Tom Warhurst

Tom Warhurst joined Norwood in 1979 after playing junior football at St Ignatius College. He played 11 games with the under 17s, and one in the under 19s. The following season he was appointed vice-captain of the under 19s and played in his first Redlegs premiership.
 
Tom made his league debut in round two, 1981. Despite being his only senior appearance for the year, he was drafted by North Melbourne at the end of the season but decided to stay at The Parade. 
 
In 1982 he slotted into the centre half forward position for the first half of the season but moved to full back when Neil Button returned from long term injury. He was at full back in Norwood's Grand Final win against Glenelg and was part of a rock-solid defence that included Danny Jenkins, Wayne Schmaal, Frank Stemper, Jim Thiel and Bruce Winter.
 
While best remembered as one of the club's best ever full backs, Tom proved to be just as serviceable in other key positions. In 1984, playing at centre half back, he was an important member of the "History Makers" side which saw the Redlegs win the premiership from fifth spot. During the year he also played for South Australia against Western Australia.
 
Tom played his 100th game during the 1985 season and again represented the State against Western Australia.
 
He reached his 200-game milestone in round 18, 1989 against South Adelaide at Football Park and was runner-up to Rodney Maynard in the club's 1989 Club Champion award. Capping off a remarkable season, he also won the Woods Medal, the E.A. Johnson Award, and was named in The Advertiser Team of the Year.
 
Appointed vice-captain in 1990, Tom was also awarded player life-membership for his ten years’ service to the Norwood Football Club.
 
In 1991 he joined the Adelaide Crows in its debut season and had the honour of playing in their first game for premiership points - the Crows having a comfortable win against Hawthorn at Football Park. A serious knee injury which required surgery at the end of the season eventually ended his AFL and SANFL careers.
 
Between 1994 and 1996, he played for St. Ignatius Old Scholars in the South Australian Amateur Football League and was appointed coach in 2000.
 
A proud club man, Tom returned to The Parade in 2002 as under 19s coach, and reserves coach in 2004.
 
His father, Hubert, better known as “Tom”, played between 1935 and 1947 and is a Norwood Hall of Famer. Older brother John also played league football for the Redlegs from 1968 to 1969.

In 2024 Tom Warhurst became Norwood’s 69th Hall of Fame inductee.

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