Years Played: 1902-1910
Games: 72
Goals: 74
Club Leading Goal Kicker: 1903 (7),1904 (17),1905 (17),1906 (14),1907 (12)
State Games: 8
Magarey Medal: 1903
Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
An exceptional ruckman and dangerous forward who carried Sturt “on his back” during the club’s early years in the first decade of the 20th Century. He lived in Willunga and used to make a fifty mile horse and buggy trip to train and play for the Double Blues, winner of the 1903 Magarey Medal and leading goalkicker for five years in a row, Waye dominated the competition to the extent that opposition coaches used two players against him just to try to contain his influence, he also played eight games for South Australia.
Guernsey Number: 1
Years Played: 1930-1940
Games: 138
Goals: 561
Vice Captain: 1937
Captain: 1938-1940
Best and Fairest: 1937,1939,1940
State Games: 6
Premierships: 1940
Premiership Team Captain: 1940
Club Leading Goal Kicker: 1930 (37),1931 (77),1937 (53),1938 (56),1939 (84),1940 (101)
100 Goals in a Season: 1940 (101)
10 Goals or More in a Match: 6 Times (10,10,12,11,10,10)
Most Goals in a Match: 12 (vs Norwood at The Parade in 1940)
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
A high flying full forward of the 1930’s and early 1940’s, richly talented and capable of playing away from the goals when needed, he became the first Sturt player to kick 100 goals in a season after kicking his one hundredth goal during the 1940 Grand Final. He was Captain-Coach of the 1940 premiership team, won three club best and fairests, was leading goalkicker seven times and kicked 561 goals at an average of 4.06 goals per game for the club, he also represented South Australia six times.
Guernsey Number: 4
Years Played: 1919-1928,1930-1931
Games: 132
Goals: 146
Best and Fairest: 1924
Premierships: 1926
State Games: 13
Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Outstanding fleet-footed rover of the 1920’s and early 1930’s, who was equally skilled with either foot or hand, a beautiful drop kick and regarded as one of the finest rovers of his generation. Barron was an automatic selection in the State team at the time and played thirteen games for South Australia, he also won the club best and fairest in 1924 and was an important member of the 1926 premiership team.
Guernsey Number: 19
Years Played: 1971-1985
Games: 282
Goals: 455
Premierships: 1974, 1976
State Games: 11
Magarey Medal – Runner Up: 1973
Member – The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year: 1971,1972,1973,1975,1976,1982
Member: Jack Oatey Vintage 21 Team
Member: SANFL Indigenous Team of the Century
Member: AFL Indigenous Team of the Century
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
Member: Australian Football Hall of Fame
Of all the footballers to play at Unley in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, the fastest was Michael ‘The Flash’ Graham, he was “so quick” that opponents found it hard to keep up with him, he was however, not one dimensional, as he was also a highly skilled footballer with either foot or hand and finished runner up in the 1973 Magarey Medal. He was a member of the 1974 and 1976 premiership teams, represented the State eleven times and in 2005 was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century. Michael Graham was an automatic selection in the Sturt sides of his era and is considered by many to be the fastest to have ever worn the Double Blue guernsey.
Guernsey Number: 15
Years Played: 1955-1968
Games: 244
Goals: 253
Vice Captain: 1959-1961
Captain: 1962-1968
Best and Fairest: 1958,1960,1961,1964
Premierships: 1966
Premiership Team Captain: 1966
State Games: 16
Magarey Medal: 1961
Magarey Medal – Runner Up: 1955,1958,1960
All Australian: 1961
Member – The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year: 1958,1960,1961,1963,1964,1965,1966
Member: The Advertiser SANFL Golden Jubilee Greatest Team (1952-2002)
Member: Jack Oatey Vintage 21 Team
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
Member: Australian Football Hall of Fame
Originally a brilliant centreman, Halbert then became a dominant centre half forward due to his formidable strength and jumping ability when shifted there in 1964 by coach Jack Oatey. Renown for his excellent disposal, strong overhead marking and impressive ground play, John Halbert captained the Blues from 1962 to 1968 and led them to the long overdue 1966 premiership, the club’s first for 26 years, unfortunately he was unable to play in the 1967 and 1968 Grand Finals due to injury. During his illustrious career he won four best and fairests, the 1961 Magarey Medal after finishing runner up in 1955 (his debut season), 1958 and 1960, was named an All Australian in 1961 and played for South Australia on sixteen occasions. In 2017 Halbert was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding career both on and off the field
Guernsey Number: 1
Years Played: 1953-1962
Games: 132
Goals: 128
Captain: 1957-1958
Best and Fairest: 1956,1957
State Games: 7
Member – The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year: 1956,1957,1959,1960
Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
A brilliant and versatile footballer, Goodchild was often forced in the difficult 1950’s, due to the lack of really outstanding players at the time at Unley to carry the Sturt attack more or less on his own. Well built, determined, very strong and a good mark with an excellent kick, Goodchild would have been an outstanding player in any era of the club’s history. During his career he captained the club for two seasons and won the best and fairest two years in a row, he also represented South Australia seven times.
