Over 100 club members attended an extravagant reunion party in Melbourne last Thursday as West London Wildcats celebrate their 35th anniversary.
Formed in 1990, the Chiswick-based side were one of England’s founding Aussie rules clubs and are widely considered to be Europe’s most successful side, with 39 AFL London titles and four AFL Europe Champions Leagues.
Having endured a 10-year barren spell following their inception, the Cats’ success peaked with their women’s side winning an unprecedented fourth-consecutive Premiership title last season – an appropriate cause for celebration alongside over three decades as an AFL London side.
Wildcats president Jonathan Carter explained over 100 players past and present – roughly 70% of whom are native Australians – attended a reunion party at a pub in Melbourne owned by a senior member on Thursday evening.
He said: “One of our life players, Evo, has done a mountain of work getting it all together.
“He’s had banners printed, photos, slideshows, and food.”
The 36-year-old heaped praise on the club’s close-knit community, with bonds between members which have transcended boundaries despite a constant turnover of players.
He said: “There’s Wildcats that live all around Australia and all around the world.
“Everything from marriages and babies to people who have been friends for 35 years. It’s really cool.
“Unfortunately, we had one of our original players pass earlier this year and the outpouring of support and love for this guy was like, ‘Wow, they’re a close group’.”
Carter believes this culture of community was also a key ingredient in the unprecedented four-year winning streak achieved by the women’s Premiership team between their inaugural Premiership season in 2022 and this year
The Australian said: “They’re a really close group and always get numbers at training. That’s what you see in the best teams.
“When a new player turns up, automatically, it’s the cliché saying but you’ve got 200 mates all of a sudden or there’s 200 people that want to get to know you.
“You don’t know whether that person is going to be a friend for life, or help you get a job, or they’ve got a spare room.”
Off the pitch, West London Wildcats have raised over £2,000 for Women in Sport UK over the last two years, in addition to £1,200 raised for their internally-funded league.
‘Jonno’, who first joined the club six years ago, highlighted a memorable year in 2022, in which all of the Wildcats’ men’s and women’s teams stormed to titles in their respective Premiership divisions, too.
He also cited the annual opportunities to travel abroad, provided by the club’s pre-season tours, as a highlight of their calendar, along with the Champions League where the continent’s elite compete for the ultimate prize.
The Wildcats president recalled an “absolute cracker of a grand final” against five-time Football League of Ireland winners Belfast Redbacks, beating the Cats by just a goal, in a final which was very tight by AFL standards.
He said: “Everyone’s in such a good mood there, because everyone’s there for the same reason: to play footie in a new country and to try and win.”
However, the promise of a memorable game of football abroad doesn’t always come to fruition, as a past tournament in Belfast the Cats flew out for was cancelled due to extreme snow.
As the Wildcats celebrate their 35th anniversary, further dominance is the aim.
They will defend the Movember Cup in Manchester prior to their winter pre-season commencing next January.
Carter said: “We didn’t have a great year in the men’s just been, but a fantastic year in the women’s.
“The men will aim to be as good as the women and get back to the top of the tree.
“We’ve had a lot of success over 35 years. It’s been a combined effort to be so successful for that long.”
Feature image: Courtesy of West London Wildcats
