Wally May

[GWW]

RIP Wally. I presume he was at Sturt at the same time as another ex VFL player Len Fitzgerald. Just as an observation, it appears going back that Sturt have had a great deal of success luring high quality/high profile VFL recruits with Hardeman and Wayne Johnston also coming to mind (although admittedly the Dominator didnt work out at Sturt). They also finished up with Shearman who started with Torrens.

[Adelaide Hawk]

RIP Wally. I presume he was at Sturt at the same time as another ex VFL player Len Fitzgerald. Just as an observation, it appears going back that Sturt have had a great deal of success luring high quality/high profile VFL recruits with Hardeman and Wayne Johnston also coming to mind (although admittedly the Dominator didnt work out at Sturt). They also finished up with Shearman who started with Torrens.

And Hawthorn 1961 premiership player Malcolm Hill.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Can anyone advise under what circumstances he came to Sturt (as he stood out of football, Essendon reluctant to clear him)?

I don't know if there were any unpleasantries in his departure from Essendon after 6 years. A lot of high quality players shifted interstate in those days for business reasons, etc.

Obviously Essendon would have been keen to keep a member of their 1949 and 1950 premiership teams, and in those days clubs were allowed to refuse a clearance and force a player to stand out of football for 12 months. The aim was for the player to get itchy feet and return to the club. Worked for some, didn't for others.

Bob Shearman missed a lot of footy. Left Essendon at the end of 1959 for West Torrens, stood out for half a season in 1960, then returned to Essendon. The following season he was cleared to West Torrens were he played from 1961-64. He set up a business in the Unley area and wanted a clearance to Sturt, and was forced to stand out the entire 1965 season.

[SDK]

"Yes ....and well done Carmen !"
"A tremeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeendous leap by Carmen !"
" Tons of Time Carmen "
"They dont come much better than this bloke."

[Adelaide Hawk]

My favourite from Wally, as a Norwood supporter, was in the 1975 Grand Final when Gallagher marked Anderson's kick early in the final term and ran in to goal. Wally just yelled out, "playyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyed!!!!!!!!!!!".

[stampy]

do you have to remind me of that one

[Dogwatcher]

Yep RIP Wally.
If there's any coverage of his passing on any national footy shows over the weekend I bet they don't mention any ties he had with Sturt.

That's funny, the article above came from the Herald Sun.

That's funny, since when is a newspaper article a national footy show.

It's not but it shows that the football world east of this state hasn't at this stage ignored his SA connection.