PAFC, and very cognizant of the SANFL team's long standing dominance in the League at that time.

After the formalities of introduction, the dialogue turned to what each had been in Melbourne for. Bruce revealed he had met with the VFL clubs, where they had put to him their proposals to get PAFC into the VFLs national league AFL. He said that the offer put was attractive and compelling. He explained how he was most conscious of PAFC's Premiership tally and the players' dominance of the competition for a number of years. He felt that the move was preferable sooner rather than deferring, as proposed by the SANFL, to give the PAFC players better opportunities for full development of their football careers and the earning opportunities that presented as well as challenges of more intense competition. At all times, Bruce's dialogue expressed at heart were the best interests of the PAFC players and club with the very compelling temptation to seize the opportunities on offer to enable the players and club to reach their full potential.

Bruce noted the reticence of the SANFL working party on the matter apparently choosing to defer making the move for some years; fearing the competition standard and contemplating perhaps a better financial incentive, although no detail on this was forthcoming in our discussion.

I should point out that Bruce was talking to a very good Mayor. Both the Mayor and I, had unbridled, enthusiasm, commitment to do and delivery whatever was good for the Western Region, within our powers and ability to do, albeit through due process.

Completely oblivious of the pent up pride and prejudice that was to subsequently be vented at PAFC and Bruce vehemently later when the SANFL discovered they had been out manoeuvred; that the pecking order had been usurped; Mayor John and I gave full encouragement to proceed with constructive comment on the initiatives as far as we then understood and as put to us. It certainly seemed to be the best decision for the players and club.

The embargo placed upon PAFC by the SANFL at the time, I put down to the longstanding rivalry and disparaging repartee afforded PAFC supporters over the years, and still to this day in the great rivalry.
Somewhere down Port Road there is that hypothetical boundary. I never have found out exactly where it is.

The rest is history.

Whilst not taking away from the recognised achievements over the years of the SANFL participants / perpetrators, I personally believe the extremes to which vengeance was taken subsequently saw the full suite of corrosive human emotions come to the fore; was carried on for far too long and reflects badly indeed by those taking vengeance.

Bruce was one tough, good guy, but all this did take an undeserved toll on his business and personal life. The perpetrators should hold their head in shame, but in their self indulgent arrogance, full of self importance probably won't.

Perhaps a review in the wisdom of 20/20 hindsight, a review could be carried out on what may have happened, and see which course in entering the AFL would have been the most beneficial.

On a lighter note, Bruce related to me the occasion when he had arranged for Dr Geoffrey Edelsten, then President of the Sydney Swans, to be the guest speaker at the PAFC annual dinner. Bruce proceeded on the night to the Hyatt Hotel [now Intercontinental] to pick up the colourful Dr and his partner at that time, the lovely Leanne. When Leanne opened the door to the room, Bruce on seeing the lovely Leanne was taken aback by the daring haute couture uttered abruptly "Is that all your wearing?"

 

[robbo1981]

We owe a lot to this man took on the state and made no apologies. It was men like Bruce who had the foresight to see we had to continue to grow and make us what we are today.

 

[Portology]

"long before 1990", then "latter half of 1989". I don't know if that has ever been discussed in public before?? The high level hypotheticals between the SANFL and the VFL back in the early 1980s have been. This is a fair contribution to the history by your mate, REH. Might want to cross check some of those dates against SANFL announcements "to defer discussions with the VFL" and stuff like that as recorded by others. I thought the famous vote where Dave Boyd abstained was earlier in 1990, not 1989, but maybe that matter was considered annually? Just to be sure your mate isn't just slightly mis-remembering the year of their airport get together. Given the emotions of the times, and a slightly different level of professionalism from today (!) how could this not have "leaked" previously? Because if Bruce was sharing it with a mate, and a mate's "trusted" mate in John Dyer, surely the "VFL club" people mentioned would have leaked *somewhere* along the lines.

