Defunct footy clubs in Melbourne

Joined the VAFA in F2 Section in 1993, G Section in 1994, and E Section East in 1995. Transferred to Eastern DFL Division 4 in 1996, finished 2nd last and went belly up
I've got a newsletter from Balwyn Combined somewhere. A bloke at an old workplace noticed I was a local footy history nerd and brought it in for me.
Might try to find it if anyone's keen. Probably no historical data surprises, just a social flier seemingly produced with a duplicator.
 

mikey127

Premiership Player
Feb 4, 2011
4,920
3,906
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
I've got a newsletter from Balwyn Combined somewhere. A bloke at an old workplace noticed I was a local footy history nerd and brought it in for me.
Might try to find it if anyone's keen. Probably no historical data surprises, just a social flier seemingly produced with a duplicator.
Grew up in Balwyn so I'd be keen to find out more details of that club I'd yoyr newsletter helps.
 
Grew up in Balwyn so I'd be keen to find out more details of that club I'd yoyr newsletter helps.
Behold!
scan0005.jpg scan0006.jpg scan0007.jpg scan0008.jpg
 
WRFL over the past few seasons have seen Coburg Dist. head back to the EDFL and port colts to the SFNL.
Manor Lakes is still a club and has women’s and juniors but with so many clubs in one area it was bound to happen.
From what I have heard Newport Power seniors were allowed to use the junior clubs name but they unfortunately didn’t stick to the agreement and were asked to relinquish the colours and name of the juniors.
Coburg really shouldn't be in the WRFL geographically anyway and Port Colts pulled out of the WRFL because of junior parents preferring their kids to play closer to home in the SFL rather than tracking out to the back end of Werribee for several games

The WRFL will lose more clubs in the North-West area, as Caroline Springs want to go to the EDFL. The Deer Park stuff certainly won't help their cause as more and more clubs will want to leave the league. They have however gained Point Cook, and should look into acquiring Melton South/Melton Bloods/Bacchus Marsh in the near future, it would be good for the league.

It will become the WerribeeRFL in the future I reckon. Or Wyndham. Whatever you want to call it. The EDFL will start pinching teams in and around the 3021 area.
So the EDFL have a strict rule of not allowing clubs to play in their league unless their juniors are also in the league. This is the reason that St Bernards run their juniors in the WRFL and not the EDFL

If the EDFL start pinching teams from around the 3021 postcode they are only going to get St Albans and Sunshine YCW of note. Albanvale, Braybrook, Albion & Sunshine Heights aren't exactly enviable clubs to pinch
 

Leigh58

Saint1966-2021
Jun 7, 2017
99
328
AFL Club
St Kilda
Read this post with interest as I used to play for Box Hill Adelphians in the 1970's. We won the premiership for the C1 Grade competition in 1974 at a time when the then VFA club Box Hill was languishing around the bottom of the ladder more often than not.

It used to amuse us somewhat that to our knowledge we never saw a representative from the Box Hill Football Club even bother to come and watch us play, at least for the whole of the time that I played in this competition, especially considering that we played on Saturdays and Box Hill on Sundays. Pity for them, because if they had of bothered, I'm sure a few of our players might have improved their list. One year our main ruckman and captain of the time (name not disclosed due to privacy considerations) won the C1 Grade Best and Fairest for the League and there is little doubt in my mind that he would have made for quite a handy acquisition for the struggling Box Hill at the time.

But it was not to be.
 

Leigh58

Saint1966-2021
Jun 7, 2017
99
328
AFL Club
St Kilda
Hi Wintle, I just saw this post.
I also played for Box Hill Adelphians and have great memories of playing in a premiership side with them in 1980.
We played Box Hill Pioneers.
By the way, my sons pointed out to me that this match had been uploaded to YouTube.
After we watched the game together, one of my sons informed me..."Dad, you were not as good as you said you were"...
Not to worry, it was fun to watch.
By the way, I actually believe that Adelphians had two players at the time who could have easily made it at Box Hill.
 

