2010
Premiers Played 20 Won 18 Lost 2
Strathalbyn began the 2010 season with the disappointment of their narrow Grand Final loss to Willunga from the previous year still burning.
Peter Simmons was reappointed as A Grade Coach with Keith Jones again as Reserves Coach.
Most of the players from the previous year were retained and the arrival of Jaimen Stringer, Tom Redden, Alex Bowley and Stuart Barbary together with the return of Jed Hickey further boosted the playing list.
Prior to the start of the year, the coaches enclosures were enlarged to ensure space for Interchange players and trainers as well as the coaches.
Strathalbyn began the year with a sound win over McLaren under lights, followed by good wins over Victor Harbour and then Langhorne Creek in the Anzac night match.
They were beaten by Yankalilla but then won their next six matches comfortably.
In round five they defeated Myponga / Sellicks by 125 points, their greatest ever winning margin over that club and in round nine scored a mammoth 174 point win over Goolwa / Port Elliot with Marc Elliott scoring ten goals.
In round ten on the 19th of June, Phillip Eatts played his 300th game for the SFC against McLaren becoming just the sixth SFC player to achieve that milestone.
Against Victor Harbour in round eleven, SFC were well behind early but stormed home to lose by just six points, which was the reality check needed.
They went on to win the remainder of their minor round matches to finish on top of the premiership table, winning sixteen matches and losing just two.
In the Second Semi Final, played in atrocious conditions, Strathalbyn built an early lead and held on to defeat Victor Harbour by 23 points.
Willunga had fought their way to the Grand Final from the Elimination Final and were looking to win their seventh successive premiership.
This would be the third successive Grand Final meeting of these two powerful clubs.
The Grand Final was scheduled to be played at Langhorne Creek, but due to heavy rain and subsequent flooding at Langhorne Creek, the match was rescheduled to be played at Goolwa.
Strathalbyn played brilliant football early and established a twenty point lead in the second quarter but Willunga responded to see scores tied at the half way mark.
In a high standard game Strathalbyn got to a six point lead at the last change but no one in attendance foresaw the drama to follow.
The last quarter saw the defences of both sides take control and it became a war of attrition. A free kick to SFC Captain, Nathan Duffield, saw him goal and Strathalbyn were in front by four points with two minutes and forty seconds left to play.
Two dubious umpiring decisions went in favour of Willunga and with just seconds remaining, a hurried kick into their forward line was marked by Mitch Portlock just 25 metres from goal but on a tight angle.
The siren sounded and Willunga knew the kick was in the best possible hands as Portlock was recognised as one of the best ever players in the GSFL.
To the amazement of all, and to the extreme relief of all Strathalbyn players, officials and supporters, his kick veered to the right, registering a point and Strathalbyn were Premiers in one of the greatest ever GSFL Grand Finals.
Strathalbyn Captain, Nathan Duffield, was voted best afield.
Strathalbyn 3-5 6-6 11-7 13-8 = 86
Willunga 1-2 6-6 10-7 12-11 = 83
Goal Scorers SFC :- Nathan Duffield, Marc Elliott 3, Ben Cousins 2, Ben Wilson, Tom Redden, Ben Nisbett, Ben Simounds, Jonathon Eagleton 1.
Best Players SFC :- Nathan Duffield, Ben Nisbett, Jaimen Stringer, Sam George, Marc Elliott, Jordan Hall.
A Grade Premiership team :-
Peter Simmons (Coach), Nathan Duffield (Captain), Marc Elliott (Vice Captain), Ben Cousins, Todd Dellatore, Jonathon Eagleton, Phillip Eatts, Sam Elliott, Sam George, Jordan Hall, Jed Hickey, Michael Kenyon, Sam McDonald, Ben Nisbett, Tom Redden, Ben Simounds, Jaimen Stringer, Wade Thorpe, Mark Tucker, Ashley Weckert, Sean Williams, Ben Wilson.
The following played 10 or more Senior matches for the season :-
Marc Elliott, Sam McDonald (each 20), Ben Cousins, Michael Kenyon, Ben Nisbett, Mark Tucker (19), Tom Redden (18), Nathan Duffield, Phillip Eatts, Ben Simounds, Jaimen Stringer, Wade Thorpe, Ashley Weckert, Ben Wilson (17), Jonathon Eagleton, Sam Elliott, Sean Williams (15), Jed Hickey (14), Todd Dellatore, Matthew Ellis, Ben Thrum (12), Alex Bowley, (11), Jordan Hall (10).
38 players for the season
Marc Elliott, Jed Hickey, Jaimen Stringer and Mark Tucker were selected in the Victor Harbour Times Team of the Year, with Ben Cousins listed in the Interchange.
SFC Coach Peter Simmons was selected as Coach.
Bjorn Wagenknecht played his 200th match for SFC on the 10th April against McLaren, while Ben Wilson played his 200th on the 1st of May against Yankalilla.
On a sad note, Mr. John Almond, Senior Colts premiership coach of 1973 and 1974 and Club Secretary from 2006 to 2009 passed away on 17th August.
The Strathalbyn Reserves enjoyed a good season and were in first position at the end of the minor round, winning sixteen matches and losing just two.
They lost the Second Semi Final to Willunga by fourteen points, but in the Preliminary Final against McLaren, in a tough match, they got up to win by just five points having been seven points down at the last change.
In the Grand Final Strathalbyn fought hard and were in touch at three quarter time but were overwhelmed in the last term by Willunga.
