| 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 and 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 due to financial difficulties the club folded.
The Camden Town Football Club was based in the South Caulfield area and had been in existence from at least 1898. [1] In 1910 they entered a side in the Federal Football Association Junior competition. They won the premiership in 1911. Play was suspended for the World War I.
After the war the club resumed and changed its name to South Caulfield and joined the VJFA. In 1922 the club won lower grade premiership. In 1926 until 1940 the club competed in the MAFA. While the senior team was in the Amateurs, in 1939 a junior side was formed and entered the Federal Football League B grade competition using its original name of Camden. In 1941 Camden continued to field a team in the wartime competition. Once peace was declared, the wartime competition became open aged again. Camden were runners-up in 1945 and 1948. Both times they lost to Moorabbin. It is important to note that Camden had the lease to Princes Park, Caulfield. After their near success in the 1940s the club slowly began to slip down the ladder. A play off for the 1952 Grand Final was their last hoohaa. The club quickly dropped down the ladder to finish last in 1954 and near last in 1955 and 1956.
In 1957 Camden and the South Caulfield CYMS Football Club merged to established as the "South Caulfield Football Club" in 1957 and played at Princes Park. Their time was not successful in the Federal District League spending most of its time near the bottom of the ladder.
On 29 March 1962, the South Caulfield Football Club from the Federal District 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. [2] 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. [3] The club adopted a new guernsey of white with navy blue hoops, and adopted Bears as a new nickname. [4]
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; [5] and, in 1977 it won the lightning premiership [6] and was runner-up in the Centenary Cup. [7]
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. [8] 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. [9]
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. [10]
The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It includes teams from clubs based in the eastern states of Australia: Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and includes reserves teams for the east coast AFL clubs.
The Williamstown Football Club, nicknamed The Seagulls, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne. The club currently competes in the men's and women's Victorian Football League and VFLW competitions.
Oakleigh Football Club, nicknamed the Devils, was an Australian rules football club from Oakleigh which played in the VFA from 1929 until 1994. Oakleigh wore purple guernseys with a gold monogram thus giving them their original nickname the Purple and Golds.
Brunswick Football Club was an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1897 until 1991. Based in Brunswick, Victoria, for most of their time in the Association they were known as the Magpies, and wore black and white guernseys. In its final two seasons in the VFA, it was known as Brunswick-Broadmeadows.
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.
Brighton Football Club was an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA). The club was based in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton, and was nicknamed the Penguins. After suffering financial hardship throughout the 1950s, Brighton moved to Caulfield and became the Caulfield Bears in the early to mid-1960s.
Dandenong Football Club was an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA). Based in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong, the Redlegs wore navy blue and red as their club colours.
Mordialloc Football Netball Club, nicknamed The Bloodhounds, is an Australian rules football and netball club that currently participates in the Southern Football Netball League. Mordialloc also played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1958 until 1988.
Waverley Football Club, nicknamed the Panthers, were an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1961 until 1987. Waverley wore red and black as their club colours and was based at Central Reserve in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley.
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 club colours were navy blue and white.
Moorabbin Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos, was the name of two distinct Australian rules football clubs which played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA). The first club, founded in the early 20th century, joined the VFA in 1951 and played there until 1963 with great success; they played home matches at Moorabbin Oval and wore royal blue and white hooped jerseys. The second club played in the VFA from 1983 to 1987.
The 1958 Victorian Football Association season was the 77th season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Williamstown Football Club, after it defeated Moorabbin in the grand final replay on 4 October by 32 points. It was Williamstown's ninth premiership, drawing it level with Footscray for the most premierships won in VFA history, and it was the fourth of five premierships won in six seasons between 1954 and 1959.
The 1962 Victorian Football Association season was the 81st season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the second season of its second division. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Sandringham Football Club, after it came from behind to defeat Moorabbin in the Grand Final on 29 September by one point; it was Sandringham's second VFA premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Dandenong; it was the club's first premiership in either division.
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 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 1984 Victorian Football Association season was the 103rd season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 24th season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Preston Football Club, after it defeated Frankston in the Grand Final on 23 September by 54 points; it was Preston's fourth Division 1 premiership, and its second in a row. The Division 2 premiership was won by Box Hill; it was the club's first premiership in either division since joining the Association in 1951.
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.
