Football Club History

First game: Sunday 17 July 1949 between the Towns team and Meatworks in a practice game.

1949: Towns formed their team around the Police, Teachers, public Works Dept. and local people. Their colours were white singlets and white shorts.

First game:  The final score was Town 4:8 (32 points), Meatworks 3:3 (21 points).  'Mr Adlam, who had charge of the whistle, did a very satisfactory job'.

Formed: 1949
First Captain: Kevin Townsend
Premierships: (24)  1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957. 1959, 1961, 1969, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2002, 2003, 2008.

WKFL Fairest and Best Winners:

1953 Sid Tolentino
1954 Ernie Rahman
1955 Ernie Rahman
1975 Phil Grantham

1977 Greg Howard
1983 Julius Barker
1985 Mark James
1986 Mark James
1993 Chad McElroy

2004 Joe Sara

2009 Tim Richter

TOWNS FOOTBALL CLUB 'Dari Willa' FAIREST AND BEST WINNERS

1977 GREG HOWARD

1978 ERIC WHITTLE

1979 ERIC WHITTLE

1980 JOE EDGAR

1981 ERIC WHITTLE

1982 M GARVIN

1983 ERIC WHITTLE

1984 J. FAIRMAN

1985 M. JAMES

1986 M. JAMES

1987 GLENN MURRAY

1988 J. DUTTON

1989 ROBERT WILSON

1990 R. ARMSTRONG

1991 LINDSAY FOSBERY

1992 GLENN MURRAY

1993 CHAD McELROY

1994 NEIL MARSHALL

1995 EDDIE SKIBA - G. GIBSON (TIE)

1996 DON CAMPBELL

1997 ANDREW QUIN

1998 JAMES WATKINS

1999  WILLIAM SCOTT
2000  WARRICK ELLERRY
2001  LINDSAY DEAN
2002  WARRICK ELLERRY
2003  JOE SARA
2004  JOE SARA
2005  NICK HAMMOND
2006  BROCK BROWN

2007  BRENDAN BUITENHUIS & LUKE KELLEHER

2008  RYAN McRAE

2009  TIM RICHTER

2010  KANE FITZPATRICK

2011  SEAN GREGORY

2012  SEAN GREGORY

2013  DAMIAN CRISPIN

2014  RHONEN MAHER

2015  ASHLEY SPOWART

2016  SHAE BUTLER

2017  SHAE BUTLER

2018

2019 SEAN WILLIAMS AND SCOTT BEDFORD (TIE)

2020   (NO AWARD due to Covid)

2021 DAMIAN CRISPIN

2022   MATTHEW BLACKLEY               

LEADING GOALKICKER

1981:  S. GREGORY

1982:  G. HOWARD

1983:  S. GREGORY

1984:  E. WHITTLE

1985:  R. COCKING

1986:  R. COCKING

1987:  S. GREGORY

1988:  L. BEDFORD

1991: G. FOSBERY

1992:  L. BEDFORD

1994:  L. BEDFORD

1995:  G. MATTHEWS

1996:  G. MATTHEWS

1997:  G. MATTHEWS

1998:  J. WATKINS

1999:  D. THOMAS

2000:  A. DICK

2001:  B. DUDLEY

2003:  B. DUDLEY (32)

2004:  N. BECK (32)

2005:  N. BECK (40) photo on the right taken in 2005

2006:  B. BROWN

2007:  J. DAVIS

2008:  D. McKENNA, C. TOLENTINO

2009:  D. SLY 
2010:  M. LIDDELL & C. TOLENTINO

2011:  D. CRISPIN

2012:  P. BONNEY

2013:  D. CRISPIN

2014:  R. MAHER

2015:  R. MAHER

2016:  D. CRISPIN

2017:  D. CRISPIN

2018:

2019: S. BEDFORD

2020: (No award due to Covid)

2021: SEAN GREGORY

2022: SEAN GREGORY

Towns have been a power house in Broome football. Towns went through the season of 1953 undefeated and their full forward, Bob Stephens kicked 14 goals in the Final. They played their first game on 24 July 1949. Throughout the 1950's Towns played in white singlets and shorts.

Father McMahon coached the side in 1974 which began a run of 5 flags in a row. When going for their 5th flag in a row their incentive was the five letters that make up TOWNS.

 Some players in their "Hall of Fame" include Don Gibbs (Don Gibbs became captain of Towns in 1951, a position he held for 8 seasons which included 6 Premierships. Don Gibbs passed away on May 26th 2011 aged 80.  His family returned the five Premiership trophies to the Towns Football Club in August 2011), Ross Woods in the early 1960's, Simon Bernard, Peter Talman, Eric Whittle, Stewie Gregory, (he played in 9 winning Grand Finals for Towns and that is a record for the Broome Competition), Peter Marshall, Greg Howard, Don McKenzie, Phil Grantham, Mark James, Robert Wilson, Lindsay Fosbery, Chad McElroy, Neil Marshall, Gavin Mitchell, Greg Fiorenza, Dave Bushell (played 3 years with East Fremantle) and Jeff Trott (played for East Fremantle) Glen Murray, L. Bedford, Glen Murray, Mark James, Bill Hutton, Andrew Blackley, Neil Marshall, Brett Murray

(Photo of Stewie Gregory taken Nov 1998: Life member of Towns - played in 9 Premierships)

Towns life members:

• Eric Whittle,
• Stewie Gregory,
• Greg Howard,
• Dari Willa (medal awarded to the best and fairest),
• James Howard (1994),
• Glen Mesch,
• Brent Hanson (started his playing career in 1979 and coached the club to 4 premiership wins - overall involved in 8 Premierships),
• Elma and Keith Murray, Glenn Murray,
• Vivian Hunter,
• Steve Thomas,
• Andrew Blackley - 5 premierships over a playing period of 1993-2008.  Also captain/coached in 1998.  Won numerous Best Backman awards over this time,
• Bill Hutton. Played from 1991 to1993, 1995 to 2006  Won 4 Premierships. Life member in 2005.Was a hard, tough player who was very versatile in the positions he played.  Was a great leader who captained Towns for quite a number of his playing years.
• Daisy Howard,
• Grant Matthews.
• Kerry Howard,
• Leanne Blackley,
• Darby Matheson.
• Brett Murray
• Sharon Murray
• Sean Gregory
• Scott Wilson

Dari always ready to take a bet on Towns - (photo taken 1985)

 

Buddy Morrison Vice Captain to Don Gibbs	Kath (daughter of Don Gibbs presenting Solomon Shield, Max Abbott Cup and photographs to Towns Football Club August 20th 2011	Kath presenting historical trophies to Towns Football Club

Mo Gower presenting Towns Captain with Max Abbott Cup

FOOTY PHOTOS FROM August 1979 courtesy Eric Whittle

1963 Towns Football Club - Back row left: Brian Pernich, 6th from the left the legendary Peter (Taro) Talman, far right Ron O'Malley from Geraldton who later owned a car sales business in Geraldton - O'Malley motors! Front row 2nd from left Simon Bernard, 2nd from the right Don Gibbs (Captain/Coach)