Willunga 3-3 6-6 7-11 13-12 = 90
Strathalbyn 2-2 4-4 5-5 5-5 = 35
Goal Scorers SFC :- Kane Smith 3, Michael Cutting, Michael Vaninetti 1.
Best Players SFC :- Randall Gale, Mark Abbott, Matthew Ellis, Shannon Maxwell, Kane Smith, Ben Thrum.
The Strathalbyn Senior Colts finished in fourth position at the end of the minor round, winning fourteen matches and losing four.
They defeated Myponga / Sellicks by 72 points in the Elimination Final but were no match for eventual premiers, Victor Harbour, losing the First Semi Final by 78 points.
The Strathalbyn Junior Colts finished third at the end of the minor round, winning fourteen matches and losing four.
They lost to Willunga in the Qualifying Final by 30 points but then defeated Yankalilla in the First Semi Final by thirteen points but lost the Preliminary Final again to Willunga by just two points.
Strathalbyn won the South Adelaide Shield as the most successful club in the GSFL in the A Grade, Reserves, Senior Colt and Junior Colt grades for 2010.
To complete his CV with the SFC, Brenton Smith filled the Bar Manager role for the year.
The SFC achieved an unusual honour when brothers Jarad and Darcy Hourigan won the GSFL Senior Colt and Junior Colt Best and Fairest Awards respectively.
Darcy also won the GSFL Junior Colt leading goalscorer award for the season.
2011
Third Played 21 Won 15 Lost 6
Peter Simmons and Keith Jones were reappointed to the A Grade and Reserves Coaching positions as the club prepared for its title defence.
Brenton Smith took on the role of voluntary Bar Manager for the year.
The recruitment of Simon Munn and Ben Dray from West Adelaide boosted confidence, however this was significantly offset by the loss of Sam McDonald, Mark Tucker, Tom Redden and Michael Kenyon coupled with the retirement of Phillip Eatts.
Phillip Eatts had played 309 senior games for the SFC, he was Captain of the 2000 A Grade Premiership Team and Deputy Vice Captain in the 2010 A Grade Premiership Team, he was awarded Life Membership of the SFC in 2005 and was also selected in the SFC Team of the Century.
He later played a few Reserves games in 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2018.
Coach Simmons warned that player depth would be tested and may prove to be an issue if injuries occurred during the season.
Strathalbyn began the season with a fortunate two point victory over Victor Harbour, followed by wins over Yankalilla and then Langhorne Creek in the Anzac match.
They were beaten by Willunga before having four successive victories and then a surprise 23 point loss to Myponga / Sellicks.
Scott Harding played his 200th game for the SFC on the 7th of May against Willunga.
Their only losses in the second round were to Langhorne Creek and Willunga but their form fluctuated depending on injuries and availability of key players.
At the end of the minor round they were in third position, having won fourteen matches and losing four.
Strathalbyn were defeated by Langhorne Creek in the Qualifying Final by seventeen points but bounced back to convincingly beat Yankalilla by 70 points in the First Semi Final.
In the Preliminary Final again against Langhorne Creek, in a tightly contested match they were just five points down at the last change but faded to be beaten by 29 points.
Simon Munn, after a stellar season, won the GSFL Mail Medal.
The following played 10 or more Senior matches for the season :-
Sam George, Jordan Hall, Simon Munn, Ben Nisbett (each 21), Ben Dray, Jed Hickey, Ben Simounds (20), Rowan Chester, Sam Elliott, Shannon Maxwell, Ashley Weckert (19), Mark Abbott (18), Jonathon Eagleton (17), Michael Vaninetti, Ben Wilson (16), Austin McFarlane, Wade Thorpe, Ryan Watson (15), Lachlan Button (14), Ben Cousins (12), Grant Beaumont, Cameron Sandercock (11), Scott Harding (10).
36 players for the season.
Simon Munn, Ben Dray and Jonathon Eagleton were selected in the Victor Harbour Times Team of the Year.
Former SFC Secretary Mr. Ian (Jonno) Johnston passed away on the 3rd of February.
The Strathalbyn Reserves were significantly affected by the injury list and subsequent player shortage and finished seventh at the end of the minor round, winning six matches, drawing one and losing eleven.
The Strathalbyn Senior Colts finished fifth at the end of the minor round, winning eleven matches and losing seven.
They met Victor Harbour in the Elimination Final but were beaten by 56 points, Victor Harbour went on to become premiers.
The Strathalbyn Junior colts finished in second position at the end of the minor round, winning sixteen matches and losing just two.
They lost to Willunga in the Qualifying Final by four points but defeated Myponga / Sellicks by 24 points in the First Semi Final.
In the Preliminary Final they came from behind at the last break to defeat Willunga by seven points but in the Grand Final found the unbeaten Victor Harbour too strong.
Victor Harbour 3-2 5-2 6-4 8-8 = 56
Strathalbyn 2-0 2-2 3-2 4-6 = 30
Goal Scorers SFC :- Leigh Black, Mitchell Blenkiron, Cody Blight, Jake Pichl 1.
Best Players SFC :- Caleb Vears, Mitchell Blenkiron, Liam Vanzati, Nick Gowling, Lachlan Hourigan, Caleb Hodgson
During the season former SFC Colts player Darcy Hourigan was selected in the South Australian Under 16 Team to play in a Carnival being held in Sydney.
