The Club is sad to advise the passing of Tony Goodchild, Hall of Fame, and Team of the Century past player– 1934 – 2026.
We were fortunate to receive a visit from Tony and his daughters last year where he enjoyed walking through the Club and viewing some of the memorabilia and upgrades.
John Halbert AM, MBE, has kindly written the following tribute:
“My first recollection of Tony was 1955 when I played my first game for Sturt. He had already established himself as a regular and important part of the Club. During the next five years he became regarded as one of the best Centre Half Forwards in League Football.
Although not as tall as most players who occupied that position, his strong aggressive attack on the ball and his deceptive left spin and left foot kick won him many admirers and he held the State Centre Half Forward spot.
When Sturt chose its ‘Team of the Century in 2000’ he was justly chosen on the right half flank.
He came from a wealthy Northgate St family and an education at St Peters College and yet all he wanted was to be a farmer.
I remember with delight an occasion in preparation for a State game at Adelaide Oval when Tony arrived not dressed in his State Blazer but in an old pair of overalls, an old badly stained jumper and his gear in a hessian bag. When questioned by me about his dress his reply was “When you have to get up to feed the pigs in Tailem Bend at 6am in the morning you don’t take gear off, you just put more on!!” That was Tony Goodchild.
Farewell to a good old friend, and a very talented footballer for the Sturt Football Club.”