Here is a bit about Bruce Weber the man as well as the president of the PAFC. I asked my colleague in my technology development project who is a civil engineer and knew Bruce socially for many years before he dealt with him on a professional basis, to write something about Bruce. My colleague was senior engineer at Delfin Property Group on the West Lakes development and then Chief Engineer at Woodville Council, before heading off to Queensland. Talks between Port and the VFL were happening long before July 1990 about Port entering in the expanded VFL.

I first met Bruce Weber at the Henley and Grange pool when we were both involved in competitive swimming. Bruce was in the Ethelton Swimming Club and I in the Henley and Grange Swimming Club. Over the years, we caught up at various swim meets.

He was both a strong swimmer and good water polo player, as was his older brother. Bruce's laconism and dry wit did not endear him to all he met, but I rather enjoyed his approach to things and thought of him them as I still do, an all round good, strong, no nonsense bloke who made his mark on whatever he took on. I recall beating him in the swimming contests but that was only because I did more training than Bruce.

I always enjoyed catching up with Bruce and enjoyed the repartee re his latest ventures. In following his career I thought in personal strengths and commitment came to the fore in what he achieved in his contracting business. A tough game at anytime, Bruce rose to the challenges and generally succeeded with the only setback I recall being the challenges with weather conditions in marine work, which he encountered, and which cost him heavily in his involvement on a pipeline across Spencer Gulf, from Port Pirie to Whyalla.

It was during the latter half of 1989, I was waiting at Tullamarine Airport for a delayed flight back from Melbourne to Adelaide. At the time I was City Engineer for Woodville City Council and with the then Mayor, John Dyer, we were returning from a HIA Conference in Melbourne. It was during the airline strike period and delays in flights of 2 hours or more were not uncommon. Whilst waiting in the lounge, I spotted Bruce in the Lounge looking somewhat troubled with whatever was on his mind.

I asked Mayor John Dyer, if he had ever met Bruce Webber, President of the Port Adelaide Football Club? John replied that he had not, which somewhat surprised me considering the proximity of Alberton Oval to Woodville. I said to John: " Well it is about time you did. Come and I will introduce you." John was quite familiar with Bruce's roll in lifting PAFC, and very cognizant of the SANFL team's long standing dominance in the League at that time.

After the formalities of introduction, the dialogue turned to what each had been in Melbourne for. Bruce revealed he had met with the VFL clubs, where they had put to him their proposals to get PAFC into the VFLs national league AFL. He said that the offer put was attractive and compelling. He explained how he was most conscious of PAFC's Premiership tally and the players' dominance of the competition for a number of years. He felt that the move was preferable sooner rather than deferring, as proposed by the SANFL, to give the PAFC players better opportunities for full development of their football careers and the earning opportunities that presented as well as challenges of more intense competition. At all times, Bruce's dialogue expressed at heart were the best interests of the PAFC players and club with the very compelling temptation to seize the opportunities on offer to enable the players and club to reach their full potential.

Bruce noted the reticence of the SANFL working party on the matter apparently choosing to defer making the move for some years; fearing the competition standard and contemplating perhaps a better financial incentive, although no detail on this was forthcoming in our discussion.

I should point out that Bruce was talking to a very good Mayor. Both the Mayor and I, had unbridled, enthusiasm, commitment to do and delivery whatever was good for the Western Region, within our powers and ability to do, albeit through due process.

Completely oblivious of the pent up pride and prejudice that was to subsequently be vented at PAFC and Bruce vehemently later when the SANFL discovered they had been out manoeuvred; that the pecking order had been usurped; Mayor John and I gave full encouragement to proceed with constructive comment on the initiatives as far as we then understood and as put to us. It certainly seemed to be the best decision for the players and club.

The embargo placed upon PAFC by the SANFL at the time, I put down to the longstanding rivalry and disparaging repartee afforded PAFC supporters over the years, and still to this day in the great rivalry.
Somewhere down Port Road there is that hypothetical boundary. I never have found out exactly where it is.

