How times have changed

[Pekay]

Just found an old footy record from 2002, makes for some interesting reading.

Round 8 2002

• East Coast Seniors in 6th position @ 2-4,with Balmain on top @ 5-1. 8 years later, ECE 2 in a row, and Balmain hopefully exiting a tough period.
• St George Reserves undefeated @ 6-0, now mid table in Div 2.
• Campbelltown Reserves in 4th @ 4-2, now down the bottom of Div 3.
• Pennant Hills fielded 2 teams in SAFL Reserves!
• Sydney Uni Seniors sit in 5th position in the SFA @ 4-4, and played off in a Premier Div GF 8 years later.
• Sydney Uni Reserves sit in 3rd spot@ 6-2, and have shown their depth of strength over the years, running 2nd this year.
• UTS Seniors are 9th of of 11 @ 1-5, 9 years later they'll be in the top league.
• UTS Reserves sit in 7th @ 3-3, now top of Div 1 two years in a row.
• Southern Sharks are parked at the bottom of SFA Seniors @ 0-7, finally premiers and moving up to Div 1.

All the usual suspects are in their usual places, so I didn't bother mentioning any other clubs. But it shows how much footy has changed over the years. There were 50 senior teams over 5 divisions, now 54. St Clair gone, Camden in. How much more in the next 8 years?

[Pickup]

Just found an old footy record from 2002, makes for some interesting reading.

Round 8 2002

• East Coast Seniors in 6th position @ 2-4,with Balmain on top @ 5-1. 8 years later, ECE 2 in a row, and Balmain hopefully exiting a tough period.
• St George Reserves undefeated @ 6-0, now mid table in Div 2.
• Campbelltown Reserves in 4th @ 4-2, now down the bottom of Div 3.
• Pennant Hills fielded 2 teams in SAFL Reserves!
• Sydney Uni Seniors sit in 5th position in the SFA @ 4-4, and played off in a Premier Div GF 8 years later.
• Sydney Uni Reserves sit in 3rd spot@ 6-2, and have shown their depth of strength over the years, running 2nd this year.
• UTS Seniors are 9th of of 11 @ 1-5, 9 years later they'll be in the top league.
• UTS Reserves sit in 7th @ 3-3, now top of Div 1 two years in a row.
• Southern Sharks are parked at the bottom of SFA Seniors @ 0-7, finally premiers and moving up to Div 1.

All the usual suspects are in their usual places, so I didn't bother mentioning any other clubs. But it shows how much footy has changed over the years. There were 50 senior teams over 5 divisions, now 54. St Clair gone, Camden in. How much more in the next 8 years?

PK, UTS seniors on top of Div 1, 2 in a row, not thier Ressies but point taken, It will be interesting to see what happens with UTS as the reason they were formed (I beleive) was because the boys at UNSW didnt want to play SFL after East's took them over.

[Rowdy#8]

PK, UTS seniors on top of Div 1, 2 in a row, not thier Ressies but point taken, It will be interesting to see what happens with UTS as the reason they were formed (I beleive) was because the boys at UNSW didnt want to play SFL after East's took them over.

I may be wrong (perhaps PK can confirm by checking his record), but when UTS came in, I'm pretty sure UNSW still had teams in both SFL and SFA. I think UTS was simply formed by a bunch of blokes who had some success and good times at the uni games and wanted to stick together

[shearer]

St George Reserves undefeated @ 6-0, now mid table in Div 2.

might have something to do with the quality of the blokes in that team

[UTSBatman]

I may be wrong (perhaps PK can confirm by checking his record), but when UTS came in, I'm pretty sure UNSW still had teams in both SFL and SFA. I think UTS was simply formed by a bunch of blokes who had some success and good times at the uni games and wanted to stick together

Spot on Rowdy! UTS Bats were founded after competing in the '98 and '99 Uni Games. The fellas wanted to continue drinking together... and play a little footy also!

Brilliant info PK! Rumour has it you guys are tearing it in Caulfield?

[Jacks]

There were a few great blokes in that side that went on to form the nucleus of their senior sides to follow. Really enjoyed drinking with them after the GF that year. Sorry if that opens up any old wounds Shearer.

[shearer]

no mate, long time ago now and we got flogged so no dramas.glad you can remember gf night, i certainly cant.

[Pekay]

Batman, it ended up tearing us apart, was arctic cold trackside, topped 10 degrees but dropped to 6, not to mention the hail and constant rain! Perv was still good though, and saw Megan Gale and Juddy's missus, always a bonus.

Rowdy, correct, Dogs finished last in SFA 1s, UTS 7th.

Pickup, I stand corrected.

[Pickup]

I may be wrong (perhaps PK can confirm by checking his record), but when UTS came in, I'm pretty sure UNSW still had teams in both SFL and SFA. I think UTS was simply formed by a bunch of blokes who had some success and good times at the uni games and wanted to stick together

Thanks Rowdy.
Any success that the Bats can have reflects well on the rest of the lower grade clubs, more power to them. How good would it be if they finished top 2 or 3. Next thing you would know Bully would be shooting for the stars. That would be one way to get a premier league coaching roll.

