Aberfeldie Football Club
 | |
| Full name | Aberfeldie Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Abers |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Ground | Clifton Park, Aberfeldie |
| League | Essendon District Football League |
| Website | Club home page |
Aberfeldie Football Club is an Australian rules football club located 9 km north-west of Melbourne in the suburb of Aberfeldie which entered the Essendon District Football League in 1948. It is a playing division of larger organisation, namely Aberfeldie Sports Club, Inc. which is the governing body for its football and cricket sections. The ASC was formed in 1974 and wholly incorporated in 1981.
Originally known as ‘The Gorillas’, the football team wore a navy blue guernsey with an ACC monogram in reference to the Aberfeldie Community Centre which began in 1944 and evolved into the humble beginnings of the football section. Recently, club historian Gary Wicking has pored over vintage newspapers on microfilm dating back over a hundred years and has determined that there was documented evidence of fore-runners of the current club as early as 1893 for both football and cricket in the district. The first team to represent the club under its inaugural banner was an Under 17's team in 1948, winning the Club’s first premiership in 1951.
The Senior club was established in 1950 winning the 1953 B-Grade premiership. The 1960s produced only one premiership, the Under 17's in 1966. After finishing second last in A-Grade in 1973 the club won the premiership in 1974. Several Grand Final appearances followed without success before being relegated to B-Grade in 1979. With Runners up in 1980 and 1981, the club won the B-Grade premiership in 1982 and promotion to A-Grade for 1983. Subsequently relegated back to B-Grade the club won the 1995 B-Grade premiership losing only one match for the season.
Now also commonly known by the nickname 'Abers', the club's original playing strip was retired in 1999 and the following year (2000) a new striking design was implemented. That strip featured the official club colours Sky Blue with a Navy Blue flash (or zig zag) on the front panel. Over the next few seasons, the junior section replicated the new strip for each under age group until all teams were identical. However, after 12 seasons with this strip the club reverted to its original sky blue and navy blue yoke jumper for Season 2012. And like its predecessor, the junior sections adopted this version from Season 2013.
Aberfeldie fielded 15 under age junior teams and in Season 2012 and ultimately, six of those teams won premierships which is an outstanding effort. The club's Under 18's which comes under the jurisdiction of Senior Football, won five consecutive premierships 2000–2004 which is an EDFL record for a single team and again in 2008 and 2012. This bodes well for the future with many players graduating from the ranks of the Under 18s to full senior level.
In Seasons 2013 and 2014, the flagship senior teams coached by Mal Michael made their respective Grand Finals but lost both. With the appointment of Adam Potter as Coach for Season 2015, the team won all home and away matches and finals, taking out the ultimate prize—the first senior Grand Final win in 41 years—a magnificent achievement for all concerned. The Under 18 teams also concurrently won a premiership each (Premier Division and Division 2) culminating a fantastic year for the club.
Premierships
Premiers:
- A-Grade 1974, (Premier Division) 2015. A-Reserves 1975, 1977 & 2009.
- B-Grade 1953, 1959, 1982, 1995. B-Reserves 1981.
- Under 18’s 1951, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
- Under 18 - Division 2 2015.