Almanac Footy: A History of Australian Rules Football in Woomera 1948 to 1992 – Part 18: 1993 – End of an era

David ‘Dick’ Turpin  is a Brisbane friend of Almanacker Allan Barden. During the late 60s early 70s David spent a few years working in Woomera when it was quite a thriving community.

David has researched and written a history of footy in Woomera from the years 1948 to 1992.

The Footy Almanac will publish David’s extensive history over a number of weeks. 

Dick has also completed a history of Woomera water polo. 

This is the final episode in the series.

 

1993

 

In 1993 the Woomera Rockets committee advised that they would be unable to field a team for the following reasons:

 

• After advertising the coach position for six weeks, there were no applications received.
• At a prospective players’ meeting only twenty-five players would commit for the season.
• Twelve players had been lost from the 1992 team.
• Players from Coober Pedy would not commit for another year.
• On average only ten players were attending training.
• The initial expenditure outlay would have been in excess of $5,000 for insurance, affiliation and new guernseys.

 

It was hoped that the team would reform in 1994 however it was not to be and for the first time since 1949 Woomera did not have a team in a SANFL-affiliated competition.

 

That is not the end of the story, for in 1995 Andamooka won the premiership and its captain and Mail medallist was Michael Glazbrook. Michael was a Woomera resident at that time.

 

Finally, in 2010 the SA Community Football League, part of the SANFL, and the RSL jointly sponsored the introduction of a medal to be presented annually in each country league after the ANZAC Day game to the player whose conduct and play during the game best demonstrated the ANZAC spirit: qualities of skill; courage in adversity; self-sacrifice; teamwork; and fair play.

 

The medal would be named after a past player/official who had involvement with the local league and the military. In the case of the Far North League, it is known as the Frank Corcoran Medal. Frank is a Vietnam veteran and ex-Village player from 1966-1970 era.

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

Over the years, football in Woomera was enjoyed by thousands of people, both players and spectators alike. Most of the residents enjoyed a Sunday afternoon at the Newman Oval or the Woomera West Oval and for some the celebrations or drowning of sorrows after the game.

 

In some ways, the football competition reflected the growth and decline of the Woomera population.

 

It started with a strong military and civilian presence in the first four years; this was followed by a period of relative stability with a RAAF team and three or four civilian teams including Centrals who joined the association in 1955. During this period Army did not have a team however the majority of their players including Bluey Waller and Alan Thompson joined either Centrals or Village.

 

At the end of 1966 RAAF began to move out of the area and could no longer field a team and in 1970 Department of Works closed down and moved out of Woomera West. This had an immediate effect on the Works team and to a lesser extent the Koolymilka team.

 

In a statement made in 1976, the Minister of Defence, Jim Killen said, ‘Activities at the Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia are to be reduced during the next four years to a care and maintenance level.’

 

In the middle 70s, the amalgamation of the Village and Works teams to form Woomera North was offset by a team from the mining town of Mt Gunson joining the competition. This however only lasted until 1983 when both Mt Gunson and Woomera North fell by the wayside.

 

The decreasing number of players available, brought about by the downturn in Range activities as detailed by Minister Killen, was starting to have an effect. This was partly offset by the United States servicemen stationed at the Joint Defence Space Communications Station at Nurrungar forming a team for three years, the JDSCS Warriors.

 

In the end, it was the opening of the Olympic Dam mining operations which saved the league but not the football in Woomera.

 

New teams such as Roxby Downs, Olympic Dam, Andamooka, Leigh Creek, and Coober Pedy emerged and in 1986 the league was renamed the Woomera and Districts Football League. It has continued to enjoy prosperity and in 2011 was renamed the Far North Football League to reflect the current teams.

 

I would like to thank Heather Cleland (RIP) who assisted me greatly when I returned to Woomera in 2014 to carry out some initial research on Australian Rules Football in Woomera. Also, Peter Lines, the author of several books on South Australian Country Football, and Terry Duggin who both provided me with the inspiration to complete this project.