The rest is history.

Whilst not taking away from the recognised achievements over the years of the SANFL participants / perpetrators, I personally believe the extremes to which vengeance was taken subsequently saw the full suite of corrosive human emotions come to the fore; was carried on for far too long and reflects badly indeed by those taking vengeance.

Bruce was one tough, good guy, but all this did take an undeserved toll on his business and personal life. The perpetrators should hold their head in shame, but in their self indulgent arrogance, full of self importance probably won't.

Perhaps a review in the wisdom of 20/20 hindsight, a review could be carried out on what may have happened, and see which course in entering the AFL would have been the most beneficial.

On a lighter note, Bruce related to me the occasion when he had arranged for Dr Geoffrey Edelsten, then President of the Sydney Swans, to be the guest speaker at the PAFC annual dinner. Bruce proceeded on the night to the Hyatt Hotel [now Intercontinental] to pick up the colourful Dr and his partner at that time, the lovely Leanne. When Leanne opened the door to the room, Bruce on seeing the lovely Leanne was taken aback by the daring haute couture uttered abruptly "Is that all your wearing?"

 

[Needs Gravy]

Great read REH thanks for going to the trouble. Proud and angry emotions for me as these same people that continue to bitch and moan about 1990 by a their own actions displayed and continue to display some vile and juvenile behaviour.
Hope the club has seen this thread and finally does something to honour the work and memory of Bruce who's action ensured there would always be a PAFC but also gave opportunities to clubs and individuals who have only ever complained and shit all over Bruce and the club - the very reason they have these opportunities.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

"long before 1990", then "latter half of 1989". I don't know if that has ever been discussed in public before?? The high level hypotheticals between the SANFL and the VFL back in the early 1980s have been. This is a fair contribution to the history by your mate, REH. Might want to cross check some of those dates against SANFL announcements "to defer discussions with the VFL" and stuff like that as recorded by others. I thought the famous vote where Dave Boyd abstained was earlier in 1990, not 1989, but maybe that matter was considered annually? Just to be sure your mate isn't just slightly mis-remembering the year of their airport get together. Given the emotions of the times, and a slightly different level of professionalism from today (!) how could this not have "leaked" previously? Because if Bruce was sharing it with a mate, and a mate's "trusted" mate in John Dyer, surely the "VFL club" people mentioned would have leaked *somewhere* along the lines.

My mate first told me about the meeting at Tullamarine story back in 2003 and even back then he said it was during the airline pilots dispute. I know I missed out of the 1989 GF against North Adelaide because I was stuck in Alice Springs with work because of the pilots strike and had to catch a bus back home a couple of weeks after the GF. I was hoping to get a weekend return flight for the GF, but no chance. I remember when he told me the story I was a bit shocked as it was about 9 or 10 months earlier than the famous July 1990 discussions and signing of heads of agreement.

I suspect there were lots of chats between October 1986 and July 1990, between VFL, VFL clubs, SANFL and SANFL clubs, but it wasn't until Alan Schwab got involved in early July 1990, when Ross Oakley was on holiday and Schwab was acting CEO that anything of consequence happened. You will note Bruce told my mate he met with VFL clubs not VFL CEO/Commissioners.

The famous Dave Boyd vote happened at a 3 day seminar at Yankalilla in May 1990 when they came up with 10 conditions they put to the AFL including no $4mil licence fee and a 12 comp but they would wear a 14 team comp and that the SANFL wouldnt enter a team before the 1993 season.

On 5th July 1990 Weber invited Schwab to be guest speaker at the Port Adelaide luncheon on 22nd August 1990. Oakley was on holiday and Schwab who had always wanted to be CEO and was given the title of Executive Commissioner in 1986 when he missed out on the main job as Chairman of the Commission to Oakley. He had been General Manager of the VFL and was 2IC to Jack Hamilton. Schwab saw this as his chance to do something Oakley hadn't been capable of doing.

