Sturt Football Club
Encyclopedia
Sturt Football Club is an Australian rules football
club in the South Australian National Football League. The club is best known for its period of dominance from 1966–76 under legendary coach Jack Oatey
, during which it revolutionised the style of play by emphasising teamwork and accurate ball disposal. Sturt play their home games at Unley Oval
, named from 2011 as "Commander Centre Oval", reflecting current sponsors.
Club decided to form a football club in the Unley (suburban Adelaide
) area in the Division of Sturt
(named after Australian explorer Charles Sturt
). The club used the two shades of blue of Oxford and Cambridge Universities as its home ground, Unley Oval, is situated on the junction of Oxford Terrace and Cambridge Terrace, hence the nickname of "Double Blues". Sturt played its first game against Norwood, losing by 33 points.
Sturt enjoyed little success initially and struggled to make the finals. In 1909, the club was strengthened by a number of interstate players enticed by offers of employment and accommodation and in 1910, Sturt played in their first Grand Final, losing to Port Adelaide
.
Sturt won another premiership in 1926 with Vic Richardson
after he was not selected for the 1925 Ashes
cricket tour of England. Between 1930 and 1941, Sturt played in five Grand Finals, winning in 1932 and 1940. From 1942 to 1944, Sturt combined with South Adelaide
to compete in a restricted wartime competition.
ist Len Fitzgerald, Sturt performed poorly, “winning” five wooden spoons and failing to make a Grand Final. In 1962, former Norwood
and South Melbourne
player and West Adelaide
coach Jack Oatey
was appointed coach of Sturt and began to institute an innovative style of play that would modernise the game and influence the style of football played Australia wide.
Sturt showed gradual improvement in Oatey’s first years, finishing 6th in 1963 and third in 1964. In 1965, it reached the grand final and before 62,543 (a SANFL record until 1976 and the highest Adelaide Oval
crowd to this day), fell short by just 3 points against Port Adelaide. In 1966, Sturt gained revenge on Port Adelaide, doubling its score (16.16 to 8.8) winning its first premiership in 26 years and entering a period of dominance that saw them win seven premierships in eleven years, including five in a row between 1966 and 1970.
Sturt's 1967 and 1968 grand final wins were again at the expense of Port Adelaide. Sturt won the 1969 Grand Final beating Glenelg who had included the Richmond
star Royce Hart
for his only game for the club. Hart was eligible to play in the SANFL due to his posting to Adelaide as a National Service soldier. Sturt completed its fifth successive premiership with another win over Glenelg in the rain-affected 1970 grand final.
The 1976 Grand Final win over Port Adelaide was dominated by ruckman Rick Davies
. Before a record Football Park crowd of 66,897, Sturt entered the final as rank outsiders. Davies, sensing early pressure from Port, positioned himself in the back lines in the first quarter. In an often quoted anecdote, coach Jack Oatey turned to runner David ( Daffy ) Edwards and said:'What's he doing down there? I didn't put him down there. I run this side. Go and ask him what he thinks he's up to." After Davies had taken his fourth strong mark, Edwards came back with the news: "He says he's down there getting kicks, that's where the ball is." Oatey's response:"Course he is. He's a champion isn't he?" Rick Davies dominated the final with 21 kicks, 21 handballs, 21 hit outs and 15 marks, with Sturt winning by 41 points. Captain Paul Bagshaw described the win as "Sturt's finest hour".
Jack Oatey
’s legacy has continued to influence football in South Australia. Since their inception into the AFL
, the Adelaide Crows
have embodied much of the approach to the game that Oatey pioneered. Oatey is also credited with popularising the checkside punt
, a kicking style the causes the ball to bend away from the body. In the 1968 Grand Final against Port Adelaide Football Club
, Peter Endersbee used the checkside punt to kick two goals in the space of a few minutes turning the game in Sturt’s favour. Since 1981, the Jack Oatey Medal has been awarded to the best player in the SANFL Grand Final.
Facing financial difficulties in 1995, the board proposed a merger with North Adelaide. This was opposed by supporters who, along with former players, raised the required $250,000 in two weeks to keep the club in existence. Sturt returned to its original home ground Unley Oval
in 1998, having moved its home games to Adelaide Oval from 1986.
was recruited from North Adelaide the following year and won consecutive Magarey medals in 1999–2000. Jade Sheedy
and Tim Weatherald
went on to share the award in 2002. Sturt, under first year coach Brenton Phillips, played Central Districts
in the 2002 SANFL Grand Final. After struggling to beat Central Districts in four prior attempts in the 2002 season, the Double Blues emerged triumphant on Grand Final day, doubling the Bulldogs score to win by 47 points. It was the club's first premiership in 26 years.
