1923 SEASON

Wests continued to build in 1923 and by the end of season could look back with some satisfaction. The First-Grade team finished fourth on the competition table with nine wins from sixteen matches. Eric Doig was the top point scorer for the third year in a row, and Wally Collins was the top try scorer with fifteen tries, a feat that was only surpassed by Alan Ridley in 1932 and then not again until John Ribot scored sixteen tries in 1980.

Wests was drawing on its extensive pool of talented young players since 1921. By 1923, the junior competition was well established and the four President’s Cup teams were quite competitive against the Cup teams of the other District Clubs. Arguably, Wests had the strongest junior competition in the State.

Western Suburbs DRLFC – First Grade 1923

Back L to R: H Hudson (Committee), J Sweeney (Trainer), C McFayden (Trainer), E Mead (Delegate), H Moxham (Treasurer), R Souter (Ass. Secretary), W Barclay (Trainer)
Middle: W Knight (Committee), A Mendel, L Yanz, H J Leddy, E Stapleton, J Drew, C Elliott (Committee)
Sitting: R Lindfield, F Yanz, C W Prentice (Captain), E Courtney (Vice-Captain), W McCabe, E Doig
Front: F McMillan, J Brien
Absent: N Matterson, G Stettler, W Collins, C Fifield

Western Suburbs DRLFC – Reserve Grade 1923

Back L to R: E Mead (Delegate), H Moxham (Treasurer), W Barclay (Train), R Souter (Ass Sec), C McFayden (Train), J Sweeney (Train), C Elliott (Selector), E E McFayden (Dist Sec)
Middle: W Lane, E Courtney jnr, R Lindfield, A Jones, P Goodman, W Easterbrook, A Mendel
Front: J O’Brien, J Brien, A Smith (C), R Darke (VC), M Downie, C Searle
Absent: W Matthews, C Bellamy, F Lane, W Joass, W Phelps

From the Western Suburbs Presidents Cup teams of 1923, the following players went on to play First Grade:

Jack Peterson – 1926
Jerry Brien – 1923
Ken Sherwood – 1927
Bert Green – 1931
Frank Matterson – 1924

Western Suburbs DRLFC President’s Cup Squads – 1923

Southern Districts
Fullback: H Ross (13) Three-quarters: C Plunkett (12), D Thorn (11), H Coleman (10), C Seddon (9) Halves: J Sedgwick (8), H Chisholm (7) Forwards: W Smith (6), J Peterson (5), W Curtin (4), J Binnie (3), A Taplin (2), A McEwen (1), Reserves: H Hamilton (14), H Hamilton (15), J Currie

Canterbury Bankstown
Fullback: C Miller (17), Three-quarters: H McKean (15), J Williams (16), A Shanahan (14), R Graham (13), J Smith (12), (one to be omitted), Halves: A White (11), H Smith (10), J Brien (9), (one to be omitted), Forwards: P Fitzgerald (8), T Main (7), A Spankle (4), S Davis (5), T Dalton (6), P Rourke (3), R Austin (2), V Murray (1), (two to be omitted)

Western Suburbs
Fullback: T Doran (1), Three-quarters: C Rooke (2), M Gildea (3), L Sherwood (4), E Glover (5), Halves: A Green (6), H Mallin (7), Forwards: N McArthur (8), W Farthing (9), K Quinlan, (10), H Phelps (11), F McLennon (12), B Green (13), Reserves: J Byrnes (14), R Taylor (15), C Searl (16), H Callan (17), T Noakes (18), W McLean (19), R Eve (20)

Western Districts
Fullback: E Keys (Granville) (13), Three-quarters: J Greaves (Endeavour) (12), W Pugh (Granville) (11), L Paul (East) (10), W Thorndyke (Penrith) (9), Halves: C Waters (Granville) (C) (7), E Devine (Auburn) (8), Forwards: J Argent (Endeavour) (6), A Keegan (Riverstone) (5), E Cutcliffe (Lidcombe) (4), F Matterson (Lidcombe) (3), T Newman (Granville) (2), G Sheens (Penrith) (1), Reserves: W Twaite (East) (14), W Bailey (15), E Smith (Riverstone) (16), H Pillon (Auburn) (17), W Doolan (Riverstone) (18)

The following players were graded in First and Second Grade in 1923:
1. F McMillan
2. R Vest
3. G. Stettler
4. W McCabe
5. C Fifield
6. E Doig
7. H J Leddy
8. J Drew
9. L Yanz
10. E. Stapleton
11. J Drew
12. C Prentice
13. E Courtney
14. W Collins
15. R Lindfield
16. H Haylock
17.
18.
19.
20.
21. M Downie
22. J Jacobson
23. F Yanz
24. D Haylock
25. C Bellamy
26. R Darke
27. K Marlin
28. A Smith
29. W Joass
30. W Carpenter
31. P Goodman
32. F Lane
33. H Parkinson
34. A Mendel
35. W Fegan
36. A Murray
37. J O’Brien