West Torrens and Woodville Historical Timeline

1897

  • West Torrens loses first two games without scoring Commencement of district system for player registrations in SAFA

1898

  • Fledgling Club has 6 wins for the season but only finish in 5th position

1899

  • Edward McKenzie, State player and older brother of Tom Mackenzie appointed Captain.
1900
  • West Torrens “Bos” Daly tops SAFA goal kicking with 27 goals Win 9 games for the season but just miss out on Grand Final appearance.
1901
  • Edwin Filsell first recorded Club Champion.  Sturt joins SAFA competition.

1902

  • Tom MacKenzie wins his 1 st Magarey Medal (also wins award in 1905,1906 with North) Star player Oscar Hyman transfers from Sturt to captain West Torrens for one season.
1903
  • Finish season in 5th position with only 3 wins.
1904
  • Complete poor season with only one victory.
1905
  • West Torrens move to Hindmarsh Oval as home ground.
1906
  • Six West Torrens players appear on cigarette trade cards.  Life membership awarded for first time to 6 members.
1907
  • Competition becomes South Australian National Football League.  West Torrens finishes 3rd.
1908
  • West Torrens’ George Kersley wins the Reserves Magarey Medal.
1909
  • West Torrens finishes season 3rd.
1910
  • West Torrens captain Ralph Aldersey retires at the end of the year after 130 games.
1911
  • Tom MacKenzie returns to West Torrens as Captain.  Former West Torrens Captain Ralph Aldersey umpires SANFL Grand Final.  Frank King takes over as 2nd Club President from Thomas Brooker.
1912
  • Dave Low wins Magarey Medal.  SANFL players start wearing jumper numbers.
1913
  • West Torrens Club chairman George Plenty, issues player numbers lists at Hindmarsh Oval matches, in effect a forerunner of Football Budgets.
1914
  • West Torrens loses semi final against North by 9 points to finish season 4th.
1915
  • Dave Low, 1912 Magarey Medallist, killed in action in the War.
1916
  • SANFL competition suspended during WW1 West Torrens runner-up in Patriotic Competition.
1917
  • SANFL competition suspended during WW1 West Torrens runner-up in Patriotic Competition.
1918
  • SANFL competition suspended during WW1 West Torrens win premiership in Patriotic Competition.
1919
  • Recommencement of League competition, West Torrens finish 3rd.
1920
  • West Torrens play 2 games in Tasmania during Interstate Match recess.