Guernsey Number: 6
Years Played: 1967-1979
Games: 244
Goals: 122
Premierships: 1968,1969,1970,1974,1976
State Games: 8
All Australian: 1972
Member – The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year: 1971,1972,1978
Member: Jack Oatey Vintage 21 Team
Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Predominantly played on the wing throughout his career in the late 1960’s and 1970’s, Burgan had the ideal temperament for the game and was strong, quick, highly skilled, reliable and above all versatile. He struggled early on in his career to break into the powerful Sturt sides of the late 1960’s, but when he did he didn’t look back and went on to become one of the finest and most adaptable players of his era. He played in six grand finals, winning five premierships, was named an All Australian in 1972 and represented South Australia eight times.
Guernsey Number: 1
Years Played: 1915,1919-1924,1926-1927
Games: 114
Goals: 23
Captain: 1920,1922-1924
Best and Fairest: 1922,1923
Premierships: 1915,1919,1926
State Games: 10
State Captain: 1923
Magarey Medal: 1920
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
A magnificent, dominant centreman who had no peer in the 1920’s, equally skilled with either foot or hand, Richardson was awarded the 1920 Magarey Medal retrospectively after originally finishing runner up on a countback in 1998 by the SANFL. A member of three premiership teams, captain for four years, a dual best and fairest winner and represented South Australia ten times, including 1923 as captain. An outstanding sportsman, he also represented South Australia and Australia in cricket, playing 19 test matches between 1924 and 1936, he was vice captain of the Australian cricket teams tour of England in 1930 and was captain of the Australian cricket team during their tour of South Africa in 1935, he is the grandfather of the famous cricketing Chappell brothers.
Guernsey Number: 11
Years Played: 1922-1929
Games: 111
Goals: 7
Vice Captain: 1929
Best and Fairest: 1925,1926,1928
Premierships: 1926
State Games: 8
Well built and fast, Scrutton was the best wingman in Adelaide in the 1920’s and was also one of three brothers to play for Sturt during this time. He won the best and fairest three times in only eight seasons at Sturt and was an important member of the 1926 premiership team. Scrutton was an automatic State selection in his day and made eight interstate appearances for South Australia and beat his highly rated Victorian counterparts easily.
Guernsey Number: 1
Years Played: 1966-1972
Games: 121
Goals: 92
Captain: 1969-1972
Premierships: 1966,1967,1968,1969,1970
Premiership Team Captain: 1968 (Acting),1969,1970
State Games: 13
Member: Jack Oatey Vintage 21 Team
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
A superb and versatile footballer of the 1960’s and early 1970’s, Shearman will always be remembered for his unrivalled prodigious kicking (He won the 1968 and 1971 Champion Kick of Australia competition), strong and clever, he could play any position on the field with ease. Originally from Victoria, where he debuted as a 16 year old, he played in two Grand Finals for Essendon before coming to South Australia and joining West Torrens. At the end of 1964 he was so eager to transfer to the Blues that he stood out of football for the 1965 season to gain clearance, the wait was worth it, for both Shearman and Sturt, as he became a driving force behind the Blues “golden era” and went on to play in five premiership winning teams, was club captain for four years, including two as premiership captain and played thirteen games for South Australia.
