WAFL Combined PPOA Site

The Life Time Achievement Award Presentation to Stan Moses

23rd May 2012 

 A LIFE TIME OF ACHIEVEMENTS

 Mr Stanley Edward Moses, better known as 'Stan' to all that know the great man was honoured with the inaugural WAFL Combined Past Players and Officials Association Life Time Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to Western Australian Football.

The Award was presented to Stan by the President of the Combined Association, Bob Bright at the Combined Association Annual Race Day held in the Committee Room at Belmont Park on Wednesday 23rd May 2012. The event was attended by 120 Members and Guests including the Patron of the Combined Association, Dennis Cometti.

Stan was a great stalward in WA football both as a coach at Junior level to administrator at both Club level with the Swan Districts Football Club and at State level with the WANFL.

Stan also served as President for the Swan Districts Past Players and Officials Association from 1963 to 1965, and was also the inaugural President of the WANFL Combined Past Players and Officials Association in 1965.

To keep the authenticity of this report I have made reference to (WANFL) West Australian National Football League, and not the WAFL, which did not come into existence until 1980.

List of Stan’s achievements and contributions to the Swan Districts Football Club and West Australian football since 1952:

1952-1954 - Coach for the Swan Districts Junior Council.

The Swan Districts Football Club Annual Report for 1954 read “Once again the Council was fortunate in having Mr. S. Moses as coach of the Under 19 and Under 18 teams and much credit is due to him for the manner in which he prepared the boys for their various matches.”

In his time as a Junior coach with Maylands-Bayswater Stan had a good eye for young champions. There were two in particular playing for the side at the time in Kevin McGill and John Watts. Both players were headed to Bassendean Oval through Stan's recommendation. However both players were told by Swans they were too young. The rest is history, and as Watts was to comment years later, "it was likened to the Beatles being rejected by a record executive because they felt guitar music had run it's race".

1957 – Inaugural Coach of the Swan Districts Thirds team - the team were premiers that year.

1958 – Again coached the Thirds team. Team came third on the Premiership ladder and again went on to become premiers. Stan had to re-build the team in 1958 through the recruitment of players from the Junior Football ranks. This was due to players being promoted to other grades to fill positions left vacant by players being conscripted to national service.

 Under these circumstances it was difficult for the team to settle down and at one stage was out of the four. However Stan was able to inspire and mould the team into a winning combination that went on to win eleven of the last twelve games of the season to take out the premiership.

1959 – Because of his success with the Thirds in 1957 and 1958, Stan was appointed Coach of the Swan Districts Football Club Seconds team. The Seconds played off in the first semi-final but were beaten by East Perth. The Thirds finished third on the ladder that year.

1959 – Appointed President of Swans Junior Council.

1960 – Stan continued as the Seconds Coach. His second year stint as the Seconds Coach was unsuccessful in terms of finals, but successful in terms of promoting the young players through the grades. The young players were able to gain experience from Stan’s coaching. Of the 30 players who competed in the Seconds competition, the average age was only 20 years of age.

1960 – Joint Vice President of the Swan Districts Junior Council

1960 – Joint Vice President of the Swan Districts Football Club.

1960 – Stan received Life Membership of the Swan Districts Football Club. Stan was recommended for Life Membership of the Swan Districts Football Club because of the work he carried out for football in the junior districts and for the Football Club over many years.

1961 – Stan was again elected Joint Vice President of the Football Club.

1961 – Also appointed onto the League selection committee.

1962 – Stan again served as Joint Vice President of the Club.

1963-1965 – He served as the President of the Swan Districts Football Club Past Players and Officials Association. It was during this period that Stan saw the importance of this Association to the Football Club and began a campaign to encourage all who had served the Football Club both as a player and Official to join the Association. Stan was successful in bringing the Association back to the forefront. During the three years of Stan’s presidency membership increased to 135 members.

It was during this period that Stan wrote a poem that epitomized his love of the Swan Districts Football Club. I have reproduced the poem below:

“The Fighting Swan”

Depression years were dark and dim,
Many a mile a Swan did swim
In search of food; a place to rest,
A sheltered spot to build his nest,
With fading hope but head held high,
One day before his weary eye,
A little swamp at last he found,
To call his own, with friends all round,
It looked loyal and so serene,
The Swan had come to Bassendean,
He built his nest; he called it home.
He told his mate no more they’d roam,
Here they’d plant their family tree,
OCTOBER 16, ’33,

And in the years that lied ahead,
His family grew and must be fed,
The search for food held little change,
He’d wing towards the Darling Range,
Survey with pride from up above,
This district that he’d learned to love,
For miles each cygnet knew to call,
With strength he taught them one and all,
To play the game, know no spite,
Build a heart to always fight,
For name and colour, home and pride,
Take on the foe with every stride,
And when they’d find things looking black,
Grit their teeth, come fighting back,
Never say that hope is gone –
Fight on! Fight on! The Fighting Swan!

