Some of the most prominent contributors to that tradition wore the blue and gold of the West Torrens Football Club. Indeed, had Australian football boasted a national competition from the outset it is likely that names like MacKenzie, Low, Pontifex, Hank and Head would have figured prominently on several occasions on grand final day. Instead, they were major contributors toward the creation of one of South Australian football's most auspicious club traditions, although the use of the word 'auspicious' here ought not to be confused with 'successful'.

The first recorded reference to a West Torrens Football Club dates back to 1879 when a team bearing that name participated in a number of scratch matches. The team wore red and white playing uniforms and, appropriately enough, tended to be referred to as the Butchers, owing to the large number of team members who worked at the local West Park slaughterhouse. Indeed, the team had its home ground adjacent to the slaughterhouse, and just behind the Adelaide Gaol.

West Torrens' 1902 Magarey Medallist, Tom Mackenzie.  (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.)

Dave Low, whose Magarey Medal win in 1912 was the first by a permanent backman.  Low was later to lose his life on the European battlefields of the 1st World War.

Until 1922 the side played most of its home matches at the well appointed but misleadingly named Hindmarsh Oval - mistaken because it was anything other than oval in shape - before moving to a new and permanent home base, Thebarton Oval, which it was to retain until its final ever league season in 1990, when it relocated to Football Park.

Although success proved elusive the club was never exactly a chopping block either. It reached the finals for the first time in 1900, and should really have progressed at Norwood's expense after a 1st semi final during which it managed 12 scoring shots to the Redlegs' 5 but, incongruously, ended up 8 points in arrears. Thanks to the vagaries of the finals system in operation at the time, however, Torrens were actually placed 3rd, their pre-finals position, after Norwood, which had ended the minor round in 4th place, lost to South Adelaide the following week.

Further losing major round appearances followed in 1902 (defeated by North Adelaide), 1907 (lost to Port Adelaide), 1909 (lost to West Adelaide), 1910 and 1912 (lost to Port Adelaide on both occasions), and 1914 (downed by North Adelaide). Torrens were placed 4th each time.

A finals victory did not arrive until 1919 when arch rivals Port Adelaide were vanquished by 4 goals in the 2nd semi final. Torrens and North Adelaide then fought out a low scoring draw in the final only for the blue and golds to succumb by 5 points in the replay; they thus finished 3rd.

At half time the Double Blues had narrowed the margin to 4 points, and although the blue and golds managed to increase this slightly to 6 points at the last change the outcome of the match was still clearly in the balance. Sturt seemed to be gaining the upper hand early in the final quarter only to undermine their prospects with 5 successive behinds. Gaining confidence from this, Torrens steadied during the closing minutes to run out winners by 8 points, 9.12 (66) to 8.10 (58). Hollis top scored with 3 goals, while full back Daviess, ruckman Karney, centre half forward Minear (pictured below), rover O'Grady and half forward Adams (2 goals) all made sterling contributions. Sturt skipper Vic Richardson visited the victors changing rooms afterwards and, after offering his congratulations, offered the unusual - indeed, by today's standards, almost unbelievable - observation that "We would have rather lost to you than any other team".

Edwin Daviess, redoubtable Torrens and state full back of the 1920s. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.)

Action from West Torrens' victorious grand final meeting with Port Adelaide in 1945.  (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.)

Despite, or perhaps, somewhat perversely, because of, the recent onset of a war which had not yet become real in people's minds, a new record crowd of 44,885 turned up at Adelaide Oval for the grand final, in which Torrens were pitted against Port Adelaide. Somewhat surprisingly, they were to witness a disappointingly one-sided match. Port remained in consummate control throughout, and only inaccuracy in front of goal lent some credibility to the scoreline as far as the blue and golds were concerned. Final scores were Port Adelaide 16.28 (128); West Torrens 11.11 (77).

The SANFL only continued full scale competition for a further two seasons before the demands of war became too great. In a perverse way, those associated with West Torrens must have been thankful, for the club appeared to be entering a depressed phase with 7th and 8th place finishes in 1940 and 1941 respectively.

All time great of the game, Bob Hank: 2 Magarey Medals, 8 club champion awards, an All Australian in 1953, 224 games for Torrens, and 27 interstate appearances.  (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.)

In the preliminary final a fortnight later Torrens trailed Norwood by over 4 goals midway through the 3rd quarter, only to come storming home to win by 4 points.

Grand final opponents and erstwhile allies Port Adelaide had comfortably downed Norwood in the 2nd semi final and had lost just 2 matches all year, so were understandably warmly favoured to win. A new record crowd of 47,500 turned up, the third time in succession that Torrens had featured in the game which saw the record broken. Port kicked 8 goals to 2 in the opening term and an annihilation looked on the cards, but Torrens came back strongly in the 2nd quarter to go in at the long break just 4 points in arrears. With youngsters like centreman Bob Hank and ruckman Don Prior leading the way the blue and golds grabbed the lead during the 3rd term and never looked back, only ineffectual goalkicking preventing a runaway win. West Torrens won 15.25 (115) to 15.12 (102), with excellent displays coming from Nicholls, McInnes, Cox and Edwards, in addition to the two players previously mentioned.

