Nichols Medal
Our origins date back to Saturday 27th January 1917 when we played against the other original club of the “AFLNT Wanderers. We adopted the famous Red and White colours of which these colours are still worn by all teams today.
The tradition of the Waratah Football Club of being innovative and forward thinking club has continued with time.
We were the first club in the AFLNT to establish its own Clubhouse (licensed) with all facilities and to have home games on our oval.
The famous Donga was the first Clubhouse. Many of the oldies of Darwin’s football fraternity can remember the Church services held there each Sunday morning; it was an all male thing until the late 70’s.
The first home games were held at the Waratah Oval in the 1960/61 season.
In the 60’s our football players and committee personnel played cricket, tennis, and basketball with the ladies playing softball all under the banner of Waratahs. This eventually led to the formation of the Waratah Sports Club and many of our footy members became the committee of it. These people are recognised by their Life Memberships of both Clubs.
The Waratah Football Club have won 15 League Premierships (including 3 consecutive Premierships from 1928/29 to 1930/31. It goes without saying that we hope to equal this record in coming seasons. We have also won 12 Reserves Premierships and 2 Under 18 Premierships.
The prestigious AFLNT Nichols Medal has been won by 8 players of the club, with one of these players to have won dual medals.
- Dennis Ganley 1951/52
- Bluey McKee 1952/53
- Bill James 1953/54
- Jim Wilson 1960/61
- Bertram Kantilla 1962/63
- Keith Nickels 1971/72
- Hank McPhee 1979/80
- Peter Ivanoff 1981/82 and 1986/87
Peter Ivanoff became one of only 6 AFLNT players to have won dual Nichols Medals.
The League side broke a 21 year drought in the 1998/99 season to win the League Premiership and followed with up with a back-to-back Premiership in 1999/00.
The Reserve Grade won Premierships in 3 consecutive years 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/00 and again in 2004/05 under the helm of coach Paul (Poo Bear) Carroll.
With the Waratah Football Clubs background steeped in strong tradition the Club continued it’s plan for a progressive future. Discussions took place between the Waratah Sports Club, the NT Government and the Darwin City Council for the Waratah Sports Club to move from Fannie Bay, its historic home to the famous Darwin landmark the picturesque Gardens Oval. With an overwhelming vote by the members in favour of the move the Waratah Sports Club was relocated to Gardens Oval.
The 2001/02 season marked the first season that the club relocated to Gardens Oval with the new sports club being completed.
The 2006/07 season brings another milestone for one of the oldest clubs in the football league celebrating 90 years of football in Darwin. On Australia Day Friday, 26 January 2007 we will play the other existing Foundation Club, Wanderers for the Power and Water “Foundation Cup”.
