Allan Crabb
Encyclopedia
Allan "Buster" Crabb was an Australian rules football
er best known for his playing career with Glenelg, SANFL, in the 1940s and 1950s.
Crabb was a left-foot ruckman
who debuted with the war-time combined West Adelaide-Glenelg side in 1942, and played out his career from 1945-1956 with Glenelg. In the process he became one of the most popular and respected footballers in the State http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/co-cz.htm#Allan%20Crabb%20(Glenelg).
Jeff Pash
, a contemporary and later a sports writer
, noted Crabb's outwardly placid nature, yet he was well able to look after himself in the roughhouse world of the ruck. Pash described Crabb's rucking as "both the deft plamer and the solid knocker" and felt that he had "some adventurous quality about him, too - whimsical almost - that leads him to mark one-handed or otherwise do the dangerouse thing, but not at all in any spirit of ostentation".
Crabb represented South Australia
against interstate teams for many years; usually in ruck partnership with Norwood
's John Marriott
. Crabb was runner-up in the Magarey Medal
- the highest individual award in the League for the "fairest and most brilliant" player - in both 1949 (on a countback) and 1950. The SANFL in 1998 retrospectively awarded Medals to all players who had lost on countbacks (i.e. had tied for the award but had less first preference votes), thus giving Crabb his reward fifty years later. Crabb also won Glenelg's 1949 best and fairest award, and captained the club for three seasons.
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...
er best known for his playing career with Glenelg, SANFL, in the 1940s and 1950s.
Crabb was a left-foot ruckman
Ruckman (Australian rules football position)
In Australian rules football, a ruckman is typically a tall and athletic player who contests at centre bounces and stoppages . The ruckman is one of the most important players on the field...
who debuted with the war-time combined West Adelaide-Glenelg side in 1942, and played out his career from 1945-1956 with Glenelg. In the process he became one of the most popular and respected footballers in the State http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/co-cz.htm#Allan%20Crabb%20(Glenelg).
Jeff Pash
Jeff Pash
Jeff Pash was an Australian rules footballer who played with North Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League . He is a half forward flanker in North Adelaide's official 'Team of the Century'....
, a contemporary and later a sports writer
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
, noted Crabb's outwardly placid nature, yet he was well able to look after himself in the roughhouse world of the ruck. Pash described Crabb's rucking as "both the deft plamer and the solid knocker" and felt that he had "some adventurous quality about him, too - whimsical almost - that leads him to mark one-handed or otherwise do the dangerouse thing, but not at all in any spirit of ostentation".
Crabb represented South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
against interstate teams for many years; usually in ruck partnership with Norwood
Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
's John Marriott
John Marriott (footballer)
John Marriott is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Norwood in the SANFL. He was chosen as a ruckman in Norwood's official 'Team of the Century'....
. Crabb was runner-up in the Magarey Medal
Magarey Medal
For the biography award of the same name, see Magarey Medal for biography. For a list of winners, see List of Magarey Medallists.The Magarey Medal is an Australian rules football honour awarded annually since 1898 to the fairest and most brilliant player in the South Australian National Football...
- the highest individual award in the League for the "fairest and most brilliant" player - in both 1949 (on a countback) and 1950. The SANFL in 1998 retrospectively awarded Medals to all players who had lost on countbacks (i.e. had tied for the award but had less first preference votes), thus giving Crabb his reward fifty years later. Crabb also won Glenelg's 1949 best and fairest award, and captained the club for three seasons.