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1901 |
The Sturt Cricket
Club decides to form a football club in the Unley
area. Their application to join the South Australian
Football Association is successful and the Sturt
Football Club is born. The club decides to use the
two shades of blue of Oxford and Cambridge Universities
as Unley Oval is situated on the junction of Oxford
Terrace and Cambridge Terrace, hence the nickname
of "Double Blues". |
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1915 |
The Sturt Football
Club wins its first premiership. |
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1916-1918 |
Football is suspended
due to World War 1. |
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1919 |
Football resumes
and Sturt wins its second premiership. |
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1920
- 1924 |
Despite winning
the 1919 premiership, infighting and sackings see
the Blues slump to the miss the finals in 1920,
finish fourth in 1921 and seventh in 1922. In 1923
and 1924 the Blues, led by Vic Richardson, finish
second. |
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1925
- 1926 |
Frank Golding takes
over the coaches position in 1925 and in 1926 the
Blues win the premiership.
1926 Premiership Team |
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1932 |
After a rebuilding
period in 1930 and 1931 under new coach Sid White
the blues win the 1932 premiership. |
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1940 |
Champion full forward
P.T. "Bo" Morton is appointed Captain-Coach
and leads the Blues to their fifth premiership. |
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1942
- 1944 |
With many league
footballers serving in the armed forces during World
War 2, the SANFL decides to temporarily amalgamate
the eight league clubs to form a four team competition.
Sturt joins up with South. |
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1945
- 1951 |
After the war, the
Blues enter a period of mediocrity. Sturt, like
all clubs lost many players to the war but fail
to rebuild. |
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1952
- 1955 |
Champion player
and triple Magarey Medallist, Len Fitzgerald becomes
Captain-Coach. Sturt's highest position during this
period is third, in 1955. |
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1956
- 1961 |
A succession of
of coaches lead the club, Wally May in 1956, Edward
Tilley in 1957 & 1958 and Glynn Williams in
1959 - 1961.The Blues finished bottom twice in this
time (1955 & 1961) and the highest position
they could manage was fourth in 1959. Despite the
club finishing bottom; John Halbert wins the 1961
Magarey Medal. |
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1962 |
Sturt appoints former
Norwood player and premiership coach, Jack Oatey
to lead the club. Oatey embarks on a rebuilding
program for the Double Blues. John Halbert is named
Captain and remains in that position until his retirement
in 1968. Sturt finish the season in seventh place. |
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1963
- 1965 |
After finishing
sixth in 1963 and third in 1964, the Blues make
it to their first Grand Final in 25 years in 1965.
After being down by 35 points midway in the last
quarter to Port Adelaide, Sturt narrowly lost the
Grand Final by 3 points. |
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1966 |
Sturt again meet
Port Adelaide in the Grand Final; this time the
Blues are victorious by 56 points, Sturt's first
premiership in 26 years, this was the beginning
of Sturt's golden era. |
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1967 |
For the third successive
year Sturt play Port in the Grand Final. The Blues
win back to back premierships with an 11 point victory. |
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1969 |
The Blues meet Glenelg
in the Grand Final and win their fourth premiership
in a row. The Blues thumped the Tigers by 65 points.
Sturt's score of 24.15 is the highest score kicked
in an SANFL Grand Final. |
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1970 |
Five premierships
in a row as Sturt defeat Glenelg by 21 points in
the 1970 Grand Final. |
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1971
- 1973 |
The golden era of
Sturt ended in 1971 after the retirement of many
of its champion players of the sixties, the Blues
finished the season in fourth position. Captain
Bob Shearman retires at the end of the 1972 season
and is replaced by champion player Paul Bagshaw.
Sturt finish fifth and third in 1972 and 1973 respectively. |
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1974 |
Sturt play Glenelg
in the first Grand Final at the SANFL's new headquarters
of Football Park. Sturt are triumphant by 15 points. |
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1975 |
Sturt made it as
far as the first semi-final but injuries took their
toll as an undermanned Sturt were easily defeated
by Port to finish fourth. |
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1976 |
Despite losing the
Qualifying Final to Glenelg, Sturt recover to make
it to the Grand Final against the more highly fancied
Port Adelaide. Despite being labelled as "too
old and too slow" the Blues take control of
the game to easily win by 41 points. Ruckman Rick
Davies was best on ground and recorded the often
quoted statistics of 21 kicks, 21 handballs, 21
hit-outs and 15 marks.
John Murphy celebrates the 1976 Premiership |
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1977 - 1978 |
In 1977 The Blues
could not maintain the momentum of 1976 and finished
seventh. The 1978 season saw the Blues lose only
one minor round game, against the lowly West Adelaide.
