Booklet brilliantly documents Panthers' 125 years

West Australian

13-06-2025

Railways' 125th anniversary this year in the Goldfields Football League has coincided with the release of a special booklet, detailing the club's formative years to the present day.
The club evolved in 1900 from Locomotives, who a year earlier had played in ad hoc local matches.
Railways, however, only had to wait until 1903 for an inaugural flag — the same season they defeated East Fremantle to lift the State Premiership.
It launched an early dynasty that also yielded flags in 1904 and 1905 and by 1931 the Panthers boasted nine premierships (1903-05, 1911-12, 1919-1920, 1929, 1931).
From 1942-44, official GFL fixtures were frozen because of World War II, but it paved the way for women's football to take centre stage — including a special Armed Forces charity match between Railways and Kalgoorlie at Kalgoorlie Oval.
Phyllis Hamilton kicked three goals for Railways, but the team was beaten by 53 points.
Plans for a Ladies Football League to be formed in the Goldfields were initially outlined in the Kalgoorlie Miner on May 28, 1921.
More than a century later, in 2022, Railways celebrated their maiden appearance in the GFL's expanded women's competition with a nine-point win against reigning premiers Boulder.
Of Railways' squad, only one had Australian Rules experience.
'It took us a while to get that first goal, and (we had) 21 out of the 22 who hadn't played a game of footy before, so they still have a lot to learn,' inaugural coach Cory Jones said at the time.
'Some stuff you can't teach at training and they can only learn on the field. But they ask questions and take those answers on board.'
The 1960s and 1970s were golden years for Railways that produced 10 of the club's 35 league premierships.
Following on from grand final triumphs of 1960, 1963-64 and 1966, the red-and-blacks captured additional flags in 1971, 1973-75 and 1978-79.
Fast-forward to 2022 and not much had changed, with Railways' victory over Boulder in the GFL grand final reflecting an impressive record since 2000, underpinned to that point by 14 appearances in the flag decider.
The 9.12 (66) to 7.10 (52) result broke a five-year drought and provided the red-and-blacks with an eighth premiership during the time frame.
It included seven consecutive grand final appearances between 2009 and 2015, highlighted by back-to-back flags in 2011-12.
The Panthers were denied a premiership hat-trick with a 21-point loss to Kalgoorlie in the 2013 grand final.
Railways' 2022 success occurred in coach Rhett Pettit's third season, broken up by the cancellation of the 2020 season because of COVID-19.
After Railways lost a pulsating 2023 grand final by two points against Boulder, they roared back last year by again lifting the trophy after defeating Kalgoorlie.
Railways' exclusive 200-game club comprises just eight members — led by games record-holder Rhett Foster (275).
Joining him are David Stubbs (273), Neville Brierley (237), Kody Kelman (235), Harry Jordan (218), Mark Dellar (214), Aaron Rymer (206), and Robbie Payton (201).
The anniversary booklet includes the origins and significance of the club's Indigenous jumper, specially designed by Stubbs' aunt, artist Maria Cooper Bandry, and a memorial section for the late Shane Properjohn, Mitch Gillam and John Armstrong Jr.