This publication describes the first premiership season of the Sturt Football Club in 1915. It describes the preseason preparations, the matches of the minor round and finals as they were played out in the context of the failed Dardanelles campaign. A summary of the club, players and officials is included.
The book is dedicated to my uncle Louis Anton Gyss who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of his country in 1942.
Sturt achieved its first premiership, with a famous victory over the champion Port Adelaide team, in the Challenge Final. Sturt was confident of winning this final, but the Portonians had been as strong, if not stronger and superior in most facets of the game throughout the season against the much younger club. Sturt played brilliantly in its most important match of its history to that date. In a wonderful contest, Sturt proved invincible and eclipsed Port in general play. Its defence was solid and its attack was strong enough to obtain a sufficient score to win.
In the opinion of the great majority of followers of the competition throughout the minor round, Port was a certainty for the championship. Since 1910 they had been premiers or runners up. They were first that year, second in the next two, and top again for the previous two seasons. Sturt proved itself a better side in the challenge final as Port strove hard to avert defeat, but lost the championship. It was a great disappointment for Port, because it had been the most consistent team in the league throughout the season. South Adelaide finished third, West Adelaide fourth, followed by: West Torrens, North Adelaide and Norwood.
The 1915 South Australian Football League season was highly eventful and historically significant. It took place under the influence of the developments of World War I, which had a strong impact on every aspect of the game. The season commenced with the war in Europe bogged down and preparations underway for the ultimately failed Dardanelles campaign. In spite of these developments there was no suggestion in any of the League or clubs’ preseason meetings that the 1915 football season would not be played.
It was the final South Australian Football League season until the end of the war and did not recommence until 1919.
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