Ormond Amateur Football Club

History

A LOOK BACK OVER TIME

The 1930's

Formed in 1931, we are today the 12th oldest club participating in the Amateurs, & the 2nd oldest Suburban club (surpassed by Elsternwick)
First game was a practice match on 23/4/1932 with the first round in D section the week after, which was the first year of such a division for the Amateurs (then known as the Metropolitan Amateur Football League)
We lost four of our first five games, but just missed the finals in our first year
Our first coach resigned after the poor early form and we manage to obtain the services of the former St Kilda champion David McNamara, who still holds the longest kick for Australian Rules Football (just under 100 metres)
Progression was then quick: D Section premiers in 1933, in only our second season; C section premiers the next year; 3rd in B grade in 1935 & runners up the following year.
So in only five short years we had gone from our maiden year in D grade, progressing to A Section for the 1937 season, where we also made the Grand final in our debut year. This may still be an Amateur record???
We again reached the A Section Grand Final in 1939 where we lost to University Blacks.
Records indicate there was large attendances during this period, with average crowds reaching 1,500 and a crowd of 5,000 estimated for the opening match of 1935 against East Malvern.
Bob Flegg kicked 130 goals for Ormond in 1937.
Clay Crook kicked 16 goals against Hampton Rovers in 1933.
New brick Pavillion was built in 1937.
The club colours of brown & blue and design have been the same since 1932.
In our first 8 years (1932-1939) we made the finals 7 times, 5 grand finals for 2 premierships.

The 1940's & 1950's

Unfortunately the 1940 season only lasted one round with competition suspended with increasing activity of World War II. This would last for the duration of the war. "Many" players from OAFC enlisted into the defence force
Competition recommenced in 1946 and we reached the finals immediately.
Another Grand final appearance in A grade in 1947 losing to University Blacks.
In 1948 we missed the finals for the first time since our formation season - 1932 (9 final series in our first 11 seasons).
Another Grand final appearance in 1949 but unfortunately succumbing once again to Uni Blacks (their 6th premiership in a row, 3 times beating Ormond)
Finally reversed the results against Uni Blacks in 1950 by beating them in the Grand final, but only just. Forward Jack Boland marked 40 metres out just before the siren and kicked the goal for a 5 point victory.
This season saw the senior club only lose 1 match, being a club record.
Our Junior club won its first premiership also in 1950. We also had 3 state representive's and our first All Australian - Jack Stock.
1952 saw a five point loss in the Grade grand final against Hampton Rovers. Another premiership to our Junior team.
Fourth consecutive grand final by 1953 (5 in 6 years) but another loss to a University team, but this time the Blues not the Blacks.
Club record set with 15 consecutive wins in 1955 but could not take advantage of this and a Grand final loss to Old Melburnians.
Injuries and absenteeism saw the club failing to make the finals for the first time in 8 years for the 1956 season and only our 3rd time since forming some 24 years ago.
The junior club was continuing its strong from by taking out its 3rd premiership in 6 seasons in 1956.
The last few years on the decade saw Ormond miss the finals (1956-1959) which was our worst record to date then, but still remaining in A Section.

The 1960's

1960 saw the club finish 7th in A Grade which meant we had not made the finals since 1955. This season was the debut year for the Reserves.
Reserves won their first premiership in 1961.
Our worst ever start to a season was in 1962 when we lost 11 of the first 12 games but we found form and won the last four games and starved off relegation by 5%. Reserves premiers again this year.
After the events of the previous year we bounced back strongly and made the finals for the first time since 1955 and straight into the Grand Final that we lost against Paradians.
1964 saw us finish 2nd last and relegated for the first time in 32 years, not helped by the fact that we had three matches we won taken off us after discovery of one player's permit completed incorrectly.
The reserves made it 6 grand finals in 6 years in 1965 and winning their third premiership, 19's were also successful this year too.
From 1965 - 1968 we made the finals in B Grade and losing the preliminary final each time in 65, 66 & 67. We finally took that next step in 1968 defeating Monash Uni and getting into A Grade again.
In our first year back in A Grade we made the Grand Final only to lose to Coburg. 9th time runners up in A Section.
The Reserves played in every Grand Final in the 1960's winning 6 flags and runners up 4 times.
The 19's won their 7th Premiership in 1969 and the 17's which were commenced in 1964 made the finals in 68 & 69.

In our first 8 years (1932-1939) we made the finals 7 times, 5 grand finals for 2 premierships (D & C Section). Our first appearance in A Section was 1937.

The 1940' & 1950's proved to be just as successful!! During this 14 season stretch (all A Section) we made the finals 9 times, 5 grand finals for 1 premiership. Also the Junior club had collected three premierships during the 1950's.

The 1960's was a topsy turvy one with relegation for the first time, but we still made the finals 6 time for 3 grand finals & one B Grade premiership. Reserves made the Grand Final 10 times for 6 victories.

The 1970's

1970 saw the senior team reach the finals for the 23rd time out of 33 seasons. It was our 15th finals campaign in A section from 23 years.
The reserves team continued their remarkable success in the early 70's by being premiers in 70 & 73 while finishing 3rd in 71 & 72.
In 1971 we finally won our second A Grade premiership after being the bridesmaid many times - 9!!! The 19's were runners up for the second year in succession.
Back to back was the aim in 1972 and was achieved in devastating fashion by losing only one game for the year and also a draw. In the Grand final we won by 66 points against Old Paradians.
1973 was arguably the clubs most successful year with the seniors, reserves, 19's & the 17's winning premierships. The reserves & 17's went undefeated the whole year. The seniors won their third premiership in succession with a great victory over St Bernards.
After such a great year in 73 the following year was always going to be hard to follow, in which the only the seniors and reserves made the finals with the seniors runners up again.
After ten straight finals campaigns the seniors missed the "four" in 1975 & the so did the reserves which had made the finals each year of their existence since 1960.
From 1976 to 1979 the club made the finals in two of these years (77 & 79) and saw us fighting relegation in the other two years, especially in 1978 when it came down to the last game to remain in A Grade where we beat Marcellin by 9 points.
1978 & 79 saw us relocate from the "Gunn" reserve for the first time due to resurfacing, and found ourselves located "up the road" at Koornang Park.
During the period of the late 70's the reserves were premiers in 78 & 79, the 19's were runners up 78 & premiers in 79, and the 17's were runners up in 77, 78 & third in 79.

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Round 1
17 April, 2010
Vs AJAX
@ Gary Smorgan Oval