Leigh58

Saint1966-2021
Jun 7, 2017
99
328
AFL Club
St Kilda
Curse you, internet! *shakes fist* :D
Thanks Mobbs. Would have responded earlier but I broke my foot again! (both feet 3 times in total recently. for surgery next week)...Those feet that kicked goals from all angles in the 70's & early 80's (my kids at least used to believe that) are no good now!
Perhaps I should stay off my feet (as well as the internet) for a while now?
 
Thanks Mobbs. Would have responded earlier but I broke my foot again! (both feet 3 times in total recently. for surgery next week)...Those feet that kicked goals from all angles in the 70's & early 80's (my kids at least used to believe that) are no good now!
Perhaps I should stay off my feet (as well as the internet) for a while now?
Sorry your feet are copping so much trouble, good luck with the surgery! Although if you're laid up, then that's generally the perfect tme to park yourself on the internet!
 

Who are ya

Debutant
Mar 21, 2018
146
227
AFL Club
Essendon
Seddon
North Melbourne-Kensington
Central Altona
Newport
Gladstone Park
Brunswick power
East Brunswick
Flemington
Green Gully

All WRFL/FDFL teams I can think of that have folded since the 90's

West Newport is another club that can be added to that list.
My memory is a bit hazy as I was only a kid around the time, but I used to live around the corner from their ground off Maddox road and would go and watch them regularly. Around 1996/7 I reckon it was, they beat Sunshine YCW who are now Sunshine Kangaroos? In the 2nd division grand final at Yarraville oval. They were due to go up to division one the following season but had a mass walkout and folded never to be seen again. I think Newport central and North Melbourne/Kennsington folded or got booted from the league around the same time
 
West Newport is another club that can be added to that list.
My memory is a bit hazy as I was only a kid around the time, but I used to live around the corner from their ground off Maddox road and would go and watch them regularly. Around 1996/7 I reckon it was, they beat Sunshine YCW who are now Sunshine Kangaroos? In the 2nd division grand final at Yarraville oval. They were due to go up to division one the following season but had a mass walkout and folded never to be seen again. I think Newport central and North Melbourne/Kennsington folded or got booted from the league around the same time
Nyj Melb Kensington got kicked out

Sent from my SM-A505YN using Tapatalk
 
Central Altona for repeated games abonded due to crowd fights about 2004
Nth Melb Kens for guy belting an ump in 99/00 game v Altona
Newport unsure

Sent from my SM-A505YN using Tapatalk
 

Barracuda64

Draftee
Feb 24, 2020
3
3
AFL Club
Carlton
I had this info , but its hardly complete. A bloke who is associated with the Southern FL was compiling history of many leagues including the old ESFL, he would have had more info.

Auburn Football Club (Vic)

Guernseys & Nicknames :
1892 - Auburn wore red and blue stripes.
1897 - Auburn wore a blue guernsey with red stockings.

Grounds :
1892 - Auburn played at O'Shannessy's estate, in the Glenferrie district.
1897 - Auburn were based in the Camberwell district.

Timeline :
1890 - Auburn FC may have been formed this year.
1891 - Auburn FC existed.
1892 - Auburn FC existed, probably as a member of the Victorian Junior FA.
1897 - Both The Grove FC and Edlington FC may have become or been absorbed into the Auburn FC which existed at this time.
1898 - Camberwell Rovers FC may have been formed as a result of merger between Auburn FC and what was left of The Grove FC.

--------------

1921 - Box Hill Reporter DFL : Auburn finished 6th.
1922 - Box Hill Reporter DFL : Auburn finished 4th.
1923 - Box Hill Reporter DFL : Auburn finished 3rd.
1924 - Box Hill Reporter DFL : Auburn finished 3rd.
1925 - Box Hill Reporter DFL Grand Final : Auburn 12.11.83 defeated Blackburn 3.8.26.
1926 - Box Hill Reporter DFL Grand Final : Auburn 16.14.110 defeated Balwyn 1.7.13.
1935 - Eastern Suburban FL Grand Final : Auburn 18.18.114 defeated Caulfield City 14.6.90.
1936 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade : Auburn participated.
1937 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade Grand Final : Auburn 13.9.87 defeated Box Hill 7.18.60.
1938-39 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade : Auburn participated.
1940 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade Grand Final : Caulfield City 11.21.87 defeated Auburn 7.4.46.
1941 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade : Auburn participated.
1945-46 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade West : Auburn participated.
1947 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade West Grand Final : Auburn 16.16.112 defeated East Hawthorn 8.8.56.
1948 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade West Grand Final : Auburn 12.24.96 defeated Tooronga 12.9.81.