He made the best players in several games, and on his return to South Adelaide was elevated to play in their Under 18 Team for the remainder of the season.
On the 10th September he made his debut with the South Adelaide league team, to become the youngest ever South Adelaide league SANFL player at just fifteen years of age.
Former SFC player Nick Murphy bought further honour to the club when he was announced as the South Adelaide League team Captain.
On the 18th June a dinner was held in the SFC clubrooms in recognition of the service given by retired player Phillip Eatts and also of the long service with the Ladies Auxiliary by Marlene Megaw and Rhonda Duffield.
Sadly, Rhonda passed away suddenly on the 22nd of September. She first became involved in the SFC in 1978 when son Cary began playing in the Mini Colts, and she later became Secretary of the Colts Committee.
In1989 she started cooking meals on Thursday nights and on Saturdays and became involved with the Ladies Auxiliary and went on to be Vice President and then President for a number of years.
She was awarded Life Membership of SFC in 2003 and would be a huge loss to the football club in total.
The Football Club kitchen facility has been named after her, as a mark of respect.
2012
Eighth Played 18 Won 6 Lost 12
Peter Simmons was reappointed as A Grade Coach, with Keith Jones as Assistant Coach and Travis Wiese as Reserves Coach.
Playing stocks were significantly weakened with the loss of Lachlan Button, Jonathon Eagleton, Marc and Sam Elliott, Jed Hickey, Cameron Sandercock and Ryan Watson and colts players were regularly called on to top up player numbers for the A Grade and Reserves teams.
The season started badly with a 51 point loss to Victor Harbour and was followed by a 26 point loss to Goolwa/Port Elliot.
Worse was to follow when Langhorne Creek handed out a 114 point thrashing in front of a large crowd in the Anzac Day match. Five more losses saw Strathalbyn slump to the bottom of the table but to the surprise of many they defeated McLaren to record their first win for the year.
The return of Michael Kenyon, Jaimen Stringer and Mark Tucker substantially strengthened the team.
Incredibly they slowly turned their form around with successive wins over Victor Harbour and Goolwa before a credible loss to Langhorne Creek.
Ben Wilson played his 235th and final game for the SFC on the 28th of July against Myponga / Sellicks.
Strathalbyn won three of their last six matches, reflecting the effort put in to restore club fortunes.
Strathalbyn finished in eighth position at the end of the minor round, winning six matches and losing twelve.
The following played 10 or more Senior games for the season :-
Scott Harding, Simon Munn, Ben Nisbett, Mark Tucker (each 18), Josh Marton, Cameron McFarlane, Jaimen Stringer (17), Ben Cousins, Sam George, Michael Vaninetti (15), Austin McFarlane, Ben Simounds, Wade Thorpe (14), Michael Cutting, Joel Donaldson, Shannon Maxwell (13), Jordan Hall (12), Mark Billington, Rowan Chester, Ben Dray, Reuben Stutley (11).
42 players for the season.
At the conclusion of the season Coach Peter Simmons announced his retirement from coaching the SFC. In his five years at the helm he had guided Strathalbyn into the Grand Final on three occasions, achieving a Premiership in 2010.
Mr. John Elliott, former player, Life Member, long term SFC Trainer and Head Trainer in the Team of the Century, passed away on the 28th of February.
The Strathalbyn Reserves finished the season in seventh position at the end of the minor round, winning just five matches, drawing one and losing twelve.
The Strathalbyn Senior Colts finished in fifth position at the end of the minor round, winning ten matches, drawing one and losing seven.
They were beaten by Willunga in a tightly contested Elimination Final by fourteen points. Willunga went on to reach the Grand Final and lost the premiership to Goolwa / Port Elliot by just one point.
The Strathalbyn Junior Colts also finished in fifth position at the end of the minor round, winning ten matches and losing eight.
They defeated Willunga in the Elimination Final by four points but lost the First Semi Final to Myponga / Sellicks by fifteen points.
2013
Third Played 21 Won 13 Lost 8
Tony Burgess was appointed as Non Playing Coach with Simon Munn, Ben Dray and Ben Nisbett as Assistant Coaches and Travis Wiese was appointed as Reserves Coach.
Tony had played with West Adelaide from 1980 to 1994, excluding 1985 and 1986 when he played at Collingwood and was previously Assistant Coach of South Adelaide, Coaching Director at West Adelaide as well as involvements at Glenelg and Broadview Football Clubs.
Strathalbyn began the season with sound wins over Mt Compass and McLaren before a narrow loss to Langhorne Creek in the Anzac Day match by six points.
In round five they were almost six goals down at three quarter time against Willunga but came home strongly to get within four points with just seconds to play. In a last gasp effort they shot the ball into the goal mouth and Wade Thorpe took an incredible mark over the pack and then slotted the goal after the final siren to score a memorable victory.
They received a reality check in round nine when well beaten by Encounter Bay by 99 points and by Langhorne Creek by a similar margin in round twelve.
Inexplicitly they lost to bottom placed Yankalilla in round seventeen which ultimately cost them third position and the double chance.
Strathalbyn finished in fourth position at the end of the minor round, winning eleven matches and losing seven.
They met Victor Harbour in the Elimination Final and in a high scoring game were victorious by seventeen points.
In another high scoring match, they defeated Langhorne Creek in the First Semi Final by thirteen points but were defeated by premiership favourites, Encounter Bay, in the Preliminary Final by 34 points.
