Port Melbourne Football Club

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Port Melbourne
Full name Port Melbourne Football Club
Nickname Boroughs
Strip Red and Royal Blue vertical stripes
Founded 1874
Sport Australian Rules football
League Victorian Football League (1886-) formerly known as the Victorian Football Association
First season
Ground TEAC Oval
Club song It's a Grand Old Flag
President/Chair Peter Saultry
Coach Gary Ayres
Captain Luke Cotchett
2008 6th (at end of Round Seven)

The Port Melbourne Football Club is an Australian Rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne and is currently playing in the Victorian Football League.

For most the nickname of the Boroughs may seem strange, but its origins lie way back when the team was based in what was known as the Borough of Port Melbourne...the name stuck, even after the area was upgraded to the status of town and eventually city. However the Borough are unlike most VFL clubs in that they are currently not aligned with any Australian Football League club, which is the case for every VFL club in the modern era besides the Frankston Dolphins and the Tasmanian Devils.

Port Melbourne are traditionally considered one of the strongest, most successful and most supported clubs outside of the AFL due to their long and illustrious history in the competition formerly known as the Victorian Football Association.

Contents

[edit] History

An early image of the Port Melbourne Football Club
An early image of the Port Melbourne Football Club

The Boroughs joined the Victorian Football Association (now known as the VFL) in 1886 and has played in every season since then. The Port Melbourne Football Club was once touted to join the breakaway VFL, but was denied membership, over looked for the St. Kilda Football Club (who play in the expanded version of the competition in the AFL), an event which is still talked about to this day. The reason behind this move was due to the Boroughs reputation for poor behaviour by both its players and supporters. Port Melbourne went on to become one of the strongest clubs in the VFA, and attracts attendances just as large as any of the Melbourne based VFL clubs. Traditionally the Boroughs greatest rivalries can be seen in matches against both the Williamstown Seagulls and the Sandringham Zebras, with both teams playing in the VFL to this day.

After previous alignments with the Sydney Swans (2000-2002) and the North Melbourne FC (2003-2004) Port Melbourne are no longer aligned with an AFL club.

During its association with the North Melbourne Kangaroos, Port Melbourne had some of the most controversial supporters going around the footy world, including: "Patty" - a supporter who continually interrupted games by walking onto the field during play, demanding he be able to do field umpire's jobs, dancing on top of garbage bins, throwing himself off grandstands and basically causing a public disturbance; and, Phil "Tiger" Pearce, who continued to go into the Port Melbourne changerooms to "sing the song with the boys" when the team had played to a draw, and was later banned from the rooms after matches following his appearance on television exhorting at how the team had "stuck it up" a rival team's coach.

[edit] 2008 Season

In 2008 the Port Melbourne Football Club have been lucky enough to add Gary Ayres to their coaching ranks, coming on board as Head Coach, replacing Saade Ghazi who coached the team from 2005 till 2007. Gary Ayres has come to the club with a long and prestigious VFL/AFL career, playing in five premiership with the Hawthorn Football Club as well as coaching both the Geelong Cats and Adelaide Crows.

Along with Ayres the Borough have recruited three new players to the on-field team with Tim O'Keefe (Bendigo Bombers), Michael Dillon (Bendigo Bombers) and Jonathon Mullins (Coburg Tigers).

But as for the on-field efforts of the team the Borough have started well, with wins against the Sandringham Zebras, the Coburg Tigers, the Frankston Dolphins and the Box Hill Hawks having lost the first, third and sixth rounds against the Collingwood Magpies, the Williamstown Seagulls and the Werribee Tigers. The Boroughs are currently sitting sixth on the VFL ladder.

[edit] Team of the Century

The Port Melbourne Football Club team of the century was chosen in 2003, combining all the clubs greats from across its long history.