1921

  • Johnny Karney ties in Magarey Medal won by Dan Moriarty (Medal posthumously award in 1998).
1922
  • West Torrens move to new home Thebarton Oval.
1923
  • Roy Brown appointed West Torrens Captain (lasting 5 years).
1924
  • West Torrens wins 1 st Premiership after 27-year wait.  Defeat Sturt in Grand Final.
1925
  • West Torrens lose Challenge Final against Norwood by 1 point.
1926
  • Club loses only 6 games but finishes season 5th.
1927
  • Torrens reaches finals but finishes 4th.
1928
  • Premiership captain Roy Brown transfers to Glenelg.
1929
  • West Torrens has 2 drawn games during season.
1930
  • West Torrens finish bottom for first time.
1931
  • Final series amended with deletion of “Right of Challenge” by Minor Premier.
1932
  • Max Pontifex wins Magarey Medal.
1933
  • West Torrens wins 2nd Premiership defeating Norwood.
1934
  • Torrens loses another 1 st Semi Final, finish 4th. Club plays Tasmania in Hobart during August.
1935
  • West Torrens full forward Alex Kinlough, brother of Premiership Coach Joe Kinlough, wins Reserves Magarey Medal.  He only played 5 Reserves games.  Torrens plays Queensland at end of season.
1936
  • SANFL celebrated South Australia’s centenary year.  West Torrens finish 6th. Introduction of Thirds competition, West Torrens won Inaugural Premiership
1937
  • Perennial Club Secretary Harold Tomkins retires at end of the season after 19 years at Club.
1938
  • Woodville Club starts playing in Port and Suburban Competition.  West Torrens loses another 1st Semi Final, finishes 4th.  South won Premiership coached by former Torrens Star Len (Buck) Ashby.
1939
  • Ken Farmer kicks league record 23 goals against West Torrens on July 6th at Prospect.  Woodville Club join Amateur League.
1940
  • Ken Farmer kicks league record 23 goals against West Torrens on July 6th at Prospect.  Woodville Club join Amateur League.
1941
  • Woodville win A2 Premiership in Amateur League.  Star Torrens Player Lance Juttner badly breaks his leg in game at Thebarton and never plays again.  West Torrens finish season with Wooden spoon.  Don Waite, West Torrens vice captain and 1938 Club Champion killed in action at Tobruk.
1942
  • SANFL competition suspended during WW2.  West Torrens and Port Adelaide combine for war year’s competition Port/Torrens win Premiership.
1943
  • Ken Farmer kicks league record 23 goals against West Torrens on July 6th at Prospect.  Woodville Club join Amateur League
1944
  • SANFL competition suspended during WW2 Port/Torrens runner-up to Norwood/North.
1945
  • Recommencement of SANFL competition. West Torrens wins 3rd Premiership defeating Port.
1946
  • Bob Hank wins Magarey Medal Woodville win A1 Premiership in Amateur League.
1947
  • Bob Hank appointed Captain for 1st of 9 straight seasons.  Bob Hank wins his second Magarey Medal.
1948
  • West Torrens runner-up to Norwood.
1949
  • West Torrens runner-up to North Adelaide.
1950
  • Torrens Star Full Back Alf Roberts 3rd in Magarey Medal.
1951
  • Bob Hank coaches West Torrens for 1 season.  4 time Club leading goal kicker John Mehaffey enforced retirement after contracting polio.
1952
  • John Willis West Torrens and SANFL top goal kicker with 85 goals.
1953
  • West Torrens wins 4th Premiership defeating Port.  Bob Hank selected in “All Australian” team.
1954
  • Bob Hank misses 8 games with fractured jaw.  West Torrens lose Preliminary Final to West.  Future League star Brian Livesey wins Reserves Magarey Medal
1955
  • West Torrens change jumper to Eagle Emblem.  Lindsay Head wins his first Magarey Medal.   In first game of season Bob Hank badly injures his knee, does not play again in this season.