Sturt went into the Grand Final as red hot favourites
against Norwood. Sturt kicked themselves out of
the game with a poor conversion rate in front of
goal and with Sturt four points up, umpire Des Foster
controversially awarded Norwood player Phil Gallagher
a free kick. Gallagher goaled and Sturt ended up
losing by a solitary point. Adding to the controversy,
Foster, 15 years later, admitted he made a mistake
which cost Sturt the 1978 premiership. |
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1979 - 1982 |
The Blues slumped
to finish ninth in 1979, its lowest position under
Jack Oatey. In 1980 the Blues recovered to narrowly
miss the 1980 Grand Final, after losing the Preliminary
Final to Norwood, finishing third. In 1981 the Blues
missed the finals and finished sixth. In 1982 after
7 premierships and a record 21 years at the helm,
coach Jack Oatey announced his retirement. Sturt
made the finals in 1982 after spending ten weeks
mid season in top position, but failed in the finals
to lose the Qualifying final to Norwood and the
First Semi-Final to Glenelg. The Oatey era was over. |
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1983
- 1984 |
Former Sturt champion
and Magarey Medallist, John Halbert, returns to
Unley after coaching Glenelg to lead Sturt to the
Grand Final in his first season as coach. The Blues
lose the Grand Final to West Adelaide. In 1984 the
Blues, after starting the season as premiership
favourites finish in seventh position. The Sturt
Football Club board decide not to reappoint John
Halbert. |
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1985 - 1988 |
Sturt appoints former
Richmond player, Mervyn Keane. Keane takes on the
role of playing coach in his first season and and
takes the Blues into the finals, Sturt lose the
Elimination Final to West and finish in fifth position.
In 1986 the Sturt Football Club under the SANFL's
ground rationalisation, move from their traditional
home of Unley Oval to Adelaide Oval. Merv Keane
embarks on a rebuilding program for the club after
many player retirements and Sturt finish the year
in eighth place. In 1987, despite the club falling
to ninth, the signs are there for the future as
Keane assembles a nucleus of talented young players.
The 1988 season began disastrously as the Blues
suffered a couple of thrashings and rumours of Keanes
demise abounded. The Blues then came out and won
10 of its next 13 games, Sturt made the Elimination
Final but bowed out after losing to Glenelg. Captain
Greg Whittlesea wins the Margarey Medal. The Sturt
board decides not to reappoint Merv Keane, a move
which split the club, especially after a meeting
of members which presented a no confidence vote
against club president Bill Kutcher was narrowly
defeated. The wounds caused by this split would
take years to heal. |
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1989 - 1994 |
Former Sturt champion
Rick Davies is appointed coach and the events of
the previous year and the disunity caused by it
make Davies' job impossible and the Blues plummet
to tenth, the first time Sturt have finished in
this position. In 1990 Sturt appoint former Geelong
player, Kevin Higgins, Sturt again finish bottom
and after just one season, Higgins is sacked. Former
Central District and North Adelaide player Stephen
Trigg is appointed league coach for 1991 and 1992,
Sturt finish bottom in both seasons. 1993 saw the
appointment of former South Adelaide and WAFL premiership
coach, Hadyn Bunton. Sturt finish bottom in 1993.
1994 begins in promising fashion with victories
in the opening two minor round games and a narrow
loss to the previous years premiers, Woodville-West
Torrens, but the Blues season is again a failure
as the wooden spoon is taken out for a sixth consecutive
year. At the end of 1994 the Sturt board embark
on an ambitious plan to amalgamate with Norwood
with the view to enter a second Adelaide based club
in the AFL, the move fails as Port is granted the
second AFL licence. |
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1995 - 1996 |
Phil Carman is appointed
league coach in 1995 and for only the second time
in its history, Sturt went through the season without
a win. At the end of 1995 the Sturt Football Club
was in a precarious financial position and unless
$250,000 was raised the club was doomed. The board
opted to seek out a merger with North Adelaide,
but supporters opposed this and at a special meeting
at Unley Oval, a resurgence group, led by former
Sturt premiership player Phil Sanders was formed
with the view to increasing membership and saving
the club. The move was successful and the Blues
were saved, membership increased to over 2000 and
Sturt was second only to Port Adelaide in the amount
of members it had. In 1996 the Blues improved with
some excellent recruiting but still failed to get
off the bottom. |
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1997 |
The work of the
previous two seasons brought results as the Sturt
Football Club finally lifted itself of bottom place
to make the finals for the first time since 1988.
Sturt finished the minor round in fourth position
and only one premiership point away from second
position, however inexperience cost Sturt in the
Elimination Final as they lost to North Adelaide.
Sturt rover Brodie Atkinson ties with Norwood's
Andrew Jarman to win the 1997 Magarey Medal. Negotiations
with the Unley City Council regarding a return to
Unley Oval to play league football are successful
as the council agrees to Sturt playing 4 games there
from 1998. Coach Phil Carman is reappointed for
two more seasons. |
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1998 |
Sturt's preparations
for the 1998 season begin well as no league players
have left the club and selective recruiting increases
the club's depth. The Blues resurgence continues
as Sturt end the minor round on top of the ladder,
winning 16 of their 20 games, it is Sturt's first
minor premiership since 1978. The first league game
at Unley since 1985 is played before a sell out
crowd on Easter Saturday, the Blues end up winning
all four Unley home games. Sturt march into their
first grand final since 1983 with an emphatic victory
over West Adelaide in the second-semi final, however
the fairytale was not to be as Port Adelaide beats
Sturt by 9 points. 