Six days after the win, several of the clubs players and support staff were celebrating the win at the Sari Club in Bali
when the Bali bombing incident occurred. Player Josh Deegan and trainer Bob Marshall were killed.
It's a Grand old flag, It's a high-flying flag
It's the emblem for me and for you
It's the emblem of the team we love
The team of the old Double Blues
Every heart beats true for the old Double Blues
As we sing this song to you………what do we sing?
Should old acquaintance be forgot
Oh keep your eye on the Old Double Blues!
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
club in the South Australian National Football League. The club is best known for its period of dominance from 1966–76 under legendary coach Jack Oatey
Jack Oatey
Jack Oatey, AM was a former Australian rules football player and coach.-Playing career:Oatey played 181 games for the Norwood Football Club between 1940 and 1952 and acted as playing-coach from 1945 to 1952....
, during which it revolutionised the style of play by emphasising teamwork and accurate ball disposal. Sturt play their home games at Unley Oval
Unley Oval
Unley Oval is a multi-use stadium in Unley, an inner southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia...
, named from 2011 as "Commander Centre Oval", reflecting current sponsors.
Establishment
The club was established in 1901 when the Sturt CricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club decided to form a football club in the Unley (suburban Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
) area in the Division of Sturt
Division of Sturt
The Division of Sturt is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia.First proclaimed for the 1949 election, Sturt was named for Captain Charles Sturt, nineteenth century explorer and the first European to discover the Murray River...
(named after Australian explorer Charles Sturt
Charles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
). The club used the two shades of blue of Oxford and Cambridge Universities as its home ground, Unley Oval, is situated on the junction of Oxford Terrace and Cambridge Terrace, hence the nickname of "Double Blues". Sturt played its first game against Norwood, losing by 33 points.
Sturt enjoyed little success initially and struggled to make the finals. In 1909, the club was strengthened by a number of interstate players enticed by offers of employment and accommodation and in 1910, Sturt played in their first Grand Final, losing to Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
.
Early success
The first premiership came in 1915 with a two goal Grand Final win over Port Adelaide. The competition was suspended during the First World War, then in 1919, Sturt faced North Adelaide in the Grand Final. Despite giving up a big lead early, Sturt fought back and forced a draw. In a low scoring replay the following week, Sturt kicked its only three goals of the match in the last quarter (the last coming with thirty seconds remaining) to win by five points and secure consecutive premierships four years apart.Sturt won another premiership in 1926 with Vic Richardson
Vic Richardson
Victor York Richardson OBE was a leading Australian sportsman of the 1920s and 1930s, captaining the Australian cricket team and the South Australian Australian rules football team, representing Australia in baseball and South Australia in golf, winning the South Australian state tennis title and...
after he was not selected for the 1925 Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
cricket tour of England. Between 1930 and 1941, Sturt played in five Grand Finals, winning in 1932 and 1940. From 1942 to 1944, Sturt combined with South Adelaide
South Adelaide Football Club
South Adelaide Football Club competes in the South Australian National Football League . Known as the Panthers, their home ground is Hickinbotham Oval , located in Noarlunga Downs in the southern suburbs of Adelaide....
to compete in a restricted wartime competition.
Golden era
From 1945 to 1961, despite the efforts of triple Magarey MedalMagarey Medal
For the biography award of the same name, see Magarey Medal for biography. For a list of winners, see List of Magarey Medallists.The Magarey Medal is an Australian rules football honour awarded annually since 1898 to the fairest and most brilliant player in the South Australian National Football...
ist Len Fitzgerald, Sturt performed poorly, “winning” five wooden spoons and failing to make a Grand Final. In 1962, former Norwood
Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
and South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
player and West Adelaide
West Adelaide Football Club
West Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League . Commonly known as The Bloods and Westies, the clubs home base is City Mazda Stadium located in Richmond, an inner-western suburb of Adelaide.-Early Years :West Adelaide was formed in...
coach Jack Oatey
Jack Oatey
Jack Oatey, AM was a former Australian rules football player and coach.-Playing career:Oatey played 181 games for the Norwood Football Club between 1940 and 1952 and acted as playing-coach from 1945 to 1952....
was appointed coach of Sturt and began to institute an innovative style of play that would modernise the game and influence the style of football played Australia wide.