[Pekay]

Thanks Rowdy.
Any success that the Bats can have reflects well on the rest of the lower grade clubs, more power to them. How good would it be if they finished top 2 or 3. Next thing you would know Bully would be shooting for the stars. That would be one way to get a premier league coaching roll.

If you mean Bully from out here, he's always had stars in his eyes, hanging around the hoi poloi at the polo fields. You can tell by his power mullet.

[Seagull]

Unsw

PK, UTS seniors on top of Div 1, 2 in a row, not thier Ressies but point taken, It will be interesting to see what happens with UTS as the reason they were formed (I beleive) was because the boys at UNSW didnt want to play SFL after East's took them over.

Not sure about that last bit, I went from East Sydney to UNSW and although a lot of the Uni boys were originally opposed to the idea of a merger (pretty much forced by the short term entry of the Swans reserves into the SFL and Trumper being too small), most stayed put.

Basically, the UNSW-ES SFL and SFA Ones sides comprised the East Sydney ones and twos with the best of the UNSW lads. The rest were spread into the thirds, fourths and eventually a fifths side, within the SFL and SFA reserves and SFA Div. 2.

Cheers.

[Mug Punter]

Not sure about that last bit, I went from East Sydney to UNSW and although a lot of the Uni boys were originally opposed to the idea of a merger (pretty much forced by the short term entry of the Swans reserves into the SFL and Trumper being too small), most stayed put.

Basically, the UNSW-ES SFL and SFA Ones sides comprised the East Sydney ones and twos with the best of the UNSW lads. The rest were spread into the thirds, fourths and eventually a fifths side, within the SFL and SFA reserves and SFA Div. 2.

Cheers.

Whatever the circumstances, there can be no doubt whatsoever that the merger between UNSW and Easts was a complete debacle. Start with a strong SFL club and a strong SFA club and end up with a merged club that this last season performed woefully in every grade. It completely destroyed the history of two clubs and was an insult to those involved with each club. The merged "super club" deserve all the future struggles and miseries that thety will get and it is a monument to the incompetence of the NSWAFL leadership at the time.

Still, what goes around comes around. Whatever the exact circumstances of their formation UTS would not be in existence or would be very weak had it not been for the huge demographic gap that moving Easts down to Kensngton created. they have filled that inner-city void well with a brilliantly run club and I wish them all the best. How ironic it will be if they stay up and Easts go down after 2011....

[Norris Lurker]

I think that's a bit harsh, Mug Punter. They were in the grand final the year before.
Good clubs can have a season where they struggle on the field.

[Monty Burns2]

Whatever the circumstances, there can be no doubt whatsoever that the merger between UNSW and Easts was a complete debacle. Start with a strong SFL club and a strong SFA club and end up with a merged club that this last season performed woefully in every grade. It completely destroyed the history of two clubs and was an insult to those involved with each club. The merged "super club" deserve all the future struggles and miseries that thety will get and it is a monument to the incompetence of the NSWAFL leadership at the time.

Still, what goes around comes around. Whatever the exact circumstances of their formation UTS would not be in existence or would be very weak had it not been for the huge demographic gap that moving Easts down to Kensngton created. they have filled that inner-city void well with a brilliantly run club and I wish them all the best. How ironic it will be if they stay up and Easts go down after 2011....

Granted, we have sometimes struggled in the volunteer department, leading to some off-field issues, but in the 10 years since the merger, the club has achieved:
- SFL premierships ?02, ?03
- Premier division minor premiers ?08
- Premier division grand finalists ?09
- SFA premiers ?02
- 3 Phelan medalists
- Prem div leading goal kicker twice
- Under 18 Challenge Cup premiers 08
- Above average Sydney rep and State representation over that period
- Div 4 premiership 09
- Numerous lower grade league B and Fs
- Biggest playing list of any club for the majority of the decade (top 2 or 3 now)
- 10 local juniors playing Premier division in 2010

I would argue that no reasonable person could consider the above to be a ?complete debacle?.

[Mug Punter]

Granted, we have sometimes struggled in the volunteer department, leading to some off-field issues, but in the 10 years since the merger, the club has achieved:
- SFL premierships ?02, ?03
- Premier division minor premiers ?08
- Premier division grand finalists ?09
- SFA premiers ?02
- 3 Phelan medalists
- Prem div leading goal kicker twice
- Under 18 Challenge Cup premiers 08
- Above average Sydney rep and State representation over that period
- Div 4 premiership 09
- Numerous lower grade league B and Fs
- Biggest playing list of any club for the majority of the decade (top 2 or 3 now)
- 10 local juniors playing Premier division in 2010

I would argue that no reasonable person could consider the above to be a ?complete debacle?.

You are on a downhill fast and itr is all thanks to the get-rich-quick muppets that hijacked your clubs and who have no doubt now left the building

Quick Stats....

2009 2010
First Grade 3rd 9th
Second Grade 3rd 10th
Third Grade 2nd 10th
Fourth Grade 2nd 11th

THE worst set of numbers in Sydney football

Marvellous effort that, simply super stuff. All I can say is that we can re-visit this assessment in 12 months time to say whether or now you or I are right. I fully expect the UTS elevation to further weakened your position.

Very sad........