Wests Archive would like to thank Tony Ford for generously contributing his time and information in the preparation of this profile.
Tony Ford spent his early years in the inner suburbs of Sydney. By the mid 1950’s his family had moved to Warwick Farm before settling at South Strathfield not far from the Crossways Hotel. He attended South Strathfield Primary School.
While at primary school he played very little rugby league but does remember playing in a weight restricted team at the SCG. At primary his main sporting activity was cricket.
In an interview with Tony Lewis from Pratten Park Magpies he was asked if he was ever taught to kick. Tony Ford’s response was, “no it all came natural to me. There was an old yellow shed at the primary school and I decided I would kick the ball over it. Every day I would try and do it, then one day I did.”
It is likely that Tony inherited his natural ability from his father Ralph Ford. Ralph enlisted in the Second World War initially in the infantry but re-enlisted with the RAAF as a pilot. On his attestation form, Ralph listed a number of sports that he played including tennis, rugby league, swimming, baseball and cricket. He was also captain of the St Phillips XI at Eastwood.
Tony also excelled at school sports and represented NSW Combined High Schools at rugby union. He also captained his school’s 1st XV rugby and 1st XI cricket teams.
Tony would go on and have an illustrious rugby league career with Wests and become the club’s all-time highest point scorer.
Tony Ford