Guernsey Number: 5
Years Played: 1951-1955,1959-1962
Games: 125
Goals: 201
Captain: 1951 (Part),1952-1955
Best and Fairest: 1952,1953,1954
Club Leading Goal Kicker: 1954 (41)
State Games: 20
Magarey Medal: 1952,1954,1959
All Australian: 1953
Member – The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year: 1952,1953,1954,1955,1959
Member: The Advertiser SANFL Golden Jubilee Greatest Team (1952-2002)
Member: The Advertiser Greatest South Australian Team of all Time (Named in 2014)
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Legend: Sturt Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: Australian Football Hall of Fame
One of the greatest players to have ever worn the Sturt guernsey, simply outstanding and extremely versatile, Fitzgerald is the only triple Magarey Medallist, all of which were won whilst playing in different positions, in the club’s history and he was without a doubt the number one player at Unley in the 1950’s. An inaugural member of the All Australian team in 1953 and winner of the club’s best and fairest three times in a row, he also represented South Australia twenty times. In 1996 Len Fitzgerald was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame as an inaugural member in recognition of his outstanding career.
Guernsey Number: 10
Years Played: 1959-1971
Games: 215
Goals: 151
Vice Captain: 1969
Best and Fairest: 1968
Premierships: 1967,1968,1969,1970
Club Leading Goal Kicker: 1961 (26)
State Games: 13
All Australian: 1966,1969
Member – The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year: 1966,1968,1969
Member: Jack Oatey Vintage 21 Team
Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
An inspirational, versatile, determined and skilful footballer, blond haired and strongly built, Schoff was one of the greatest players to play at Unley, able to play in practically any position, he was rarely beaten whether playing a key position in the backlines or in attack, the quintessential “jack of all trades” type player and was used to telling effect by Jack Oatey in the 1960’s. He played in four premiership teams, won the 1968 best and fairest, was named an All Australian in 1966 and 1969 plus represented his State thirteen times.
Guernsey Number: 16
Years Played: 1962-1974
Games: 259
Goals: 6
Premierships: 1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1974
State Games: 20
All Australian: 1966
Member – The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year: 1965,1966,1967,1968,1971
Member: Jack Oatey Vintage 21 Team
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
In 100 years only one back pocket player stands out at Unley – Brenton Adcock, a rugged, dashing and highly reliable defender, Adcock’s greatest attribute was his uncanny ability to read the play and rebound to the advantage of his team, he played one of his best games in a Sturt guernsey in the 1967 Grand Final against Port Adelaide in which the Blues came from behind in the last quarter to win and was arguably best on ground. His 259th and last game in the Double Blue was the winning 1974 Grand Final, thus finishing his stellar career as a six time premiership player, an All Australian in 1966 and having represented South Australia twenty times.
Guernsey Number: 1
Years Played: 1909-1915,1919-1927
Games: 207
Goals: 240
Captain: 1921,1925-1927
Premierships: 1915,1919,1926
Premiership Team Captain: 1926
Club Leading Goal Kicker: 1912 (11),1913 (30),1914 (29),1919 (24),1920 (30),1921 (38)
SANFL Leading Goal Kicker: 1920 (30)
State Games: 28 (Club Record)
State Captain: 1925,1926
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
For the first half of his league career he played up forward, leading the club goalkicking six times, but when he was moved down back he transformed into becoming the most outstanding Sturt full back of the 20th century. Brilliant, well balanced and equally skilled with foot or hand, Golding had the ideal temperament for the game, that one Melbourne critic dubbed him “the greatest goalkeeper the game had ever seen”. He led South Australia to a memorable victory on the MCG against Victoria in 1926, represented the State a club record twenty eight times, played in three premiership teams and was also the first SANFL footballer to play 200 games.
Guernesy Number: 10
Years Played: 1922-1930
Games: 122
Goals: 121
Captain: 1930 (Part)
Premierships: 1926
State Games: 20
Magarey Medal: 1923
Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
Despite his small size, Riley was the Bagshaw of the 1920’s, highly skilled and a splendid highflyer who made the game look easy and when he flew for a mark he excited the crowd to the extent that they would chant “Riley, Riley, Riley”. Winner of the 1923 Magarey Medal and an important member of the 1926 premiership team, Riley gave many fine displays in the Double Blue guernsey during his career and was also an automatic State selection, he represented South Australia with distinction on twenty occasions.
