History group - not just AFL anyone?

[the croucher]

Is there a group (formally organised or not) which people can join
to pursue their interest in research, statistics and history of
Australian Football? If not, would you join one?
I'd like to hear from you.

Areas of interest might include biographical registers of our local
competitions.

Bibliography of Australian Football. A very worthy project considering the plethora of published material in the last decade or so.

Properly researched collections of records: e.g. best & fairest medal winners, goalkicking tallies, claims for long kicks, highest scores.

The new Sport & History site:

au.geocties.com/sportandhistory/spt.html

will continue to add information about Tasmanian football.

Cheers

The Croucher

[mud n blood]

Absolutely .... I'm a footy history nut up here in bananaland, and stuff on Qld footy is as rare as hens teeth.

I'd be interested for sure.

[Mobbenfuhrer]

Without doubt. I've been trying to gather info about local leagues in my area of origin (Victoria's Wimmera) for an age and more.

[the croucher]

Thanks for those responses. Like the AFL forum has shown, there is some interest out there.

The community history dept. of the regional museum where I work has among its collections the personal papers of Jack Donnelly. He was a journalist and sports editor of The Examiner from WWII until 1980. Bit of a history buff too! Donnelly not only attended many of the ANFC carnivals, but also collected programmes for some held in the pre-War period.

There are a couple for the 1914 Carnival which include team lists for VIC, NSW, WA, SA, QLD, and TAS.

The programme for 1924 includes a double-page spread with details of number to be worn, height and weight of each player in the same six sides.

m-n-b might like to know that another spread in the same programme has portraits of AS Gerrand & BJ Mullan, two QLD officials, and portraits of four players - B. Pie, A. McCaul, H. Lucas and BH King.

as for researching Wimmera -
I'll post some advice tomorrow based on how I would go about such a task for a Tassie country league. There are some basic sources that probably occur in every state.

The Croucher

[the croucher]

Continuing on from my last post with some research advice:

Whether I was checking on Wimmera, a Tassie league, or any other mainland area, there are some basic sources which might help if specific football ones aren't being turned up. First of all, check with the local or state library to see if a general history of a town or district has been written. There is a fair chance sport and recreation will get some paragraphs, even a few pages perhaps. Note any person named in a footy context, even club officials. Later, you might be able to find an obituary for them in a local newspaper. If their connection with a particular club or league is mentioned, then you automatically have a date or date span to double check on in more detail.

The records of the local shire or municipality can also be very useful. Clubs and leagues often had to apply for permission to play on public reserves.

Thirdly, find out if a directory or almanac was published on a regular basis. Often they'll list the different community groups and sporting bodies in each district, and hopefully, they'll also show the Secretary and/or President of the many clubs involved.

Lastly, never deny the value of time spent ploughing through the local newspaper. They're especially good at the start and end of a season. You can often find reports of early training sessions noting many of the new faces and where they've come from. Also, the premiership team will often be photographed and later appear in the illustrated section. (and be patient, I've seen team photos appear in November for a flag won in August!).

The Croucher

[Mobbenfuhrer]

I've had some luck digging up old 'back-to' booklets that local towns put together whenever they reach some milestone.

And the other big resource : Get into a shouting session with the old blokes at the local pub, and you not only get to hear teams, results, players, etc, but also some of the best anecdotes going around.

[Woofer]

I am footy history nut as well although I do wander over to soccer as well. Have around 50 club history books - Bookshop in Melbourne is fantastic called Melbourne Sports Books with owner Santo Caruso. Has just moved premises now in Flinders Street but don't have phone number.

[Mobbenfuhrer]

Santo's moved again, has he? I remember when he used to have a small shop up in the middle of some warehousish arcade, where was it, back of Little Collins St, perhaps? There was a cheap bookshop near his, and between the two of them I could get lost for an age.

Agreed, MSB holds a hell of a lot of information. He must be doing ok.

History books of towns and districts, including back-to's, that sort of thing, have come in useful for my research. Still nothing beats nailing some old bloke to a bar, feeding him 7ozers, and letting him spruke about his little club's halcyon years.

[Woofer]

Yeh agreed, especially in the bush. I umpired in the city and the bush and the bush people certainly love their clubs and can prattle for hours about the "good ol days" which was good fun - many of my trips were overnighters so I had plenty of time to listen.

Santo moved from that pokey place to a spacious first floor premise in Elizabeth St near Flinders St and was there for 9 years. Just moved in last 6 months.

[Mobbenfuhrer]

Geeze he was in Elizabeth St for 9 years? I've been in Melbourne that long? Cripes it's gottah be time for a change.

[Piranha_Fish]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I was searching for threads about tassie footy - in particular its history.

I am currently doing a study at school on a photo of an old Tasmanian football game, which I have gathered a lot of information about - but if anyone could help me (croucher?) please contact me. Cheers.

[My North]

Tasmanian Football is in deep deep trouble

[Adelaide Hawk]

Tasmanian Football is in deep deep trouble

ALL Football is in deep trouble.

[Motty]

Melbourne Sports Books
03 9662 1085 or 9662 1086

He was at the "Book Affair" building in Flinders Lane in the late '80s for a while (the shop was about the side of an outhouse!) before moving to 9 Elizabeth Street (upstairs next to that McForeign-food place) before moving about 2 years ago to 80 Flinders Street - his current "home ground".

[harsh, but fair]

If you are looking for statistical stuff on the Ovens and Murray league check out its website: omfl.com.au.
Click on the history section and go your hardest.

[Dogwatcher]

I'd certainly be involved.
All football outside of the AFL is being buried in the history books and it aint right.
The fabric of many country and city communities is based around its footy club and that's being lost because of the giant that is the national competition.