General Manager Matt Benson & Club President
Steve Chapman
(Planning Sturt's return to Unley in 1998)
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1999 |
The club starts
the season without some of its champions; Simon
Feast, Brodie Atkinson, Adam Lange and Barnaby French
are lost to AFL clubs in the AFL draft. The Blues
recruit well to cover these loses picking up Damian
Squire, Dean Woosnam and Sean Tasker from other
SANFL clubs. Aarob Bishop, Stuart Graham, Adam Klun,
Alistair McEwin, Stephen Prescott and Daniel Wicks
make their debuts. The Sturt Football Club gets
a bigger foothold back at Unley with 6 home games
to be played there. John Richter plays his 258th
and final game. Burton, with 62 goals wins Rick
Davies Medal for top goal kicker for second successive
year and passes 200 goal mark for the club, while
White edges past 100. |
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2000 |
Sturt qualifies
for the finals for the fourth successive year for
the first time since 1973 to 1976. After winning
just two of their first eight games they play superb
football to challenge for a premiership in their
one hundredth year. Blues beat Port at Alberton
for the first time since 1983 and Norwood at The
Parade for the first time since 1986. Beat Port
Adelaide three times - at Unley, Alberton and Football
Park - and knock out Norwood and Port in successive
weeks in the finals. Sturt wins inaugural RO Shearman
Testimonial Trophy by beating the Eagles but loses
to them in the preliminary final to finish third.
Squire wins second successive Magarey Medal. Burton
and Weatherald play their 100th games. Centenary
Ball and Team of the Century dinners big hits, with
Oatey named coach of the Team of the Century. Lennon
collects his second Morton Medal. |
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2001 |
Birthday time for
the Blues but, unfortunately, they are pipped out
by Norwood in the centenary rematch at The Parade
before 13,745 fans. Captain Chris Thredgold, Brodie
Atkinson and Bruce Lennon play their 200th league
games as the Blues play some good football after
a slow start to the season, a 55-point hammering
of Port Adelaide at Alberton an unforgettable highlight.
Sturt is left stranded in sixth spot in its centenary
season but a few youngsters including Paul Magarey,
Adam Klun, Michael Curtis, Martin Mattner, Rhyse
Schulz and Jade Sheedy are really making their mark.
Sturt embarks on an exciting new era as North Adelaide's
1993 Magarey Medallist Brenton Phillips is appointed
coach. |
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2002 |
It had been 26 years
since the Club had won a premiership Simon Feast
and Matthew Dent returned to the Club after playing
in the AFL. Cameron Roberts moved from North Adelaide
and Matthew Cooper decided to have a go at SANFL
and Ben Nelson returned to the Adelaide Crows allowing
him to play for Sturt when not playing for the Crows.
Everything focused on the first game. Norwood had
been installed as the early flag favourites along
with reigning premiers Central District. On a balmy
March night at Norwood Oval the new look Double
Blues, playing in a new guernsey as the SANFL had
outlawed the famous lace-up, showed us what was
to come, Brenton Phillips style of football was
quick and skillful and there was something exciting
about the team. The Advertiser ran a headline "BLUES
SLAUGHTER", with a 55 point win season 2002
was underway. During the season we defeated all
comers with the exception of Central District, however,
the season took its toll with a number of serious
injuries that did not allow us to field our best
21 at any stage. Magary Medals are not unknown to
the Club but what a sensation when Jade Sheedy and
Tim Weatherald became joint winners of the League’s
most prestigious award. This would mean that Sturt
would boast a total of five medallists sharing six
medals (including the Coach) representing the Club
in the finals. Finishing third at the end of the
minor round we entered the finals knowing that we
had beaten every other team and that we had not
met Centrals with a full side. A win in the Qualifying
Final over Norwood set up a Second Semi Final clash
against Centrals in which we just fell short of
a win. History may record this as one of the best
losses in SANFL history. A Preliminary Final at
Adelaide Oval against Norwood was our next assignment,
a 49 point win sent us to the Grand Final full of
confidence and ready to write a new chapter in the
history of our proud Club. Grand Final day will
live long in the hearts of Sturt supporters, we
were simply too good and after 26 long years the
TS Seymour Hill trophy was finally back at Unley.
35 players represented the Club at senior level
during 2002 and for all time these 35 players will
be known as the "2002 Legends" The Club
celebrated long and hard but no one could imagine
the tragedy that was only days away. A terrorist
bomb in Bali turned what was the Club’s greatest
moment into one of absolute despair and sorrow.
We lost two members of our family, Bob Marshall
and Josh Deegan never returned from what was supposed
to be a trip of a lifetime. In the midst of the
tragedy the Club found new strength. Our Club has
enjoyed the heights of success and suffered the
depths of despair during 2002 but through it all
we have shown great dignity and courage. 2002 will
forever be remembered in the history of our great
Club not only for our success but also for the strength
shown in the face of adversity. |
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