The Eagles Merger

[Psyber]

Is that Bob Shearman modelling the Torrens jumper?

[Bum Crack]

I remember the good old days at Torrens when my uncle at the time was playing for them. We used to travel up from Whyalla a couple of times a year and stay with him and my aunty and I still remember the social shows they used to have. Very close and tight knit club back then. I still remember the card nights they used to have any my brother and I would bring the boys their beer all night. That was back when the SANFL players were looked up to like AFL players are now. The good old days.

[smithy]

Is that Bob Shearman modelling the Torrens jumper?

Yes it is.

[Columbo]

Torrens last ever game was beating port in the reserves grand final. i was only 11 when the merger happened and i was devo. been going to as many games as i could. does not help when u play saafl footy on the same days. Everytime they play a thebby i make an extra effort (fake an injury) to get along. Eagle through and through now.

Now that you have mentioned that Schimma think i might have to get my video of that game out and watch it again, was only a reserves flag but they came from 5th to claim it IIRC...was a nice way to go out.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Is that Bob Shearman modelling the Torrens jumper?

1964 Mobil Footy Cards.

[GWW]

What year did Shearman move to Sturt?

[Adelaide Hawk]

What year did Shearman move to Sturt?

He played his final game for West Torrens in 1964, stood out of football for the entire 1965 season awaiting a clearance, and first played for Sturt in 1966.

He missed a lot of footy over his career because he also stood out for half of 1960 trying to get a clearance from Essendon to West Torrens.

[schimma]

Torrens last ever game was beating port in the reserves grand final. i was only 11 when the merger happened and i was devo. been going to as many games as i could. does not help when u play saafl footy on the same days. Everytime they play a thebby i make an extra effort (fake an injury) to get along. Eagle through and through now.

Now that you have mentioned that Schimma think i might have to get my video of that game out and watch it again, was only a reserves flag but they came from 5th to claim it IIRC...was a nice way to go out.

torrens had some decent player
bulluss
pyman
Niemann

also legends like lee robson

port had troy bond, poole,
there was a massive brawl before the game as well

francis

[Jimmy]

Still home to one of the best lace-up guernseys ever in my opinion.

i have a lace up eagles jumper, but it was from the elizabeth footy blub, looks identical...loved the jumper and really like the contrast of the colours.

[woodwt]

allen jackovich kicked 13 goals for the warriors in the last game before the merger

[PhilH]

and in the process went over 100 for the season in that game

[NO-MERCY]

allen jackovich kicked 13 goals for the warriors in the last game before the merger

Yeah & it was all about Allen Jackovich not Woodville in trying to achieve their goal for the year.

[Wedgie]

Thanks to spell check from an older thread:


Woodville 5.4 14.5 18.6 24.10 (154)
Torrens 4.7 6.12 11.18 15.19 (109)
Adelaide, 7770

Wd: Jakovich 13.3, Klug 2.2, Klemm 2.1, O'Dwyer, Gerke 1.1, Haylock, Sewer, Lunn, Dettmann, Schwarz 1.0, Cox 0.1, Rushed 0.1.
WT: Schache 5.3, Somerville 3.2, Morphett, Lindsay 1.2, Spehr, Popplestone, Neave 1.1, Steve Geyer, Hanna 1.0, Payze 0.2, Nelson, Robson 0.1, Rushed 0.3.

Teams:
Woodville:
F: Haylock Jakovich Sewer
HF: Gerke Klug O'Dwyer
C: Totham Fuller Cox
HB: Lunn Champion McDonald
B: Dettmann Grant Lynch
R: Negri Schwarz Klemm
Int:Colbey Lukosis

Torrens:
F: Nelson Spehr S.Hannam
HF: Morphett Schache Woodall
C: Poppestone Pisani Payze
HB: Wormald Robson Weidemann
B: Steve Geyer Prymke Graham
R: Spiel Lindsay Neave
Int: Hanna Somerville

[whufc]

Just a quick question, I was born in 1983 so don't remember alot about the merger from when it happened.

Now i don't want this to turn into a woodville vs west torrens argument BUT what is the history in naming the merged team the EAGLES.

The reason i bring this up is these days the team is more commonly known as the Eagles in both the media and public mainly due to the length of Woodville-West Torrens. Was this the way the merged club was meant to be. Whats the history behind the naming, were the Woodville supporters at the time pi55ed that this team would be called the Eagles.

[GWW]

Without really knowing the full circumstances, I think there was a bit of a compromise with the club nickname being "Eagles" but Woodville being listed first in the team name.

[FlyingHigh]

Just a quick question, I was born in 1983 so don't remember alot about the merger from when it happened.

Now i don't want this to turn into a woodville vs west torrens argument BUT what is the history in naming the merged team the EAGLES.

The reason i bring this up is these days the team is more commonly known as the Eagles in both the media and public mainly due to the length of Woodville-West Torrens. Was this the way the merged club was meant to be. Whats the history behind the naming, were the Woodville supporters at the time pi55ed that this team would be called the Eagles.

As a young Warriors supporter, only a few years older than yourself, I can't really recall any Warrior backlash on the name, but could be wrong. I remember Torrens supporter backlash, thinking why should they lose their club by merging with a team that had eaten into their potential success over the previous 26 years. Personally I thought the merger was pretty fair - Eagles name, Woodville ground, only thing I would have liked over the years is a little more green on the guernsey, but that's hardly worth crying over.

The last game referred to above, with over 7500 people, I remember thinking how great it would be when that crowd combined with Port or Glenelg or Norwood fans to make 12-15000, which i'd been to plenty as a neutral supporter, but virtually none for my team. For whatever reason, very few eventuated, and these days having one of the lowest supporter numbers rather than around being 3-4th for crowds is probably my personal biggest disappointment from the merger.

[whufc]

Interesting, funny seems like a weird comprimise i have never know anyone one to call them by the Woodville Eagles or even as Woodville without referring to West Torrens as well.

[robranisgod]

Interesting, funny seems like a weird comprimise i have never know anyone one to call them by the Woodville Eagles or even as Woodville without referring to West Torrens as well.

I have always thought that Woodville were played for suckers. Torrens were broke, had already left Thebby (their home games in 1990 were at Footy Park) and were looking at folding. Woodville were financial, but had terrible juniors. Most people I know still refer to the merged team as Torrens, similar to the merged rugby league side St George-Illawara. They should have had a new nickname when they merged.

[whufc]

Interesting, funny seems like a weird comprimise i have never know anyone one to call them by the Woodville Eagles or even as Woodville without referring to West Torrens as well.

I have always thought that Woodville were played for suckers. Torrens were broke, had already left Thebby (their home games in 1990 were at Footy Park) and were looking at folding. Woodville were financial, but had terrible juniors. Most people I know still refer to the merged team as Torrens, similar to the merged rugby league side St George-Illawara. They should have had a new nickname when they merged.

agree,

Also the St.George - Illawarra merger would have to be one of the most one sided mergers ever, there called St-George-Illawarra Dragons, are commonly referred to as St George and wear red and white which is both the sides colours of old.

[FlyingHigh]

Read in Inside Sport once that Illawarra really were just happy to get a few home games out of the merger, so Rugby League could still be taken to the people (my knowledge of Sydney is not all that good, so imagine St George is one of the more inner suburb, traditional areas and Illawarra more of a family suburb??)