As proved to be the case throughout the club's history Torrens were unable to go on with things in 1946, dropping down the ladder to 5th. After an identical result in 1947, however, things improved dramatically the following year as the side qualified for the finals in 2nd spot before acquiring premiership favouritism with a 3 point 2nd semi final defeat of Norwood. A fortnight later though Torrens inexplicably 'froze' when it mattered and the Redlegs gained their revenge by 57 points. With the exception of the 2nd term the blue and golds were never really in the match, but even during that quarter a return of 2.5 to 0.2 failed to generate any real scoreboard pressure. The second half saw Norwood pile on 10.10 to 3.4 and for Torrens it was a case of 'back to the drawing board'.

Frustratingly, however, 1949 brought a repeat performance, although at least the side were a little more competitive on grand final day, going down to North Adelaide by 23 points.

Hefty Torrens back pocket Mick Clingly was a widespread choice as best afield in a 9.13 (67) to 8.12 (60) win which effectively ended the greatest ever era of one club (Torrens) whilst engendering that of another (Port Adelaide). As far as the Eagles were concerned there would be no further grand final appearances whatsoever, while in the thirty-seven seasons which remained until the club's demise in 1990 it would qualify to participate in the major round on only another ten occasions for just 1 finals win.

Football genius Lindsay Head. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.)

Geoff Kingston marks superbly during the Eagles' heart-breaking 2 point loss to North Adelaide in the 1963 preliminary final. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.)

Things would get even worse, however.  The gap between success and failure in sport can sometimes be frustratingly, even agonisingly, narrow, as one of the finest West Torrens sides in history discovered in 1963.  With players like triple Magarey Medallist Lindsay Head, 1961 All Australian and Bob Shearman, the ever-versatile and resourceful Fred Bills, and strong marking, long kicking full forward Neil Hawke, the Eagles provided the backbone of the South Australian interstate side that scored a noteworthy victory over the VFL at the MCG that season.  Other fine players donned the blue and gold jumper in 1963 as well: Geoff Kingston, another All Australian, who had few peers as a key position forward anywhere in Australia; tenaciously astute full back Tracy Braidwood; formidable utility Glen Pill; hardy and combative ruckman Eric Dix; assured defender Rod Payze; and lively wingman or back pocket Bob Gibson.

Nevertheless, the Eagles took a while to get going in '63, losing their first 3 matches, and "looking like a struggling team" (see footnote 5).  Indeed, a 'Football Budget' writer went so far as to suggest that, for their round 4 clash with Sturt at Thebarton, their season was more or less on the line (see footnote 6). 

Torrens not only won that match, they won 11 and drew 1 of the next 13, to have the minor premiership sewn up with two rounds still to play.  It was not just the fact that they were winning that was impressive, however, it was the fact that they were doing so with a style, conviction and authority that no team from Thebarton had displayed in a decade.  During August the Eagles effortlessly swept past North Adelaide by 91 points, South Adelaide by 28 points, Sturt by 37 points, and West Adelaide by 26 points, prompting the 'Budget' writer to regard them as warm favourites for the flag (see footnote 7).

And so it proved.  Against the Redlegs, Torrens managed a mere 8.16 (64), their lowest score since a round 9 clash with Sturt on an Unley Oval quagmire.  Norwood, which would fail to contest the finals, won with embarrassing ease by 48 points.  

The following Saturday, with the same quartet missing, the Eagles again struggled ahead of centre against Port Adelaide at Adelaide, and went under by 27 points.  Clearly, as far as Torrens were concerned, the season had lasted just a little too long, an impression amplified when their injury depleted side succumbed to Port Adelaide (by 17 points) and North Adelaide (by a heart-rending margin of 2 points, albeit with Neil Hawke back in the side) in successive finals matches.  During the minor round, the Eagles had twice trounced North Adelaide, by 67 and 91 points, but that had been with close to a full complement of players available.  Given that the Port Adelaide team which went on to win the grand final at the expense of North Adelaide was, according to popular consensus, one of the weakest post-war premiership combinations, it is hard not to draw the conclusion that injuries robbed West Torrens of a fifth league flag.

Peter Phillipou, who played 272 games for the Eagles in two separate stints between 1967 and 1984. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.)

One of Torrens' - and the SANFL's - greatest ever clubmen, Fred Bills: 313 games for the Eagles from 1959-75.  (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.)

The replay saw West assume complete almost control after half time to win by 21 points. It is arguable that the West Torrens Football Club never properly recovered from this morale-sapping loss. Certainly, the club never again seriously challenged for South Australian football's top prize.

John Birt left after a disappointing 1970 season which saw the Eagles slump to 8th, and neither of his immediate successors, Allen Greer or Bill Barrot, managed to resurrect the side's fortunes. Midway through the 1974 season, however, Barrot was dismissed in somewhat acrimonious circumstances, and under stop-gap replacement Wayne Jackson [see footnote 9] Torrens came home with a wet sail to qualify for the elimination final. [see footnote 10] That was where there season ended though, as they were given a decisive reminder by Glenelg of the gulf they still had to traverse to become a top side. True, the Bays' ultimate margin of victory was 'only' 36 points, but 43 scoring shots to 22 probably gives a truer indication of the respective sides' capabilities.

This point was emphasised when, under Noel Teasdale, the Eagles picked up the wooden spoon in both of the next two seasons.

Future AFL Chief Executive Wayne Jackson, shown above acting as the West Torrens runner in 1978.  Jackson was also president of the club at the time. (Click on the image to see an enlarged version.)

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