Stinger Wray’s 200 Game Milestone

Posted: August 30, 2024

PHAFL Sydney AFL 200th Game Stephen Wray

Today the Club celebrates a significant milestone achieved by one of the Club’s most mercurial players, Stephen ‘Stinger’ Wray. In this weekend’s Premier Division Qualifying Final against Manly Warringah Wolves, Stinger will play his 200th open-age game for the Demons at Blacktown International Sports Park.

A talented junior, Steve played 130 club games and kicked 70 goals over a junior career that spanned 10 seasons at Westbrook Bulldogs. He was a member of three junior premiership teams, U/10s, U/12s and U/13s, and won his team’s Best & Fairest award twice in the U/10s and U/14s.

He was a regular representative player at regional and state levels in both club and school footy pathways. He was selected in Sydney Northwest and Starz Reps, culminating with selection in the Under 16 NSW Rams, and later he also made the Under 18 Rams squad in 2011 and 2012. He represented NSW in both primary and secondary school championships and was the only player from NSW to be selected in the All Australian Under 15 schoolboys team in 2009. He was in good company as the All Australian team included future AFL players Jed Anderson, Jake Neade, Clay Cameron, Jake Stringer, Timothy Membrey, Lachie Whitfield and Jaeger O’Meara.

He was a participant in the Swans Academy from 2007 to 2009. In 2008, despite missing most of the year recovering from a ruptured liver, sustained in a near fatal bicycle accident, he played in a trial match the week before the championships and got through for selection. It was then at the championships that seven AFL club’s approached Steve with offers of an AFL Scholarship. He ended up accepting an offer of a 3 year scholarship from the Sydney Swans, starting in 2009. Between 2010 and 2014, he was a member of the Sydney Swans Academy, playing almost 50 games for the Sydney Swans Reserves in the NEAFL competition. His best result was winning the 2013 Eastern Conference final when the Swans beat Canberra-based Belconnen, by 52 pts.

PHAFL Sydney AFL Stephen Wray
PHAFL Sydney AFL Stephen Wray

Giving a great insight into Steve’s football talent, as a junior and indeed as a senior player today, his Under 16 Coach, Andrew Turner, had this to say of him in 2009: “Stevie is one of the most gifted players in Sydney Football … his appearances in Westbrook colours were exceptional. Stevie has outstanding balance and foot skills and is capable of weaving through entire opposition teams and turning them inside out. His long raking kicks and ability to read and set up play constantly bring his team mates into the game around him. This season he was virtually unbeatable across half-back.”

Adding to his busy football schedule in 2009, he joined the Under 18s at the Penno Senior Club just as he was turning 15 years old. He played 29 under-age games for the Demons across 3 seasons, 2009 to 2011, squeezing them in between his playing commitments for the Sydney Swans Academy. His first grade debut was in 2011, playing Premier Division in the Round 6 match against East Coast Eagles at Bruce Purser Oval. Unfortunately, Penno lost badly that day, only managing 3 goals 10 behinds and losing by 73 pts. He didn’t play with the first grade side again until the following year and between 2011 and 2012 he only managed 14 games for Penno, again limited by his commitments to the Sydney Swans.

In 2013, Steve was on the cusp of greatness, nominating for the AFL Draft. He had overcome some significant obstacles on his way to achieving his footy dreams but unfortunately, the summit remained out of reach and he was passed over by the AFL establishment. However, Steve’s misfortune had a silver lining for Pennant Hills.

Turning 20 in 2014, his time at the Swans was over and he played his first full season with the Demons in Premier Division, where he has now played all his footy for the past decade. Ironically, he played his first full season back with Penno in the forwards and was the club’s leading goalkicker at the end of the 2014 home & away season with 45 goals. It seems he didn’t have his kicking boots on during the finals series, however, as he didn’t add to his tally and this allowed Sam Zikman to take the mantle with 49 majors for the full season. Steve’s efforts that year were rewarded when he was named in the Sydney AFL Team of the Year (Half Forward Flank).

He had a brief dalliance with Sydney University NEAFL in 2015 but had limited opportunities. Since then he has been fully committed to Penno and has been a key member of a very successful group that has contested Grand Finals on four occasions. Steve is a two-time winner, a member of the victorious 2015 and 2017 Premier Division premiership sides. He’s also been a regular in the Sydney AFL Representative Team over the past few seasons.

Stinger is arguably one of the best attacking halfbacks in the Sydney AFL competition, having made this position his own over much of his career. He has quick, sure hands, sharp, deliberate and precise skills. He’s an instinctive player, equally good with the ball in the air or on the ground. He has great game sense, allowing him to perform the role of defensive sweeper, but equally adept at turning defence into attack through his rebound footy. He's a bold, self-assured player who loves to hold and carry the ball at every opportunity and is a play-maker, more likely to get caught holding the ball than to make a poor disposal in a panic. Having said that, he rarely gets caught with the ball and hardly ever panics!

When asked about the best he’s played with, Steve recollects the day that Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell got 60 possessions for the Swans NEAFL side one day in Canberra a few years back.

PHAFL Sydney AFL Stephen Wray
PHAFL Sydney AFL Stephen Wray

Surprisingly, up until 2022 Steve had won no personal awards at the senior club, despite being a two-time premiership player. This is maybe not so surprising, as back-men never get the votes ahead of the flashy mid-field show ponies! He may also be a victim of the times, playing alongside some of the highest quality players the Club has produced.

However, in 2022 his footy career reached its pinnacle as he won the Phelan Medal for the best player in Premier Division. In unprecedented circumstances he shared the Medal with 3 others, (likely the first time in AFL Sydney history), but this does not diminish his achievement in any way. He was also Pennant Hills Footballer of the Year and was selected in the Sydney AFL Team of the Year for the 2nd time, 10 years after his first selection in 2014.

Steve is a popular personality, maybe a little quirky, easily recognisable by the hissing Stinger call-sign that seems to accompany everything he does around the Club. Now 30 years of age, Steve is still at the peak of his powers. He plays with passion and flair in equal measure and is a key member of the team’s back six. He has always been a high achiever and plays with unrivalled self-assurance. He’s a bit of a risk-taker, but nevertheless can be depended upon to do the team thing and has the trust and respect of his team-mates. As one of the team’s veterans, he sets a high standard and is a role model for the ‘young pups’, as YD (former coach Chris Yard) would call them.

We wish Steve every success in his 200th game.

Go Penno!

PHAFL Sydney AFL Stephen Wray
PHAFL Sydney AFL Stephen Wray
PHAFL Sydney AFL Stephen Wray 2022 Award
PHAFL Sydney AFL Stephen Wray Career Highlights
PHAFL Sydney AFL Stephen Wray Match Highlights