Home Ground:
Unley Oval, 39 Oxford Terrace UNLEY

Postal:
PO Box 10 UNLEY SA 5061

Phone:
(08) 8271 4611

Fax:
(08) 8272 9975

Website:
www.sturtfc.com.au

Senior Coach:
Rick Macgowan

History of the Sturt Football Club

The Unley Oval, first called the New Parkside Oval, was once a billabong surrounded by gum trees.

The Unley Oval was officially opened on September 10, 1892.

Sturt Football club was formed in 1901 and had only one month to prepare for its first season.

At a meting on March 7 1901, it was announced that the proposed club should be called the Sturt Football Club and wear the light blue and dark blue of Cambridge and Oxford Universities. The colours of the famous English Universities were adopted as Unley Oval is situated where Oxford Terrace and Cambridge Terrace meet.

The first captain of the Sturt Football Club was Percy Kekwick (a South Adelaide premiership player).

Sturt’s first game was played against Norwood. Norwood won 10.11 (71) to Sturt’s 5.8 (38).

The first match played at Unley Oval was between Sturt and West Torrens.

Sturt’s first victory was against South Adelaide at Unley Oval in 1901, before a crowd of 6,500.

Sturt played at Unley Oval in 1998 for the first time since 1985. In the last game the Double Blues played at Unley Oval was against Glenelg beating the Tigers to earn a spot in the Finals.

Australian cricket captain, Vic Richardson, captained Sturt in 1920 and from 1922-24, played in three Sturt premierships and was twice runner up in the Magarey Medal count.

Jack Oatey is the longest serving coach at Sturt teaching the players skill and determination for 21 seasons from 1962-1982.

Champion Greg Whittlesea capped off a magnificent season in 1988 when he won the highest individual award, the Magarey Medal, achieved All-Australian Selection and skippered the Blues into the finals for the first time in three years.

More Club Information

Club Formed: 1901
Emblem: Double Blues
Premierships: 13 – 1915, 1919, 1926, 1932, 1940, 1966-1970, 1974, 1976, 2002
Most Years as Coach: 21 – J Oatey, 1962-1982
Most Games Played: 360 – P Bagshaw, 1964-1980
Colours: Dark & Light Blue
Ground: Unley Oval
Wooden Spoons: 18 – 1901-1903, 1907, 1908, 1949, 1952, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1989-1996
Grand Finals Played: 21 – 1910, 1915, 1919, 1924, 1926, 1931, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1965-1970, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1998, 2002
Most Years Captained: 8 – P Bagshaw, 1973-1980

Sturt Football Club Honour Board