History
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Double Blue on West End Chimney

Sturt players celebrate at the annual West End Chimney unveiling at Thebarton. Picture - Peter Hoare

By ZAC MILBANK

Double Blue will adorn the top of the West End Chimney, at Thebarton, for the first time after Sturt’s colours were unveiled in front of its adoring fans.

Unlike 2023 when the Double Blues’ colours resided underneath Glenelg’s black and gold, this time the roles will be reversed for the next 12 months much to the delight of the Unley faithful.

Painted on the West End Chimney for the 11th occasion since the highly-respected tradition began in 1954, the Double Blues were still well-and-truly in celebration mode after capping off their dominant season with a win against the Bays in the 2025 Hostplus SANFL League Grand Final.

Speaking on SANFL Radio, 2024 Magarey Medallist Will Snelling was soaking up the experience having had a taste at the previous Port Road Chimney site with West Adelaide in 2015.

Confirming he was set to play on in 2026 despite being based in Renmark due to his medical studies, the 28-year-old said he was enjoying his new home at Oxford Terrace.

triple Sturt premiership coach Marty Mattner was embracing the enormity of returning for his third ceremony and first since guiding the club to back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.

Mattner confirmed there had yet to be any retirements since the Grand Final, with the team’s veteran, Josh Hone, telling the crowd at the ceremony he would play on next year.

Port Adelaide great Fos Williams played a significant role in establishing the annual ritual which began in 1954 when he coached the Magpies to a hard-fought three-point win against West Adelaide in the SANFL Grand Final at Adelaide Oval.

To recognise the Bloods’ gallant effort, Williams suggested that a red stripe be painted underneath Port’s black and white colours to acknowledge the runner-up.

As a result, the tradition of painting both Grand Final teams’ colours on the West End Chimney remains despite the Brewery changing location from Hindley Street to Port Road in 1982 and now being decommissioned at the end of 2020.

Located in Thebarton, The Brickworks Kiln was constructed in 1913 and restored in 2016 by the West Torrens Council.
It has been the home of the great South Australian football tradition since 2021.

The Kiln stands adjacent to the Brickworks Marketplace, and is the last of the Hoffmann-style kilns still standing in Australia.

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