Demonstone's "Sunday Too Far Away" Super Special Stumper

[Demonstone 22,582]

The game in Alice Springs is never going to get here, is it? 

We won't even know the team until Saturday with an extended squad to be named tonight.

Here's another brainteaser to help fill in that interminable gap and provide some entertainment (for me, anyway).

Today's team is a little unusual in that it has only two on the bench in a throwback to the olden days.  The players are an eclectic bunch as well.  Some are from yesteryear, some are not.  Some are champions, some are not.  Some are in their correct position, some are not.  Some are given nicknames, some are not.  Some are Demons, some are not.

What links them all?  As usual, answers in PM only please.

Again, I have spared any expense assembling prizes of zip, zilch and nada which will be awarded to the first three correct respondents.

 

B:         Butch Gale     Whale Roberts     Christian Salem

H/B:     Mopsy Fraser     Ted Whitten     Checker Hughes

C:         Polly Farmer     Soapy Vallence     Bluey Hampshire

H/F:     Sam Newman     Cowboy Neale     Buddy Franklin

F:         Spider Burton     Nobby Clarke     Ollie Wines

R:        Crackers Keenan     Quinton Narkle     Bobby Skilton

19th:   Sticks Kernahan      20th:     Terry Wallace

[layzie 33,833]

Really need to set a calander notification for this. Keep forgetting.

[Demonstone 22,582]

We have a winner already!  Gold medal to mo64, which either means that the teaser is easy or mo is a genius.

[Demonstone 22,582]

Congratulations to tilly18 who has run into second place and wins the Silver medal.

[Demonstone 22,582]

We can eliminate suggestions that they are all fishermen and also that they are types of soap (!).

[Demonstone 22,582]

The bizarre response that they are Aboriginal trackers may also be discounted.

Hint #1:  The answer has nothing to do with the players' surnames.

[Demonstone 22,582]

They are not Enid Blyton characters, nor are they childrens' toys.

[Demonstone 22,582]

The players in this team do not share a first name with children's cartoon characters.

Hint #2:  The answer is not football related.

[Demonstone 22,582]

The answer is not film related.

Hint #3:  It has nothing to do with music or any of the other arts, either.

[Demonstone 22,582]

Nothing to do with comic books or any other type of publication.

[Lucifers Hero 39,915]

Maybe a Hint about what it is related to rather than what it is not related to...

Edited July 14, 2022 by Lucifers Hero

[Demonstone 22,582]

I thought we might get there by process of elimination, Luci!

However, it's getting late so here's a more direct clue.

Hint #4: The players don't just have surnames.

[Demonstone 22,582]

Bronze medal has been won by Jumping Jack Clennett.

I'll leave the teaser open for a while longer with the reveal to occur around 5pm.

[Lucifers Hero 39,915]

14 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

I thought we might get there by process of elimination, Luci!

However, it's getting late so here's a more direct clue.

Hint #4: The players don't just have surnames.

Yes, I figured it is related to first names.

 

Waiting till 5.00pm..torture!

[Demonstone 22,582]

Hint #5:  The nicknames are a misdirection.

[Neil Crompton 5,571]

13 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

Hint #5:  The nicknames are a misdirection.

Now I’ve got it - well done D, great puzzle.

[dl4e 5,851]

I get it. Cyclones

[Demonstone 22,582]

Jontee, Spud and Neil Crompton have come up with the correct answer but, with all medals awarded, will have to console themselves with a virtual participation ribbon.

The answer is that the team is named in alphabetical order by first name, the nicknames being used to make it a little more challenging and requiring some lateral thinking.

Due to the ancient nature of some of the players, this teaser suited our more mature posters.

I had to stop at "T" because I don't know of any player whose first name begins with "U".  Anybody know of one?

The team with actual first names:

B:          Alan Gale     Brian Roberts     Christian Salem

H/B:     Don Fraser     Edward Whitten     Frank Hughes

C:         Graham Farmer     Harry Vallence     Ian Hampshire

H/F:     John Newman     Kevin Neale     Lance Franklin

F:          Matthew Burton     Neil Clarke    Oliver Wines

R:          Peter Keenan     Quinton Narkle     Robert Skilton

19th:    Stephen Kernahan     20th:     Terry Wallace

[layzie 33,833]

Once again I'm too late, enjoyed though! 

Bring on the next one.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,811]

16 hours ago, Demonstone said:

Jontee, Spud and Neil Crompton have come up with the correct answer but, with all medals awarded, will have to console themselves with a virtual participation ribbon.

The answer is that the team is named in alphabetical order by first name, the nicknames being used to make it a little more challenging and requiring some lateral thinking.

Due to the ancient nature of some of the players, this teaser suited our more mature posters.

I had to stop at "T" because I don't know of any player whose first name begins with "U".  Anybody know of one?

The team with actual first names:

B:          Alan Gale     Brian Roberts     Christian Salem

H/B:     Don Fraser     Edward Whitten     Frank Hughes

C:         Graham Farmer     Harry Vallence     Ian Hampshire

H/F:     John Newman     Kevin Neale     Lance Franklin

F:          Matthew Burton     Neil Clarke    Oliver Wines

R:          Peter Keenan     Quinton Narkle     Robert Skilton

19th:    Stephen Kernahan     20th:     Terry Wallace

There's been at least one. According to this extraordinary research there was a player with the first name of Urban who played one game in 1950. I haven't yet found Urban's surname or who he played with or whether there have been any other players whose first names started with U.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,811]

After a bit more research, Urban Duniam played one game for South Melbourne in 1950. He was in a losing team.

[Demonstone 22,582]

Magnificent effort there, LD-vC.

Urban wore #2 which is an unusually low number for a bloke who only managed one game.

I wonder if he suffered a serious injury or maybe he just wasn't much chop.

[tiers 2,840]

So now that U has been found, and names starting with V, W, X and Z are too easy, is there a player whose names starts with Y?