Glenelg Football Club

Club history

The Glenelg Football Club was formed on 20 March 1920, and entered the South Australian League in 1921. It was not until 2 May 1925 that the club saw its first league victory, a 12.6 (78) to 10.10 (70) win over West Torrens at Glenelg Oval.

"The Bays", as they are sometimes known, won their first SANFL premiership in 1934 with an 18.15 (123) to 16.18 (114) victory against Port Adelaide. The 1935 season saw them slump from first to last.

Until 1948, the team jersey was gold with a black V, in 1949 the club adopted the now familiar black with gold sash design.

In total the club has won 4 premierships – in 1934, 1973, and back to back flags in 1985 and 1986.

"The Bays" also had an unlikely amalgamation with West Adelaide Football Club during the war years.

2008 season

The 2008 season has been of particular note for several reasons. During the home and away season, the club had 51,583 fans through the gate, the highest total attendance for an SANFL home ground in recent history. On average, 5,158 fans attended each game at Challenge Recruitment Oval in the 2008 season (up more than 2,000 from 3,039 in 2007). This included a record attendance of 11,827, the highest SANFL "home and away" crowd since the inception of the Adelaide Crows. The club was undefeated for 12 matches between 5 April and 12 July, won their first match at Elizabeth since 1992, and at Alberton since 1993. The club also won its first minor premiership since 1981, and made its first Grand Final since 1992.

South Australian Night Series Winners: 4 – 1959, 1982, 1990, 1992

South Australian Supplementary Premiership Winners: 2 – 1971, 2007

Home Ground: Glenelg Oval (Gliderol Stadium @ Glenelg) (1921–90, 1992–Current)

Previous Grounds: Football Park (1991)

Record Attendance at Gliderol Stadium @ Glenelg: 17,171 v Sturt on 20 July 1968

Record Attendance at Gliderol Stadium @ Glenelg since Adelaide Football Club formation (1991): 11,827 v Sturt, 28 June 2008

Record Night Attendance at Gliderol Stadium @ Glenelg: 9,245 v Adelaide, 25 April 2014

Record Attendance: 58,113 v Sturt at Football Park, 1974 SANFL Grand Final

Record Attendance since Adelaide Crows (AFL) formation (1991): 42,242 v Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium, 1992 SANFL Grand Final

Record Attendance since Port Adelaide (AFL) entry (1997): 34,128 v Central District, 2008 SANFL Grand Final

Most Games: 448 by Peter Carey (1971–88)

Most Goals: 884 by D.K. "Fred" Phillis (1966–78, 1981)

Most Goals in Match: 18 by D.K. "Fred" Phillis v Central District in 1975

Most Goals in a Season: 137 by D.K. "Fred" Phillis in 1969

First player to kick 100 goals in an SANFL season: Jack Owens (1932 - 102 goals)

Most Years as Coach: 10 by Neil Kerley (1967–76)

Most Years as Captain: 8 by Nick Chigwidden (1993–2000)

Highest Score: 49.23 (317) v Central District 11.13 (79) at Glenelg Oval in Round 17, 23 August 1975

Lowest Score: 1.4 (10) v Norwood in 2004

Greatest Win: 238 points v Central District in 1975

Greatest Loss: 146 points v North Adelaide in 1936

Longest Winning Run: 18 in 1973–1974

Longest Losing Run: 56 in 1921–1925

Home grounds

Glenelg Oval (Gliderol Stadium @ Glenelg) (1921–90, 1992–present)

Football Park (1991)

Since the club first entered the SANFL they have used Glenelg Oval as their home ground. The only year this did not occur was in 1991 when Glenelg used Football Park (along with new team Woodville-West Torrens) under the SANFL's ground rationalisation scheme. This arrangement only lasted for the 1991 season as Glenelg moved back to The Bay while the Eagles moved to Woodville Oval.

In 2012 Glenelg Oval became one of five suburban SANFL grounds to have lights installed for night games.

The ground record crowd for Glenelg Oval was set on 20 July 1968 when 17,171 saw Sturt defeat Glenelg by just one point, 13.13 (91) to 13.12 (90). The record night attendance was set on 25 April 2014 (ANZAC Day) when 9,245 saw Glenelg defeat the Adelaide Crows reserves 17.21 (123) to 13.8 (86) for the Tigers first win of the 2014 SANFL season.

Glenelg Oval also saw the highest score in SANFL history in 1975 when Glenelg defeated Central District 49.23 (317) to 11.13 (79): the winning margin of 238 is at of 2017 the SANFL record, and remains the club's record win. Glenelg's champion full-forward, the 1969 Magarey Medallist Fred Phillis, kicked 18 goals for the game, including his 100th for the season.

