Panthers Past - Ron Hateley

16 August 2018

To celebrate SANFL #RetroRound we are taking a look back at the highlights from some of the most influential Panthers from the 1980s.

These days a bag of eight is a rarity even for a key forward. Well, Ron Hateley once did it from the wing!

Hateley was a tall, thinly built wingman Tantanoola and made his senior SANFL debut in 1973. He was a key player for the Panthers during the Haydn Bunton Jr era, winning a club best and fairest award in 1976, and earning state selection four times.

He agonisingly missed the 1979 Grand Final after breaking his leg during the Qualifying Final clash with Port Adelaide earlier in the finals series.

After recovering from his broken leg Hateley put in a full season in 1980 and continued to produce reliable football for the Panthers until his retirement, with 216 senior games to his credit, at the end of the 1984 season.

A stalwart through the 70s and 80s, the man they called "Snake" certainly knew where the goals were. See some of his best running goals