Inner West Magpies AFL Club

Community Football with a Proud Western Suburbs Heritage

The Inner West Magpies Australian Football Club is based at Picken Oval in Croydon Park, providing opportunities to play Australian Rules Football within Sydney’s inner-west community. Formerly known as the Western Suburbs Magpies, the club combines a longstanding football history with men’s, women’s and youth programs.

The Magpies emphasise an inclusive environment, junior development and the contribution of players, volunteers and supporters. Their football programs are supported by coaching, physiotherapy and strength and conditioning resources, with access to dedicated football grounds, a gym and an adjoining licensed club.

Football at the Magpies

Men’s Football

In 2026, Inner West competed in AFL Sydney’s Men’s Premier Division, alongside additional men’s teams in Division Two and Division Five. These grades provide different levels of competition within the same club, accommodating emerging players and experienced senior footballers.

Former West Coast and Brisbane AFL player Brent Staker led the Premier Division program in 2026. AFL Sydney’s season preview identified developing younger players and strengthening consistency as important priorities for the Magpies.

Women’s Football

Women’s football is an established part of the Inner West Magpies. The club’s junior handbook records that the Western Suburbs Magpies men’s club and Western Wolves women’s club formally merged in February 2019, bringing their programs together under the Inner West Magpies name.

The women’s team competed in AFL Sydney Women’s Division Two in 2026. The program also reached the 2024 Division Two Grand Final against Camden, demonstrating its place within Sydney’s competitive women’s football landscape.

Under 19.5s Football

The Magpies’ Men’s Under 19.5s program provides an age-group pathway towards open-age football. In 2026, the team competed in AFL Sydney Under 19.5 Division One, gaining experience against other leading youth programs across Sydney.

Home Ground: Picken Oval

Picken Oval, on Hampton Street in Croydon Park, is the Magpies’ senior football home. Located beside Magpie Sports Club, it provides a base for training, matches and the social connections that are central to community football.

The venue has a long association with the club. Its published history records the decision to move to Croydon Park in 1956, when volunteers helped prepare a football ground within a horse-training track owned by Mr Picken. The oval subsequently hosted club football, representative matches and junior interstate carnivals.

Visitors should check the Magpies’ official website and competition fixtures for current match times, training arrangements and venue updates.

Club History and Development

Western Suburbs Beginnings

The club’s published history traces its origins to Western Suburbs Australian Football Club, formed in 1926. The original club folded in 1930 during the Depression, before a group of supporters re-established it at a meeting in St Paul’s Church Hall, Burwood, in October 1947.

The re-formed club returned to competition in 1948, initially playing at Henson Park in Marrickville before moving to St Luke’s Oval in Concord. Its first premiership followed in 1951, establishing an important early milestone in the club’s rebuilding.

A Licensed Club Supporting Football

On 1 May 1962, Western Suburbs received a licence for its premises beside Picken Oval, becoming the first licensed Australian Football club in New South Wales. The licensed club supported football and other community activities over subsequent decades. Now known as Magpie Sports, it amalgamated with Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club in 2013.

More Recent Football History

The Magpies temporarily played senior home matches at Henson Park in 2009 and 2010 before returning to Picken Oval. During 2010, under coach Craig Tognolini, they finished second after the home-and-away season and won their qualifying final against East Coast Eagles. These achievements form part of the Western Suburbs history carried forward by today’s Inner West Magpies.

Junior Development and Senior Pathways

The senior club maintains close connections with the Inner West Magpies Junior AFL Club, based at W. H. Wagener Oval in Ashbury. The junior organisation offers introductory, junior and youth football, providing a local pathway towards senior participation. Players and administrators have contributed across both clubs, helping maintain those connections.

Formerly known as Western Suburbs Juniors, the junior club adopted the Inner West Magpies name in 2024, reflecting its location and relationship with the senior club. Its development history includes players who progressed to AFL and AFLW football, including Paul Bevan, Greg Stafford, Ella Heads and Jacob Bauer.

Junior Club Recognition in 2026

The Inner West Magpies Junior AFL Club was named 2026 AFL Sydney Juniors Club of the Year. The award was announced at the league’s junior presentation night, recognising the junior organisation’s contribution to football and its community. This is a junior club award, distinct from the senior competition’s club honours.

The ANZAC Day Connection with Pennant Hills

The Inner West Magpies and Pennant Hills Demons share a longstanding ANZAC Day fixture at Picken Oval. The occasion combines football with remembrance, bringing players, families and supporters together to acknowledge those who have served Australia.

AFL Sydney’s 2026 ANZAC Round preview described the match as an established tradition and recognised the Magpies’ work in making it a significant event on the local football calendar. For Pennant Hills, it remains a meaningful connection with another longstanding Sydney club—one that extends beyond the result on the scoreboard.

AFL Sydney and the Sydney Football League

The Magpies competed in AFL Sydney’s Men’s Premier Division during 2026, but are not among the nine foundation clubs awarded licences for the new Sydney Football League, which begins in April 2027. Their participation in the former Premier Division should therefore be distinguished from membership of the new SFL competition.

AFL Sydney will continue alongside the SFL, providing men’s and women’s divisional football, underage competitions and Masters football. Visitors seeking information about Inner West’s teams for 2027 should refer to the club’s official announcements and the published competition gradings.

Find Out More

Visit the Inner West Magpies’ official website for information about joining the club, its football programs, registration and club contacts