33, he joined Port Adelaide in the SANFL league and played 17 games during the 1945 SANFL season. Bunton would form a formidable duo with Bob Quinn, helping Port Adelaide attract record crowds for the season. At the end of the minor round, Port Adelaide had lost only two games, finishing up with a percentage of 133. Bunton would play in the first final of his career with Port Adelaide in their Second Semi-Final win against Norwood in front of 36,383 spectators at Adelaide Oval. Bunton would kick two goals during the match. The win against Norwood qualified Port Adelaide for the 1945 SANFL Grand Final against West Torrens. During the first quarter of the 1945 SANFL Grand Final, Port Adelaide kicked a record quarter-time score for a SANFL Grand Final of 8.1 (51), which still stands today. However, this was not enough for Bunton to win his first premiership as a player with Port Adelaide, falling short by 13 points to West Torrens. The 1945 SANFL Grand Final would be Haydn Bunton Sr's last match in senior football. Bunton would be awarded two Magarey Medal votes during his 17 games for Port Adelaide in 1945, thus achieving the rare feat of garnering votes in the VFL, WAFL, and SANFL. North Adelaide (1947 & 1948) On Monday, 3 March 1947, the North Adelaide Football Club appointed Haydn Bunton as senior non-playing coach. North Adelaide finished in 6th position in 1947 and in 5th position in 1948. Bunton resigned as coach after the last home-and-away game in September 1948. Interestingly, North Adelaide Football Club went onto win the 1949 SANFL premiership, coached by Ken Farmer. Cricket career Haydn Bunton was the most outstanding batsman in the Albury and Border Cricket Association, with an average of 149 in the 1927/28 season and averaged 127 in 1928/29, and his services were sought by many Melbourne District Cricket Clubs. In December 1928, Bunton (144), was involved in a 280-run, second-wicket partnership with William "Cassie" Andrews (146) from Maitland in a Sydney Country Week Cricket Carnival match on the Sydney Cricket Ground between a combined country week team and a combined Sydney first-grade team. Bunton commenced playing Melbourne district cricket for the Fitzroy Cricket Club during the 1930/31 season and scored 104 against Prahran on Saturday, 9 January 1932. Bunton played for Fitzroy CC in their losing 1931/32 Melbourne District Cricket grand final against St.