Coopers Club Update - 1981 Seniors & Reserves Premiership Reunion

1981 SHERWOOD PREMIERSHIPS REUNIONS

The Sherwood 1981 First and Reserve Grade Premiership Reunions will be held this Saturday at Chelmer. The current Pies pay a virtual elimination final against Surfers Paradise so it makes for a great day of football for the Pies faithful.  

1981 SENIORS FLAG

The Seniors went through the season with just one loss (to Acacia Ridge). Many of the players have said, in later years, how they had waited for the re-match with Acacia Ridge, which came in the 2nd Semi. The result was a 100 pt+ win to the Magpies. They were a very proud and competitive team!

The Grand Final was played, against Aspley, at Dittmer Park. The umpire in that game (yes, just 1 umpire) was AFL Hall of Fame Legend, Tom McArthur (Tom umpired a number of our grand final victories, including 1976, '80, '81 & '82).

Aspley was captain-coached by Terry Weller, who used his Windsor-Zillmere connections to qualify 4-5 Zillmere players, prior to the finals’ series. Sherwood won the flag with a comfortable 49 point win (co-incidentally, this would be the same winning margin again in 1982). In contrast to the Aspley side, Sherwood’s team was made up of local product, 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). Perhaps the standout performance from the game, was Gregg Stewart coming off the bench, just prior to half time, to end up with four (4) second half goals. The game started in wet, slippery conditions, after heavy rain fell overnight and again in the morning. Aspley started very strongly and were right in the hunt at half time. However, as the 2nd half commenced, the sun came out and conditions just kept improving as the game went on. The Magpies reveled in in the sunshine and played a brand of football that proved to be fat too good for a very strong opposition.

I remember Peter Talty (W/Zillmere), the Aspley full forward, making this comment, after he had been awarded a free kick in the goal square and converting for full points (a few of us were 'blowing up big time' about the validity of the free kick) - 'no wonder you guys are so successful, you even begrudge giving up a goal when you're over 50 points in front'!

Premiership Team:

B: J.Cawcutt - A.Giffard - J.Judson

HB: G.Hodgson - Z.Matega - J.McColl

C: I.Anderson - W.Peirce - G.McDonald

HF: C.Arnold - W.Selvage - D.Lashman

F: W.Lashman - S.Mitchell - J.Stidwell

Foll: R.Moore - C.Lashman - R.Lang

19th: G.Stewart

20th: S.Knox

Emergency: B.Campbell

RESERVES 1981 PREMIERS

The Reserves side went through the season losing just one game to South Brisbane and finished up minor premiers. Unfortunately they were beaten by Aspley in the major semi-final after Aspley dropped back senior players who had qualified for both their Seniors and Reserves as their Seniors side did not play the same weekend. Meeting the old foe Mount Gravatt in the preliminary final was also a challenge but after a fierce contest all day the Magpies prevailed by one point to seek revenge against Aspley in the grand final

After Aspley had qualified in the Seniors grand final also, they were not able to field the same team that beat the magpies in the semi-final. The Magpies were out to seek revenge and that is exactly what occurred as they ran out winners by the tune of six goals.

The team consisted of both older heads, such as Mel Beswick, Terry Summers, the Walters boys, Ian Foster, Richard (big bird) Phillips and a bunch of young guns who had come through the Sherwood junior ranks.