The Manly-Warringah Wolves were formed in 1969 on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. After a number of tough and competitive years, the Wolves scored the ultimate success in 1985, winning Premierships in First, Second and Under-20 grades.
The Wolves then went on to win Sydney Football Association (SFA) First Grade Premierships in 1990, 1995 and 1996.
After a decade-long drought of First Grade wins the Wolves won the 2007 SFA Premiership with a team of experienced campaigners and smattering of promising young up and comers. In 2009 the Sydney AFL competition was restructured becoming divisionalised.
The Wolves, under new Senior Coach Daryn Cresswell - a former Swans legend - made the finals although they went out in straights sets.
Under current Premier Division coach Leigh Brain, the Wolves won Division 1 Premierships in 2011 and 2012. This recent on-field success, along with significant development in facilities at the Wolves home ground and new-found financial stability, placed the Wolves in a strong position to make their case for promotion to Premier Division in the AFL Sydney competition.
This case was accepted by the AFL along with the acknowledgement of the important strategic nature the Northern Beaches held for future AFL development and growth.
The 2013 season could not have started better for the Wolves in Premier Divison with the club having won the first eight games on the season to be undefeated for this year.
Russell Clack is in his second year as President of the Wolves and said the club could not be happier with their start to the season.
“It has certainly exceeded our expectations, and we are thrilled to open the season so well,” Clack said.
“With that said we are under no illusions about where we are at as a club and we need to work hard to be competitive week in week out, and to give it the best we can.
“At the start of the season we hoped to win two or three games, so we have surprised ourselves where we are at, and we'll just keep at it and see how things turn out for the rest of the season.”
Prior to becoming President of the club, Clack was a player with the Wolves for over 25 years, playing in their first ever Premiership in Under-20s in 1985 and capping a long career with a Premiership in 2007 in Division 1.
As a long-time member of the club, Clack has seen the Wolves grow, but their culture and standards remain the same.
“The culture of the club has remained largely unchanged - for the 28 years I have been involved with the club I have seen a group of footballers who play for the love of the game, and who rise to the occasion with their mates to win the ultimate success, and afterwards have a beer together,” Clack said.
“The biggest change is the club has made significant steps over the last five years to position itself to elevation to the Premier Division.
“We like to believe though we the same humble club that exists for the love of Australian football - and we operate with a philosophy if you enjoy your football you will find the ultimate success.”
Clack names the club’s biggest achievements as the 1985 season when the Wolves won its first First Grade Premiership and scored a clean sweep of all other grades. They also won back-to-back Premierships in 1995-1996 and 2011-2012.
“The mateship culture of the club - it is a place always to return and feel at home with people no matter where life may take you; you know people are there because of a passion they have for Australian football and for the club itself,” Clack said.
“Equal to this is our promotion this year to the pinnacle of AFL Sydney, the Premier Division, and an equal most a proud moment seeing the young playing group developing in the Premier Division today.
“We want improve year to year our competitiveness across all Divisions.
“We would love to one day make the finals in Premier Division, and further to this take out the ultimate prize.
“We realise this will take time, patience and long term planning.
“Continuity of our existing player group is important - we have a young side whose potential is no where near realised and who are getting better from year to year - and a core quality coaching group we hope to retain for more years to come.”
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