Guernsey Number: 24
Years Played: 1970-1980,1982-1985
Games: 317
Goals: 635
Captain: 1982-1984
Best and Fairest: 1973,1974,1975,1976,1978,1979,1980
Premierships: 1974,1976
Club Leading Goal Kicker: 1982 (98),1983 (151),1984 (102)
100 Goals in a Season: 1983 (151),1984 (102)
10 Goals or More in a Match: 6 Times (10,15,11,10,10,11)
Most Goals in a Match (Club Record): 15 (vs West Adelaide at Football Park in 1983)
SANFL Leading Goal Kicker (Ken Farmer Medal): 1983 (151)
State Games: 20
State Captain: 1979,1980
All Australian: 1980
All Australian Captain: 1980
Magarey Medal – Runner Up: 1974
Member – The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year: 1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1983
Member: Jack Oatey Vintage 21 Team
Member: The Advertiser SANFL Golden Jubilee Greatest Team (1952-2002)
Member: The Advertiser Greatest South Australian Team of all Time (Named in 2014)
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Legend: Sturt Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
Member: Australian Football Hall of Fame
Of all the ruckman to play at Unley, Rick ‘Jumbo Prince’ Davies was simply the best, with his well timed leaps, precision palming, high marking, penetrative kicking and damaging handball, Davies was an inspiration to his team mates, his superb performance in the winning 1976 Grand Final will be remembered for how ever long the game is played in South Australia. In the later stages of his career, when moved up forward, he transformed to become one of the most dominant forwards of the competition and kicked a club record 15.4 in a game against West Adelaide in 1983, he went on to win the Ken Farmer Medal in that same year after booting a SANFL record at the time 151 goals in the season. Davies won the club best and fairest a record seven times, was a member of the 1974 and 1976 premiership teams, represented South Australia twenty times, was State captain in 1979 and 1980, named an All Australian in 1980, as well as being named captain of the team. Rick Davies was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2013 in recognition of his outstanding career.
Guernsey Number: 8
Years Played: 1964-1980
Games: 360 (Club Record)
Goals: 258
Vice Captain: 1970-1972
Captain: 1973-1980 (Equal Club Record)
Best and Fairest: 1966,1969,1970,1971,1977
Premierships: 1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1974,1976
Premiership Team Captain: 1974,1976
Club Leading Goal Kicker: 1978 (74)
10 Goals in a Match: Round 7,1978 vs Port Adelaide
State Games: 14
McCallum Medal (SANFL Under 17’s Best & Fairest): 1962
Member – The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year: 1966,1970,1971,1972,1973,1975,1976,1977
Member: Jack Oatey Vintage 21 Team
Member: The Advertiser SANFL Golden Jubilee Greatest Team (1952-2002)
Member: The Advertiser Greatest South Australian Team of all Time (Named in 2014)
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Legend: Sturt Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
Member: Australian Football Hall of Fame
Five time best and fairest winner and the club’s longest serving player having played 360 games, the mercurial Bagshaw was simply the most outstanding player at Unley for seventeen winters between 1964 – 1980. Exquisitely skilled, a master of handball, superb mark and having that rare champions ability to remain seemingly unflustered even under the most intense pressure, Bagshaw had the ability to do almost anything on the football field and was also one of the last truly great exponents of the drop kick. He was captain for eight years, played in seven premiership teams, including two as captain, represented South Australia fourteen times and led the goal kicking in 1978. Known as ‘Mr Magic’, the naturally talented Bagshaw was an inspiration to his teammates and will be remembered for as long as football is played in South Australia. In 2016 Bagshaw was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding career.
Guernsey Number: 18
Years Played: 1939-1950
Games: 160
Goals: 341
Vice Captain: 1948
Captain: 1945,1947
Best and Fairest: 1945,1946
Premierships: 1940
Club Leading Goal Kicker: 1948 (40)
State Games: 11
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
In 1980 Bo Morton was asked to name the six best footballers he had seen at the club since 1930, one of the six he named was Gil Langley, built like a pocket battleship, this well balanced rover was equally skilled with foot or hand and wore the Double Blue guernsey with distinction in the 1940’s. He was captain in 1945 and 1947, won the best and fairest in 1945 and 1946, was a member of the 1940 premiership team, led the goal kicking in 1948 and played eleven State games. He was an outstanding sportsman and also represented South Australia and Australia in cricket, playing 122 games for his State and 26 test matches for his country.
