Historian writes book on the rich 70-year history of Applecross Mt Pleasant Hawks Junior Football Club

Sporting clubs generally have a history steeped in tradition, some of which is embraced and some which becomes embellished as passionate volunteers pass the stories of the past through the generations.

The 70-year rich history of the Applecross-Mt Pleasant Hawks — a club which has produced a bevy of football stars from inaugural West Coast Eagle John Annear to modern day young gun Logan McDonald of the Sydney Swans — is far more black and white.

Historian Drew Gaynor has researched and charted the history of the Applecross and the Mt Pleasant junior football clubs prior to their controversial merger in 1985 and the ensuing 37 years as the Hawks.

Gaynor estimates more than 3000 children have pulled on the boots for the club through the years and his book lists most of them, along with the number of games each played.

More than 50 have played at WAFL or WAFLW level and 14 have gone on VFL/AFL level, with some of the more well-known names including East Fremantle greats Rod Lester-Smith and Harry Neesham, AFL coach and administrator Neale Balme and Mark Coughlan, who played 92 games for Richmond earlier this century.

Gaynor’s 187-page book, The History of the Applecross Junior Football Club, is actually an update on the first edition published 10 years ago.

The update features a host of new names, including the Swans’ McDonald, who provided the unfortunate sad story of AFL grand final week when he was omitted from Sydney’s side for the premiership decider.

But it also takes a walk down memory lane with intricate detail of triumphs, fundraising events and activities that have proved the foundation of a strong and resilient club.

There’s also an impressive array of action photos and pictures of triumphant teams through the years.

“The history of the AMPJFC is vast and colourful from the early years as one of the five founding clubs of the East Fremantle junior football competition through the many changes that have occurred to the present,” Gaynor said.

Other names only in the new edition include Josh Browne, who won the Jack Clarke Medal as the best player in the WAFL Colts competition in 2021 with East Fremantle and played last year as an on loan player for the West Coast Eagles reserves side.

The junior club boasts 31 junior football pennants from 63 grand final appearances, but its most recent highlight was this year’s move into new clubrooms at Shirley Strickland Reserve, which Gaynor said provided the perfect footnote and timing for the updated book.

The redevelopment and the capacity to play night games means the Hawks are now entirely based at the oval in Ardross, rather than having teams also play at Gairloch Reserve.