Tomorrow at Sherwood it will be like a gigantic “peace pipe” for two clubs that have always been bitter rivals.
In an initiative that underlines everything good about the game, Sherwood will host a 30-year reunion of the 1996 West Brisbane premiership side, coached by Danny Craven.
And they’ll trade in their normal black and white stripes to wear a replica West Brisbane jumper in maroon and white, complete with the names of players and officials on the back, in their game against Wilston-Grange.
“It’s the brainchild of Sherwood president ‘Doc’ (Greg) Thompson and it’s one of the best things I’ve heard of in football,” Craven said today.
“Our club as we knew it folded after the 1996 premiership so there’s nothing really to hold on to, but the players have got together at 10 years and 20 years, and now this.
“The two clubs really didn’t like each other back then .. they didn’t get on. It’s softened a bit over the years and there are a few Wests photos in the Sherwood clubhouse these days, but for the two clubs from the western suburbs to unite like this is magnificent.”
It was a special premiership in which Craven, a former St Kilda and Brisbane Bears player turned Queensland football stalwart and Queensland Football Hall of Famer, was playing coach. He took the reins from ex-Sydney/Essendon AFL player Michael Werner pre-season.
Then known as the Bulldogs, Wests had a 5-5 win/loss record mid-season but won nine of 10 games to finish second on the home-and-away ladder.
The charge hit a flat spot when they lost the second semi-final to Mt.Gravatt by eight goals, but they beat Morningside in the preliminary final for another crack at the Vultures.
They were four goals down at halftime in the grand final but charged over the top of the minor premiers to win 17-10 (112) to 8-10 (58).
Cam Bulley, co-captain the premiership side, will head a celebrating player group which will include 18 of the 21 players from the premiership side, including two other Queensland Football Hall of Famers – 234-game StKilda AFL star Max Hudghton and 1996 QAFL Grogan Medallist and Corey Lambert.
Hudghton, drafted to St Kilda two months after his standout performance in the grand final, will fly from Melbourne, while Lambert, who shared the captaincy with Bulley, will fly from Albury as part of a sizeable interstate contingent.
Ray Windsor, later to play with the Brisbane Bears, Werner, who missed the grand final after a broken collarbone in the semi-final, will also be there with Joe Grant Medallist Brett Zeidler.
The only three players unable to attend are ex-Brisbane/Hawthorn AFL player turned NFL punt-kicking guru Nathan Chapman, Glenn Hart, brother of Lions’ triple premiership player and Norm Smith Medallist Shaun Hart, and grand final standout Jason McInness.
All live interstate and have other commitments.
The Wests players will each be given one of the replica jumpers.
B: Darren Hall, Nathan Chapman, Darren McCarthy
HB: Cam Bulley (capt), Max Hudghton, Matthew Waters
C: Jeff Deeth, Corey Lambert (capt), Glenn Hart
HF: Rick Allan, Travis Warren, Daniel Lambert
F: Paul Vines, Ray Windsor, Scott Fern
R: Brett Zeidler, Jason McInnes, Danny Craven
INT: Brent Warren, Rod Sharpin, Sam Pellegrino
Emerg: Jamie Czerner, Michael Sleep, Michael Werner, Daniel Archer. Anthony Agius, Sean Luhrs.
Coach: Danny Craven
A/Coach: Quentin Johnson
Football Manager: Neville Mills
Runner: Michael Luhrs