The following played 10 or more Senior games for the season :-
Ben Cousins, Scott Harding, Josh Marton, Ben Simounds, Ashley Weckert (each 21), Sam George, Austin McFarlane (20), Simon Munn (19), Wade Thorpe (18), Chris Clark, Mark Tucker (17), Michael Cutting, Tim Larcombe, Ben Nisbett, Michael Vaninetti (16), Sam McDonald, Cameron Sandercock (15), Jason Schulz, Reuben Stutley, Ben Thrum (13), Russell Tucker (12), Ben Dray, Randall Gale (10).
39 players for the season.
The Strathalbyn Reserves finished in eighth position at the end of the minor round, winning just five matches, drawing one and losing twelve.
The Strathalbyn Senior Colts finished in fifth position at the end of the minor round, winning ten matches and losing eight.
They lost the Elimination Final to Goolwa / Port Elliot by thirty points but inaccuracy did little to help their cause.
The Strathalbyn Junior Colts also finished in fifth position at the end of the minor round, winning ten matches and losing eight.
They were defeated by Willunga by 21 points in the Elimination Final.
During the season the SFC celebrated 50 years in the GSFL together with a 50 year reunion of the 1964 A Grade and Reserves Premierships on the 11th of August against Myponga.
In those fifty years, the SFC A Grade had contested 23 Grand Finals for 11 Premierships, the SFC Reserves 16 Grand Finals for 5 Premierships, the SFC Senior Colts / Colts 23 Grand Finals for 16 Premierships and the Junior Colts 21 Grand Finals for 15 Premierships.
The SFC Junior Colts only entered the GSFL competition in 1968.
These results confirm the Strathalbyn Football Club’s position as an extremely powerful and successful entity within the GSFL and a credit to the Strathalbyn community.
Mr. Roy Hagger, SFC Life Member, former long term committeeman and club handyman passed away on the 4th of July.
Mr. Barry Beckman, former Premiership Captain Coach passed away on the 27th of August. Many good judges rate Barry as the best player ever to represent the Strathalbyn Football Club and he was a unanimous choice as Centreman in the SFC Team of the Century.
2014
Premiers Played 22 Won 18 Lost 4
Tony Burgess was reappointed as A Grade non playing coach, Rob Donaldson as Fitness Director and Travis Weise as Reserves coach for the season.
The return of former players Marc and Sam Elliott together with the recruitment of Brad James, Daniel and Wayne Batson saw playing stocks significantly bolstered although player depth would be an issue if injuries or unavailability arose.
Ben Dray, Cameron Sandercock, Daniel Simounds, Wade Thorpe, Ben Thrum and Russell Tucker were, however, substantial losses
The season began well with four victories, including a two point close call in the annual Anzac Day match against Langhorne Creek before suffering their first loss to Goolwa / Port Elliot, by one point bought about by Strathalbyn’s inaccuracy in kicking for goal.
They won their next nine matches but inaccuracy continued to be a problem. In that run they defeated Mt Compass by four points, 9 goals 19 points to Mt Compass 11 goals 3 points.
Losses to Encounter Bay in round fifteen by 34 points and Willunga in round seventeen by 59 points were reality checks and saw them lose top position on percentage to Encounter Bay.
Strathalbyn finished in second position at the end of the minor round, winning fifteen matches and losing just three.
Strathalbyn met Langhorne Creek in the Qualifying Final, played at Langhorne Creek, and again inaccuracy cost them dearly.
Langhorne Creek led by eleven points at three quarter time but SFC dominated play in the final term but wasted many opportunities after taking the lead late in the game.
Two late goals saw Langhorne Creek advance to the Second Semi Final against Encounter Bay, winning by seven points.
Strathalbyn met Goolwa / Port Elliot in the First Semi Final and, after a tight first quarter steadily drew away to win by 24 points.
Strathalbyn and Langhorne Creek met again in the Preliminary Final played at Willunga.
After an error ridden first quarter, Strathalbyn trailed by twelve points at the break but in a stunning reversal of form, they scored an amazing ten goals four points to just one point in the second quarter to virtually ensure victory with a 50 point half time lead.
They went on to win by 70 points with six goals from Marc Elliott and four from Brad James with the Strathalbyn ruck brigade proving the dominant factor.
In the first GSFL Grand Final to be played at Myponga, Encounter Bay began the match as firm favourites.
In a tightly contested match, Encounter Bay got to a five point lead at the first break in a low scoring affair. The Bays defence shut down the SFC forwards and with their ruck work improving they steadily ground their way to a seventeen point lead at half time.
With a lift from Daniel Batson and James in ruck, providing more system with forward entries, Munn and Marc Elliott started to become prominent as Strathalbyn built a lead of five points at the last change.
With more run in their legs, SFC slowly asserted themselves and were three points clear when Marc Elliott scored his fourth goal. Encounter Bay had an opportunity but a shanked kick was cleared away and Stutley scored the final goal of the game to see Strathalbyn home by eight points in a very low scoring Grand Final.
Strathalbyn 1-2 1-4 5-5 7-8 = 50
Encounter Bay 2-1 4-3 4-6 6-6 = 42
Goal Scorers SFC :- Marc Elliott 4, Simon Munn 2, Rueben Stutley 1.
Best Players SFC :- Jordan Hall, Simon Munn, Marc Elliott, Daniel Batson, Ben Nisbett, Michael Vaninetti.
