Walkerville Football Club reaches 125 year milestone

As the tenth-oldest club in the Adelaide Football League, it’s not surprising that the community-minded Walkerville Football Club (WFC) has such a storied past.

From running across the parklands in 1901 in red and white to the present day, where a sea of blue and white envelops Walkerville Oval on game days, the Club has truly developed and grown from strength to strength over its history.

The Club is excited to be celebrating its 125th anniversary this year and wants to make sure it is giving the community club the recognition it deserves.

In late March, the Club will be hosting a Gala Dinner at Adelaide Oval (more information on Page 6), while later on in the 2026 season, they will host a Past Players’ Day, with this home game including a commemorative Guernsey, with a unique design showing off the different colours and designs players have donned in the past.

2026 is already looking to be a bumper year for the Club, paying ode to their past, while solidifying its place as a Club of progress and sustainability for the future.

Ryan Curry, President of the WFC, said that the Club couldn’t be prouder of reaching such a milestone.

“There's been a lot of changes over that time, and I feel like 2026 and the 125th year will actually, in terms of players, be the biggest we've ever been,” said Mr Curry.

Last year, the Club entered its first D-Grade team in 30 years, joining their current A, B and C squads.

It was a successful year with the B-Grade taking out the Premiership and its A-Grade team reaching the Grand Final stage – both accomplishments allowing for the Club to be moved into a higher division of play for 2026.

With this comes exciting news that A Grade coach, Ryan Madden, will be accompanied by assistant coaches, Paul Seedsman and Matt Crouch – retired Adelaide Crows players.

Mr Curry says, “This is about setting the club up for the future. Having recently retired AFL players involved in our program sends a strong message about our direction, focusing on development, a strong culture, and professional standards.

“Just as importantly, they’re great people. They understand community football, they’re passionate about helping players improve, and they’re genuinely excited about contributing to what we’re building here.”

But another exciting announcement is afoot, kickstarting a new era for the WFC – the addition of a Senior Women’s team.

Building a women’s side has always been on the cards for the Club, but they have been very purposeful in ensuring that it would be done in a sustainable way.

Carefully watching the Walkerville Junior Football Club foster the next generation of female footballers, it has allowed the WFC to introduce a seniors team to their roster.

Mr Curry explained, “The Junior Football Club has got an incredibly strong girls' program and we wanted to introduce a senior women's team at the right time.

“We've watched that junior girls program grow, and it's got to a point now where we know we can introduce a team and it be sustainable and be successful.

“I think this is just the beginning for women's football at Walkerville. This year, there's one team, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are two teams in the following year and further growth that way.”

For the season ahead, Mr Curry says the WFC believe this will be a great year for the Club. They have recruited well and are excited to have new players joining who have a past connection to the Club.

Another important factor the Club is proud of is its strong connection to the community, as they are aware that being part of a Club is more than just footy, it’s about building friendships, comradery and connection.

WFC has held social occasions often to help foster their strong, family-oriented Club culture and give back to the community. Its biggest social event in 2025, The Big Freeze, raised over $13,000 to fight motor neurone disease (MND).

An impressive feat, which was recognised by Town of Walkerville Council, who awarded it the 2026 Community Event of the Year accolade on 26 January.

“The Club's in a really, really good position at the moment. We just love the fact that we've got so many people involved and everyone's there for the right reasons and enjoying themselves,” said Mr Curry.

“We're really proud to be part of the Walkerville community and [the Club is] 125 years strong… We just really want to keep the club going and growing and doing all the right things and being a good member of the community, as well as providing opportunities for men and women to play sport.”