Remember that whilst the VFL Commission was set up in 1985, it wasn't until July 1993 that the clubs fully accepted the recommendations of the Crawford Report and handed over substantial powers to the AFL Commission. In 1989 and 1990 the clubs and club directors still had a lot of power over the V/AFL Commission and had to approve many of the Commission recommendations including any expenditure over $100,000.

So talking to the clubs in late 1989 was consistent with where the power balance sat in the VFL structure.

 

[Garibaldi Red]

Thanks for the story RussellEbertHandball, I know John Dyer. A mate of mine married one of his daughters. Met him on quite a few occasions and always enjoyed his company.

 

[simmo_bc]

REH - you should write a memoir based on all of your PAFC memories, I'd buy it!

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

REH - you should write a memoir based on all of your PAFC memories, I'd buy it!

Haha there would be a big gap between 1988-89 and then 1992-96 when I didnt live in SA and there was no TV coverage first in North America and then Sydney.

I hope the book the club is writing about 1990 and mentioned in either this thread of the Before the Crows there was Norwood thread, supposedly coming out at Christmas, answers a lot of the unknowns or mis-trues.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

"long before 1990", then "latter half of 1989". I don't know if that has ever been discussed in public before?? The high level hypotheticals between the SANFL and the VFL back in the early 1980s have been. This is a fair contribution to the history by your mate, REH. Might want to cross check some of those dates against SANFL announcements "to defer discussions with the VFL" and stuff like that as recorded by others. I thought the famous vote where Dave Boyd abstained was earlier in 1990, not 1989, but maybe that matter was considered annually? Just to be sure your mate isn't just slightly mis-remembering the year of their airport get together. Given the emotions of the times, and a slightly different level of professionalism from today (!) how could this not have "leaked" previously? Because if Bruce was sharing it with a mate, and a mate's "trusted" mate in John Dyer, surely the "VFL club" people mentioned would have leaked *somewhere* along the lines.

Another thing to note, from reading the 1995 book Football Ltd - The Inside Story of the AFL by Garry Linnell, a couple of times in full over the years and re reading big chunks at a time, the VFL Presidents with a strong business background were always maneuvering for improvements and trying to expand the comp. John Elliot at Carlton, Bob Ansett at North Melbourne, Ron Evans at Essendon before he became AFL chairman in 1998, Lindsay Fox at St Kilda as well as powerful CEO's like Ian Collins and John Adams all were making maneuvers both for and independent of the VFL executives and commission. There was a bit of a cowboy mentality about it all.

 

[Rexie J]

Sadly, quintisential South Australia. From the domination of the Catholic Church, Freemasons to the Adelaide Club (see Legislatative Council history) to sport.

The pettiness that has pervaded so much of our post WW2 history is staggering. In the broad industry sector I'm acutely aware of bitter personal rivalries but they pale into insignifcance to sporting politics.

It is unconciable that someone like Bruce Weber should pay such a heavy personal price by simply engaging (and trusting) people relating to an obviously sensitive issue.

Rivalry is one thing but sheer bastardry is another.

 

[Portology]

Another thing to note, from reading the 1995 book Football Ltd - The Inside Story of the AFL by Garry Linnell, a couple of times in full over the years and re reading big chunks at a time, the VFL Presidents with a strong business background were always maneuvering for improvements and trying to expand the comp. John Elliot at Carlton, Bob Ansett at North Melbourne, Ron Evans at Essendon before he became AFL chairman in 1998, Lindsay Fox at St Kilda as well as powerful CEO's like Ian Collins and John Adams all were making maneuvers both for and independent of the VFL executives and commission. There was a bit of a cowboy mentality about it all.

And ironically because said cowboys were such ego driven individuals, when they *didn't* get something done or when some half crackpot notion/half long lunch idea went nowhere it then didn't rate a mention in their own eyes. Or a "leak".