Sturt showed gradual improvement in Oatey’s first years, finishing 6th in 1963 and third in 1964. In 1965, it reached the grand final and before 62,543 (a SANFL record until 1976 and the highest Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
crowd to this day), fell short by just 3 points against Port Adelaide. In 1966, Sturt gained revenge on Port Adelaide, doubling its score (16.16 to 8.8) winning its first premiership in 26 years and entering a period of dominance that saw them win seven premierships in eleven years, including five in a row between 1966 and 1970.
Sturt's 1967 and 1968 grand final wins were again at the expense of Port Adelaide. Sturt won the 1969 Grand Final beating Glenelg who had included the Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
star Royce Hart
Royce Hart
Royce Desmond Hart is a former Australian rules football player and coach who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1967 and 1977, and coached Footscray between 1980 and 1982.Hart was a supremely gifted, determined player who was acknowledged by all in his...
for his only game for the club. Hart was eligible to play in the SANFL due to his posting to Adelaide as a National Service soldier. Sturt completed its fifth successive premiership with another win over Glenelg in the rain-affected 1970 grand final.
The 1976 Grand Final win over Port Adelaide was dominated by ruckman Rick Davies
Rick Davies (footballer)
Rick Davies is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Sturt and South Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League and in the Victorian Football League...
. Before a record Football Park crowd of 66,897, Sturt entered the final as rank outsiders. Davies, sensing early pressure from Port, positioned himself in the back lines in the first quarter. In an often quoted anecdote, coach Jack Oatey turned to runner David ( Daffy ) Edwards and said:'What's he doing down there? I didn't put him down there. I run this side. Go and ask him what he thinks he's up to." After Davies had taken his fourth strong mark, Edwards came back with the news: "He says he's down there getting kicks, that's where the ball is." Oatey's response:"Course he is. He's a champion isn't he?" Rick Davies dominated the final with 21 kicks, 21 handballs, 21 hit outs and 15 marks, with Sturt winning by 41 points. Captain Paul Bagshaw described the win as "Sturt's finest hour".
Jack Oatey
Jack Oatey
Jack Oatey, AM was a former Australian rules football player and coach.-Playing career:Oatey played 181 games for the Norwood Football Club between 1940 and 1952 and acted as playing-coach from 1945 to 1952....
’s legacy has continued to influence football in South Australia. Since their inception into the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, the Adelaide Crows
Adelaide Crows
The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, playing in the Australian Football League ....
have embodied much of the approach to the game that Oatey pioneered. Oatey is also credited with popularising the checkside punt
Checkside punt
Is like a banana kick but the opposite way, the checkside punt is a kicking style used in Australian Rules and rugby league football. When kicked, it bends away from the body and is usually used when a set shot for goal is lined up on a narrow angle....
, a kicking style the causes the ball to bend away from the body. In the 1968 Grand Final against Port Adelaide Football Club
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
, Peter Endersbee used the checkside punt to kick two goals in the space of a few minutes turning the game in Sturt’s favour. Since 1981, the Jack Oatey Medal has been awarded to the best player in the SANFL Grand Final.
Drought
After Oatey’s retirement in 1982, Sturt entered the worst period of its history. In the middle of a 26 year premiership drought, the club won eight consecutive wooden spoons between 1989 and 1996, including a winless season in 1995 when the team actually did not get within four goals of any of its twenty-two opponents, and churned through five coaches. A joint bid with Norwood in 1994 to enter the AFL was rejected in favour of Port Adelaide.Facing financial difficulties in 1995, the board proposed a merger with North Adelaide. This was opposed by supporters who, along with former players, raised the required $250,000 in two weeks to keep the club in existence. Sturt returned to its original home ground Unley Oval
Unley Oval
Unley Oval is a multi-use stadium in Unley, an inner southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia...
in 1998, having moved its home games to Adelaide Oval from 1986.