Jordan Hall was awarded the West End Medal as best on ground and Simon Munn, strangely playing in his first Grand Final, played brilliantly for Strathalbyn while Marc Elliott was the dominant forward of the match with his four goals proving decisive and taking his season’s tally to 70.
A Grade Premiership Team :-
Tony Burgess (Coach), Simon Munn (Captain), Daniel Batson, Wayne Batson, Adam Clark, Ben Cousins, Nathan Duffield, Marc Elliott, Sam Elliott (Vice Captain), Sam George, Jordan Hall, Brad James, Xavier Larcombe, Josh Marton, Sam McDonald, Austin McFarlane, Ben Nisbett (Vice Captain), Daniel Pegler, Rueben Stutley, Mark Tucker, Michael Vaninetti, Ashley Weckert.
The following played 10 or more Senior games for the season :-
Daniel Batson, Sam Elliott, Xavier Larcombe, Sam McDonald, Austin McFarlane (each 21), Mark Tucker (20), Jordan Hall (19), Sam George, Ben Nisbett, Michael Vaninetti (18), Wayne Batson, Nathan Duffield, Marc Elliott, Brad James, Simon Munn (17), Rueben Stutley (16), Daniel Pegler, Ashley Weckert (15), Chris Clark (14), Adam Clark, Josh Marton (12), Rowan Chester, Ben Cousins (11), Lachlan Burns (10).
38 players for the season.
The Strathalbyn Reserves finished in seventh position at the end of the minor round, winning six matches and losing twelve. Lack of player depth was an issue all season and they were unable to develop any consistency.
The Strathalbyn Senior Colts finished in sixth position at the end of the minor round, winning seven matches and losing eleven. Their inconsistent form never allowed them to consolidate a claim to a finals berth but a number of promising players in Kym Tyler, Beau Walkom, Caleb Hodgson, Jacob Wright and Caleb Smith were developing.
The Strathalbyn Junior Colts finished in second position at the end of the minor round, winning fourteen matches, drawing one and losing three.
Strathalbyn held on to defeat Goolwa / Pt Elliot in the Qualifying Final by eight points in a close game after leading by sixteen points at three quarter time.
They lost the Second Semi Final to Willunga by sixteen points, paying the penalty of a poor second quarter.
They met McLaren in the Preliminary Final and inaccuracy cost them dearly as they lost by six points, McLaren seven goals six points to SFC five goals twelve points.
Barnett’s Furniture Transport were the SFC Major Sponsor for the year with other sponsors being Garwood Earthmovers, Phillips Builders, Raine and Horne, Victoria Hotel, AAA Asphalt and Maidments Meat Service and Brenton Smith continued on in the role of Bar Manager.
During the season Nathan Duffield played his 350th game for SFC on the 10th of May against Goolwa / Pt Elliot and Kane Smith played his 300th game for SFC on the 19th of July against Myponga / Sellicks.
Mr. Hartley Weckert, SFC Life Member, former great player and Captain Coach and club Vice President and President passed away on the 11th of March.
He was selected as Full Back in the SFC Team of the Century.
Hartley left an indelible mark on the SFC and his funeral, conducted at the Strathalbyn Football Club, was attended by a huge crowd, indicative of the esteem in which the Weckert family is held.
Sadly, the SFC suffered another blow when Mr. Bob Kelly passed away on the 31st of March. Bob was the long term Patron of the SFC and was the inaugural Chairman of the Strathalbyn Oval Controlling Committee and during his term, many of the ground improvements enjoyed by the players of today were instigated.
2015
Fourth Played 20 Won 9 Lost 11
Tony Burgess was reappointed as Senior Coach for the SFC’s title defence with Rob Donaldson as Chairman of Selectors and Ron Blight as Reserves Coach.
Unfortunately work commitments prevented Ron from taking up the role and Keith Jones stepped in to fill the position at very short notice.
Following a considerable period of planning and negotiations, spearheaded by President Andrew Batten, Brenton Smith and Greg Billington, work finally commenced on the long awaited clubroom upgrade project and quickly the interior was gutted,with all furnishings being placed into storage, as internal walls were rearranged, new front windows, followed by the new facilities for the umpires and the fitout of the professional standard new kitchen.
The footings for the extensive two story section of the new complex were poured in February which signalled to all members and supporters that the project was underway, under the watchful eye of Project Manager, Brenton Smith.
To facilitate these alterations and subsequent disruptions, the SFC had its first 3 matches programmed away which, however, did little to help the on field performance.
The loss of premiership players Ashley Weckert, Jordan Hall, Rowan Chester and Josh Marton was only partly offset by the return of Xavier Larcombe, Ben Nisbett and Daniel Pegler and the elevation of promising Adam Clark.
Pre season trial form did little to instil confidence and it was obvious that with limited playing depth, injuries would determine the success of the season.
Strathalbyn began the season with a 22 point loss to Encounter Bay in the grand final replay and the club went on to lose their first 5 games.
A win over McLaren was morale boosting but substantial losses to Goolwa and then Mt Compass saw the club in free fall.
A narrow win over Myponga and a sound victory over Yankalilla saw them in eighth position at season’s half way point.
Winning 5 of their next 6 matches saw their stocks rise however a 36 point loss to Mt Compass and a narrow loss in a quagmire at Myponga saw them dependant on other results to participate in the finals.
Strathalbyn did little to help their cause with a narrow loss to lowly Yankalilla in the final round, but survived to fight another day when Victor Harbour defeated Myponga to ensure Strathalbyn a place in the finals.
