Port Melbourne Football Club

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The Port Melbourne Football Club is an Australian Rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne and is currently playing in the Victorian Football League VFL.

For most the nickname of the Boroughs may seem strange, but its origins lie way back when the team was based in what was known as the Borough of Port Melbourne. The name stuck, even after the area was upgraded to the status of town and eventually city. However the Borough are unlike most VFL clubs in that they are currently not aligned with any Australian Football League club, which is the case for every VFL club in the modern era besides the Frankston Dolphins and the Tasmanian Devils.

Port Melbourne are traditionally considered one of the strongest, most successful and most supported clubs outside of the AFL due to their long and illustrious history in the competition formerly known as the Victorian Football Association VFA.

History

The Boroughs joined the Victorian Football Association (now known as the VFL) in 1886 and has played in every season since then. The Port Melbourne Football Club was once touted to join the breakaway VFL, but was denied membership, over looked for the St. Kilda Football Club (who play in the expanded version of the competition in the AFL), an event which is still talked about to this day. The reason behind this move was due to the Boroughs reputation for poor behaviour by both its players and supporters. Port Melbourne went on to become one of the strongest clubs in the VFA, and attracts attendances just as large as any of the other Melbourne based VFL clubs. Traditionally the Boroughs greatest rivalries can be seen in matches against both the Williamstown Seagulls and the Sandringham Zebras, with both teams playing in the VFL to this day.

After previous alignments with the Sydney Swans (2000-2002) and the North Melbourne FC (2003-2004) Port Melbourne are no longer aligned with an AFL club.

During its association with the North Melbourne Kangaroos, Port Melbourne had some of the most controversial supporters going around the footy world, including: "Patty" - a supporter who continually interrupted games by walking onto the field during play, demanding he be able to do field umpire's jobs, dancing on top of garbage bins, throwing himself off grandstands and basically causing a public disturbance; and, Phil "Tiger" Pearce, who continued to go into the Port Melbourne changerooms to "sing the song with the boys" when the team had played to a draw, and was later banned from the rooms after matches following his appearance on television exhorting at how the team had "stuck it up" a rival team's coach.

Club Jumper

The Port Melbourne Football Club's guerney is one of the most iconic images in the Melbourne football scene, due mostly to the fact that it hasn't changed since its inception into the VFA.

The club's jumper remains its traditional red and blue vertical stripes.

2008 Season

In 2008 the Port Melbourne Football Club have been lucky enough to add Gary Ayres to their coaching ranks, coming on board as Head Coach, replacing Saade Ghazi who coached the team from 2005 till 2007. Gary Ayres has come to the club with a long and prestigious VFL/AFL career, playing in five premiership with the Hawthorn Football Club as well as coaching both the Geelong Cats and Adelaide Crows.

Along with Ayres the Borough have recruited three new players to the on-field team with Tim O'Keefe (Bendigo Bombers), Michael Dillon (Bendigo Bombers) and Jonathon Mullins (Coburg Tigers).

In the season proper the Boroughs have finished the home and away season on top of the VFL ladder with 16 wins and 4 losses, only beating North Ballarat for the top spot on percentage, with the Boroughs edging out the Roosters 138.6% to 135.45%.

In the coming weeks the Boroughs hope to break their 26 year old Premiership hoodoo, and even rarer to win it as an un-aligned club. In the first week the boys beat the Werribee Tigers at TEAC Oval on Sunday the 7th of September by 74 points. The final scores where:

Port Melbourne 6.2 10.4 14.8 20.10 (130) Werribee Tigers 1.7 1.11 3.16 6.20 (56)

The win gave the Boroughs the oppurtunity to play Williamstown in the preliminary final where they one by 21 points, 16-21-117 to Williamstowns 13-18-96. They now take on North Ballarat in the vfl grand final.

Wins and Losses in 08

Team of the Century

The Port Melbourne Football Club team of the century was chosen in 2003, combining all the clubs greats from across its long history.

Premierships

• 1897 - against North Melbourne F.C

• 1901 - against Richmond F.C

• 1922 - against Footscray F.C:

Port Melbourne 9.6.60 d Footscray 8.10.58
Crowd: 22,000

• 1940 - against Prahran F.C:

Port Melbourne 23.22.160 d Prahran 17.11.113
Crowd: 30,882

• 1941 - against Coburg Lions:

Port Melbourne 15.18.108 d Coburg 11.23.89
Crowd: 36,289

• 1947 - against Sandringham Zebras:

Port Melbourne 15.15.105 d Sandringham 11.8.74
Crowd: 24,000

• 1953 - against Yarraville Eagles:

Port Melbourne 21.15.141 d Yarraville 12.9.81
Crowd: 40,000

• 1964 - against Williamstown Seagulls:

Port Melbourne 14.17.101 d Williamstown 10.5.65
Crowd: 20,000

• 1966 - against Waverley Panthers:

Port Melbourne 13.12.90 d Waverley 6.11.47
Crowd: 20,000

• 1974 - against Oakleigh Devils

Port Melbourne 22.20.152 d Oakleigh 11.17.83
Crowd: 23,936

• 1976 - against Dandenong F.C:

Port Melbourne 19.18.132 d Dandenong 10.15.75
Crowd: 32,317

• 1977 - against Sandringham Zebras:

Port Melbourne 23.19.157 d Sandringham 7.15.57
Crowd: 29,664

• 1980 - against Coburg Lions:

Port Melbourne 11.15.81 d Coburg 10.10.70
Crowd: 22,010

• 1981 - against Preston Bullants:

Port Melbourne 32.19.211 d Preston 15.8.98
Crowd: 20,186

• 1982 - against Preston Bullants:

Port Melbourne 21.15.141 d Preston 20.14.134
Crowd: 20,732

• Total Premierships - 15
• Total Grand Finals - 31

Post War Placings

Records

• League History: VFA/VFL 1886-15, 1918-41, 1945-

• Record Attendance: 36,289 v the Coburg Lions in 1941

• VFA Centenary Premiership: 4 - 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982

• Most Games: 253 by Fred Cook

• Most Goals: 1238 by Fred Cook

• Liston Medallists: E. Hyde (1930), W. Findlay (1946), F. Johnson (1952), V. Aanensen (1979 + 1981), S. Allender (1980), W. Swan (1982 + 1983), S. Harkins (1990)

• Highest Score: 43.29 (287) v the Sandringham Zebras in 1941

• Lowest Score: 0.2 (2) v Prahran F.C in 1902

• Longest Winning Run: 15 (1976-77)

• Longest Losing Run: 14 (1909)

Coaches

Further reading

• Terry Keenan. 2006. Unduly Rough Play - A History of the Port Melbourne Football Club, Volume 2 1918-1944. Albert Park: Eucalyptus Press

• Terry Keenan. 2004. Kicking Into the Wind - A History of the Formative Years of the Port Melbourne Football Club 1874-1917. Petersham: Walla Walla Press

• Terry Keenan. 1999. A Taste of Port. Albert Park: Eucalyptus Press

• Terry Keenan. A Family Feud. Port Melbourne: Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society.

• Terry Keenan. Keeping Out the Riff-Raff. Port Melbourne: Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society.

• Marc Fiddian. The VFA - A History of the Victorian Football Association 1877 - 1995.

External links

• Port Melbourne Football Club Official Site
• Full Points Footy Profile for Port Melbourne
• Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society

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