Balwyn Football Club

The Balwyn Football Club is an Australian rules football club located in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Balwyn. Known as the "Tigers", the club fields senior teams in the Eastern Football League which it joined in 2007.^[1][2] It fields junior teams with the Yarra Junior Football League.

The Club took back-to-back Senior Division 1 titles in the EFL in 2012 and 2013.^[3]

History

The first football teams in the eastern suburbs formed in the years after the railway line was extended from Hawthorn to Lilydale in 1882, a destination which, until then, had been serviced by the Cobb & Co Coaches through Balwyn along Whitehorse Road.

With football being played informally in the local paddocks, the push for a district team gained momentum in 1910 when Camberwell Council acquired the farmland south from Whitehorse Road which was developed to become Balwyn Park.

The Great War thwarted efforts to start a senior team, but in 1917 the first Balwyn team, believed to be Under 19s entered the Reporter District Football League.With soldiers returning after the war, it took three years to establish Balwyn’s senior team, playing their first game a dark green jumper with a yellow band in May 1922 against reigning RDFL Premiers Mitcham. Team photos from that era feature Sam Booth, whose son Shern and grandson Steven who both played, and later served as Club Presidents in the 60s and 90s.

In 1926 Balwyn finished runners-up to Auburn in the last year of the Reporter District League, and in 1927 were admitted to the VFL Sub-district Competition.

In 1927 Balwyn defeated Fairfield in a curtain raiser to the VFL second semi-final at the MCG, went on to beat Middle Park to win the Club’s first premiership. Arthur Whyte, the last surviving member of that team returned in 1996 aged almost 90, and presented back his three Best and Fairest trophies won in the 1930s. They now take pride of place in the trophy cabinet.

In 1928 Balwyn was promoted to A Grade and in Round two were beaten by South Melbourne Districts, with the great Roy Cazaly named as their best player.

In the 1932 Balwyn became a founding member of the Eastern Suburban Football League, winning flags in 1933 and 1934. Balwyn Park was enclosed, but years later the fence was removed and only the stonework gates and ticket box remain at the Whitehorse Road entry.

During World War Two the Club went into recess re-forming in 1946 in the VAFA.

With many jumper clashes in the VAFA the Tiger colours first emerged in 1948 when Balwyn wore a yellow jumper with a black monogram, which later switched to black and gold vertical stripes.

In the mid-1950s after many players crossed to join Box Hill in the VFA, Balwyn left the Amateurs, re-joining the ESFL in 1956 and wearing the ‘Richmond strip’ for the first time.

Premiership success eluded the Club in this era, losing the preliminary final to east Burwood in 1958, and finishing runners-up to North Kew in 1960.

In 1963 the South East Suburban League was formed with many inner eastern ESFL clubs. Balwyn as a foundation member won the toss against Burwood, to secure the Tiger jumpers, with Burwood forced to don the inferior Magpie strip. Shern Booth and Jack Douge were presidents through this time, with Shern the local butcher and Jack Douge owning the first supermarket in the district at Mont Albert tram terminus. Some of Jack’s best recruiting was done while delivering groceries in an old green FB panel van. Under his presidency, a recruiting coup was scored with Collingwood premiership player Brian Beers appointed coach. Over this period, Charlie Anderton played 300 games and won three best and fairests, a feat later repeated by his son, Peter.

In 1968 at age 16 Jack Douge’s son Brian won the senior best and fairest and was recruited by Hawthorn, going on to play in the Hawks 1976 premiership.

Balwyn’s Sunday juniors were formed in this time by Jack Douge, Charlie Anderton and Mick Leahy, who came to Balwyn as a player from Richmond in 1962. When his playing career finished and as the local butcher and later Camberwell Council dog catcher, Mick was Club secretary, coached three Under 15 premierships teams and was head trainer for nearly 20 years.

In 1989 Balwyn’s 55 year premiership drought broke, with David Dickson coach and with John ‘JR’ Rushen as President. That SESFL Premiership side included a spring-heeled full forward, Noel Rae who twice kicked the ton, and set the club record of 17 goals, since shared with Todd Taverna and Patrick Bowden.