Ironically Strathalbyn met Victor Harbour in the Elimination Final, with their straight goal kicking keeping them in it and, at the final siren scores were level, with extra time required.
Strathalbyn scored 2 goals early in the first period of extra time and held on to win by 13 points.
In the First Semi Final the following week, it was Strathalbyn’s inaccuracy which was to cost them dearly, eventually losing to Goolwa by just 2 points, bringing a frustrating season to a close.
The following played 10 or more Senior games for the season :-
Lachlan Burns, Sam Elliott, Simon Munn, Ben Nisbett (each 20), Adam Clark, Marc Elliott (each 19), Chris Clark, Austin McFarlane (each 18), Nathan Duffield, Mark Tucker (each 16), Xavier Larcombe, Brad James, Aaron Noske (each 15), Steven Williams (14), Sam McDonald (13), Sam George, Josh Maloney, Lachlan Middleton, Rueben Stutley (each 12), Daniel Pegler (11), Daniel Batson, Wayne Batson, Jordan Hall, Jason Puatti (each 10).
42 players for the season.
The Strathalbyn Football Club suffered a blow when Grant (Nosey) Lyon, a former A Grade Coach, passed away on the second of April, while Life Member and Ladies Auxillary stalwart Dawn Peek also passed on that same day.
With playing depth a major issue and further injury issues as the season progressed, the Strathalbyn Reserves had a difficult and disappointing season, winning just 4 matches, drawing 1 and losing 13 , to finish the season in ninth position.
The Strathalbyn Senior Colts, under Coach Chris Simounds, began the season with promise and, playing good football, were in second position at the half way point of the season.
They lost their next 3 matches but regrouped to win their last 6 games of the minor round to finish in second position, inexplicably they lost both of their finals matches by significant margins to be eliminated, finishing fourth in an extremely disappointing conclusion to their season.
Similarly, the Strathalbyn Junior Colts began their season well but were plagued by inconsistency.
Well placed at the half way mark of the season, they lost 5 of their next 6 games to finish the minor round in fourth position.
A narrow 3 point loss to Encounter Bay in the Elimination Final bought their season to a close.
After coaching Strathalbyn for 3 years and reaching the finals in each season with a premiership in 2014, Tony Burgess announced his retirement from the position of Coach of the Strathalbyn Football Club.
Former player Ashley Golding, known to many as Grill, passed away on the 9th of September.
He filled the position of club Treasurer in 1978 and was actively involved with the SFC Social Club for a number of years.
Work was continuing on the new clubroom complex with steady progress, requiring numerous working bees and considerable resources however it was obvious that this enormous project would continue well into the future causing significant disruption to SFC football events in the coming season or two.
Overall, the SFC and Brenton Smith, as project manager, were well pleased with progress and the interest and generosity it had established within the general community.
The inclusion of the Strathalbyn RSL Branch in the project was also of significant importance.
In recognition of the immense contribution made to the Strathalbyn Football Club, the Strathalbyn Cricket Club and to sport generally in Strathalbyn, Brenton Smith and Perry Jones were each recognised with an end of the Strathalbyn Oval being named in their honour.
2016
Third Played 21 Won 15 Lost 6
The season began with renewed optimism, with substantial progress being made with the new clubroom facility. During the summer break most of the ground floor works had been progressed to the stage of being ready for use in the coming season, with the steelwork for the 2 story part of the project also now in place.
Ms. Cate Goodall, President of the Strathalbyn Sub Branch of the RSL, announced the sale of their old hall in High Street where they had been domiciled since 1943, with the proceeds going directly towards the new Football Club / RSL / Council development. All of their memorabilia will go into their section of the building when that is completed.
Andrew Batten was re elected as President for his tenth year in that position, representing an outstanding contribution to the SFC.
Michael Simmons was announced as Coach, having previous coaching experience at Victor Harbour, Langhorne Creek and at GSFL level, with Todd Dellatore as Reserves Coach.
The recruitment of Ross Christie to boost ruck stocks and the return of Ben Simounds, Ben Cousins and later, Jed Hickey gave rise to hopes of a successful season.
Good trial game form and the completion of the new changerooms and gymnasium complimented the SFC expectations.
Other appointments were Darcy Springhall as Junior Player Development Manager and Scott Harding as Runner.
The season kicked off with a sound win over Encounter Bay, followed by substantial wins over Myponga and Langhorne Creek but suffered a reality check when they lost to Mt Compass by 59 points. Three further victories, including a win at Willunga, a ground where they had little success over the years, followed, before a surprise loss to Victor Harbour.
In the match against Goolwa in Round 7, Ben Simounds played his 100th game for the SFC and celebrated by scoring 11 goals.
At the half way mark of the season, Strathalbyn were well placed in second position behind Mt Compass.
They continued on in the second half winning 7 matches with only narrow losses to Encounter Bay and Mt Compass , finishing the minor round in second position on the ladder.
The two key forwards in Ben Simounds and Marc Elliott, caused opposition teams significant problems as they scored 71 and 62 goals respectively for the year.
In the Qualifying Final, the SFC squandered an early substantial lead, to lose to Encounter Bay by just 5 points, with inaccuracy costing them dearly.
A week later in the First Semi Final, they again established a big lead early, only to see Willunga steadily close the gap and it was only a goal to Ross Christie late in the match that ensure victory by just 9 points.
