REUNION OF 1981 SHERWOOD PREMIERSHIP TEAMS

Western Magpies A.F.C. will be hosting a 35 year re-union of all past players from the Sherwood A.F.C. 1981 Seniors and Reserve Grade Premiership teams coached by Warren Selvage and Paul Hope.

This event is to be held at the final home and away game of the Western Magpies 2016 season on 20TH August from 12noon onwards at Chelmer when the Magpies take on fellow finals contender Surfers Paradise. .

In 1981 Warren Selvage was appointed as Senior player/coach after the 1980coach, Lindsay Jacob returned to Victoria for family reasons.

Warren was a born and bred Sherwood player, coming up through the junior ranks and his love of the club was very instrumental in the appointment from the committee at the time.

The Seniors went through the season with just one loss (to Acacia Ridge).  Warren Selvage said this did not sit well with the Sherwood players and they plotted revenge, which they tasted by defeating Acacia Ridge by 101 points in the Second Semi Final.

The Grand Final was played in wet and cold conditions against Aspley, at Dittmer Park, Mt Gravatt. Aspley led at half time but the sun came out in the second half and Sherwood came out firing to go on to win by 49 points (co-incidentally, this would be the same winning margin again in 1982).

Aspley was captain-coached by Terry Weller, who used his Windsor-Zillmere connections to qualify 4-5 Zillmere players prior to the finals’ series. It made no difference as Sherwood proved too strong.

In contrast to the Aspley side, Sherwood’s team was made up of local products who had come through the club’s junior ranks or lived and played football in the western suburbs (with the exception of John McColl and Jeff Stidwill). The two standout performances in the game was an 8 goal haul to Alan Giffard and the second half effort of Gregg Stewart coming off the bench, just prior to half time, to end up with four (4) second half goals. Stewart’s inclusion was a line ball selection decision which the selector’s debated for 45 minutes but it paid dividends.

The Reserves also won the flag, also defeating Aspley by about 8 goals to start the day on the right note and let the Magpies eventually celebrate a double premiership.

Paul Hope was appointed as player/coach of the Reserve grade after the position became vacant after the previous successful coach, Warren Brockwell decided not to seek another term.

Paul moved to the Western Suburbs in 1978 after spending his previous years playing for Windsor-Zilllmere from junior level to senior level.

Paul’s decision to play for Sherwood A.F.C. was made after being convinced by his work colleague and former Sherwood stalwart at the time, Maurie McNamee, who felt that the club would be a good fit for him and his young family.