PAUL Bagshaw thought he was the victim of a prank.
Someone claiming to be AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick had called the Sturt legend to inform him of his induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
"The problem was I didn't know Mike and he rang me on the morning of April 1st," Bagshaw, 69, said.
"It wasn't until I got the official letter that I believed it. I'm stunned and delighted."
Double Blues fans were often stunned and delighted by the man they dubbed 'Mr Magic' – the greatest player in one of the greatest elite-level teams of all time.
Picture: Sturt
A match-winning ruck-rover who could also star in key positions, Bagshaw played a club-record 360 SANFL games for Sturt (and 14 for South Australia) from 1964-80, winning seven premierships, including two as captain.
He won five best and fairest awards, three of them during Sturt's remarkable run of five successive premierships from 1966-70.
Bagshaw made his debut at 17 and finished runner-up in the club award in his first two seasons, before winning it at 19.
"It was a good start, and we just rolled on from there," he said.
Picture: Sturt
A prototype for the modern footballer, Bagshaw was versatile, strong and athletic, and could take big marks, go on long, weaving runs and kick miraculous goals.
He likes to think he shared some traits with Hawthorn and Adelaide champion Darren Jarman.
"We both generally chose the right option and, with our evasion, the opposition couldn't get ahold of us," he said.
Bagshaw insists luck was a factor in his success. "I got good sporting genes from both of my parents," he said, highlighting that his father Hartley played 112 games for Sturt in a war-interrupted career, while his mother's family boasted some first-class cricketers.
Picture: Sturt
Bagshaw felt fortunate to be a manual worker – he and his father were grape-growers in their hometown of McLaren Flat – which helped to build strength, overcome soreness and guard against injury.
He felt lucky to play alongside other champions in a champion team under a legendary coach.
Bagshaw also believes he was blessed to have just one coach, visionary 10-time premiership winner Jack Oatey. He believes he could have been an even more prolific player if given free rein, but Oatey demanded he patrol the middle third of the ground rather than "roaming around like an unregistered dog".
Oatey also taught him the checkside, or banana kick, and Bagshaw said perhaps the best goal he slotted via that mode was in the 1973 qualifying final against North Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, when he nailed a 45-metre shot from the boundary in his jock-strap after his shorts had been ripped off.
Picture: Sturt
Bagshaw later went forward and in 1978 led the SANFL goalkicking with 78 goals. His best haul of 10 majors included six in a 10-minute burst.
Melbourne clubs made approaches but Bagshaw never considered leaving Sturt or the farm.
Now retired, he describes football as "a great teacher for life".
"It teaches you how to win and lose, the value of hard work, discipline and teamwork, and many other things too," Bagshaw said.
"I'm just lucky I played it for so long in such a great environment."
| FACTFILE: PAUL BAGSHAW | |
|---|---|
| Clubs | Sturt |
| Born | August 22, 1946 |
| Recruited from | Sturt |
| Playing career | 1964-80 |
| Games | 360 |
| Goals | 258 |
| Player honours | Best & fairest 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1977; leading goalkicker 1978; premierships 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976; captain 1973-80; SA representative (14 games); Sturt Team of the Century; SA Football Hall of Fame |
- Ben Collins