Their season came to an extremely disappointing conclusion when beaten by Encounter Bay by just 1 point in the Preliminary Final, particularly as they missed numerous opportunities late in the game.
The following played 10 or more Senior games for the season :-
Chris Clark, Mark Tucker (each 21), Marc Elliott, Brad James, Simon Munn, Ben Nisbett, Aaron Noske (each 20), Nathan Duffield, Sam George, Austin McFarlane, Todd Price (each 19), Adam Clark, Ben Simounds (each 18), Michael Vaninetti (17), Ben Cousins (16), Ross Christie, Sam Elliott, Sam McDonald (each 15), Alex Lyon (13), Daniel Pegler (12), Matthew Miller (11), Jed Hickey, Jason Turner (each 10).
38 players for the season
Ben Nisbett played his 200th game for the SFC on 29th of July against Mt Compass, he has been an erstwhile defender for SFC for a number of years and, incredibly, is the fifth generation of the Nisbett family to represent the SFC on the field.
The SFC Reserves had a most disappointing season, winning just 3 matches drawing 2 and losing 13 to finish ninth on the ladder.
A number of narrow losses did not help the cause but they gave rise to optimism of better times ahead when they won 2 and drew 1 of their final 3 games of the season.
The SFC Senior Colts had an interesting season, at times playing very good football but were hampered by inconsistency and suffered a few narrow losses, which, ultimately, caused them to miss the finals.
A number of very promising players emerged with several getting experience on occasions in senior football.
They won 9 matches, drew 1 and lost 8 to finish in sixth position.
The SFC Junior Colts had a difficult and disappointing season, having lost a number of players from the previous year to the higher grade.
They persevered well and displayed potential for further development into the future.
Overall they won 2 games and lost 16 to finish in ninth position.
The SFC Mini Colts enjoyed a very successful season , with good numbers available which augurs well for the future of the club.
Under Coach Sam Sherriff, they went on to defeat Goolwa in a high standard grand final, their first win at this level for some years.
The John Almond Club Person was awarded to Brenton Smith for his incredible service to the club over many years, but particularly for his current role of project managing the new clubroom complex which was rapidly taking shape.
It is anticipated that the facility will be sufficiently advanced to facilitate an official opening some time later in 2017.
2017
Seventh Played 18 Won 9 Lost 9
The new season saw Andrew Batten step down after 10 years as President, during which time he had been a driving force in the planning and development of the new clubroom complex, the establishment of the very successful Anzac Day matches with Langhorne Creek and A Grade premierships in 2010 and 2014.
Rob Donaldson, former SFC Coach and West Adelaide player, stepped into the President’s position, with Andrew Batten as Vice President
Marcia Evans was appointed as Facility Manager of the new complex which was now progressing rapidly.
The ceilings, bar facility, bathrooms and other areas downstairs were nearing completion, soon to be followed by new floor coverings.
The club suffered a setback when several burglaries occurred but the culprits were soon apprehended.
Michael Simmons was reappointed as Coach and the club hoped to build on the disappointment of last year.
Ben Nisbett had retired and Wayne Batson was a loss of significance but was balanced by the recruitment of Josh Lawson and Tom Caesarowicz.
Trial games against Hatherleigh and Scotch Old Collegians were successful but almost immediately the club was beset by injuries, a curse that continued for much of the season.
The season began with a loss to Encounter Bay, then a sound win over last year’s premiers, Mt Compass.
As the injury toll rose, Strathalbyn were to lose 6 of their next 7 matches, to be a very disappointing eighth at the half way mark of the season.
SFC Life Member, Ms. Zel Thyer passed away on 15th April, Zel had been a driving force with the Ladies Auxillary for many years and was a highly regarded person around the club.
She was President of the Ladies Auxilliary from 1979 to 1988.
On the 6th of May against Willunga, Nathan Duffield played his 400th game for the SFC, becoming just the third SFC player to accomplish that feat.
Later that evening, former Coach, Harvey Chenoweth, conducted a very humorous interview of Nathan, giving the large crowd in attendance a good laugh.
The club also conducted reunions of the 1977 Reserves Premiership and the 1987 A Grade Premiership on that same day, with many former players in attendance.
With the return of a few players from injury, Strathalbyn were able to field a stronger team and began the second half of the season with a sound 46 point win over Victor Harbour, to retain the Kym Smith Cup.
Two heavy losses to Mt Compass by 62 points and Langhorne Creek by 46 points virtually finished any finals aspirations for 2017.
However a come from behind and very fortunate 1 point victory over Goolwa restored confidence and, with playing stocks strengthening, they scored a morale boosting and surprising 22 point win over Willunga the following week, also retaining the Ivan Cross Cup.
In the match against Willunga, Ben Simounds played an outstanding game, also scoring 7 goals.
Also in that same game, Nathan Duffield played his 410th game for SFC, surpassing the record previously held by Allan Dunn.
He relegated Perry Jones into third place on the all time SFC games record when he had played his 407th game against Mt Compass on June 29th.
Strathalbyn won their next 4 matches quite convincingly , to finish the season in seventh position behind Victor Harbour on percentage and just a draw behind fifth placed Goolwa, having won 9 games and losing 9.
At their best, Strathalbyn had demonstrated that they could match it with any team, but injuries and poor early season form, in reality, meant that the season could well be summarised as a wasted opportunity.