Those guys saw "their" clubs as playthings. Bruce did not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

My colleague sent me a follow up email last night about Bruce. As the senior engineer for Delfin Property Group for about 8 years from the mid 1970's he knew all the players at West Lakes and the western suburbs.

Bruce was talking to the VFL in 1989 before the 1990 meetings there is no doubt in my mind, and that he had a profound influence on making the move into the AFL for SA sooner than otherwise yet for this Port were persecuted.

Bruce highlighted to me the Premierships Port won through the 1980's and subsequently since our meeting through to 1997 that justified Bruce making the moves that he did for the reasons he put to John Dyer and I in 1989. You may also be able to put some $ costs into the equation to hypothetically show the outcomes had Port entered in 1990 as originally proposed. Also what the cost would have been if SA entry of a team had been delayed to 1993.

It reminds me of the Royal Commission into Football Park Lights was prosecuted under the premise that the nuisance of light spill, glare and the aesthetics of the tower and height thereof would be fundamentally detrimental to selling the real estate and life style of the residents. An outcome was the reduction of the height of the towers by one section. This was in reality a farce as the light is delivered with less horizontal spill with higher towers and visors can easily remedy a glare problem outside the immediate area surrounding the stadium. I was to later realise that it really was all about frustrating Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket roll out and some influences were brought to bear from eminent Cricket Board members running defence to the intruder they refused to do business with usurping their sport; subsequently succeeding, and arguably in hindsight very much playing a key role for the betterment of the business model to benefit both the sport and the players.

To my mind there are some parallels in what Bruce was endeavouring to achieve. Bruce did have a sound business mind and was a good strategist. He was not adept at chicanery nor the convoluted plays of the legal profession.

 

[tribey]

<3

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I hope he doesn't mind, but Shane - PrisonBars who has been doing some great stuff on his twitter and facebook site since 2018 starting with the Prison Bars campaign, but last week he wrote this piece as part of his Weber Series, which he has put up on his facebook site. You have to go down a few screens before you find this one, and then the others

https://www.facebook.com/groups/984716258236728/user/100000501243833/

As you can see, this is Part 28. This was an interview with Bruce's daughter Stacey and you can see and read the impact Bruce's desire to get Port into the AFL took on him and his family. We all should be grateful that he was prepared to do the heavy lifting for us and others. Bruce has 3 daughters Stacey and Rachel who live on the Gold Coast and Jodie (ie Jypsey) who lives in New Jersey looks like near the NFL stadium shared by the Giants and Jets. He has talked to them all during his series.

Its also on the Port Adelaide True Believers site.

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Thanks Shane for all this.

WEBER SERIES
28 – Family always pays a price….
Stacy Weber, was the youngest of the family and to some extent through everything that happened deprived her of a number of normal childhood experiences as a result of her family's commitment to Port Adelaide and some of the family challenges that occurred.

Here Stacy recalls exactly how it is and how unfortunately there is always a price paid for loved ones when individuals are so committed to a cause.

I want to thank Stacy for her courage in recalling childhood / early adulthood events and how they have shaped her today. After recalling a number of very positive stories shared earlier in this series, Stacy recalled how it is for the rest of the family;
Stacy; Port Football Club came before everything else. And the more involved Mum & Dad became, the more as a family we lost.

The reality, the ordeal of those last couple of years not only cost my father his business, but his wife and his family too. It was a dark period for us. And it changed our lives forever.

His love for that club was above anything else and because of that, he sacrificed it all. Football culture, status and sheer passion potentially made him lose sight of everything else that was important. Something I believe in his later life he regretted.

Having said that, he fought for what he truly believed. And what he believed is that South Australia needed to be represented in the AFL. Why not have one of the most successful teams in the SANFL represent the state? He fought for what he believed in, what he was passionate about, and he never gave up.

For that, I admire him. He never did give up.

