Mobil sticker dating from 1965/66.

Sturt Football Club joined the South Australian Football Association (forerunner of the South Australian National Football League - SANFL) in 1901 and played their first game under captain Percy Kekwick against Norwood at Norwood Oval on the 4th of May of that year. Later in the season a crowd of 6000 watched their first game at their homeground of Unley Oval (Lysikatos in True Blue... p10). Sturt had to wait until 1915 to win the premiership and since that time they have earned 13 flags including five in a row between 1966 and 1970.

A number of Magarey Medallists have played for the Double Blues including 1903 winner Hendrick 'Taffy' Waye who would drive his horse and buggy from Willunga to play, Harold Cumberland 1911, Len Fitzgerald who won three medals, 1952, 1954 and 1959, 1961 winner John Halbert who would later coach the club, dual winner Damian Squire in 1999 and 2000, Tim Weatherald and Jade Sheedy tied in 2002, and Luke Crane in 2008. Other notable players include five time premiership player Bob Shearman, All-Australian ruckman Rick Davies who kicked 151 goals in the 1983 season, seven time premiership player Paul Bagshaw, champion full forward PT 'Bo' Morton who also coached Sturt to the 1940 premiership, Victor Richardson winner of two best and fairest awards and also an Australian test cricketer and rugged ruckman Wally May who later became a well known football commentator on television.

Arguably the most famous name at Sturt is of a man who never played for the Club but was coach for twenty-one seasons, Jack Oatey. Oatey, who had captain-coached Norwood to three premierships in 1946, 1948 and 1952, joined Sturt in 1962 and during his time as coach the club won seven premierships. He is credited with changing the face of South Australian football with a strong emphasis on highly skilled team play and 'he was the first to see what an attacking tool handball could be' (Lysikatos in True Blue... p 275).

The club's double blue colours come from the light and dark blues of Cambridge and Oxford University. This was suggested by club founder Arthur Thomas because Unley Oval is at the meeting of Oxford Terrace and Cambridge Terrace.

This item is reproduced courtesy of ExxonMobil. It may be printed or saved for research or study. Use for any other purpose requires written permission from Mobil. To request approval, complete the Quote for Copy/Permission form.