The following played 10 or more Senior games for the season :
Brad James, Mark Tucker, Jacob Wright (each 18), Adam Clark, Nathan Duffield, Sam George, Jed Hickey, Josh Lawson (each 17), Ben Simounds, Beau Walkom (each 16), Ben Cousins, Aaron Noske, Jason Turner (each 15), Marc Elliott (14), Tom Caesarowicz, Ross Christie, Michael Vaninetti (each 13), Josh Maloney (12), Sam McDonald, Simon Munn, Daniel Pegler, Joseph Slattery (each 10).
36 players for the season.
The significant injury list that plagued the SFC during the season, directly impacted of the fortunes of the Reserves team and it was frequently necessary to draw on the Senior Colts players to make up numbers.
Never the less, the SFC Reserves performed creditably during the season, being more than competitive when their full playing list was available.
They won 9 matches and lost 9 to finish sixth, missing the finals by a small percentage margin, and if most of the list can be retained, participation in the finals is a real possibility next season.
The Strathalbyn Senior Colts began their season with style winning their first four matches, but then went through a lean period, before regrouping late in the season.
The significant injury list in the senior playing group, meant that they were frequently called upon to top up the senior teams, much to their detriment.
Overall they won 10 matches and lost 8 to finish fourth at the end of the Minor Round.
They scored an impressive 57 point win over Encounter Bay in the Elimination Final and then scored a surprise and impressive win over Myponga by 23 points.
Ultimately they lost the Preliminary Final to Willunga by 44 points bringing their season to a close, however they had represented their club well and include a number of players of quality that bodes well for the future of the SFC.
The Strathalbyn Junior Colts again had a mixed year but came home strongly to win their last 3 matches of the year.
Overall, they won 7 games and lost 11 to finish seventh but were steadily developing as the season progressed.
Promising player, Isaac Birt, finished second in the GSFL Junior Colts Best and Fairest and won the SFC Junior Colt Best and Fairest award.
During the year SFC entered a team in the Adelaide Womens Football League Division 5, which was coached by Darcy Springhall with Paul Thomas as Assistant Coach.
They developed and improved as the year progressed, finishing in the top bracket and, after losing the Second Semi Final, fought back well to win the Preliminary Final and then the Grand Final to claim the inaugural Premiership Trophy for that Division.
A number of very good players emerged, with Bree Liebhardt being the standout, winning both the Best and Fairest Award and the Goalkicking with a total of 22 goals.
The SFC’s Head Trainer, Paul Holdsworth, was awarded GSFL Trainers Life Membership during the season, becoming just the second from Strathalbyn to win that honour.
Paul had been Head Trainer at SFC for 12 years, President of the GSFL Trainers Association for 6 years and was previously a player at Strathalbyn for a number of years.
On a sad note, Mr. Clem Harley passed away on 19th September 2017.
At the time, Clem was the SFC’s oldest Life Member, played for Strathalbyn in the 1930’s, later being Committeeman, Secretary and Vice President.
He had been awarded Life Membership of the SFC in 1967.
Although not complete, in respect to displays of SFC photograph and memorabilia, the new clubroom complex was advanced sufficiently for it to be officially opened on Sunday 12th November 2017.
Mr Leon Bignell, Minister for Sport and Recreation in the SA State Government officially declared the outstanding new facility open before a crowd in excess of 300 people.
Supporting statements from Ms Rebecca Sharkey, Member for Mayo, Mr. David Fawcett, Federal Senator for SA, Mr Keith Parkes, Mayor of Alexandrina Council, Councillor Anne Woolford, President of the Strathalbyn Oval Controlling Committee and Mr Gordon Tonkin, President of the GSFL.
President, Rob Donaldson compered the days proceedings and former President Mr Andrew Batten gave an overview of the project, starting from failed applications for funding from the Department of Sport and Recreation, ongoing applications, the involvement of the Strathalbyn Sub Branch of the RSL and District Council of Alexandrina, the appointment of Mr Brenton Smith as Project Manager, the community of Strathalbyn for their support and involvement in working bees and investments all culminating in the magnificent facility that the SFC now calls home.
All speakers paid due respect for the incredible time and energy that Brenton Smith has imparted towards the successful completion of this project.
2018
Played Won Lost
The new season commenced with significant impetus, following the official opening of the new complex.
Rob Donaldson stepped down as President and Brenton Smith was appointed into the role, this being a club record third term in that position, Andrew Batten continued as Vice President with Josh Pegler as Secretary.
Current player Todd Price was appointed as Senior Coach for season 2018, having had previous successful coaching experience at Lucindale and Paskeville, with Ron Blight taking on the role as Reserves Coach.
The following played 10 or more Senior games for the season :-
Ross Christie, Marc Elliott, Sam Elliott, Brad James, Mark Tucker, Beau Walkom, Jacob Wright (each 18), Richard O’Grady, Todd Price (each 17) Sam George, Riley Clamp (each 16), Adam Clark, Aaron Noske, Michael Vaninetti (each 15), Josh Lawson (13), Hayden Hirschausen, Joseph Slattery (each 12), Nathan Duffield (11).
35 players for the season.
2019
Played Won Lost
Ashley Nisbett
I Have just read the summary of the 1979 season where it’s quoted that Ashley Nisbett badly fractured his finger late in the last quarter of prelim final in fact it was in the first minute of that game. Preceeding Grand Final I was given Drs all clear to play then underwent fitness test with coach got thru that until the last kick Of the test which was a torpedo punt kicked at me from 15 metres away that severely shattered my middle finger. At that time I was ruled out.