Putney Magpies
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The Putney Magpies are an Australian rules football club in London, England.
[edit] History
The London Gryphons were founded in 1999 by former West Coast Eagles and Brisbane Bears player Mark Zanotti along with BARFL Admin Officer Donald Eastwood who originally played with the Earls Court Kangaroos, and have competed in the British Australian Rules Football League since that year. The club was originally made up of former rugby players and predominantly British. After Zanotti's return to Australia after one year where the Gryphons made the finals, the Gryphons struggled both off-field and on-field, and eventually formed a partnership with the London Collingwood Supporters group, changing their name and colours to match those of the AFL's Collingwood Magpies.
The Putney Magpies were started in 2004 by Simon Thorp in his capacity as President of the London Collingwood Supporters Club, a phoenix rising from the ashes of the London Gryphons. Simon landed some good sponsorship, attracted some of the former Gryphons players (as well as some new blood), and with a bit of help from Eddie and the Collingwood Football Club, the Putney Magpies were born. Simon remained as President for the first two years and nurtured the club to what it is today and it is self-evident that without his persistence and conviction, the club would never have got off the ground.
The Putney Magpies Football Club is entering only its third season in the BARFL and is creating its own history as it goes. Making the 2004 Conference Grand Final in its first year as a club, a top four finish in 2005, developing five International players who represented their country in the 2005 British Bulldogs tour to Melbourne for the AFL International Cup, and boasting the 2005 Conference Best and Fairest winner and both the 2004 and 2005 Grand Final half time 'Dash for Cash' winners are some of the many accolades already amassed at the club. So come down and find out what it is all about.
Putney now field a firsts team in the London Premiership and a second side, the Hammersmith/Fulham Magpies, in the London Conference.
Pre season training starts with social soccer 12pm every Saturday from January and a few drinks afterwards. The Sherrins come out the start of March.
The Putney Magpies train at South Park, Fulham at 6.30pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays in the summer months.
The season usually runs from early May until the end of August.