Club song

Oh we're from Tigerland
A fighting fury, we're from Tigerland
In any weather you'll see us with a grin
Risking head and shin
If we're behind then never mind
We'll fight and fight and win
For we're from Tigerland.
We never weaken till the final siren's gone
Like the Tiger of old, we're strong and we're bold
For we're from Tiger – yellow and black – we're from Tigerland.

Post war coaches

Ray Curnow (1945)

Norm Betson (1946)

Ray Curnow (1947–1948)

Allan Reval (1949)

Johnny Taylor (1950–1952)

Pat Hall (1953–1954)

Charlie May (1955–1957)

Neil Davies (1958–1959)

Marcus Boyall (1960)

Stan Wickham (1961)

Doug Long (1962–1963)

Len Fitzgerald (1964–1966)

Neil Kerley (1967–1976)

John Nicholls (1977–1978)

John Halbert (1979–1982)

Graham Campbell (1983–1984)

Graham Cornes (1985–1990)

Kym Hodgeman (1991–1992)

Mark Williams (1993–1994)

Tony Symonds (1995–1996)

Wayne Stringer (1997)

Tony McGuinness (1998–2000)

Brenton Honor (2001–2002)

David Noble (2003–04)

Peter Simmons (2005)

Tony Burgess (2005)

Mark Mickan (2006–2011)

Kris Massie (2011–2013)

Nick Stevens (2014)

Matthew Lokan (2015–present)

Magarey Medallists

The Magarey Medal is awarded to the "fairest and most brilliant" player in the League during the Home and Away season. Glenelg has nine Magarey Medalists and two Reserves Magarey Medalists:

1928 – Jim Handby

1934 – George "Blue" Johnston

1940 – Mel Brock

1941 – Marcus Boyall

1949 – Allan Crabb

1969 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis

1974 – Kym Hodgeman (Reserves Magarey Medalist)

1978 – Kym Hodgeman

1982 – Tony McGuinness

2006 – Brett Backwell

2008 – Scott Lewis (Reserves Magarey Medalist)

SANFL leading goalkickers

1927 – Jack Owens (80 goals)

1928 – Jack Owens (83)

1932 – Jack Owens (102)

1948 – Colin Churchett (88)

1949 – Colin Churchett (72)

1950 – Colin Churchett (105)

1951 – Colin Churchett (102)

1969 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis (137)

1970 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis (107)

1971 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis (99)

1975 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis (108)

1976 – D.K. "Fred" Phillis (98)

2010 – Todd Grima (58)

2015 – Clint Alleway (47)

Fos Williams Medalists

The Fos Williams Medal is awarded to the best player during State of Origin games for South Australia. Glenelg has six Fos Williams Medalists, including one dual medalist:

1981 – Peter Carey

1982 – Stephen Copping

1982 – Paul Weston

1984 – Stephen Kernahan

1987 – Chris McDermott

1988 – Stephen Kernahan

2003 – Brett Backwell

Jack Oatey Medalists

The Jack Oatey Medal is awarded to the best player during Grand Final. Glenelg has two Jack Oatey Medalists:

1985 – Stephen Kernahan

1986 – Tony Hall

Notable and/or AFL listed players and officials

Notable players and officials from The Bay include;

Brett Backwell

Travis Boak

Matthew Bode

Peter Carey

Nick Chigwidden

Graham Cornes

Chad Cornes

Kane Cornes

Heath Culpitt

Richard Douglas

Ken Eustice

Bryce Gibbs

John Hinge

Kym Hodgeman

Hayden Jolly

Neil Kerley

Stephen Kernahan

Tom Logan

John MacFarlane

Andrew Mackie

Josh Mahoney

David Marshall

Chris McDermott

Brian McGowan

Tony McGuinness

Mark Mickan

Danny Meyer

John Nicholls

Brad Ottens

D.K. "Fred" Phillis

Wayne Phillis

Steven Salopek

James Sellar

Gary Sweet

Seb Tape

Mark Williams

Club ambassadors

As of 2013 the Glenelg Football Club has seven club ambassadors. They are:

Anna Meares – Multiple World and Olympic track cycling champion.

Brett Aitken – Olympic track cyclist. 2000 Olympic Gold Medallist – Men's Madison

Gary Sweet – Film and television actor

Jane Woodlands-Thompson – Head coach of the ANZ Championship's Adelaide Thunderbirds netball team

John Hawkes – Leading Australian horse trainer

Kate Ellis – Federal Member for Adelaide. Current Shadow Minister for Education and Early Childhood.

Luke Schenscher – 7'1" (216 cm) tall former NBA basketball player. Currently plays for the Adelaide 36ers in the Australasian-based National Basketball League.