History
West Torrens had competed in the SANFL since the 1895 SAFA season, when it was originally known as the Port Natives [1] (who wore Blue and Gold) and renamed to West Torrens for the 1897 SAFA season, [2] while Woodville entered the competition for 1964 SANFL season. However, a third western suburbs team in the competition West Adelaide proved too much to handle with both sides struggling on the field following Woodville's inception.
Heading into 1964, West Torrens had won four premierships in the previous forty seasons, and were a highly competitive club, regular finalists, and played off in 8 Grand Finals - the last one being the 1953 victory over Port Adelaide.
Woodville did not win a premiership or play in a grand final in their twenty-seven seasons (1964–90), usually being close to or on the bottom of the ladder. West Torrens were also dragged down to this level by the 1970s.
Whispers had grown throughout SA football circles that a merger would save these clubs throughout the 1980s. Public figure and talkshow radio host Robert Colt reported in 1987 that if the merger ended up happening, he would eat his hat. Network Seven also aired a story in late 1989 on local fan Tony 'T-Bone, who had stated that if the merge happened, he would riot and attempt to hold up traffic in Adelaide's CBD.
In 1990, the imminent admission of the Adelaide Crows into the AFL placed both club's futures as separate entities in serious doubt: West Torrens was technically insolvent, with debts of $1.1 million, and while Woodville was financially viable, club officials realised that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for the club to be competitive in the foreseeable future.
It was decided at the end of the season to merge the two sides to form the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles, effectively returning to how things were prior to 1964. The club would play their home games at Woodville's home ground, Woodville Oval, and use the West Torrens Eagle emblem. The new club proved immediately competitive, and won their first premiership in 1993.
In accepting the Thomas Seymour Hill Trophy for the first time for the Eagles, captain Peter Schwarz jubilantly proclaimed:
- "This is a very sweet moment – the end result of two clubs that made a lot of tough decisions three years ago. This is for Woodville and for West Torrens. Now we are one club."
The club colours of blue, gold and green incorporate the club colours of West Torrens (blue and gold) and Woodville (green and gold). The Eagle logo of the West Torrens Football Club was adopted as the official emblem of Woodville West Torrens. It was also agreed that blue would be the primary colour of the merged club.
It took 27 years, but order was finally restored for SANFL clubs in the western suburbs in 1991.
By 2018, the Woodville-West Torrens Football Club officially surpassed Woodville's total existence as it entered its 28th SANFL season, and interestingly, the club's on-field record read very similar to that of West Torrens prior to Woodville entering the competition in 1964.
Woodville-West Torrens entered a team in the SANFL Women's League in 2019 and, as of 2021 SANFL season, are the only club to have never won a wooden spoon
Premierships
After having merged only 3 years prior, Woodville-West Torrens claimed the Thomas Seymour Hill Trophy, with a convincing 73-point victory over Norwood. It would, however, prove to be the Eagles only premiership success during 1994–2005 in which they lost 5 Grand Finals – 1994 to Port Adelaide and 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005 all to Central District. After losing yet another Grand Final to their arch-rivals in 2005, the Eagles bounced back and got their first premiership in 13 years, and after 6 attempts, with a thumping 76-point victory over the Bulldogs.
In 2011, the Eagles became the only club since the turn of the century to defeat Central District in two grand finals, with a thrilling 3-point win – 81 to 78 on 9 October 2011. The Eagles went in as the underdogs but coach Michael Godden (in only his second year with the team and in a senior coaching position) believed his Eagles could overcome the Dogs.
Ruckman Craig Parry was named the Jack Oatey Medalist for Best on Ground for 2011.
Godden became the third coach to win a Premiership for Woodville-West Torrens, following Bruce Winter (1993) and Ron Fuller (2006). He became the second to win one at his first attempt (Winter 1993).
The Eagles became the first side to win the Premiership from a Qualifying Final loss since Sturt did so in 1976, and the only club in the competition to have won Premierships in each of the last 3 decades.
In 2015 the Woodville West Torrens Football Club celebrated their 25th season in the SANFL, and dominated the competition in U/18s, Reserves and League, taking out each Minor Premiership (the only club to ever do so) dropping just 4 games across all 3 grades throughout the minor round season. The league team with a 16–2 record from their 18 games.
Each club progressed straight through to their respective Grand Finals, and the Reserves completed a remarkable undefeated season (first team to do so since West Torrens in 1919) to take out their 8th flag. Unfortunately, the League team were dealt with 3 major season-ending injuries in their 2nd semi-final victory, ripping out their engine room including Magarey Medal Runner-up and eventual 2015 Club Champion Angus Rowntree, as well as number 1 ruckman Marc Borholm and former Reserves Magarey Medalist Angus Poole.
It proved too much to cover for the Eagles in the Grand Final, falling short to West Adelaide by 30 points. The U/18s also lost their decider.
It was a bitterly disappointing end for Michael Godden and his men after a near-perfect season, cruelled by injury at the final hurdle.
SANFLW Commences at the Eagles
In 2018 the Woodville West Torrens Football Club were amongst the last of the SANFL clubs to enter a team in the SANFLW Competition that had been established in 2016 for a 2017 season. The Eagles SANFLW team played its inaugural season in 2019 being coached by Tess Baxter finished with the wooden spoon.
It has been a slow build for the SANFLW at the Eagles as it has struggled to attract players with finishing positions of 2019 - 8th (wooden spoon), 2020 - 7th, 2021 - 8th (wooden spoon), 2022 - 7th & 2023 - 7th.
After three years with Tess Baxter at the helm, a change of Senior Coach saw experienced Narelle Smith come in to the Senior Coach role with momentum starting to build in the womens football space at Oval Avenue.
With the addition of more established pathways to develop and grow zone talent including the drafting of Shineah Goody to PAFC - from local zone York Peninsula it is an ever developing space with Season 2024 looking to be the year the Eagles women's side jump over the consistent finishing spot of 7th.
The Jade Sheedy era and going back-to-back
Before the start of the 2020 SANFL season, the club hired a new coach: former Sturt premiership player and Magarey Medalist Jade Sheedy. In Sheedy's first year in charge, the club finished minor premiers and advanced to the 2020 SANFL Grand Final where the club overcame North Adelaide by 39 points to win their first premiership in 9 years. This was the first premiership against North Adelaide. West Torrens had previously played North Adelaide in the 1949 SANFL Grand Final.
During the 2021 SANFL season, the Eagles finished 2nd behind minor premiers Glenelg who had lost only one game all season. They defeated Glenelg in the 2021 SANFL Grand Final by a margin of 67 points to claim their 5th premiership and became only the second team all year to defeat Glenelg. In doing so, the club went back-to-back for the first time in their history. Not even West Torrens had managed the feat previously.
West Torrens won 4 Premierships pre-1991, in 1924, 1933, 1945 and 1953.