Balwyn’s modern era of success started in the mid-1990s with six SFL premierships between 1997 and 2005 including back to back flags in 1998 and 1999 against EFL rivals Noble Park. Graham Harvey coached four reserves and seniors flags, with current Football Director Paul Johnson following a similar path coaching senior flags in 2000 and 2003. Over this period former junior Darren Ward played in six flags (two Reserves and four seniors) and Martin Beatie played in four senior flags.

Balwyn’s returned to its eastern suburbs football roots joining the EFL in 2007 led by President Richard Wilson and past premiership coaches Graham Harvey and Paul Johnson. With Mick McGuane as the Tigers inaugural EFL coach and Brett Moyle as captain, they won the club’s first EFL final. Next year Daniel Harford as playing coach led the Tigers to their first EFL flag against Vermont in the 2008 Grand Final.

Since 1996 Balwyn has played 15 consecutive finals series for seven premierships. In recent times ex-Balwyn (Sunday) juniors going on to play AFL have included Luke and Sam Power and Leigh Montagna, while Tim Golds has been drafted to Greater Western for their inaugural AFL season in 2012.

Balwyn Park on Whitehorse Road has been the Tiger’s home since 1918 except for 1990 and 1991 when Balwyn played at Camberwell Sports Ground during Council ground resurfacing.

Premierships

1927 SENIORS

1933 SENIORS

1989 SENIORS - DEFEATED OAKLEIGH DISTRICT

1989 RESERVES -

1996 RESERVES - DEFEATED SPRINGVALE DISTRICTS AT CHELTENHAM RESERVE

1997 SENIORS - DEFEATED ST KILDA CITY AT CHELTENHAM RESERVE

1997 RESERVES - DEFEATED SPRINGVALE DISTRICTS AT CHELTENHAM RESERVE

1998 SENIORS - DEFEATED NOBLE PARK AT CHELTENHAM RESERVE

1999 SENIORS - DEFEATED NOBLE PARK AT CHELTENHAM RESERVE

2000 SENIORS - DEFEATED ST PAULS AT SPRINGVALE RESERVE

2003 SENIORS - DEFEATED ST PAULS AT SPRINGVALE RESERVE

2003 RESERVES - DEFEATED ST PAULS AT SPRINGVALE RESERVE

2004 RESERVES - DEFEATED CHELSEA HEIGHTS AT SPRINGVALE RESERVE

2005 SENIORS - DEFEATED EAST BRIGHTON AT SPRINGVALE RESERVE

2008 SENIORS - DEFEATED VERMONT AT BAYSWATER OVAL

2012 SENIORS - DEFEATED VERMONT AT BAYSWATER OVAL

2013 SENIORS - DEFEATED NOBLE PARK AT BAYSWATER OVAL

Balwyn Noble Park Goals: Best:

Team Line Up

B: HB: C: HF: F: R: INT:

Team of the Decade

SEASONS 1996-2006

B: Daniel Ward Ian Bennie Jarrad Dooley

HB: Michael Smith Jason Taylor Stuart Ross

C: Tom Crapp Martin Beattie Andrew Chin

HF: Fabian Webb Kiernan O'Dwyer Jay Soloman

F: Todd Taverna Martin Heffernan Ben Cranage

R: Travis Mullenger David Ryan McCallion

INT: Anthony Condon Matthew Young Matthew Dixon Tim Banks

COACH: Graham Harvey

CAPTAIN: Martin Beatie

SEASONS 2005 to 2015

B: Joel Smith Seamus Bilings Jarrad Wright

HB: Steven Kenna Rod Crowe Brett Moyle

C: Shane Tregear Daniel Harford Rennie Gilchrist

HF: Allan Murray Jeffery Gobbels Blake Broadhurst

F: Luke Barker Patrick Bowden Craig Decorsey

R: Brad Smith Ryan McMahon Peter Summers

INT: Nick Smith Marc O'Regan Ben Harris Sam Cranage

COACH: Daniel Donati

CAPTAIN: Rennie Gilchrist Vice Captain: Brett Moyle

References

External links

• Club website
• Juniors' website