| Caulfield | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Names | ||
| Full name | Caulfield Football Club | |
| Nickname(s) | Bears | |
| Club details | ||
| Founded | 1965 | |
| Dissolved | 1988 (merged to form Ashburton-Caulfield FC, dissolved 1989) | |
| Colours | Blue White | |
| Competition | Victorian Football Association (1965–87) | |
| Ground(s) | Princes Park, Caulfield | |
| Uniforms | ||
| ||
Caulfield Football Club was an Australian rules football club which played in the VFA from 1965 until 1987 when the club folded due to financial difficulties.
On 29 March 1962, the South Caulfield Football Club from the Federal District Football League merged with the Victorian Football Association's struggling Brighton Football Club which could barely field a team and had been evicted from its home ground at Elsternwick Park to form a club known as "Brighton-Caulfield". The merged club was based at South Caulfield's home ground at Princes Park on Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield. [1] Caulfield City Council wanted a VFA club in its municipality but not without the municipality name.
In 1965, after three seasons of competing as Brighton-Caulfield, the club with pressure from the Caulfield council, severed all links to its former Brighton identity, and became known as the Caulfield Football Club. [2] The club adopted a new guernsey of white with navy blue hoops, and adopted Bears as a new nickname. [3]
Caulfield initially played in the second division and failed to make the finals during the rest of the 1960s. In 1971 they managed to lure former Richmond premiership player Tony Jewell to coach the club. They also recruited his teammates Paddy Guinane and Neville Crowe to the playing group. With VFL players in the team they had immediate success, topping the second division ladder and losing just three games in the home and away season. Caulfield however lost their preliminary final and thus missed out on playing in the grand final. They went one better the following season and made it to the decider which they lost to Geelong West in the last minute; the Geelong club had been unbeaten all season, but Caulfield put up a fight, leading by 12 points at three-quarter time.
In 1973, the club won its first and only premiership, defeating Brunswick 18.20 (128) to 14.22 (106) in the grand final; full forward John Logan kicked six goals. This victory earned the promotion to the first division, where it competed for eight years. In its time in the top division, the club reached the finals once, in 1976; [4] and, in 1977 it won the lightning premiership [5] and was runner-up in the Centenary Cup. [6]
At the end of 1981, Caulfield was demoted to Division 2 as part of a restructure of the Association's two-division system, in large part because of its substandard playing facilities. [7] In its first season back in Division 2, the club reached the grand final, losing to Northcote by five points. The club endured financial difficulties through the 1980s, and it was eventually suspended from the Association after the 1987 season, due to having falling $11,000 behind on affiliation levies. [8]
In 1988 the club merged with local club Ashburton to form Caulfield-Ashburton Football Club, and won the premiership in the South East Suburban FL first division; but, the club was suspended shortly before the 1989 season after it sent an abusive letter to the league secretary, and folded permanently. [9]
Caulfield is not to be confused with: [10]
The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in eastern states of Australia: Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, including reserves teams for the eastern state AFL clubs. It succeeded and continues the competition of the former Victorian Football Association (VFA) which began in 1877. The name of the competition was changed to the Victorian Football League in 1996. Under its VFL brand, the AFL also operates a women's football competition known as VFL Women's, which was established in 2016.
The Prahran Football Club, nicknamed the Two Blues, is an Australian rules football club based at Toorak Park in Armadale, Victoria.
The Oakleigh Football Club, nicknamed the Devils, was an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Oakleigh that competed in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1929 until 1994.
The Brunswick Football Club, nicknamed the Magies, was an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick.
The Northcote Football Club (/ˈnoːθ.kət/), nicknamed the Dragons, was an Australian rules football club which played in the VFA from 1908 until 1987. The club's colours for most of its time in the VFA were green and yellow, and it was based in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote.
The Brighton Football Club, nicknamed the Penguins, was an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton. The club was a founding member of the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA) in 1892, before moving to the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1908.
The Dandenong Football Club, nicknamed the Redlegs, was an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong. The club competed in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1958 until 1994.
The Mordialloc Football Club, nicknamed the Bloodhounds, is an Australian rules football and netball club that currently participates in the Southern Football Netball League (SFNL). The club formerly played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1958 until 1988.
The Waverley Football Club, nicknamed the Panthers, was an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley.
The Sunshine Football Club, nicknamed the Crows, was an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1959 until 1989.
The 1961 Victorian Football Association season was the 80th season of the Australian rules football competition. The season saw a significant change in the structure of the Association, with the competition split into two divisions, with promotion and relegation between them, a system which remained in place until 1988.
The 1963 Victorian Football Association season was the 82nd season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the third season of its second division. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Moorabbin Football Club, after it defeated Sandringham in the Grand Final on 21 September by 64 points; it was Moorabbin's second and last VFA premiership, before its suspension from the Association prior to the following season. The Division 2 premiership was won by Preston; it was the club's first premiership in either division since joining the Association.
The 1964 Victorian Football Association season was the 83rd season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the fourth season of its second division. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Port Melbourne Football Club, after it defeated Williamstown in the Grand Final on 26 September by 36 points; it was Port Melbourne's 8th VFA premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Geelong West, in only its second season in the VFA.
The 1965 Victorian Football Association season was the 84th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the fifth season of its second division. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Waverley Football Club, after it defeated Port Melbourne in the Grand Final on 26 September by twelve points; it was the first and only premiership ever won by Waverley in either division in its time in the Association, and it came in only its second season in Division 1. The Division 2 premiership was won by Preston; it was the club's second Division 2 premiership in three years, having competed in and been relegated from Division 1 in the intervening year.
The 1968 Victorian Football Association season was the 87th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the eighth season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Preston Football Club, after it defeated Prahran in the Grand Final on 22 September by 14 points; it was Preston's first Division 1 premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Geelong West.
The 1982 Victorian Football Association season was the 101st season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 22nd season of second division competition. It was the first season of a restructured two-division competition, in which automatic promotion and relegation between the divisions was abandoned.
The 1983 Victorian Football Association season was the 102nd season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 23rd season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Preston Football Club, after it defeated Geelong West in the Grand Final on 18 September by seven points; it was Preston's third Division 1 premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Springvale; it was the club's first Association premiership, won in only its second season of competition.
The 1987 Victorian Football Association season was the 106th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 27th season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Springvale Football Club, after it defeated Port Melbourne in the Grand Final on 20 September by 38 points; it was Springvale's first Division 1 premiership, won in just its fourth season in the first division. The Division 2 premiership was won by Prahran; it was the club's second Division 2 premiership, and the last premiership ever won by the club in either division.
The 1988 Victorian Football Association season was the 107th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 28th and final season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Coburg Football Club, after it defeated Williamstown in the Grand Final on 18 September by 27 points; it was Coburg's fifth Division 1 premiership. The final Division 2 premiership was won by Oakleigh; it was the club's second Division 2 premiership, and the last premiership ever won by the club in either division.
