West Torrens Football Club souvenir colours

Souvenir club colours circa early 1960s.

The West Torrens Football Club began in 1894 when a number of players from Port Adelaide left that club to form their own team, Port Natives. Initially part of the Adelaide and Suburban Association, in 1895 they joined the South Australian Football Association later known as the South Australia National Football League (SANFL). The club changed its name to West Torrens in 1897 upon the inception of district football.

The Eagles, as they became known, wore blue and gold. Their first home ground was at Hindmarsh Oval from 1905, before moving to Thebarton Oval in 1922. West Torrens won four SANFL premierships, 1924, 1933, 1945 and 1953 and many fine players have donned the various styles of blue and gold guernsey.

Magarey Medallists from the club were Tom MacKenzie 1902 (who also won the 1905 and 1906 Magarey Medals with North Adelaide), Dave Low 1912, John Karney 1921, Max Pontifex 1932, Bob Hank 1946 and 1947 and Lindsay Head 1955, 1958 and 1963. Other club greats include the club's first premiership captain Roy Brown, ruckman Stan Patten, Ossie O'Grady, Len 'Booby' Mills, Jim Coverlid, Mick Clingly, Fred Bills, Peter Phillipou, Kevin McSporran, Matt Rendell and Bruce Lindsay.

After their 1953 premiership West Torrens never again competed in a Grand Final and were in fact irregular competitors in any final matches. In 1990 it was decided to merge the club with the Woodville Football Club and West Torrens played their last game in round 20 of the 1990 season. The new club, known as the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles, played their first game in 1991 and won the SANFL premiership in 1993.

Permission to use this item for any purpose, including publishing, is not required from the State Library under these conditions of use.

Buy a high resolution copy.