Stewart Douglas

Stew “Disco” Douglas

A new club award was introduced at Presentation Dinner in 2009 as a pair to the Willie Wilson Trophy. While the Willie Wilson recognises the year’s best new player to rugby, the new award recognises the player who made the best transition from Junior to Senior rugby. Thanks to the great work of many years by our Junior Rugby Co-ordinators and Coaches, our Colts are now our greatest source of senior recruitment and we need a trophy to recognise and reward the best of them each year; they are our pride and our future. In a unanimous vote of the senior committee, the trophy was named after Stewart “Disco” Douglas. 

Stew was again named Best Clubman in 2009; it is common to hear that he has been the best Club Captain we’ve ever had. 2009 marked Stew’s last year of senior rugby and the beginning of his transition into coaching roles. 
Stewart played in the club’s first ever Under 8s team and played through every age grade until he came into the senior club. As a senior, he played in every grade and won premierships against the hated Brighton in both 1st and 3rd grade. He has coached juniors, women and 2nds from time to time and has served as a peerless Club Captain for 3 years. 
As of the end of 2009, he retired from playing and is instead taking up the mantle of 2nd XV coach. Stewart represents what we hope for from each of our Under 8s; that they will grow up at the club, that they will learn their rugby with the juniors and make friends for life, that they will graduate to senior rugby as they grow into men, that they will lead the club both on and off the field, and when “age wearies them and the years condemn” that they will retire to coaching, managing and supporting roles to help and herald the next generation which follows in their footsteps. 

In his unassuming and humble way, Stewart has been and continues to be a model clubman and the best role model our boys could have. It is for these reasons that the club named the Trophy for Best Junior Graduate after him at Presentation Night 2009 – with frequent interruptions of spontaneous applause and finally a standing ovation. 
The affection and pride was palpable all through the room. 

The award is a framed pair of Old Collegians socks which Stewart wore 25 years ago at the start of his rugby life, as one of our Under 8s. The first winner of the Award was Chris “Chips” Bartlett, who had a great first year of senior rugby, playing in the OC 1st XV, the Junior Falcons and the Falcons. Chips scored five tries in his senior debut (against Onkaparinga on 19 April 2009). 
Ironically, until that point Stewart still held the record for most tries scored in a senior debut! 

Kim Evans
AGM 2009