Years Played: 1909-1911
Games: 37
Goals: 33
State Games: 9
Magarey Medal: 1911
Magarey Medal – Runner Up: 1910
Inaugural Member: Australian Football Hall of Fame
Brilliant knock ruckman who for three years between 1909-1911 dominated the game in Adelaide. A powerful, running player who could take a strong mark, pick out a team mate with a handball and who also had a superb long kick on him, Cumberland came to South Australia after playing for Melbourne and then St Kilda in the VFL and finished runner up in the 1910 Magarey Medal before winning it the following year. He was a crucial member of Sturt’s powerful 1910 team that narrowly lost to Port Adelaide in the club’s first ever Grand Final and he also represented South Australia in nine State games, including the 1911 Adelaide Carnival, in which South Australia won all four of their games played including a win against the Victorian team and in 1996 was inducted as an inaugural member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding career.
Guernsey Number: 1
Years Played: 1913-1915,1919-1921
Games: 79
Goals: 11
Captain: 1914-1915,1919
Best and Fairest: 1914
Premierships: 1915,1919
Premiership Team Captain: 1915,1919
State Games: 6
State Captain: 1914,1921
Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
Easily the best centreman in Adelaide between 1913 and 1921. Versatile and brilliant, Mayman led the club to its first two premierships in 1915 and 1919 and thus became the club’s first ever premiership captain and coach. He played six games for South Australia and was captain of the State team in 1914 and 1921.
Guernsey Number: 2
Years Played: 1982-1985
Games: 92
Goals: 104
Best and Fairest: 1984,1985
State Games: 6
All Australian: 1983,1984,1985
Magarey Medal – Runner Up: 1985
Fos Williams Medal: 1985
Member – The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year: 1983,1984,1985
Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
A naturally gifted footballer, Motley was easily the best footballer at Unley in the 1980’s. Well balanced and brilliant, Motley could read the play magnificently and could play at either end of the ground, he had the freakish ability to pull down marks no matter how far out of position he appeared to be. Although he only played 92 games for Sturt, during this time he won two best and fairests, represented South Australia on six occasions and was named in the All Australian team three times, the name Peter Motley will be remembered well into the 21st Century at Unley.
Years Played: 1909-1913
Games: 56
Goals: 16
Captain: 1909-1913
State Games: 11
State Captain: 1911,1912
Regarded by many as South Australia’s best pre World War 1 captain, Renfrey was fast, couragous, skilful and able to play in a number of positions and did to Sturt what Jack Oatey did in the 1960’s, lifting the Double Blues from the bottom of the ladder to their first ever Grand Final in 1910 and putting the club on the path that would see it miss playing finals only twice from 1910 to 1926. The inspirational Renfrey played eleven games for South Australia and was captain of the State team in 1911 and 1912. One of his greatest sporting achievements was leading South Australia to victory at the 1911 Adelaide Carnival, with the team winning all four of their games played, including a famous win over Victoria.
Years Coached: 1962-1982
Grand Finals: 9 (1965,1966-1970,1974,1976,1978)
Premierships: 7 (1966-1970,1974,1976)
Runners Up: 2 (1965,1978)
Minor Premiers: 4 (1966,1968,1974,1978)
Inaugural Member: Sturt Hall of Fame
Legend: Sturt Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: South Australian Football Hall of Fame
Inaugural Member: Australian Football Hall of Fame
Legend: Australian Football Hall of Fame
Record | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | |
Games | 470 | 314 | 67% | 152 | 4 |
Finals | 35 | 21 | 60% | 14 | 0 |
Jack ‘The Mastercoach’ Oatey was arguably the greatest ever to have coached Sturt, he reigned from 1962 to 1982 and retired a legend of football, leading Sturt to nine grand finals and winning seven premierships. He was a monument to the game, a master builder who picked up a struggling club and painstakingly, but also ruthlessly, shaping it so that it became a dominant force in South Australian football with no equal from 1966 to 1970.