The poem was inscribed on a group photo/frame of prominent past Club Champions  who had brought honour to the Club and was presented to the President of the Swan Districts Football Club. This photo/frame now stands in honour in the Club’s Past Players and Officials Association social room.

1965 – Club Trophy Committee.

1965 – Club Recruitment Officer. During that year Stan scoured the country side looking for outstanding players that could be recruited to play for Swan Districts.

1965-1966 – Inaugural President of the WANFL Combined Past Players and Officials Association.

Stan was instrumental in the creation of the WANFL Combined Past Players and Officials Association in 1965. He saw the importance of having a governing body to oversea all the individual club Past players and Officials Associations. Stan had the idea for some time and in 1964 put the idea to the the management of the Swan Districts Past Players and Officials Association who endorsed the idea.for him to approach the other Clubs.

With the support of Ernie Lummis from the Claremont Football Club and Bill Golding from the West Perth Football Club a meeting was held, a committee was formed with Stan being nominated the inaugural President of the Combined Association for the 1965 season. Together with Ernie and Bill a Constitution was drafted founding the Association.

The Combined Association would in future be made up of a president, secretary, treasurer and Delegates from all affiliated Associations of the eight WANFL Clubs.

 The objectives of the Combined Association would be:

• To conduct combined business and social functions for members of the affiliated Past Players and Officials Associations of the West Australian National Football League.
• To assist and encourage the game of football in Western Australia.
• To raise monies to further the objectives of the Association in the provision of funding to Junior State Teams.

Because of Stan’s willingness to take up the challenge the WAFL Combined Past Players and Officials Association continuous to this day, 50 years after its formation.

1966 – Appointed to the Committee of the Swan Districts Football Club.

1966 – Stan was again appointed President of the Swan Districts Junior Council.

1966 – Junior Football Council created the Stan Moses Champion Shield in recognition of Stan’s services to Junior Football in the district. The Shield was created to honour the champion junior football club for the year based on points earned by clubs in the district for each grade.

The Stan Moses Champion Shield is now the most prestigious award in the Swan District being awarded for:

attendances by coaches/delegates at meetings, coaches accreditation, attendance by players at junior parade days, participants in Aussie and Youth Footy, football promotion, ground preparation and  match day behaviour.

1966 – Stan was appointed by the League Committee at the request of the Junior Council as Liaison Officer to liaise between the Junior Council and the Football Club. This added to the many jobs that Stan was already involved in and many reports suggest that he did an excellent job in this capacity and was willing to assist in any way possible.

He arranged league players to attend training sessions, and matches of the junior clubs and also assisted players and officials at their attendance at wind-up functions of the junior clubs.

1967 – Stan was appointed one of three League Team Selectors.

1967 – Was again appointed to the Committee of the Football Club.

1967 – He was awarded the 10 years certificate from the Swan Districts Football Club for his outstanding service to the Club.

1968 – Stan was appointed to the position of President of the Football Club. In his capacity as President of the Football Club he was able to improve the relationship of the Junior Council with the Bassendean Shire Council relating to ground usage.

During his term as President he made a determined effort to bring the Club under one administration. Up until this point the Swan Districts Football Club was made up of the Members Club and the Football Club Administration.

Stan felt that by combining the two clubs into one administrative entity would assist in putting the Club on equal standing to other clubs in the League. He saw the importance of having one administration put there by the members of the Club to control the affairs of the Club.

In the 1968 Annual Report Stan had this to say in relation to the circumstances that existed in relation to the two entities:

“Under one administration we must become known as just plain ‘Swans’. We must accept the fact, gentlemen that football is advancing at a rapid rate and that extremely high standards in amenities for both players and members are being provided by other clubs. It is ever-so-obvious that under our present set-up we are really battling.”

1969 – Re-appointed President of the Football Club.

1970 – Appointed as the inaugural General Manager of the Football Club.

1970 – Proxy Delegate to the West Australian National Football League.

1970 – Stan was instrumental in getting the Football Club Members Club and Football Club Administration under the one entity. Stan was thanked by the Club President for his help and efforts. Stan’s great experience and interest in both football and Club affairs was a great asset, and those around him had the pleasure of working with Stan and were grateful for his energy and understanding.