Team of the Century: Line Up
Back Line Stan Plumridge Joe Garbutt Vic Aanensen
Half Back Line David King Bob Kelsey Bob Withers
Centre Line Bill Swan Peter Bedford Billy McGee
Half Forward Line Rob Freyer Ted Freyer Brian Walsh
Forward Line Bob Bonnett Fred Cook Tom Lahiff
Rucks Frank Johnson Snr Graeme Anderson Bill Findlay
Interchange Bill Bedford Carl Bowen Gary Brice
Coach Gary Brice
Captain Frank Johnson Snr

[edit] Premierships

  • 1897 - against North Melbourne F.C


  • 1901 - against Richmond F.C


  • 1922 - against Footscray F.C:

Port Melbourne 9.6.60 d Footscray 8.10.58
Crowd: 22,000


  • 1940 - against Prahran F.C:

Port Melbourne 23.22.160 d Prahran 17.11.113
Crowd: 30,882


Port Melbourne 15.18.108 d Coburg 11.23.89
Crowd: 36,289


Port Melbourne 15.15.105 d Sandringham 11.8.74
Crowd: 24,000


  • 1953 - against Yarraville Eagles:

Port Melbourne 21.15.141 d Yarraville 12.9.81
Crowd: 40,000


Port Melbourne 14.17.101 d Williamstown 10.5.65
Crowd: 20,000


  • 1966 - against Waverley Panthers:

Port Melbourne 13.12.90 d Waverley 6.11.47
Crowd: 20,000


Port Melbourne 22.20.152 d Oakleigh 11.17.83
Crowd: 23,936


  • 1976 - against Dandenong F.C:

Port Melbourne 19.18.132 d Dandenong 10.15.75
Crowd: 32,317


Port Melbourne 23.19.157 d Sandringham 7.15.57
Crowd: 29,664


Port Melbourne 11.15.81 d Coburg 10.10.70
Crowd: 22,010


Port Melbourne 32.19.211 d Preston 15.8.98
Crowd: 20,186


Port Melbourne 21.15.141 d Preston 20.14.134
Crowd: 20,732



  • Total Premierships - 15
  • Total Grand Finals - 31

[edit] Post War Placings

Placings (1945-64)
Year 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964
Placement 2 4 1 11 7 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 3 8 8 6 7 5 1
Placings (1965-84)
Year 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Placement 2 1 2 5 3 4 6 5 4 1 3 1 1 3 3 1 1 1 3 6
Placings (1985-04)
Year 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Placement 5 5 2 4 8 10 5 6 2 7 3 5 4 8 6 13 10 2 3 2
Placings (2005-present)
Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Placement 5 13 7  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?

[edit] Records

  • League History: VFA/VFL 1886-15, 1918-41, 1945-
  • VFA Centenary Premiership: 4 - 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982
  • Liston Medallists: E. Hyde (1930), W. Findlay (1946), F. Johnson (1952), V. Aanensen (1979 + 1981), S. Allender (1980), W. Swan (1982 + 1983), S. Harkins (1990)
  • Lowest Score: 0.2 (2) v Prahran F.C in 1902
  • Longest Winning Run: 15 (1976-77)
  • Longest Losing Run: 14 (1909)

[edit] Coaches

[edit] Club Jumper

The Port Melbourne Football Club's guerney is one of the most iconic images in the Melbourne football scene, due mostly to the fact that it hasn't changed since its inception into the VFA.

The club's jumper remains its traditional red and blue vertical stripes.
The club's jumper remains its traditional red and blue vertical stripes.

[edit] Further reading

  • Terry Keenan. 2006. Unduly Rough Play - A History of the Port Melbourne Football Club, Volume 2 1918-1944. Albert Park: Eucalyptus Press
  • Terry Keenan. 2004. Kicking Into the Wind - A History of the Formative Years of the Port Melbourne Football Club 1874-1917. Petersham: Walla Walla Press
  • Terry Keenan. 1999. A Taste of Port. Albert Park: Eucalyptus Press
  • Terry Keenan. A Family Feud. Port Melbourne: Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society.
  • Terry Keenan. Keeping Out the Riff-Raff. Port Melbourne: Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society.
  • Marc Fiddian. The VFA - A History of the Victorian Football Association 1877 - 1995.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Clubs in the Victorian Football League


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