 

David Turpin

Maroochydore Qld

March 2022

 

Appendix A

 

Grand Final Results

Year	Premiers	Premiership Coach	Premiership Captain	Runners-up	Final score
1949	1 LCPS (Signals)	Major Maurice Bennett	Cpl. William Albert “Peter” Lee	Works	5.12 (42) to 5.11 (41)
1950	Works	Norm “Bargie” Williams	William “Bill” McGuire	R.A.A.F.	15.17 (107) to 2.5 (17)
1951	Contractors		M C McEvoy	Works	8.9 (57) to 7.10 (52)
1952	Village	William “Bill” Novak	Sig. F Carlson	Works	6.3 (39) to 1.7 (13)
1953	Koolymilka	Donald “Neil” Kerley	Donald “Neil” Kerley	Works	5.12 (42) to 5.2 (32)
1954	Village	William “Bill” Novak	Ken Moylan	Works	6.8 (44) to 5.3 (33)
1955	Works		Fred Brown	R.A.A.F.	15.14 (104) to 10.5 (65)
1956	Works	Herbert “Bert” Heffernan	William “Bill” Butterfield	Centrals	8.12 (60) to 1.4 (10)
1957	Village	Roger O Harris	Roger O Harris	Works	6.15 (51) to 5.11 (41)
1958	Works (undefeated)	Don Watson	Don Watson	Centrals	13.16 (94) to 9.9 (63)
1959	Village	A B Coutts	A B Coutts	Centrals	16.15 (111) to 10.11 (71)
1960	Centrals	Denny Scott	Denny Scott	Works	18.14 (122) to 18.12 (120)
1961	Village	Gil Smith	Brian Flanegan	Works	14.21 (105) to 6.9 (45)
1962	Works (undefeated)	Ray Whitaker	Ray Whitaker	Centrals	16.19 (115) to 7.8 (50)
1963	Village	Rodger Stringer	Rodger Stringer	Centrals	14.12 (96) to 4.5 (29)
1964	Works	Ray Whitaker	Ray Whitaker	Village	17.18 (120) to 12.15 (87)
1965	Village	Ken Rau	A W “Bill” Hooker	Works	11.15 (81) to 4.12 (36)
1966	Works	Richard “Dick” Roennfeldt	Richard “Dick” Roennfeldt	Village	18.13 (121) to 9.8 (62)
1967	Village	A W “Bill” Hooker	A W “Bill” Hooker	Centrals	8.14 (62) to 8.13 (61)
1968	Works	Fred Wernert	Fred Wernert	Centrals	13.14 (92) to 12.15 (87)
1969	Village (undefeated)	Ken Rau	Peter Hardy	Centrals	17.14 (116) to 2.12 (24)
1970	Village	Graham Brennan	Graham Brennan	Centrals	11.11 (77) to 10.12 (72)
1971	Village	Graham Brennan	Graham Brennan	Works	14.11 (95) to 11.7 (73)
1972	Koolymilka	Theo Saunders	Theo Saunders	Village	10.13 (73) to 9.8 (62)
1973	Koolymilka	Herb Ellerbock	Herb Ellerbock	Works	18.13 (121) to 10.13 (73)
1974	Works	William “Bill” Leverington	Robert “Bob” Boyle	Koolymilka	13.6 (84) to 8.12 (60)
1975	Koolymilka	John Cates	John Cates	Centrals	10.22 (82) to 10.7 (67)
1976	Centrals (undefeated)	Daniel “Paddy” O’Neill	P Walters	Mt Gunson	19.22 (136) to 14.11 (95)
1977	Woomera North	John Payne	John Shepherdson	Centrals	14.8 (92) to 10.18 (78)
1978	Woomera North	John Shepherdson	John Shepherdson	Centrals	17.21 (123) to 11.12 (78)
1979	Woomera North	Dave Thomas	Dave Thomas	Mt Gunson	26.11 (167) to 21.22 (148)
1980	Centrals	Phil “Turkey” Turner	Phil “Turkey” Turner	Koolymilka	20.15 (135) to 14.9 (93)
1981	Mt Gunson	John Hearne	Kelly Hill	Woomera North	25.13 (163) to 18.12 (120)
1982	Mt Gunson	John Hearne	Kelly Hill	Woomera North	Not recorded.
1983	Koolymilka	David Bates	Tom Blackie	Woomera North	15.17 (107) to 11.12 (78)
1984	Centrals	Brendon Would	Dave Davis	Koolymilka	23.6 (144) to 17.9 (111)
1985	Koolymilka	Christopher “Biff” Griffiths	Scott Durman	Village	13.14 (92) to 13.12 (90)
1986	Roxby Districts	Tim McLeod	Tim McLeod	Centrals	19.13 (127) to 11.14 (80)
1987	Olympic Dam	Neville Growden	Neville Growden	Roxby Districts	15.12 (102) to 7.13 (55)
1988	Roxby Districts	Tim McLeod	Tim McLeod	Centrals	26.16 (172) to 8.12 (60)
1989	Roxby Districts	Stephen Dryburgh	Stephen Dryburgh	Andamooka	13.17 (95) to 12.12 (84)
1990	Andamooka (undefeated)		Martin Lloyd	Roxby Districts	29.19 (193) to 11.10 (76)
1991	Roxby Districts	Warren Rose		Andamooka	15.7 (97) to 7.15 (57)
1992	Olympic Dam (undefeated)	Rod Bain	Rod Bain	Andamooka	16.17 (113) to 11.12 (78)