1971 – Re-appointed General Manager of the Football Club.

1971 – He was appointed Delegate to the West Australian National Football League.

Because of Stan’s dedication to the Swan Districts Football Club he was often one for making quotes that would be said to help encourage others to perform at a higher level. Two of Stan’s quotes come to mind;

“However, we must always remember ‘Progress is like a wheelbarrow-if you don’t keep pushing it, it stops!” and; “A wishbone will never take the place of a backbone!”

1972 – Re-appointed General Manager of the Football Club.

1972 – He was appointed Delegate to the West Australian National Football League.

1973 – Re-appointed General Manager of the Football Club.

During the season Stan carried out a magnificent job in promoting the Football Club to the general public. With his help the Football Club was able to improve its image through the media, thus increasing membership.

Stan also spent time in the Club’s country areas promoting the Club and assisting the country clubs. Stan had a good eye for talent and often encouraged young country players to try out for Swans.

1973 – Appointed inaugural Director on the Board of Directors of the West Australian National Football League.

After a three year trial of the WANFL Board of Management it was decided to replace this system with a WANFL Board of Directors. Stan was appointed by the Swan Districts Football Club Committee of Management as its first Delegate to the new Board because of his dedication to the Football Club and its Members.

1974 – Re-appointed General Manager of the Football Club.

1974 – Re-appointed Director representing the Football Club on the Board of Directors of the West Australian National Football League.

1974– Stan was also appointed State Team Manager to assist with that years State team in its endeavors to beat interstate rivals. 

1975 – Re-appointed General Manager of the Football Club.

1975 – Re-appointed Director representing the Football Club on the Board of Directors of the West Australian National Football League.

1976– Re-appointed General Manager of the Football Club.

1976 – Re-appointed Director representing the Football Club on the Board of Directors of the West Australian National Football League.

1976 – Stan was awarded life membership of the WANFL Life Members Association for his services to Football. (Now known as the WAFL/WAFC Life Members Association).

1976 – He was also awarded Life Membership of the Swan Districts Past Players and Officials Association.

1977 – Re-appointed General Manager of the Football Club for his seventh season in that position.

1978 – Re-appointed General Manager of the Football Club.

1978 – Proxy Director to the West Australian National Football League.

1979 – Stan was again appointed as General Manager of the Football Club. Due to ill health Stan resigned as the General Manager of the football Club half way through his tenure.

1987 – Stan was honoured by the Football Club with the naming of the trophy cabinet after him.

1994 – He was awarded the National Football League Certificate of Merit.

2000 – Australian Sports Medal for services to Australian Rules Football.

2011 - Awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the Queens Birthday Honours for services to Australian Rules Football in WA.

2012 -  Stan was honoured by the WAFL Combined Past Players and Officials Association with a Life Time Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to Western Australian Football, 

Stan was a man of great character and ethics, who as a club official was prepared to listen to all suggestions before deciding on further action. During his time of service with both the Swan Districts Football Club and on the Board of the WANFL he always took the opportunity to assist and thank others for their hard work and contribution to football in Western Australia. He always was a team player who felt that any success that was to be achieved had to come via team participation.

He was a good writer of club reports and letters and an excellent orator, that when he spoke people around him listened and took inspiration from what he wrote and said. He was someone who always looked at the positives even if things were not always going right. He was never one to look back for too long, only look forward.

Over the years Stan was a strong contributor to football, not only the Swan Districts Football Club but football within the district of Swan Districts and West Australian football in general. Even in his retirement Stan found the time to visit his beloved Swan Districts Football Club and to talk to people from all walks of life to speak about the benefits of contributing their time in support of Australian Rules Football in WA.

Because of his long standing devotion over many years to the development of football, the Bassendean Shire Council  named a pavilion at Jubilee Reserve Eden Hill, The Stan Moses Pavilion in his honour. A stadium that is used extensivly by both the community and football.

Stan past away on 26th October 2014. A memorial service was held for him at his beloved Bassendean Oval where over 300 people gathered to celebrate his life. The eulogy was given by Ric Booth and tributes by Peter Lynch, Stan's Grandchildren and Children. Stan was given a standing ovation by all attendees at his final lap of honour around the Oval.

The WAFL Combined Past Players and Officials Association congratulates Stanley Edward Moses on his achievements over the years. A job well done.

By John Komorowski

Vale Stan Moses

9/11/1925 - 26/10/2014