games away from Alberton Oval, the club returned to playing SANFL games at its traditional venue in front of record crowds, including an attendance of 22,738 against Norwood on 11 June 1977. Ebert won his first premiership as a player as Port Adelaide broke its 12-year drought, defeating Glenelg at Football Park in the 1977 SANFL Grand Final. Before the presentation of the Thomas Seymour Hill Trophy, thousands of spectators stormed the ground. When Ebert recalled this moment he noted that "[i]t was quite dangerous to have close to ten thousand people just stampede onto the oval into a really confined space. We just looked for our teammates and got into the huddle...Everyone just wanted to get out there and be a part of it". Ebert kept only one guernsey from his playing career, the one he wore in the 1977 premiership decider. Ebert was awarded SANFL life membership during the 1977 SANFL season. Following the success of Port Adelaide's 1977 premiership, the club, led by Ebert, finished fourth during the minor round of the 1978 SANFL season, qualifying for finals. Ebert finished runner up by one vote in the 1978 Magarey Medal count to Kym Hodgeman of Glenelg. Port Adelaide comfortably beat West Torrens in the Elimination Final. The club then faced Glenelg, 1977 runners-up, in the First Semi Final. Glenelg were in control of the game for the first three quarters but a "gutsy" effort by Ebert in the midfield helped Port Adelaide win the match and qualify for the Preliminary Final against Norwood. North Melbourne (1979) On 22 January 1979 Ebert spoke to Bob McLean, Port Adelaide's general manager, informing him of his intention to play with North Melbourne for the 1979 VFL season. In response McLean tabled to Ebert the largest contract offer in the history of the Port Adelaide Football Club but Ebert declined. Many Victorian Football League clubs had chased Ebert for a decade until North Melbourne finally won his signature. Port Adelaide agreed to lease Ebert to North Melbourne for the 1979 season in exchange for Mark Dawson, as well as paying Ebert $35,000. In response to Ebert moving from the SANFL to the VFL, the former league's president Max Basheer lamented that "[f]rom a state and club viewpoint we cannot afford to lose players of this calibre". During 1979 Ebert continued to operate his business, a sports store, in Adelaide. Ebert would