Swan Districts Football Club

Infobox aus sport club | clubname = Swan Districts


fullname = Swan Districts Football Club
nickname = Swans, Swannies
emblem =
strip = Black and white vertical stripes with black yoke at top; black or white shorts; black and white hooped socks.
founded = 1934
sport = Australian rules football
league = West Australian Football League
firstseason = 1934
ground = Steel Blue Oval, Bassendean
capacity = 22000
song = unnamed
president = Peter Harvey
coach = Brian Dawson
captain = Adam Lange
season = 2008
position = 4th of 9

Swan Districts are an Australian rules football club based in Bassendean, Western Australia, a suburb in the east of Perth. They joined the West Australian Football League in 1934, but a "Swans" senior team has existed since 1883, the second oldest of any code in Western Australia after "Unions".

History

Swan Districts finished 7th on the WAFL ladder winning 7 out of 21 games in their debut season in 1934. [cite web|url=http://www.waflonline.com.au/ladders/index.php|title=WAFL Ladder - 1934 League Ladder|year=2008|accessdate=2008-08-12] Ted Holdsworth kicked 109 goals in the first 14 games of the 1934 season and was the fifth top goal kicker for that season. [cite web|url=http://www.swandistrictsfc.com/media/docs/Document8.pdf|title=Ted Holdsworth - Goal kicking Champion|year=2008|accessdate=2008-08-12]

In 1935, Swans finished 6th on the WAFL Ladder with 6 wins and 12 losses and George Krepp won the Sandover Medal for that season. The 1936 season saw the Swans pick up 9 wins and 11 losses but still finish seventh on the League Ladder.

The 1937 season saw Swan Districts finish in 3rd place on the League Ladder with 14 wins and 7 losses, and play in their first final series. East Perth beat Swan Districts 13.9 (87) - 11.7 (73) in the first semi-final.

The team had another good season in 1938, finishing 3rd with 11 wins and nine losses but were again beaten by East Perth 8.18 (66) - 8.17 (65) in the first semi-final by a single point. [cite web|url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Swan_Districts.htm|title=Full Points Footy - Swan Districts|year=2008|accessdate=2008-08-12]

By 1939, Swans slid to 6th on the ladder and in 1940 and 1941 finished last on the league ladder with 2 wins in 1940 and 3 in 1941.

Due to the Second World War the WANFL suspended a senior competition and implemented an under age competition to replace it. In 1942 Swans were unable to raise a side to play and did not compete in the 1942 season at all. [cite web|url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Swan_Districts.htm|title=Full Points Footy - Swan Districts|year=2008|accessdate=2008-08-12]

By 1943 Swan Districts assembled a side to compete in the under age competition thsat was still running for that season. The team performed exceedingly well, finishing 4th on the ladder with 9 wins and 8 losses, then winning the first semi-final against West Perth followed by another victory against Subiaco in the preliminary FinalSwans the played in the their first Grand Final only to be defeated by East Fremantle. The final score was East Fremantle 17.15 (117) to Swan Districts 11.11 (77). [cite web|url=http://www.waflonline.com.au/games/index.php?year=1943|title=WAFL Online - 1943 Home and Away season|year=2008|accessdate=2008-08-22]

Jim Davies became the second Swan Districts player to win a Sandover Medal in 1944 with 33 votes in what was otherwise a forgettable season with Swans finishing 6th on the ladder, but in 1945 their fortunes improved as they finished 4th on the league ladder only to be defeated in the first semi-final by South Fremantle.

After finishing last in 1960, Swan Districts appointed Haydn Bunton Junior as senior coach in early 1961, which saw the Swans win their first flag in 1961, with two more following in 1962 and 1963.

John Todd, who took the coaching reins at Bassendean in 1977, brought with him a new winning culture, one which would emulate that of the Haydn Bunton era. By the 1980s, the Swans became the dominant side in the WAFL, winning three straight flags in 1982, 1983 and 1984 and a further flag in 1990 after his stint as coach with the West Coast Eagles.

tatistics

Sandover Medallists: George Krepp 1935, Jim Davies 1944, Haydn Bunton Junior 1962, Bill Walker 1965-1967 & 1970, Phil Narkle 1982, Mick Grasso 1990, Jeremy Wasley 1996, Shane Beros 2003.

Most Games: Bill Walker 305

WANFL/WAFL Premierships: 1961-62-63, 1982-83-84, 1990

Record Home Attendance: 22,350 v West Perth, 19th May 1980

League premiership teams

1961 Finals Swan Districts lost the second semi final to East Perth, then beat Subiaco in the Preliminary Final to win through to the Grand Final

1961 Grand Final Swan Districts 17.9 (111) defeated East Perth 12.15 (87)

1961 Premiership Team

1982 Finals Swan Districts defeat Claremont in the second semi final

1982 Grand Final Swan Districts 18.19 (127) defeated Claremont 11.12 (78)

1982 Premiership Team

1990 Finals Claremont defeat Swan Districts in the second semi final, then Swan Districts defeat South Fremantle in Preliminary Final

1990 Grand Final Swan Districts 16.7 (103) defeated Claremont 10.17 (77)

Team of the Century

Club record goal kickers

*Eric Gorman - 555
*Ted Holdsworth - 532
*Bill Walker - 456
*Don Holmes - 323
*Troy Ugle - 312
*Simon Beasley - 293
*Andy Holmes - 277
*Kevin Caton - 274
*Mark Olsen - 268
*Brent Hutton - 256

Ted Holdsworth was the first Swan Districts player to kick more than 100 goals.The most goals ever kicked in a season by a Swan Districts player was by Simon Beasley who kicked 119 goals in 1981, [cite web|url=http://www.swandistrictsfc.com/history9.html|title=Swan Districts Football Club - Leading Goal Kickers|year=2007|accessdate=2007-09-29] . Warren Ralph kicked 120 goals for Claremont and won the Bernie Naylor Medal.

Bernie Naylor Medallists

The Bernie Naylor Medal is awarded to the leading goal kicker in the WAFL.Max George was the first Swan Districts player to top the WAFL goal kickers list and win the award in 1974 when he kicked 90 goals during the season.
Simon Beasley shared the Bernie Naylor Medal in 1980 with Warren Ralph of Claremont (97 goals)Brent Hutton won the award in 1984 (83 goals) and Kevin Caton won it again in 1992 (51 goals). [cite web|url=http://www.wafootball.com.au/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=127|title=WAFL History - Bernie Naylor Medallists|year=2007|accessdate=2007-09-29] .

Club Song

The Swan Districts club song is nameless and its lyrics were written by John Watts.

:We're all right,:We are the mighty fighting black and whites:There's not another team to match our pace,:Take our place:The Swans boys are jumping:We sure have started something:Here we come:Our banners fly on high to show that we have won:We play with all our might:Because we're full of fight:We're the famous:Black and whites

References

ee also

*

External links

* Official Website of the [http://www.swandistrictsfc.com/ Swan Districts Football Club]
* [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Swan_Districts.htm Full Points Footy History of Swan Districts]