I’ve never truly believed the People of Port realised how much he did sacrifice for the club he lived, breathed and loved. And when it all came crashing down. Our family was broken, he lost his business. The people of Adelaide turned against him.

All because he fought for something, that 30 years later we know was the RIGHT thing for Adelaide. And what a successful club they are.

My father never lost his passion for Port, but the whole ordeal changed him.
And then, in 1994, we lost our mum. Three weeks after her death, Dad left for Jakarta, and I can’t help but feel he was escaping his grief of loosing mum and everything else he’d gone through in those last few years. At 14, I essentially, lost both my parents, as I was to stay in Queensland with family members.
In a conversation with my father in 2001, he told me that he had lost the love of his life because he had put his own interests before hers.

Would life have been different if we didn’t have the influence of football culture and the stresses of such an influential role. It’s something I question all the time.

I have a love / hate affiliation with the club. I love that my mum and dad were so passionate about the club, but I question where we would be right now if they weren’t so heavily involved.
The experience has made us who we are. It made up such a big part of a very influential part of our lives. I am proud of what he did for the club.

When he passed away in 2006, I was in London. I found solitude in all the great comments made about the Man that was my father on the football forums, however I was heartbroken to hear that some could not even offer my sisters and I their condolences. I was touched that Russell Ebert called into the radio station and defended us girls, I was equally as touched, at how the Port Football Club, especially Bob Clayton, stepped up and supported us girls in our time of grief.

In 2017, when Jack Cahill accepted Dad’s life membership, Jack acknowledged him as a born leader. A strong leader. A bullfrog, dominant and arrogant. Dad was all those things. I would also like to add that Bruce, the man was also incredibly loyal and kind-hearted. He had a hard exterior, but beneath it all he genuinely cared, and he would do anything for any of this family and friends.

This year at the 150th Anniversary Gala, Kochie’s speech caught me by surprise. It was truly heart-warming. I did not see it coming. I stood up on that stage on behalf of my father, overwhelmed with emotion. I was unbelievably proud of the acknowledgement from the Club! What an absolute moving speech. It goes to show, he didn’t do it all in vain.

I remember watching the 2004 grand final in the wee hours of the morning in London, as that final siren rang … so did my phone. It was my very emotional and ecstatic father. His love for Port (or South Australian Football) never died … he was just as proud on that day, as he was when he was President.

My heart belongs to Port Adelaide, and we go to the games when we can. His legacy lives on with the club, and it’s a way for my children to bond with their grandfather. My two young boys both have their Port Adelaide Guernseys and aspire to play for Port Adelaide when they grow up.

Photo: Stacy Seen & her husband Jeremy at Port Adelaide’s 150th Gala Event earlier this year: Stacy’s boys, Future Grandfather/Grandson Picks Brooklyn & Boston Seen, resplendent in their Port Adelaide Prison Bar Guernsey’s prior to the big game vs the Bombers as we seek to secure a top 2 spot!! Go get em boys!! And Rachel Weber, Boston, Brooklyn, Jeremy & Stacy Seen at the Metricon Stadium vs Geelong

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

2nd last part of PrisonBars Weber Series.

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WEBER SERIES
32 – How Would We Like Dad Remembered
Jodie;
I would love Dad to be remembered at the Port Adelaide Football Club as not just the Visionary he was, but also the man who lead the Club out of a dark hole and into the brightest arena in Australia, the man who truly had the best interest of his beloved Club at heart, who took on the world to make it happen, despite the consequences and despite not being able to have Port play their first AFL game until 1997.

He bled Black and White all his life. He was born and bred on Semaphore Road. He loved the Port Adelaide Football Club with all his being. I know he loved us girls, without question, but sometimes, sadly, it felt like he loved the Club more.

But that did not stop him being glued to the radio with me in Pt. Augusta, South Australia during the second Power vs Crows Showdown – we lost and we were so disappointed and I now remember saying to him, “well, no one remembers the second man who walked on the moon” – Dad said I should call the local radio station and say that, so I did.

