At the 2022 season presentation night, held on January 22, 2023 in Roppongi, the Tokyo Wombats also held a special 20th anniversary celebration to mark 20 years of the club’s founding. Founding member and inaugural president and captain, Jarrad Shearer, spoke about the early days of the club and its origins. Founder of the Tokyo Goannas Aussies Rules Football Club, Peter Apps, also touched upon how the Wombats was formed by a group of cricket-loving members from within the Goannas.
A couple of fantastic video messages were sent in by club stalwarts Ian Gason and Gavin Beath, and then the club named the first two players to be awarded life membership: Jarrad Shearer and Alex Koolhof. All-star teams for the preceding two decades were announced, along with an all-time best playing XI for the first 20 years of the club’s history.
Team of the Decade: 2002 > 2011
Steven Burke, Gavin Beath, Courtney Jones (C), Ross Ferris, Chris Mortimer, Mark Ainslie, Jarrad Shearer (wk), Gerard Brady, Ian Gason, Paul Shackleford, Alex Koolhof
Tim Whisker (12th man)
Grant Turner (13th)
Team of the Decade: 2012 > 2021
Alex Patmore (wk, C), Gavin Beath, Richard Bracefield, Muhammad Ali, Zubair Bappi, Jarrad Shearer, Yusry Mohideen, Rasika Ethugala, Jimmi James, Rony Taluqdar, Alex Koolhof
Vignesh Bandi (12th man)
Nigel McKay (13th)
Kyal Hill (14th)
All-time 20th Anniversary Team: 2002 > 2022
Steven Burke, Alex Patmore, Gavin Beath, Courtney Jones (C), Richard Bracefield, Muhammad Ali, Jarrad Shearer (wk), Ian Gason, Mark Ainslie, Rony Taluqdar, Alex Koolhof
Zubair Bappi (12th man)
Ross Ferris (13th)
Chris Mortimer (14th)
Scorer: Chelsea Moscript
Coach: Richard Laidler (RIP)