Why did Woodville merge?

[Dog_ger]

Back in the old days when this happened.

I always thought the West Torrens area became an area of aged population.

Not enough youth.

Being an area close to the city, it became far too expensive for the younger couples to get into v cheaper properties to the north and south of adelaide.

Plus, maybe some bad decisions by the board along the way...

Have a laugh guys, but older friends of my mum and dad once lived here.

[stampy]

hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!

[robranisgod]

Back in the old days when this happened.

I always thought the West Torrens area became an area of aged population.

Not enough youth.

Being an area close to the city, it became far too expensive for the younger couples to get into v cheaper properties to the north and south of adelaide.

Plus, maybe some bad decisions by the board along the way...

Have a laugh guys, but older friends of my mum and dad once lived here.

Part of the Torrens area certainly became aged. The areas around Thebarton, Hindmarsh and Brompton which was an important part of Torrens. But they did have the younger areas of Fulham, Henly and Grange, Lockleys and part of West Lakes. And then they were given the young North Eastern area to cultivate. Perhaps that was a mistake. Other than Bruce Lindsay I can't think of too many stars they got from out there.

I always thought that aged population was a convenient excuse. Most teams had an ageing population around there usual home and had to branch out further.

When Torrens were given the north east, they had the highest percentage of youth in their area

[Mickyj]

Back in the old days when this happened.

I always thought the West Torrens area became an area of aged population.

Not enough youth.

Being an area close to the city, it became far too expensive for the younger couples to get into v cheaper properties to the north and south of adelaide.

Plus, maybe some bad decisions by the board along the way...

Have a laugh guys, but older friends of my mum and dad once lived here.

Part of the Torrens area certainly became aged. The areas around Thebarton, Hindmarsh and Brompton which was an important part of Torrens. But they did have the younger areas of Fulham, Henly and Grange, Lockleys and part of West Lakes. And then they were given the young North Eastern area to cultivate. Perhaps that was a mistake. Other than Bruce Lindsay I can't think of too many stars they got from out there.

I always thought that aged population was a convenient excuse. Most teams had an ageing population around there usual home and had to branch out further.

When Torrens were given the north east, they had the highest percentage of youth in their area

Before the merger the SANFL took that north east area off of torrens and gave it to norwood IIRC !!!

[robranisgod]

Back in the old days when this happened.

I always thought the West Torrens area became an area of aged population.

Not enough youth.

Being an area close to the city, it became far too expensive for the younger couples to get into v cheaper properties to the north and south of adelaide.

Plus, maybe some bad decisions by the board along the way...

Have a laugh guys, but older friends of my mum and dad once lived here.

Part of the Torrens area certainly became aged. The areas around Thebarton, Hindmarsh and Brompton which was an important part of Torrens. But they did have the younger areas of Fulham, Henly and Grange, Lockleys and part of West Lakes. And then they were given the young North Eastern area to cultivate. Perhaps that was a mistake. Other than Bruce Lindsay I can't think of too many stars they got from out there.

I always thought that aged population was a convenient excuse. Most teams had an ageing population around there usual home and had to branch out further.

When Torrens were given the north east, they had the highest percentage of youth in their area

Before the merger the SANFL took that north east area off of torrens and gave it to norwood IIRC !!!

Yes. They certainly did. That was in 1984. Torrens had it for 14 years before that. In that 14 years Torrens had more eligible players than any other club and only made the finals 3 times in that 14 years. The die was cast by the time the league gave the area to Norwood.

[FOURTH ESTATE]

The Eagles were spitting chips over that one. They claimed that Norwood were going to reap the rewards of all their hard work and they did to a certain extent. Can't remember any names off of the top of my head but Norwood did gain signifantly from that rezoning and still hold this area today I believe.

Bruce Lindsay was the Eagles prize recruit during that era. Had the pleasure of playing in the same school side as Bruce the year he made his league debut 1978. Trevor Clisby was also in the school same team .

[StrayDog]

Bruce Lindsay was the Eagles prize recruit during that era. Had the pleasure of playing in the same school side as Bruce the year he made his league debut 1978. Trevor Clisby was also in the school same team .

Pretty fair pick up too. I remember him being in the, albeit ill-fated, S. O. O. side on the MCG mud in '89.

[Psyber]

IIRC Woodville were dominating the amateur league and that, plus strong financial backing, gave them a case for entry.
At the same time the SANFL were eager to get a team into Elizabeth to offset the Soccer enthusiasm potentially growing there.
Torrens were broke, and I think a merger with West had been mooted earlier, and a possible move to the eastern end of the river, well before the reallocation of the NE to Norwood occurred.

