BIO
Wartime Competition 1942 - 1944
Norwood-North games : 27
Norwood-North goals : 22
A diminutive rover from Mundoora, Morrie Arbon was a key member of Norwood-North’s 1943 and 1944 premiership teams in the World War II competition.
He was one of six players from SANFL clubs other than Norwood and North Adelaide who were granted permits to play for Norwood-North in the war years. Morrie Arbon, Bill Isaac and Myer Solomon came from South Adelaide and, with “Horrie” Searle from West Torrens, were members of both Norwood-North premiership teams. John Bell from Port Adelaide and Len Dangerfield from Glenelg were their teammates in 1943.
Morrie was chosen in the South Adelaide league squad in 1939 but did not play senior football there. He switched to North Adelaide in 1945 and earned acclaim as a rover before finishing in the back pocket in 1950. He played 99 league games and kicked 125 goals.
Morrie developed into a league player in his two years with Norwood-North. In the 1943 preliminary final, Morrie led a dynamic roving trio with Albert Sawley and Jack Oatey, who made his first appearance of the season. Morrie kicked two goals as Norwood-North thumped West-Glenelg 18.17 to 12.11. In a stirring grand final, Norwood-North trailed early but finished strongly before 36,400 spectators at Adelaide Oval. Morrie was in the thick of it as Norwood-North piled on 5.1 to three points for a 21-point victory, 12.10 to 8.13.
In 1944, Norwood-North stormed from bottom to top in the four-team competition, with three of its six wins coming in the major round. As in the previous year, Port-Torrens dominated the minor round but again kicked inaccurately in the grand final. It was a gruelling affair with barely a goal between the teams for most of the day. Norwood-North led by one point at three-quarter time and hung on to win by six points, 9.7 to 7.13. The Advertiser writer ‘Rover ‘ said: “Arbon roved tirelessly and well to be the best rover afield.” He won the club trophy for best rover that season.
Morrie Arbon was born at Mundoora on 15 May 1919 and died on 31 December 1990.
P. Robins, G. Adams January 2025