Western Suburbs Magpies

The original incarnation of the Western Suburbs participated in the top tier of organised football in Sydney between 1926 and 1929. This club reached the grand final in its debut year, losing to Eastern Suburbs. However, it was forced to disband at the end of the 1929 season when it was unable to meet its running costs.

The club was reformed in November 1947 and joined the NSWANFL the following year. In 1951 the Magpies won their first premiership with a 12 point grand final defeat of an Eastern Suburbs side that would go on to dominate most of the remainder of the decade. Western Suburbs reached four further grand finals during the 1950s, losing them all.

During the 1960s and 1970s Western Suburbs was far and away the strongest club in Sydney. Between 1963 and 1969 it was an ever present in the NSWANFL grand final, winning four times and losing three. After dropping to 3rd in 1970 the Magpies eked out a similar tale of supremacy in the 70s, missing only one further grand final for the decade (1976) to annex another four flags. However, since the last of these, in 1977, the club's fortunes have declined, with an isolated premiership in 1996 the only cause for celebration.

Over the years Western Suburbs has fielded a large number of high quality players, with AFL star Greg Stafford arguably the cream of its recent products. It reached the finals in 2002, but then slipped back into the field the following year, finishing second from last, a result that was repeated in 2004.

The 2005 season brought a marked improvement as the Magpies lost only 1 of 16 minor round matches to secure the minor premiership. However, they lost the grand final to North Shore by 41 points.

The side again qualified for the finals in 2006, but hopes of a flag were dashed at the preliminary final stage by Pennant Hills. The 2007 season was even more disappointing for the Magpies who managed just 6 wins and a draw from their 18 matches to finish 7th.

Club Snapshot

Logo:
City	Sydney
Home Ground	Wagener Oval, Whitfield Avenue, Ashbury
Club Address	PO Box 98, Croydon Park NSW 2133
Established	1926
Nickname:	Magpies
President:	Andrew Taylor
Premierships:	1951, 1963, 1965-6, 1969, 1972, 1974-5, 1977, 1996
Phone Contact:	0409 033 198
Email Contact:	seniorfooty@wsafc.com.au
Website:	http://www.sydneymagpies.com.au