Resurgence
Under coach Phil Carmen, Sturt reached the Grand Final in 1998, losing to Port Adelaide by nine points. Damian SquireDamian Squire
Damian Squire is a former Australian rules footballer who played with in the Australian Football League and both North Adelaide and Sturt in the South Australian National Football League...
was recruited from North Adelaide the following year and won consecutive Magarey medals in 1999–2000. Jade Sheedy
Jade Sheedy
Jade Sheedy is an Australian Rules Footballer with the Sturt Football Club in the SANFL. He won the 2002 Magarey Medal, has captained the State football team in 2008 and 2009 and is the Sturt co-captain with over 200 games for the club...
and Tim Weatherald
Tim Weatherald
Tim Weatherald is an Australian Rules Footballer currently playing with the Norwood Football Club of the SANFL. He played 258 games with the Sturt Football Club, but left in 2008 to join the Redlegs...
went on to share the award in 2002. Sturt, under first year coach Brenton Phillips, played Central Districts
Central District Bulldogs
Central District Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in the city of Elizabeth about 25 km to the north of Adelaide, South Australia.-Origins and Background:...
in the 2002 SANFL Grand Final. After struggling to beat Central Districts in four prior attempts in the 2002 season, the Double Blues emerged triumphant on Grand Final day, doubling the Bulldogs score to win by 47 points. It was the club's first premiership in 26 years.
Six days after the win, several of the clubs players and support staff were celebrating the win at the Sari Club in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
when the Bali bombing incident occurred. Player Josh Deegan and trainer Bob Marshall were killed.
Club Records
- South Australian Premiers: 13 – 1915, 1919, 1926, 1932, 1940, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976, 2002
- SANFL Night Premiers: 2 - 1954, 1975
- Home Ground: Commander Centre OvalUnley OvalUnley Oval is a multi-use stadium in Unley, an inner southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia...
(1901-86, 1998-present) - Previous Home Ground: Adelaide OvalAdelaide OvalThe Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
(1987-97) - Record Attendance at Commander Centre OvalUnley OvalUnley Oval is a multi-use stadium in Unley, an inner southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia...
(confirmed): 22,015 v Port AdelaidePort Adelaide MagpiesThe Port Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the South Australian National Football League...
in Round 9, 1968 - Record Attendance: 66,897 v Port AdelaidePort Adelaide MagpiesThe Port Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the South Australian National Football League...
at Football Park, 1976 SANFLSouth Australian National Football LeagueThe South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
Grand Final - Record Attendance since Adelaide Football Club formation (1991): 44,838 v Port AdelaidePort Adelaide MagpiesThe Port Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the South Australian National Football League...
at Football Park, 1998 SANFLSouth Australian National Football LeagueThe South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
Grand Final - Most Games: 360 by Paul BagshawPaul BagshawPaul Lynton Bagshaw MBE is a former Australian rules footballer, playing for Sturt Football Club in the South Australian National Football League from 1964 to 1980. Bagshaw played 374 games , kicked 258 goals and captained Sturt from 1973 to 1980...
(1964–80) - Most Goals in a Season: 151 by Rick DaviesRick Davies (footballer)Rick Davies is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Sturt and South Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League and in the Victorian Football League...
in 1983 - Most Years as Coach: 21 by Jack OateyJack OateyJack Oatey, AM was a former Australian rules football player and coach.-Playing career:Oatey played 181 games for the Norwood Football Club between 1940 and 1952 and acted as playing-coach from 1945 to 1952....
(1962–82) - Most Years as Captain: 8 by Paul BagshawPaul BagshawPaul Lynton Bagshaw MBE is a former Australian rules footballer, playing for Sturt Football Club in the South Australian National Football League from 1964 to 1980. Bagshaw played 374 games , kicked 258 goals and captained Sturt from 1973 to 1980...
(1973-80) and Chris Thredgold (1995-2002) - Most Premierships as Captain: 3 by John HalbertJohn HalbertJohn Arno Halbert M.B.E. is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Sturt in the SANFL.Halbert was a centreman and first played for Sturt in 1955. In his debut season he finished second in the Magarey Medal count to Lindsay Head and in 1958 was again the runner up with Head winning...
(1966, 1967, 1968) - Most Best & Fairest Awards: 7 by Rick DaviesRick Davies (footballer)Rick Davies is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Sturt and South Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League and in the Victorian Football League...
(1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980) - Highest Score: 32.19 (211) v WoodvilleWoodville Football ClubWoodville Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1964 to 1990, when it merged with the West Torrens Football Club to form the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles....