1949 (Eastern Suburban FL A Grade) :
A Grade East - Auburn participated.
Semi-Final - Auburn 20.20.140 defeated East Hawthorn 15.14.104.
Grand Final - Auburn 16.16.112 defeated Ringwood 5.6.36.

1950 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade : Auburn participated.
1951 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade Grand Final : Auburn 17.5.107 defeated Mitcham 13.10.88.
1952-58 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade : Auburn participated.
1959 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade Grand Final : Burnley 14.22.106 defeated Auburn 9.10.64.
1960 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade : Auburn participated.
1961 - Eastern Suburban FL : Auburn participated.
1962 - Eastern Suburban FL A Grade : Auburn was 9th (last) near to after H&As.
My Dad played for Auburn in the late 1940s/early 1950s, I know he played in a few Grand Finals and he said there was a year they played in the Amateurs. He also won a Competition Best and Fairest and was given a set of spoons which he always laughed about, he also had a year at Camberwell in the VFA but chose to go back and play with his mates at Auburn.
 

Barracuda64

Draftee
Feb 24, 2020
3
3
AFL Club
Carlton
I played ammos for Ivanhoe for 17 years and also in the DVFL for juniors and 19s, so recognize many sides listed.

Glenhuntly is listed and thats an interesting one. IIRC they were Balaclava, then Glenhuntly, then merged with St Kilda CBC who had merged with Murrumbeena/Sth Caulfield to become St Kilda/South Caulfield.... and then became whats now Glen Eira. Thats some very creating merging!

We groundshared with Bellfield in the early 90's. They wore brown and red (or mud and blood as they professed) and am almost certain they were NOT in the VAFA....
Just down the road was West Ivanhoe who wore Royal Blue with a white V. Sadly they folded too, even if we did pick up a few of there players including a guy who become a club champion for us.
I played against Fawkner and they were a tough gig, but Heidelberg Colts was the longest day on a ground i've had. Wow....were they an angry mob!

I played over 300 games for Heidelberg Colts, 174 juniors and about 130 odd in the Seniors and you are right. I would rather play for us than against us. In the last years we had a very strong team coached by Brent Harvey's Dad Neil and won two flags against Fitzroy Stars in 1993/94.Neil Harvey should have coached us in 1995 when we joined Division 3 of the Southern League but our new president had a different idea. Harves had half a dozen players coming across from North Heidelberg and we would have been very strong but the President gave the job to a mate and when the players found out 12 of 1994's Premiership side left the club. Though I was pissed off I stayed and we got smashed in the SFL, lost too many players and replacement players weren't up to it. The closest we got to a win was against South Yarra who beat us by a point. We folded half way through the season after the Fairfield game and I played the rest of the year at Reservoir in the DVFL. Real shame how it all worked out.
 

Barracuda64

Draftee
Feb 24, 2020
3
3
AFL Club
Carlton
In the early 80's I played footy for Carlton Rovers the club reformed then and we played in the Preston Junior league against sides Heidelberg Colts, Bellfield & Regent Scouts it was a very tough comp, I can remember meeting at the Rising Sun Hotel and having a couple of beers before the game. After a couple of years the club folded and most of us returned to our old clubs.
I used to watch you blokes play against Heidelberg Colts as a kid, it was tough footy.Ended up playing over 300 games at Colts myself, we folded in 1995, I am still playing cricket there, 43 years and counting.
 