Or calling my two sisters in London, or me at the MCG countless times during the 2004 Grand Final against Brisbane Lions. In fact, at half time during that Grand Final, when the Power were trailing, Dad called me and demanded that I take my phone down to Choco so he could have a word to him to rev the players up and make sure they played a true Port Adelaide Premiership third quarter .. Thankfully I didn’t have too, and when that final siren rang on the 25th of September 2004, I know I heard the tears fall of his face, I felt his beam of pride shine from another country, and I my pride for him was beyond comprehension as I witnessed, first hand, his dream that he believed in wholeheartedly, become a successful reality.

I often wonder if the people of the Port Adelaide Football Club really ever knew, or were grateful for him & for all he had done, and my Mum too – it wasn’t until George Fiacchi called me when I was living in Texas in 2017 to let me know Dad was finally being awarded a Posthumous Life Membership by the Club. I remember literally crying on the phone to George, saying “don’t just do this because YOU think he should get it, it needs to come from the WHOLE club. George assured me that he was being awarded it because the Club believed he deserved it. FINALLY, after all these years, years after his passing, he was being publicly acknowledged for his work at the Port Adelaide Football Club.

May my Dad, Bruce Weber, be remembered fondly for putting everything he had into the Port Adelaide Football Club for all the right reasons, for the best of the Club. May he be remembered for putting South Australian Football on the National Stage. He was not a traitor, it was not treachery, it was visionary. And like Kochie said this year at the Port Adelaide Football Club’s 150th Gala, “he was absolutely right!”.

And may people know, that behind this great man, was a great woman, my Mum, Carol, who supported him until her end, despite his wrong doings as a husband, she was always his rock, she encouraged him to be the President of the PAFC, she stood by him as best she could, she was the one he talked too, the one he worked with, the one who listened, the one who guided him when she could and ultimately the one he loved. She was THE First Lady of Alberton.

Finally, it is an honor every year to personally congratulate the winner of the Bruce Weber Memorial Trophy to best team player for the Port Adelaide SANFL Magpies. It was an honor to hand it out, personally, whilst standing next to Timmy G the first year it was awarded. He was a leader of a great team. He was a player of the best team. And he ultimately got his team on top top top!

Rachel; I want people to know that Bruce Weber had a good heart and a wild sense of humour. I want people to know he took his role as a Port Man very seriously indeed, and he did make some of the biggest personal sacrifices for the common end. He played on the field, he set up a business, he supported other small businesses, and he actively worked to make the Port a better place... And, like the last two paragraphs of the Port Adelaide Creed says… he did.

“Also we know that, should we after striving to our utmost and giving our everything, still not be successful, our efforts will become a further part of this Club's enviable tradition.

Finally, we concede that there can be honour in defeat, but to each of us, honourable defeat of our Club and guernsey can only come after human endeavour on the playing field is completely exhausted." Fos Williams

Photo: Bruce Weber – Port Adelaide Football Club President 1986-1992.

 

[VineValerian]

The "Bruce Weber PAFC Museum".

 

[Spadge]

a great read..

if it wasnt for Bruce, who knows what we would be doing now

Port owes everything to this man

 

[70sDinosaur]

if it wasnt for Bruce, who knows what we would be doing now

We would have John Olsen putting off further talk of an SA team joining the AFL until 2023 at the earliest - at which time he hopes the conditions of entry will include money from the AFL to install a video scoreboard at Football Park and upgrade the bench seats.

 

[Grave Danger]

We would have John Olsen putting off further talk of an SA team joining the AFL until 2023 at the earliest - at which time he hopes the conditions of entry will include money from the AFL to install a video scoreboard at Football Park and upgrade the bench seats.

Once we'd racked up our 50th premiership the SANFL would have been expanded to 12 teams, with the admission of Semaphore and Rosewater.