Weekly Times |
SWIFTS Football Club life member Terry Jenkins didn’t realise the significance of the premiership medal he had in his keeping.
It was only when Jenkins handed the medal over to the organisers of Swifts’ centenary celebrations that he began to understand how precious the tiny treasure really was.
The medal, which belonged to Jenkins’s great uncle William Jones, dates back to 1914 — the club’s inaugural year.
“I nearly fell over when he showed me,” Swifts president Robert Carey said.
“It’s silver and rose gold and the detail on the front is incredible.
“The club lost a lot of its history in a fire about 35 years ago so to have a piece of memorabilia from the very first year is fantastic.”
Former Swifts players and supporters from across Australia will flock to Stawell next month as the club marks 100 years since it was formed by Major Whitehead, a former owner of The Stawell Times.
According to a former player, the club got its name after a group of men met on top of Stawell’s Big Hill and tried to think of a team name.
Discussions had hit a wall until several swallows flew around the group, and the name “Swifts” was born.
The club was originally Swifts Junior Football Club.
“But ‘junior’ didn’t mean what it does now — it was an open-age club but it was basically a reserves side for Stawell,” he said.
Captains from Stawell Football Club, Swifts and the Warriors, another town-based club now merged with Stawell, would meet to select teams.
Swifts, in the Horsham and District league, also boast one of country footy’s most unusual nicknames: the Baggies.
According to local legend, the team acquired the name after it ran out for a game at Marnoo many years ago and comments were made about the team’s baggy shorts, particularly those worn by player Fred Conboy.
“We still cop it every now and again,” Carey said. “We try to push that (name) aside a bit, but it’s what we’re known as.”
After months of research led by club historian Chris Folkes and seven-time Swifts best-and-fairest Trevor Skurrie, the club will unveil three “teams of the era” marking its time in the South Wimmera league (1930-69), the Ararat and District association (1970-99) and the Horsham and District league (2000 onwards).
“It was nearly an impossibility for us to pick just one team because we don’t have the information,” Carey said.
“A former president of the club, Charlie Farrer, had it all stored in a business in the main street — premiership flags, the whole lot — and it all went up in flames. So it’s taken us years to gather up bits and pieces of information.”
While the club hasn’t produced many AFL/VFL players — Noel Raitt, who played 18 games for Essendon in the 1960s, is thought to be the only one — Swifts has strong connections with modern-day stars.
Senior vice-captain Jake Goodes is the brother of Sydney Swans legend Adam Goodes, while senior player Zach Salmi is the nephew of Carlton’s Jarrad Waite.
Swifts have won 17 senior flags, the most recent in 2003, and eight in the reserves.
“We’re nearly due for another (senior) premiership,” Carey said. “We win one about every 10 years.”
Centenary celebrations are on June 21. For details, phone Robert Carey on 0400 581 937.