 

 

Appendix B

Medal Winners & Leading Goalkickers

Year	Best & Fairest: 49-52 Area Medal; 53-92 Area & Mail Medal	Club	Leading Goalkicker	Club	No of Goals
1949	M R “Gordon” Hughes	1 LCPS
1950	M C McEvoy	Contractors
1951	M R “Gordon” Hughes	1 LCPS
1952	Cpl William Albert “Peter” Lee	Koolymilka
1953	Donald “Neil” Kerley	Koolymilka
1954	Ken Moylan	Village	C Handley	Village	18
1955	Rodger Stringer	Centrals
1956	Rodger Stringer	Village	Roger Harris	Village	22
1957	Mail=Howard Smith Mail=Don Watson* Area= Kevin Field	Koolymilka Works RAAF
1958	Bill Herron	Works	Robert “Bob” Ortmann	Works	34
1959	=Ken Casselton =Warren Coops*	RAAF RAAF	Fred Brown	Centrals	13
1960	Barry Dolphin	Koolymilka	G Boxshall	Centrals	23
1961	Ken Rau	Centrals	Des Doran	Village	44
1962	Colin “Bluey” Waller	Village	Ray Simpson Roland Hollow	Works Works	38 38
1963	Robbie Anderson	RAAF	John Cason	Centrals	35
1964	Colin “Bluey” Waller	Village	Terry Beckman	Village	40
1965	A W “Bill” Hooker	Village	Fred Wernert	Centrals	33
1966	Tony Betts	Koolymilka	Ed Moika	Centrals	47
1967	Geoff Peek	Works	Des Treager	Village	46
1968	Chris Telfer	Koolymilka	Gary Hele	Works	39
1969	=Graham McKenzie =Tony Hancock*	Centrals Koolymilka	Gary Hele	Village	63
1970	Robert Leverington	Works	Gary Hele	Village	43
1971	Theo Saunders	Koolymilka	Gary Hele	Village	30
1972	Gary Hele	Village	Gary Hele	Village	31
1973	Max Reid	Works	Robert Leverington	Works	44
1974	Greg Whittle	Koolymilka	Greg Whittle	Koolymilka	53
1975	Allan Trott	Koolymilka	Greg Whittle	Koolymilka	61
1976	Angelo Mele	Centrals	Angelo Mele	Centrals	62
1977	Terry Morphett	Centrals	Des Zobel	Woomera North	89
1978	Des Zobel	Woomera North	John Shepherdson	Woomera North	58
1979	Andrew Thomson	Woomera North	Bryan Hughes	Woomera North	58
1980	Kelly Hill	Mt Gunson	Kelly Hill	Mt Gunson	50
1981	Chris Foster	Koolymilka	Wally Broome	Koolymilka	76
1982	Dennis Cavanagh	Woomera North	Wally Broome	Koolymilka	94
1983	Wally Broome	Koolymilka	Wally Broome	Koolymilka	108
1984	=Steve Snow =Dave Davis*	Centrals Centrals	Mick Zuna	Village	76
1985	Robert Hearnes	Centrals	Wally Broome	Koolymilka	89
1986	Stephen Dryburgh	Roxby Districts	Tim McLeod	Roxby Districts	?
1987	= Don Henderson = Joe Gaby	Centrals Centrals	Terry Dwyer	Roxby Districts	103
1988	Tim McLeod	Roxby Districts
1989	= Gary Bush   =Stephen Dryburgh	Woomera Rockets Roxby Districts	Paul Niekel	Roxby Districts	48
1990	Tony Richter	Olympic Dam	Brett Hornhardt	Olympic Dam	74
1991	Rodney Bain	Olympic Dam	Paul Niekel	Roxby Districts	63
1992	= Kelly Hill = Stephen Daly	Olympic Dam Olympic Dam	Brett Hornhardt	Olympic Dam	74

 

In 1999, as indicated by an * the Mail Medal was retrospectively awarded to Don Watson – 1957, Warren Coops – 1959, Alan Hancock – 1969 and Dave Davis – 1984.

 

 

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