Club History
There are references to a West Torrens team dating back to the 1870s but the modern club was formed in 1897 to compete in the SANFL. In its 93 year history, West Torrens won only four premierships and spent much of its existence at the foot of the premiership table.
Despite their relative lack of team success, winning only four SANFL Premierships and one Night Permierhsip in their history (1924, 1933, 1945, 1953 and 1983 (night)), West Torrens boasted some of the best individual players ever to play Australian rules football. Players such as 1946 and 1947 Magarey Medallist, 1953 All-Australian and 1953 premiership captain Bob Hank, triple Magarey Medal winner (1955, 1958 & 1963), 1956 All-Australian and '53 premiership player Lindsay Head and former Australian Test Cricketer Neil Hawke were all star players for the club.
The club reached the finals for the last time in 1980 and by 1982 there were calls for West Torrens to merge with another club. In 1990, with the imminent entry of the South Australian based Adelaide Crows into the national Australian Football League (AFL), it was decided that West Torrens and Woodville would amalgamate. In an apt moment, Woodville and West Torrens were drawn to play each other in their respective final games. The two sides merged after the completion of the 1990 season and have since participated in the SANFL as the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles.
Read more about this topic: West Torrens Football Club
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