Nickname(s) Eagles Coach Michael Godden Leading goalkicker Michael Wundke (46) | Premierships 31993, 2006, 2011 Founded 1990 President Kurt Slaven | |
Colours Blue, Green and Gold Profiles | ||
Woodville-West Torrens Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). It was formed in 1990 from an amalgamation of the neighbouring Woodville and West Torrens football clubs and played its inaugural game in 1991. Since 1993, the Eagles have played most of their home games at Woodville's home ground of Woodville Oval, having previously used Football Park. They also play two or three games per season at their pre-season base of Thebarton Oval, a ground which has six light towers that the club has upgraded in 2012 to allow night games at the ground for the first time since the 1983 Escort Cup Grand Final (a game won by West Torrens).
Contents
- History
- Premierships
- Player Development
- Club Song
- Coaches
- Captains
- League placings
- Fos Williams Medallists
- Jack Oatey Medallists
- Reserves Magarey Medallists
- Tomkins Medallists U19s
- McCallum Tomkins Medallists U18s
- Bob Lee Medallists
- Alan Stewart Medallists
- Ken Farmer Medallists SANFL Leading Goalkickers
- Bob Quinn Medalists
- RO Shearman Medalists
- Best and Fairest
- Life Governors
- Club Records
- Home Grounds
- References
History
West Torrens had competed in the SANFL since 1897, while Woodville entered the competition in 1964.
Both sides struggled on the field throughout their respective existences. To 1990, West Torrens had won four premierships in eighty seven seasons, the last one being in 1953, and Woodville had not won a premiership or played in a grand final in twenty-seven seasons, usually being close to or on the bottom of the ladder.
Whispers had grown throughout SA football circles that a merger would save these clubs throughout the 1980s. In 1990, the imminent admission of the Adelaide Crows into the AFL placed both club's futures as separate entities in serious doubt, with West Torrens being technically bankrupt and Woodville realising that it would be very difficult to be competitive.
It was decided at the end of the season to merge the two sides as the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles, to play their home games at Woodville's home ground, Woodville Oval, and use the West Torrens Eagle emblem. The new club proved immediately competitive and won their first premiership in 1993.
Although officially formed in 1991, it was after the 1993 Premiership that many finally accepted the 'new' Eagles. In accepting the Thomas Seymour Hill Trophy for the first time for the Eagles (also the first time ever for Woodville, and the first time since 1953 for West Torrens), captain Peter Schwarz jubilantly proclaimed:
"This is a very sweet moment – the end result of two clubs that made a lot of tough decisions three years ago. This is for Woodville and for West Torrens. Now we are one club."The club colours of blue, gold and green incorporate the club colours of West Torrens (blue and gold) and Woodville (green and gold). The Eagle logo of the West Torrens Football Club was adopted as the official emblem of Woodville West Torrens. It was also agreed that blue would be the primary colour of the merged club.
Premierships
After having merged only 3 years prior, Woodville-West Torrens managed to claim the Holy Grail of SANFL footy, The Thomas Seymour Hill Trophy, after a convincing 73-point victory over Norwood. It would, however, prove to be the Eagles only premiership success during 1994–2005 in which they lost 5 Grand Finals – 1994 to Port Adelaide and 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005 all to Central District. After losing yet another Grand Final to their arch rivals in 2005, the Eagles bounced back and got their first premiership in 13 years, and after 6 attempts, with a thumping 76-point victory over the Bulldogs. Prior to the game, the Eagles Cheersquad printed the words "Patience + Perseverance = Reward" onto the teams pregame banner, acknowledging the team's misfortunes in the past (especially to the Bulldogs) and how they would once again lift the trophy.
In 2011, The Eagles became the only club in the millennia to defeat Central District in two grand finals, with a thrilling 3-point win – 81 to 78 on 9 October 2011. The Eagles went in as the underdogs but coach Michael Godden (in only his second year with the team and in a senior coaching position) believed his Eagles could over come the Dogs.
