1933 SEASON

Western Suburbs Rugby League Team – 1933
Left to Right: W Brogan (c), C Cornwell, J. McConnell, A Blake, R Lindfield, L Midson, A Brady, B Green,
C Wrench, S Tancred, S Palmer, C Anderton, H Owen

At Wests Annual General Meeting in March 1933, Honour Caps were presented to Cliff Pearce, Alan Brady, Jack Rosa, Charlie Wrench and Bill Brogan for playing 50 or more competition matches with the Club. Clarrie Prentice, Frank McMillan and H. Hudson were elected Life Members in recognition of their services to Wests. Les Mead was presented with a clock in recognition of having scored a hundred points during the season.

1933 was an unusual year for West with highs and lows. Five Wests players, Frank McMillan, Alan Ridley, Cliff Pearce, Les Mead, and Vic Hey were selected for the 1933-34 Kangaroo tour and left for Great Britain mid-year.  Wests were hopeful of building on the success of previous years, and 1933 got off to a promising start with four wins, one draw and a loss in the first six rounds. The departure of Wests’ Kangaroo contingent from round seven saw Wests finish the season with eight consecutive losses, finishing last on the competition table and collecting the wooden spoon.

The 1933 season stands out as an oddity in a very successful period for the Club and at first glance would suggest that the season was one of failure. If success was measured by Wests’ position on the competition table, then that case could be made. But the reality is that the competition was a lot closer than might be expected. Wests scored 210 points for the season which was only bettered by Eastern Suburbs (224 points), and second last placed University (218 points). Wests conceded 246 points which was the worst of the eight teams, but nothing extraordinary.

The season was no doubt disrupted by the departure of Wests’ five Kangaroos mid-season, which then saw a total of thirty-four players making an appearance in First Grade as a result. It provided an opportunity for a number of younger players to cement a position in Wests’ top Grade.

When Rugby League and Politics mixed ………..

Auburn and Lidcombe Advance 8 June 1933

An unusual event occurred in June 1933. The Auburn B Grade played under the banner of Auburn ALP in a fund-raising match against Sefton. Earlier that year, local Member of Parliament and former Premier, Jack Lang secured 45 acres of land for the local community that became Wyatt Park upon which Lidcombe Oval now stands. Was this to thank the local benefactor?

Wests Five Kangaroos 1933-34
Les Mead, Frank McMillan, Vic Hey, Cliff Pearce, Alan Ridley

Western Suburbs DRLFC President’s Cup/Inter District Squads – 1933

 Western Suburbs (President’s Cup):

H Stone, R Atkins, L Fisher, R Gray, P Kenane, K Bush, F Gauvin, T Knight (Captain), R Ackling, F Brighton, S. O. Norman, D Murray, E Barnier, W Wheeler, J Adams, D Harris

 Western Districts (President’s Cup):

Fullback: O Marlin, Three-quarters: S Ohlson, B Joyce, R Drayton, R A Drayton, Halves: J Pead, J Mills, Forwards: D Coppo, H Groves, S Carr, A Drew, K Sutton, S Dunn, Reserves: W Young, H Crockard, T Pear

 Canterbury Bankstown (President’s Cup):

Fullback: C Stone, Three-quarters: W Horner, B Scard, C Chignell, J Foster, Halves: W Sponberg, E Woods, Forwards: J Dring, W Newell, J Long, R McCullum, R Hutt, M Porter, Reserves: J Kelly, E Pratt

 Southern Districts (President’s Cup):

A Jones, C Cox, F Thorne (Captain) (Liverpool), Gibb, E Donaldson, A Shipley, R Richardson (Merrylands), J White (Mt Pritchard), M McDougal, F White (Guildford), G Osborne, J Lynch, R Cameron, E Thorne, H Bowie P Stanton, Brown, Kelly, R Lawson, J Hancock, R Burton, Oglesby

Southern Districts (Inter District):

J Hughes (Guildford), R Cooper (Fairfield), McLauren (Liverpool), Brosoner (Liverpool), Huckstep (Campbelltown), Barrett (Liverpool), Hennessey (Lidcombe), Black (Campbelltown), Tisdale (Guildford), Longhurst (Campbelltown), O’Brien (Liverpool), Watson, J Wheeler (Lidcombe), Moore (Merrylands), Maker (Guildford), R Hancock (Fairfield), J Ellison (Lidcombe) Hugell (Campbelltown), O’Gelsley (Merrylands), Thorn (Lidcombe)