Historian

Debutant
Mar 23, 2007
56
21
Swaziland
AFL Club
Richmond
In the early 80's I played footy for Carlton Rovers the club reformed then and we played in the Preston Junior league against sides Heidelberg Colts, Bellfield & Regent Scouts it was a very tough comp, I can remember meeting at the Rising Sun Hotel and having a couple of beers before the game. After a couple of years the club folded and most of us returned to our old clubs.
PDJFA open age ran from 1977-81.

1977
Premiers ???
Comp best: K.Thrower - Bellfield. Goalkicking: G. Waddell - Wanderers

1978
Premiers: Heidelberg Colts. Top 4: Colts, Bellfield, Regent Scouts, Carlton Rovers
Comp Best: C. Ceric - Regent Scouts. Goals: P. Horton - Bellfield - 58

1979
Premiers: Heidelberg Colts. Top 4: Colts, Bellfield, Regent Scouts, Carlton Rovers
Comp Best: R. Hudson - ARC Rovers. Goals: D. Ward - Regent Scouts -84

ARC Rovers ??

1980
Premiers: Heidelberg Colts. Top 4: Bellfield, Broady, Colts, Brunswick Districts
Comp Best: W.Byrne - Bellfield. Goals: B. May - Bellfield - 81

Grand Final was a draw. Colts won replay by 3 points.

1981
Premiers: East Brunswick. Top 4: Broady, East Brunswick, Fitzroy Stars, Bellfield
Comp Best: P. Pasch - Broady. Goals: R. Paice - East Bruns -59

Reserves
Premiers: Broady. Top 4: East Brunswick, Broady, ACYC, Fitzroy Stars
Comp Best: S. Honicke - East Bruns. Goals: J. Keighran - ACYC -34.
 
May 23, 2010
711
578
AFL Club
Melbourne
Slowly piecing together the clubs of the ESCFA. I've come across a few defunct ones.

Box Hill Church of Christ, last season probably 1984. No idea what happened.
Dandenong South, made some real headway. Joined in 1987 in D Grade, earned two promotions to B Grade, but suddenly nothing at all in 1990?
Deepdene, last season either 1983 or 1984. Can't even say for sure if 1979 or 1980 was the year they joined the ESCFA. Spent all their time in E Grade and no idea what happened.
East Malvern, last season 1987.
Elsternwick United, last season 1989. Apparently, they were Middle Park-Elsternwick for the last season if The Age is correct.
Elwood, last season 1984. No idea what happened or what church, if any, they were connected to.
Hawthorn YCW, joined from YCW FL possibly in 1982 (played from 1983) during the great YCW to ESCFA boom. Last season probably 1989.
Koonung Heights Methodist, were Koonung-East Kew to about 1981 if The Age is correct. Last season appears to be 1986.
Our Lady of Victories South Camberwell, I have no idea if this is the correct name as it comes up as OLV-S. Camberwell in The Age. Last season under this name was 1979 in C Grade.
Richmond St. Ignatius, made the E Grade Grand Final in 1978 but lost, then got kicked out of the league. Reformed as Richmond Centrals in the YCW FL and were permitted to rejoin the ESCFA in 1987 as Richmond Amateurs, probably as a result of an entirely new Richmond Centrals team joining the VAFA. Ended up becoming Richmond Rosellas and went bust in the Southern FL in the mid-90's after poor performances.
St. George's Res., not sure of the full name. Last appeared in B Grade in 1980.
Salvation Army, joined 1986, became the Salvo Saints and played mostly E Grade. Probably folded in 1989.
Sandringham Sacred Heart, joined in 1981 and played mostly D and E Grade, last season 1989.
Surrey Hills, supposedly absorbed into Oakleigh Sacred Heart after 1979. Apparently stuck around namewise in 1980 when OSH were referred to as "Oakleigh Surrey Hills" in The Age.
Trinity Presbyterian, last season in 1984 when they were in B Grade. What happened?
Whitehorse, a team whose full name I'm not sure of, but this name last appeared in The Age in D Grade in 1979.
 
Back