All state ruckman Craig Parry was named the Jack Oatey Medalist for Best on Ground for 2011.
Godden became the third coach to win a Premiership for Woodville-West Torrens, following Bruce Winter (1993) & Ron Fuller (2006) and the second on his first attempt (Winter 1993).
The Eagles became the first side to win the Premiership from a Qualifying Final loss since Sturt did so in 1976, and the only club in the competition to have won Premierships in each of the last 3 decades.
In 2015 the Woodville West Torrens Football Club celebrated their 25th season in the SANFL, and dominated the competition in U/18s, Reserves and League, taking out each Minor Premiership (the only club to ever do so) dropping just 4 games across all 3 grades throughout the minor round season. The league team with a 16-2 record from their 18 games.
Each club progressed straight through to their respective Grand Finals, and the Reserves completed a remarkable undefeated season (first team to do so since West Torrens in 1919) to take out their 8th flag. Unfortunately the League team were dealt with 3 major season ending injuries in their 2nd Semi Final victory, ripping out their engine room including Magarey Medal Runner-up and eventual 2015 Club Champion Angus Rowntree, as well as number 1 ruckman Marc Borholm and former Reserves Magarey Medalist Angus Poole.
It proved too much to cover for the Eagles in the Grand Final, falling short to West Adelaide by 30 points. The U/18s also lost their decider.
It was a bitterly disappointing end for Michael Godden and his men after a near perfect season, cruelled by injury at the final hurdle.
Player Development
In 2011, a study commissioned by the AFL identified Woodville-West Torrens as the most effective developer of AFL talent in the country. From 1998–2010, the Eagles had 19 selected at the AFL Draft including Matthew Pavlich, Nathan Bock, Brian Lake, Matthew Stokes, Bernie Vince and Jay Schulz.
Club Song
The Woodville-West Torrens Football Club Song is called "We're the might flying Eagles" and is sung to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of The Republic"
(Verse)
We're the mighty Eagles
And we always battle through
The mighty flying Eagles
Wearing Gold and Green and Blue
Sound the Siren, turn us loose
And watch the Feathers fly
And you'll see what we can do
(Chorus)
We're the mighty flying Eagles
We're the mighty flying Eagles
We're the mighty flying Eagles
In Gold and Green and Blue
(Home Run)
In Gold and Green and Blue
Coaches
italics current coach
Captains
italics current captain
* Premiership Captain (Justin Cicolella was acting captain for the 2006 Premiership)
League placings
Fos Williams Medallists
Presented to best on ground for South Australia in a State match
Jack Oatey Medallists
Presented to best on ground in an SANFL Grand Final
Reserves Magarey Medallists
Tomkins Medallists (U/19's)
McCallum-Tomkins Medallists (U/18's)
Bob Lee Medallists
Presented to best on ground in an SANFL Reserves Grand Final
Alan Stewart Medallists
Presented to best on ground in an SANFL U/18's Grand Final
Ken Farmer Medallists (SANFL Leading Goalkickers)
Bob Quinn Medalists
Presented to best on ground in an ANZAC Day match (Grand Final replay)
R.O. Shearman Medalists
Presented to best SANFL player as voted by League coaches
Best and Fairest
Life Governors
The highest individual honour that is bestowed by the club
Club Records
Home Grounds
The Woodville-West Torrens Eagles first home ground was SANFL league headquarters Football Park in their inaugural season of 1991. In 1992 the new club moved permanently to the Woodville Oval (former home of the Woodville Warriors). Due to Woodville Oval also being the home of the Woodville Cricket Club who play in the South Australian Grade Cricket League, the Eagles use West Torrens' former home ground Thebarton Oval as their pre-season training base. Thebarton, which had lights installed for night games since the 1950s (the lights were upgraded in 2011–12), is occasionally used as an alternative playing venue for the club, with the team having played a handful of games at the venue since 2006.