SANFL Chimney painting tradition marks 60-year anniversary Standing over a red tub of paint, from left to right, painter Peter Dohnt, Norwood's Keiren McGuinness Stephen Williams, North Adelaide's Greg Gallman and West End Regional Director Jake Parkinson. Picture: Mike Burton. NO tradition in SA league football has lasted as long as the painting of the West End chimney in the colours of the SANFL grand finalists. Not lace-up guernseys, nor drop kicks or even the SANFL premiership trophy. And the 60th anniversary of SA Brewing honouring the SANFL champions carries greater significance this year - it is the last time the chimney is reserved solely for SANFL clubs. From next season the annual tradition of unveiling the chimney on the Monday after the SANFL grand final could involve AFL players with the Crows and Power reserves teams in the state league. It all began in 1954 - when the chimney was in Hindley Street - with an SA Brewing employee arguing for the chimney to be painted red and black in recognition of the brewery being in West Adelaide Football Club territory. SA Brewing boss of the time, Sir Roland Jacobs, agreed only if the Blood and Tars beat Port Adelaide in the 1954 SANFL grand final. Magpies coach Fos Williams fired back with the call for Port Adelaide's black-and-white colours to be honoured if the SANFL flag went back to Alberton. When the victorious Williams turned up at the brewery on the Monday after the grand final to stir the paint, he argued for West Adelaide's colours to be represented as well in recognition of the gallant fight for the SANFL flag. And the tradition has continued with a painter cradled next to the chimney on the night after the SANFL grand final. So far, 1200 litres - 20 litres a year - of paint have been used. In 1954, the predominant colour was black. This year it will be the red that is common to both grand finalists, Norwood and North Adelaide. They have not shared prime spot on the chimney since 1960 when North Adelaide won the premiership. Williams' son, Stephen, has enjoyed the task of unveiling the colours on the chimney since 1979 when his older brothers Mark and Anthony celebrated Port Adelaide's win against South Adelaide. "It is one of football's great days," said Williams. When you win the grand final, there is the club dinner that night - but there is nothing like the fun you have as a team coming here to see the chimney acknowledge you have won the premiership. It is there for the whole year. In the summer - when I would train through the city - if I didn't see the Port Adelaide colours on the chimney, you'd find the inspiration to work hard to change that.