There were too many teams in the West anyway, so adding another was never a good idea.
The ageing of the core West Torrens area at the time was an important factor too.

[robranisgod]

IIRC Woodville were dominating the amateur league.

Woodville never dominated the amateur league They won only one division flag and that was in 1946, a long time before their entry into the seconds competition. Teams like Semaphore Central and Adelaide University were the teams dominating the amateur league competition.

As far as I can ascertain from my research the main point for Woodville being admitted into the SANFL was that they had the biggest local council area in the state. Strange reason but that is what the articles of the time say.

[stampy]

Bruce Lindsay was the Eagles prize recruit during that era. Had the pleasure of playing in the same school side as Bruce the year he made his league debut 1978. Trevor Clisby was also in the school same team .

Pretty fair pick up too. I remember him being in the, albeit ill-fated, S. O. O. side on the MCG mud in '89.

did he do his knee in 1980 when torrens looked like they had the double chance sewn up leading into the final round but west laid down for sturt to grab 3rd whilst torrens copped injuries and limped into the knockout final?

[robranisgod]

Bruce Lindsay was the Eagles prize recruit during that era. Had the pleasure of playing in the same school side as Bruce the year he made his league debut 1978. Trevor Clisby was also in the school same team .

Pretty fair pick up too. I remember him being in the, albeit ill-fated, S. O. O. side on the MCG mud in '89.

did he do his knee in 1980 when torrens looked like they had the double chance sewn up leading into the final round but west laid down for sturt to grab 3rd whilst torrens copped injuries and limped into the knockout final?

He actually did his knee in the 1980 elimination final. That was the game that no one expected Torrens to be in at 3/4 time of the last minor round game. Sturt kicked 14 goals 5 behinds to West 3 goals 4 behinds whilst Torrens lost by about 3 goals to Glenelg in a match that everyone thought would be replayed the next week as the qualifying final.

I actually don't think that Torrens copped injuries in that Glenelg game but the knee injury to Bruce Lindsay wrecked any chance they had in the elimination final. Despite his later achievements I don't think he was ever quite the same player after that injury

[dedja]

I'm a big fan of Lindsay and loved the way he played. Agree that he unfortunately wasn't the same player after the knee injury.

Was also at that last minor round match against Torrens in 1980. Torrens threatened to win the match and the Bays just pulled away late in the last quarter.

Everyone at Footy Park couldn't believe it when the final scores at the Sturt match went up on the scoreboard and I remember the look on the Torrens players and supporters faces when they realised that they somehow didn't get 3rd spot.

Sturt beat the Bays in the Qualifying but then lost to Port and Norwood to bow out of the finals, whilst both the Bays and Torrens went out in straight sets.

[CENTURION]

Woodville should have folded. there would be no arguments now.

[FOURTH ESTATE]

I'm a big fan of Lindsay and loved the way he played. Agree that he unfortunately wasn't the same player after the knee injury.

Was also at that last minor round match against Torrens in 1980. Torrens threatened to win the match and the Bays just pulled away late in the last quarter.

Everyone at Footy Park couldn't believe it when the final scores at the Sturt match went up on the scoreboard and I remember the look on the Torrens players and supporters faces when they realised that they somehow didn't get 3rd spot.

Sturt beat the Bays in the Qualifying but then lost to Port and Norwood to bow out of the finals, whilst both the Bays and Torrens went out in straight sets.

Was at that game too first time to Football Park. Torrens supporters were shattered after the game, some last quarter heroics from Daryl Rady from memory got us over the line.

[JamesH]

IIRC Woodville were dominating the amateur league.

Woodville never dominated the amateur league They won only one division flag and that was in 1946, a long time before their entry into the seconds competition. Teams like Semaphore Central and Adelaide University were the teams dominating the amateur league competition.

As far as I can ascertain from my research the main point for Woodville being admitted into the SANFL was that they had the biggest local council area in the state. Strange reason but that is what the articles of the time say.

Technically the amateur league club was not the SANFL club - it merge with the SANFL bid which in turn adopted its colours.

Reality was Torrens were a spent force financially which put them behind the other clubs..... Woodville were financial but lacked the playing resources. Woodville & Torrens couldn't hold onto star players, unlike Glenelg, Port & North, due to the perpetual failure cycle.

Both boards saw the football environment changing and believed things wouldnt get any better once the SANFL was relegated. Both boards and members made the brave decision to merge.

Interestingly the Eagles tried to start as a 'new' club and didnt have much to do with old woodville or torrens. They found this was to their detriment and changed their tune in the late 2000s and started having heritage events etc.

By the late 90s the club was in financial trouble, but this appears to have been rectified with good management and the establishment of the Port Road facility.