Wimmera: Stawell thrashes Minyip-Murtoa in front of champions of yesteryear

Stawell has started its 150th season in style with three successive wins in the Wimmera league.

Stawell Warriors capped off their 150th anniversary celebrations in style with a thumping 86-point win against Minyip-Murtoa on Saturday to remain undefeated in the Wimmera league this season.

Stawell was formed in 1874 and known as the Redlegs before a merger with former Ararat District league club Warriors ahead of the 1999 season.

It’s home ground is the famous Central Park where the Stawell Gift is run each year, but Saturday’s match was the first at the venue since a $1.4 million upgrade began midway through last season.

Stawell champion Tony Beck after the 1987 Wimmera league grand final. Picture: Supplied

Stawell players to reach AFL-VFL level, Matt Austin, Greg and Chris Perry, Greg Grainger, Brent Tuckey and Liam Pickering, were in attendance as was five-time Toohey Medal winner and 1987 premiership coach Tony Beck.

Gift winners Jack Curran (1923) and Bill Twomey (1924) were playing football for Stawell when they won the town’s famous foot race with the latter playing in Collingwood’s 1919 VFL premiership team.

“Being a gold rush town there would have been plenty of people around to start a footy club back then,” Stawell president Shane Field said.

“But not many last this long because they’re starting to merge and so forth.

“The club we actually merged with, the Warriors, started a year after Stawell.”

Geelong fullback Roy West joined the Cats from Stawell in 1960.

Geelong 1963 premiership fullback, the late Roy West played for Stawell either side of his 108-match VFL after starting out at Great Western.

He played in the 1960 Wimmera league grand final as a 19-year-old with another Geelong legend Doug Wade playing for eventual premiers Horsham.

West and Wade joined the Cats the following year with West winning the Cats’ best and fairest in his debut season.

The Stawell 150-year celebration jumper on Saturday featured the club’s original logo with 60 jumpers worn on the day auctioned in the evening for an average price of $500.

Stawell’s Josh Linton leads Minyip-Murtoa opponent to the ball on Saturday. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Another feature of the day was the unveiling of a painting of Central Park by former player and artist Jade Thompson.

It will hang in the newly redeveloped clubrooms.

Stawell’s most recent senior premiership came the year after the merger with Warriors, but the 24-year flag drought is a chance to end this season with a 3-0 start.

It beat second-placed Ararat on Good Friday by 14 points.

Current coach Tom Eckel was best-on-ground in the big win over Minyip-Murtoa on Saturday.