19.14 (128) at Woodville OvalWoodville OvalWoodville Oval is primarily an Australian rules football oval found on Oval Avenue in Woodville, South Australia...
in Round 4, 1974
Magarey Medalists
1903 | Hendrick Waye Hendrick Waye Hendrick "Taffy" Waye was an Australian rules footballer who played with Sturt in the South Australian Football Association during the early 1900s.... |
1911 | Vic Cumberland Vic Cumberland Harold Vivian "Vic" Cumberland , also known as Harry Cumberland, was an Australian rules footballer in the VFL and the SANFL.... |
1920 | Vic Richardson Vic Richardson Victor York Richardson OBE was a leading Australian sportsman of the 1920s and 1930s, captaining the Australian cricket team and the South Australian Australian rules football team, representing Australia in baseball and South Australia in golf, winning the South Australian state tennis title and... |
1923 | Horrie Riley Horrie Riley Horrie Riley was an Australian rules footballer who played with Sturt in the SAFL during the 1920s.Despite being one of the smaller players in the league, Victorian born Horrie Riley was particularly strong in the air. He won the 1923 Magarey Medal, was a member of Sturt's premiership side in 1926... |
1933 | Keith Dunn Keith Dunn (footballer) William Keith Dunn was an Australian rules footballer who played with Sturt in the SANFL and Carlton in the VFL.... |
1952 | Len Fitzgerald Len Fitzgerald Len Fitzgerald was a former Australian rules footballer of exceptional talent in the VFL and SANFL. At various time he played in the key positions of centre half-forward, centre half-back and ruck-rover.- VFL career :... |
1954 | Len Fitzgerald Len Fitzgerald Len Fitzgerald was a former Australian rules footballer of exceptional talent in the VFL and SANFL. At various time he played in the key positions of centre half-forward, centre half-back and ruck-rover.- VFL career :... |
1959 | Len Fitzgerald Len Fitzgerald Len Fitzgerald was a former Australian rules footballer of exceptional talent in the VFL and SANFL. At various time he played in the key positions of centre half-forward, centre half-back and ruck-rover.- VFL career :... |
1961 | John Halbert John Halbert John Arno Halbert M.B.E. is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Sturt in the SANFL.Halbert was a centreman and first played for Sturt in 1955. In his debut season he finished second in the Magarey Medal count to Lindsay Head and in 1958 was again the runner up with Head winning... |
1988 | Greg Whittlesea Greg Whittlesea Gregory Whittlesea is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the Australian Football League and Sturt in the South Australian National Football League .... |
1997 | Brodie Atkinson Brodie Atkinson Brodie Atkinson is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League.Atkinson made his debut for St Kilda after being a first-round draft pick in the 1992 AFL Draft. In his debut match he had 25 touches and earned an AFL Rising Star nomination, but was dropped after... |
1999 | Damian Squire Damian Squire Damian Squire is a former Australian rules footballer who played with in the Australian Football League and both North Adelaide and Sturt in the South Australian National Football League... |
2000 | Damian Squire Damian Squire Damian Squire is a former Australian rules footballer who played with in the Australian Football League and both North Adelaide and Sturt in the South Australian National Football League... |
2002 | Tim Weatherald Tim Weatherald Tim Weatherald is an Australian Rules Footballer currently playing with the Norwood Football Club of the SANFL. He played 258 games with the Sturt Football Club, but left in 2008 to join the Redlegs... & Jade Sheedy Jade Sheedy Jade Sheedy is an Australian Rules Footballer with the Sturt Football Club in the SANFL. He won the 2002 Magarey Medal, has captained the State football team in 2008 and 2009 and is the Sturt co-captain with over 200 games for the club... |
2008 | Luke Crane Luke Crane Luke Crane is an Australian Rules Footballer with the Sturt Football Club in the SANFL. He won the 2008 Magarey Medal as the best and fairest player in the SANFL.- External links :°... |
Team of the century
Club Song
The Sturt Football Club's song is "It's A Grand Old Flag".It's a Grand old flag, It's a high-flying flag
It's the emblem for me and for you
It's the emblem of the team we love
The team of the old Double Blues
Every heart beats true for the old Double Blues
As we sing this song to you………what do we sing?
Should old acquaintance be forgot
Oh keep your eye on the Old Double Blues!