1956

  • Mick Clingly kicks Club record 12-3 in game against Glenelg.  Lindsay Head selected in “All Australian” team.
1957
  • Bob Hank Club Champion for record 9th time.
1958
  • Lindsay Head wins his second Magarey Medal.  West Torrens Champion Bob Hank forced into retirement by Coach Dick Jones.
1959
  • Woodville and Central District join the SANFL Competition in Reserve Grade.
1960
  • Woodville finish 3rd in Reserves competition.  Bob Hank returns to West Torrens Club as Reserves playing Coach.
1961
  • Triple Brownlow Medallist Dick Reynolds Coach of West Torrens for 3 years.  Geoff Kingston SANFL top goal kicker with 78 goals.  All Australian selection for Geoff Kingston and Bob Shearman.  Torrens lose 1st semi Final to Norwood.  Woodville’s Bob Simunsen wins Reserves Magarey Medal.
1962
  • Bob Shearman appointed Captain.  Champion forward Neil Hawke gains clearance from Port to West Torrens.  West Torrens again loses 1st Semi Final to Norwood. Woodville’s Bob Simunsen wins another Reserves Magarey Medal.
1963
  • Lindsay Head wins his 3rd Magarey Medal.  West Torrens “Minor Premiers” but lose both Finals to finish 3rd.
1964
  • Woodville commence League Grade competition.  Harold McDonald Coach of League team and Bob Simunsen first League Captain of Woodville.
1965
  • West Torrens Captain Bob Shearman stands out of football to obtain clearance to Sturt.  Peter Obst appointed Woodville Captain/Coach for 3 years.  Woodville finish season with Wooden Spoon.
1966
  • Woodville’s Bob Simunsen runner-up in Magarey Medal.
1967
  • Lindsay Head Club Champion for 8th time.
1968
  • Former Essendon star John Birt appointed Captain/Coach of West Torrens for 3 years. Noel Teasdale appointed Coach of Woodville for 4 years.
1969
  • West Torrens wins 10 straight to reach first Finals since 1963 but loses 1st Semi-Final replay.
1970
  • Lindsay Head retires during season after 327 League games.
1971
  • Wayne Jackson Captain/Coach of West Torrens Reserves
 1972
  • Malcolm Blight wins Magarey Medal.  Malcolm Blight selected in “All Australian” team. Woodville wins Coca Cola Cup Competition. Fred Bills West Torrens Champion for 4th time.
1973
  • West Torrens finish 7th for third year in a row and Woodville finish 8th.
1974
  • Wayne Jackson takes over as League Coach from Bill Barrot for half a season. Torrens rally to improve to 5th, miss Finals on percentage.
1975
  • West Torrens finish with Wooden Spoon.  Champion Fred Bills retires during season after 313 games.
1976
  • West Torrens again finish with Wooden Spoon.
1977
  • Neil Kerley appointed West Torrens coach for 4 years.  Woodville’s John Roberts kicks Club record 16 goals against Central District.
1978
  • West Torrens reach Finals, finish 5th.  Dr Peter Barnes wins Reserves Magarey Medal.
1979
  • Glynn Hewitt of Woodville SANFL top goal kicker with 83. Woodville reach Finals for the first time but finish 5th.
1980
  • West Torrens reaches Finals for last time, finish 5th.
 1981
  • Woodville finish with first of 6 straight Wooden Spoons.
 1982
  • Woodville Trevor Pierson kicks 104 goals for the season. West Torrens’ Kym Dillon wins Reserves Magarey Medal.  First suggestion of Woodville and West Torrens amalgamation appear in newspapers.
1983
  • Woodville “favourite son” Malcolm Blight returns to Club as Captain for 3 years/Coach for 5 years.  West Torrens wins “Night Premiership”.
1984
  • West Torrens finishes 9th in League but wins 18th Reserves premiership.  Tony Owens wins Reserves Magarey Medal.
1985
  • Malcolm Blight SANFL top goal kicker with 126 and selected in “All Australian” team.
1986
  • Woodville reach Finals and finish 3rd.  Woodville’s Stephen Nichols SANFL leading goal kicker with 103 goals.
1987
  • Woodville again reach Finals, finish 5th.  Woodville’s Stephen Nichols kicks 108 goals. Woodville’s Andrew Rogers selected in “All Australian” team.
1988
  • West Torrens finish with Wooden Spoon.  Andrew Payze runner-up in Magarey Medal. 4 time Magarey Medallist Russell Ebert appointed Coach of Woodville for 3 years. Stephen Nichols SANFL leading goal kicker with 103 goals.  Woodville wins night “Escort Cup” competition.
1989
  • Andrew Bennett appointed West Torrens Coach.  West Torrens play at Thebarton Oval for the last time on September 2nd.
1990
  • West Torrens and Woodville play against each other in last round at Adelaide Oval. Allen Jakovich kicks a total of 101 goals in Woodville’s last season.  Ralph Sewer retires at end of season after 325 games.  Amalgamation committee formed during year to join both Clubs.
    • Committee Members from West Torrens were Graham Thompson, Des Barry, Murray Richardson, John Graham, Terry Caldow, Tony Farrugia, Steve Turner and Rex Sellers.
    • Committee Members from Woodville were Alan King, Charlie Winstanley, Ron Kinsman, Les Stevens, Norm Tanti, Bill Sanders, Kevin Angel and Geoff Hosking.

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