After the war North Shore returned to the competition following a four year recess, while the RAAF (WII) side withdrew from the league after most of its players returned to civilian life, mostly interstate.
Strengthened by officers from the base at Schofields, the RAAF club attempted to return in 1947. However they were severely disadvantaged by a variable team each week, with players and officials often subject to inter-service transfers.
However 1948 saw a much bigger development than ever imagined and strangely, it was not orchestrated or organised by officials.
The Western Suburbs, Balmain and Sydney University clubs were introduced into the competition from a zero start, while the RAAF team was again disbanded. The additional clubs increased the number of teams in the league to nine and expectedly, all three finished at the bottom end of the competition in their first year.
Western Suburbs and Balmain had been part of the league some time before; Western Suburbs from 1926-30 and Balmain from 1903-09 and 1919-25. However their re-introduction to the competition was regarded as a new start.
The Western Suburbs performed the best of the three new teams in 1948, defeating South Sydney, Sydney Naval, St George, Balmain and Eastern Suburbs. They soon became one of the competition's front runners and in their second season, 1949, they won ten matches and were very unlucky not to make the final four.
The following year they played off in the first semi final winning 11 from 18 games and in the following three seasons: 1951-53 they figured in each grand final, winning the flag in 1951. Their subsequent acquisition of Picken Oval and establishment of a licensed club was a boon to Sydney football.
Balmain was formed by a group of enthusiasts from around the Annandale and Glebe areas, but despite the ambitions of these inner city devotees they became another club punctuated with service personnel. They never really enjoyed the trappings of success in the fifties and sixties and for the most part were a punching bag for the stronger clubs in the competition.
Some success came by way of good fortune rather than good management when they made the finals in 1969 coached by former North Melbourne ruckman, Jim Little. The team itself incorporated some very good players including captain and Phelan Medallist Bob McDonald from South Australia; Paul Feltham, who later went onto play with North Melbourne; Bob Barnetson and current Pennant Hills Junior Club Official Bill Carey just to name a few.
The club played their home games on the small Jubilee Oval at Glebe Point which had the added advantage of clubrooms under the adjacent railway viaduct. The club had a strong personality and the players and supporters bonded well, but during the seventies they soon fell back into their normal pattern losing more than they won.
Sydney University defeated Western Suburbs twice in 1948, but forfeited a game in round 1 - an impressive debut in their first season. Unfortunately the Students never really went on to set the football world on fire, eventually withdrawing in 1958. This temporary demise was overshadowed by the introduction of another `western suburbs' club, Bankstown in that same year.
Sydney University returned to reserve grade with two sides in the early sixties - Uni Blues and Uni Golds. When they eventually returned to first grade they played mediocre football for a number of years before they could play in the newly established second division.
The Illawarra club was introduced in 1949. The club was based in Wollongong, and played their matches at the Wollongong Showground.
This followed a move the previous year by Bob Watkins, a local businessman and former South Australian who arranged an end of season game on Monday October 3, at the Wollongong Showground between Newtown and Sydney Naval Clubs. Funds raised from this gala event went to the establishment of the proposed police boys club in the city.
At the time, Illawarra had several outstanding players in their team from the Albatross Naval Air Station, just outside Nowra.
Ken Gilbert from Geelong was one such player, who at the age of 19 won the Phelan Medal for the best and fairest in the competition and repeated the effort again in 1950. Illawarra also beat two talented sides that year - Sydney Naval and St George - but faded poorly towards the end of the season and in particular the last round when they were defeated by Eastern Suburbs kicking 0.3 to 34.35 in a match where former Carlton player Clinton Wines booted 19 goals for the opposition.
On October 9 of the same year a promotional match was held at the showground in Wollongong between VFA premiers Williamstown and a combined Illawarra-Sydney Naval team. Securing Williamstown and their stars for the event was a real coup and a boost for the code.
Unfortunately Illawarra lasted only two years in the competition, citing travel and lack of success as their biggest problems. At the time, there was no freeway to Wollongong, plus ownership of vehicles was not as prevalent as it is today.
Incessant rain was another factor in the two seasons Illawarra competed. In 1949 it rained on 8 of their 9 home games and the following year the region recorded a record rainfall.
Aside from these obstacles, Illawarra was more or less treated like the `poor cousin' by the rest of the competition and realistically it was in some clubs interest not to encourage the participation of the Illawarra club.
Sydney Naval, South Sydney and Balmain had a significant proportion of sailors in their clubs so the naval population of over 2,000 at HMAS Albatross was viewed by some as a potential football nursery for Sydney clubs. It could be said then, the other clubs perceived Illawarra to be an impediment to their recruitment.
Talented footballers didn't go to strong clubs by chance, and these were in the days when clubs were supposedly restricted by the `residential boundary rule'. This didn't apply to service personnel and was particularly meant for civilians in an effort to try and even out the competition. In reality it was deemed a joke.
Stupidly, a move to scrap the boundary system was defeated in 1960 and it wasn't until almost two decades later that the rule was eventually abandoned.
Illawarra was replaced in the league by Liverpool FC who initially played at the Liverpool Showground, then later at Rosedale Oval, Warwick Farm.
Liverpool FC was bolstered by army personnel who were based at Ingleburn and Holsworthy. As with many clubs made up of servicemen, their fortunes fluctuated.
They made a big impact in their first season defeating competition heavyweights Newtown, Western Suburbs and St George and also victories over Balmain and Sydney University.
However it could be said the club was considered inconsequential in the competition. While their home games always attracted large crowds, providing for healthy gate receipts, like most in their position they didn't have the administrative muscle within the league that the stronger city clubs had.
With clubs coming and going in the competition, the league probably missed a golden opportunity to develop an additional division in 1962 when another newcomer, Parramatta could have joined with Sydney University (re-affiliated the year before), South Sydney, Balmain, Bankstown and Liverpool to play in a competition more in keeping with their standard.
As with all things though, politics often outweighs practicality and logic and consequently football in Sydney took a different direction.
Ian GRANLAND, OAM
History Committee
Last Modified on 07/05/2006 09:59