West Adelaide Football Club (1878–1887)

West Adelaide Football Club
West Adelaide Football Club
Names
Full name	West Adelaide Football Club
Former name(s)	West Torrens Football Club
Club details
Founded	1878
Dissolved	5 April 1888; 136 years ago
Colours	Red White Blue
Competition	South Australian Football Association (1887)
Premierships	1882 Adelaide and Suburban Association
Ground(s)	West Park Lands, Mile End

The West Adelaide Football Club (1878–1887), previously known as the West Torrens Football Club, was an Australian rules football club that participated in the South Australian Football Association during the 1887 SAFA season.

Early Matches 1878

A number of matches in 1878 were reported including West Torrens v. South Adelaide (Second Twenty) on Saturday, July 27.
These two Clubs met on the ground of the former. The game, which was very lively, resulted in a draw, neither side obtaining a goal. The respective captains were Messrs. J. Beesley and T. N. Cole. Mr. R.Paget officiated as field umpire.^[1]

SAFA Application Rejected (1879)

West Torrens Football Club submitted an application to the join the SAFA but at the Association's Annual General Meeting held on 1 April 1879 the club's application was rejected by 12 votes to 19 against as a number of delegates felt there was already too many weak teams in the Association.^[2]

Annual Dinners and Season Reports

The club's first annual dinner took place with about 50 members present at the Foresters' and Squatters' Arms, Thebarton, on Thursday evening. October 14, 1879. Mr. J. Beesley was captain and secretary and he reported eight matches had been played with the following result: Won, three; drawn, three; lost, two. Four of the matches were with SAFA first twenties, and of these one was won, one was drawn, and two were lost.^[3]

Annual General Meeting of the West Torrens club was held on April 7, 1881, at Squatters Arms, Thebarton.^[4]

1882 - West Torrens 3 goals defeated North Parks 2 goals for the Junior Premiership. Several old senior players from various clubs were competing.^[5]

1883 - Played ten Association matches, winning eight, and losing two, and two bad been forfeited to them. They occupied the second place on the scoring list, and tied for the cup; they had kicked forty-nine goals against their opponents fourteen. ^[6]

1884 - Played twelve matches during the season, winning eight and losing four. Thirty-one goals and 114 behind had been kicked by them against their opponents' 9 goals and 32 behinds. Finished 3rd. The club had also played matches with three senior teams, the South Adelaide; Norwoods, and South Parks, and in each instance had scored a win. ^[7]

Junior Association and Home Ground

1882 - The West Torrens and North Parks, who are undoubtedly considered the premier club of the Junior Association tried conclusions on the ground of the former at Mile End on Saturday last (27th May). The meeting of these crack teams had the effect of tempting a number of people to face the wintry weather and watch the sport. ^[8]

Club renames from West Torrens to West Adelaide and joins SAFA (1887)

On 15 March 1887 the West Torrens Football Club held a meeting at the Foundry Hotel, Hindley Street in Adelaide where it decided to change the name of the club to West Adelaide and apply for inclusion in the upcoming 1887 SAFA season. The following office bearers were elected: Patron, Mr. C. C. Kingston; president, Mr. A. A. Fox; vice-presidents, several; and secretary and treasurer, Mr, A. Monck.^[9]

The club was nicknamed “The Butchers” because some of the team's players were slaughtermen and the club played matches near the West Park slaughterhouse situated behind the Adelaide Gaol.^[10]

Team colours for the SAFA 1887 season were red, white and blue.^[11] Initially the team wore red and in 1881 red and white.

Summary of their only SAFA season - Finished in last place. Played 16 Won 1 Drew 2 Lost 13 (Win and Draw against Gawler and Draw against Hotham). Goals scored 18 - Behinds 52. 114 Goals and 288 behinds against. Top Goal kicker - Welsby 6 goals.^[12]

Resignation from SAFA (1888)

At the annual general meeting of the S.A. Football Association that was held at the Prince Alfred Hotel on Thursday evening 5th April 1888 - A letter was received from the late Secretary to the West Adelaide Club, stating that as the club was unable to get together a team they desired to resign from the Association. The resignation was accepted with regret.^[13]

References

^ "Football". South Australian Register. August 1878.
^ "South Australian Football Association". South Australian Advertiser. 2 April 1879.
^ "Monday, October 20, 1879". South Australian Advertiser. 20 October 1879.
^ "Advertising". Express and Telegraph. 7 April 1881.
^ "Football". Adelaide Observer. 26 August 1882.
^ "Football". Evening Journal. 18 October 1883.
^ "Football". Express and Telegraph. 19 November 1884.
^ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92720576 ^{[bare URL]}
^ "FOOTBALL". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. XXIV, no. 6, 971. South Australia. 16 March 1887. p. 6. Retrieved 9 October 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "West Torrens Football Club History". Woodville-West Torrens Football Club. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
^ "Football". South Australian Register. 9 May 1887.
^ "FOOTBALL. - RETROSPECT OF THE SEASON. - Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) - 17 Sep 1887". Trove. 17 September 1887.
^ "S.a. Football Association". Evening Journal. 6 April 1888.