Blackwood Football Club

The Early Days, 1912 – 1986

Researched & Compiled by Neil Stallard

The first recorded  football match was played on Saturday afternoon, 2 September 1882, on Chambers Flat at the southern end of Coromandel Valley where Chambers Creek crosses Main Road. (A new housing estate now occupies the site.) The players were drawn from the employees engaged on the Nairne railway at Blackwood and a team principally selected from Coromandel Valley. It attracted a very large number of spectators, both male and female. The “navies” appeared in full costume and great excitement prevailed throughout the contest. The match ended in victory to the Coromandels by three goals to nil.

Coromandels, as they were known, played mainly friendly games, e.g. teams from Adelaide including Marlboroughs, East Adelaide Woodville, Kenilworth and Way College, and also from nearby country towns such as Stirling and Clarendon.

In 1909 an attempt was made to form a regular competition but apparently this did not eventuate. The teams listed to play were Coromandel, Brighton, Happy Valley, Torrens Park, Glenelg Imperials, Morphett Vale, Reynella, Clarendon and Sturt.

Blackwood Football Club circa 1912

In 1912, Sturt League Football Club started a local district football competition called the Sturt Football Association. The lads from Coromandel football team who were entered changed the name to Blackwood and so, the Blackwood Football Club was born. Other teams that nominated were Mitcham, Brighton, Sturt Ramblers, Glenelg Imperials and Sturt (now Marion). At Blackwood, the first Captain was W.S Jones and first Secretary Percy Wade. Blackwood finished fourth in 1912, third in 1913 and fourth in 1914 and 1915. The club went into recess in from 1916 to 1918 (the war years) and reformed in 1919.

Home matches were played at Chambers Flat, changing to a larger ground on the Downer family property known as the Military Parade Ground on Coromandel Parade, Craigburn Farm, next to the One Mile Post (now a housing development).

In 1920 Blackwood Football Club joined the Mid-Southern Football Association together with Brighton and Sturt. From 1931 to 1948 the club played in the Glenelg District Football Association and in the late 1930s home games were moved to Blackwood Recreation Ground (Hewett sportsground). The first Premiership won was A Grade in 1938 and B grade in 1947.

The club played in Sturt District Football Association from 1949 to 1952, winning the Premiership in 1950 and 1952 and were runners up in 1949 and 1951. In 1953 the club re-joined the Glenelg-South West Football Association. The club went into recess in 1942 and 1943. Premierships were won in 1953, 1954 and 1955.

Blackwood Football Club played in the revamped Glenelg-South Adelaide Football Association from 1967 to 1983, winning the A Grade premiership in 1969 and 1980 and the A2 Grade in 1976. The club transferred from Hewett Sports Ground to the new Blackwood Hill Oval and new club rooms in 1978.

In 1984 another Association name change occurred, to Southern Metropolitan Football League which only existed until it folded in 1986. The last clubs to remain, apart from Blackwood, were Morphettville Park, Brighton, Marion, Plympton and Camden. Blackwood Club then transferred to the Hills Football League in 1987 where it competes today, winning premierships in 1988 and 1991.

Blackwood Football Club Association Fairest and Best Players

1914      Jack Rowlands          Sturt Football Association

1924      Bob Chapman           Glenelg District Football Association

1925      William Hender          Mid-Southern Football Association

1937      Clarrie Radford         Glenelg District Football Association

1950      Colin Hender            Sturt District Football Association

1951      George Southby        Sturt District Football Association

1952      George Southby        Sturt District Football Association

1967      Garry Bonner            Glenelg South-West Football Assoc.

1978      Robbie Magarey        Glenelg South Football Association

1985      Chris Prior                Southern Metro Football League

1995      John Brumpton          Hills Football League

1996      John Brumpton          Hills Football League

2002      Ben Badenoch           Hills Football League

2010      Simon McCormick       Hills Football League

 Early jumper colours were mainly blue. This was changed to a green and red sash. The current colour is a green and red yoke.