Ballarat Football Club
The Ballarat Football Netball Club is an Australian rules football and netball club. The football squad currently competes in the Ballarat Football League in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia.
| Ballarat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Names | ||||
| Full name | Ballarat Football Netball Club, Inc.[1] | |||
| Nickname(s) | Swans | |||
| Motto | "Et Nos Unum Sumus" (We Are One) | |||
| 2019 season | ||||
| Leading goalkicker | Andrew Hooper (41 goals) | |||
| Greenfield Trophy | Daniel Kennedy | |||
| Club details | ||||
| Founded | May 20, 1860 | |||
| Colours | Red White | |||
| Competition | Ballarat Football League | |||
| President | Karl Drever | |||
| Coach | Joe Carmody | |||
| Captain(s) | Sam James | |||
| Premierships | BFL (19): 1897, 1898, 1908, 1923, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1962, 1971, 1988, 2008 | |||
| Ground(s) | Alfredton Recreation Reserve (1994–present) | |||
| Former ground(s) | City Oval (1906–93) | |||
| Uniforms | ||||
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| Other information | ||||
| Official website | ballaratfnc.com.au | |||
The Ballarat Football Netball Club was established on 20 May 1860, making it the 3rd oldest continually operating football club in Australia, behind Melbourne FC (May 1859), and Geelong FC (July 1859).
Its first President and Captain was Lieutenant Colonel Alexander M. Greenfield. It's senior best and fairest award is named after Alexander Greenfield.
Ballarat played their home matches at City Oval in Ballarat for 88 years, then moved to their current location at Alfredton Recreation Reserve in 1994. Ballarat's senior guernsey is white with Red 'V'.
Ballarat was a provincial member of the Victorian Football Association from 1878[2] until 1896,[3] taking part in the Association's administration and competing regularly against Melbourne-based VFA clubs. The club was also a founding member of the Ballarat Football Association in 1893.
Ballarat Football Netball Club's junior program has produced recent AFL players Drew Petrie, twins Nathan & Mitch Brown, brothers Brad & Matt Crouch and AFLW player Sophie Van De Heuvel.
Club identity
Guernsey
The senior jumper is white with a red V. The club senior team wore red & white vertical stripes between season 2010 and 2018, however reverted back to the traditional red V from season 2019.
From season 2019 the junior 'Swans' division of the club have worn the red and white vertical stripes, and the junior 'Storm' division have worn red and white horizontal hoops. Both junior jumpers have historical significance as being designs worn by Ballarat FC during the 1800s.
Song
The club song is known as "Cheer, Cheer The Red and The White" and is to the tune of the Victory March, the fight song of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana, USA. The words are:
- Cheer, cheer the red and the white,
- Honour the name by day and by night,
- Lift that noble banner high,
- Shake down the thunder from the sky.
- Whether the odds be great or small,
- Ballarat will go and win overall,
- While her loyal sons are marching
- Onwards to victory!
Mascot
The club's mascot is the angry swan.
Home ground
Since the 1994 season, Ballarat have played all their home games at the Alfredton Recreation Reserve, in Alfredton, Victoria, Australia. The venue has been home to Ballarat's home games since the club's relocation from City Oval in 1993. In the years 1906-1993, Ballarat played its home matches at the City Oval, in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Whilst there, they were co-tenants with the Redan Football Club. The move to Alfredton by the club was a strategic one based on the growing population of the suburb, and the opportunity to join its junior division, who had been playing at Alfredton since 1984.
Premierships
- Ballarat Football League (19): 1897, 1898, 1908, 1923, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1962, 1971, 1988, 2008
Henderson Medal winners
- 1950 Frank Pyke
- 1972 Peter Merriman
- 1974 Brendan Mahar
- 1977 Don Discher
- 1985 Don Discher
- 2014 Shane Hutchinson
Tony Lockett Medal winners
- 1927 Dave Duff 113
- 1928 Dave Duff 91
- 1929 Dave Duff 96
- 1930 Harry Cooper 95
- 1934 G Anderson 72
- 1936 Max Wheeler 108
- 1939 Max Wheeler 93
- 1957 Robert Brannigan 47
- 1972 Greg Brown 72
- 1986 Phil Taglaibue 84
- 2019 Andrew Hooper 41
VFL/AFL players
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 Matt Crouch, from the Adelaide Crows played his junior football with the Ballarat FC
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Club records
Most Senior Games: Paul Nicholls 248
Most Senior Goals: Max Wheeler 359 (1935-1939)
Most Goals in a Game: Max Wheeler 17 (1938)
Most Goals in a Senior Season: D. Duff 113 (1927)
Most Greenfield Trophies (Senior B&F’s): Don Discher x 6 (1977, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991) Ashley Baker x 6 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012)
Most Years as Coach: Len Templar 15 years (1958-1967, 1970-1972, 1977-1978)
Most Years as Captain: Harry Kaighan 8 years (1921 – 1928)
Most Years as Club President: Matt Glover 21 years (1948 – 1968)
Most Years as Club Secretary: J. Shannon 18 Years (1914 – 1931)
Most Years as Club Treasurer: E. R. Bodycomb 26 years (1897 – 1922)
Bibliography
History of Football in the Ballarat District (2008) by John Stoward - ISBN 978-0-9805929-0-0
References
- https://www.ballaratfnc.com.au/
- "News and notes". The Ballarat Star. Ballarat, VIC. 26 April 1878. p. 2.
- "Ballarat Football Club". The Ballarat Star. Ballarat, VIC. 10 April 1897. p. 4.
- https://australianfootball.com/clubs/info/ballarat/1852
- John Devaney - Full Points Publications
