Wodonga Football and Sports Club Inc
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Our History
Our History
Wodonga Football and Sports Club
Home of the ‘Bulldogs’ Football and Netball teams.
Wodonga's first recorded match was against the Albury Football Club on Saturday, 6 July 1878 in Wodonga.[1] Between 1878 and 1891, Wodonga played many intermittent friendly matches against other local Club's and towns, before organised fixtures and competitions were starting to be arranged from the early 1890s.
In 1891, Wodonga played in a series of matches against Albury United, Chiltern and Wagga Wagga.[2]
In 1893 Wodonga played in a series of matches against Albury, Barnawartha, Corowa Federals, Osborne's Flat and Wangaratta.[3]
At the Club's 1895 Annual General Meeting at the Terminus Hotel, the following gentlemen were voted in – Mr R H Smyth (President), Mr George Bodycomb (Honorary Secretary) and Mr George Leighton (Honorary Treasurer).[4]
In 1899, the Wodonga Football Club "Starlights" Junior Club was formed and adopted the Club colours of blue, black and a white star. The Club Patrons were - Mr Joseph Hoddinott - MLA and Mr Isaac A Isaacs - MLA. This team went on to win the Fagan Trophy Premiership (Donor – Chris Fagan – Market Hotel, Albury).[5]
In 1900, the Wodonga Football Club "Starlights" played in the Albury Football Association and finished in Third position.[6]
In 1903, 1904 and 1905, the Wodonga Football Club "Shamrocks" entered a team in the local Federal Junior Football Association.[7] They were Runners up to the Albury "Endeavours" in 1904[8] and to the "Britons" in 1905.[9]
In April 1906, the Wodonga Football Club "Shamrocks" met and decided to become a Senior team and be known as just the Wodonga FC.[10]
The Wodonga FC Senior team played in the Border Football Association (BFA) in 1901, 1902, 1903 and also in 1906. In May 1907 the BFA was wound up after being in debt and "in a state of muddle".[11]
After winning the 1909 – Twomey/Stewart Football Association Premiership, in early 1910, Wodonga FC[12] attempted to form a local Football Association, but due to a lack of commitment, Wodonga FC were left with no official competition in 1910. They did manage to play some friendly matches with other local Club's during the 1910 Season.
In 1911, Wodonga FC applied to both the Ovens & Murray Junior Football Association[13] and the Rutherglen & District Football Association[14] to play in these competitions, but were both rejected due to other Club's opinion that the travel would be too far. In 1911 Wodonga played their home matches at Wodonga Park. The Albury Senior Football Association was established in 1911, in which Wodonga FC entered and were runners up to the CYM (Catholic Young Men) team.
The Club first played in the Chiltern & District Football Association in 1912 (runners up), 1913 and 1915 and also from 1930 to 1935, prior to joining the Ovens & Murray League in 1936.
In 1913 the Club arranged for 100 membership tickets to be printed in the Club colours - blue and black! [15]
In 1914, Wodonga FC played in the Wodonga and District Football Association against Bethanga, Federal Railways, Sandy Creek and Tallangatta. Wodonga finished Second on the ladder to Premiers Federal Railways. [16]
In 1914, the Wodonga Military FC was formed, with W Twomey appointed as President. They played matches against Albury Battery FC and Albury Infantry FC in 1914 and 1915. [17]
In 1921, Wodonga lost to Diggers in the Albury & Border Football Association Preliminary Final.[18] In 1921 Wodonga had both an A team and a B team. [19]
At the Club's 1924 AGM,[20] under financial difficulties, the Wodonga FC applied for admission into the Kiewa Football Association,[21] but were rejected. It appears that the Wodonga FC went into recess at this time, mainly due to a lack of community support and financial debt.[22]
In 1924, the Wodonga Rovers FC was formed and this new Club entered the Chiltern & District Football Association[23] and had a reasonable amount of success, winning a Premiership in 1926 and being Runners Up in 1927 (minor Premiers) and 1928.
At a meeting of the Wodonga Rovers FC on Tuesday, 16th April, 1929, the committee voted to alter the Club's name to the "Wodonga Football Club"[24] and entered the Tallangatta Football Association.[25]
In 1934 C W Randell, donated a gold medal for the Club's Best and Fairest winner, which was won by ? [26]
At the start of the 1935 season, Wodonga FC applied for a clearance from the Chiltern & DFL to the Albury District Football League but were refused. [27] They remained in the Chiltern & DFL and went onto win the Premiership!
In 1936 and 1937, Colin Wilcox from Wodonga FC played Reserves with Melbourne Football Club, before moving across to Williamstown Football Club, where he played 173 games, was a Premiership player in 1939, 1945 and 1949. He won the 1938 and 1948 Best and Fairest and was later selected in Willimstown's Team of the Century on the half back flank. He served in World War Two with the RAAF.[28] [29]
The Club joined the Ovens & Murray League in 1936 after a committee meeting on Monday, 23rd March, 1936. [30] Wodonga FC finished Third, losing the Preliminary final to eventual Premiers, Wangaratta Football Club.[31] Crackerjack full forward, Fred Matthews, who kicked 113 goals in Wodonga's 1935 Chiltern and District Football Association Premiership year, then kicked 123 goals for Wodonga in 1936. [32] Fred was signed by the Melbourne Football Club[33] and played several Reserves games with them in early 1937.[34] Matthews coached Barnawartha in 1938, [35] before returning to Wodonga and played in their 1939 O&MFL grand final loss to Albury. He would later die in World War Two, while serving his country with the RAAF, when his plane went down in England.
In 1940, Wodonga entered a second eighteen team in the Chiltern and District Football Association[36] and lost the first Semi-final to Barnawartha Football Club. The Chiltern & DFA then went into recess between 1941 and 1944 due to World War Two.
There appears to be no Wodonga team in the Chiltern & DFA in 1945 and 1946, but in 1947 there was a Wodonga Ex Servicemen's Football Club that played in the Chiltern and District Football Association[37] and lost the Preliminary Final to Howlong at Lavington.[38] Then in 1948, Wodonga Rovers Football Club reformed and they played in the Chiltern and District Football Association [39] and lost the Preliminary final to the Howlong Football Club.[40] Both these teams were not directing related to the Wodonga FC, but it does indicate that football in Wodonga was getting stronger after the war, to warrant having two Senior teams in the town. Wodonga Rovers competed in the Chiltern & DFA between 1948 and 1952. In 1953 when the Ovens & Murray League introduced a Seconds football competition, Wodonga Rovers left the Chiltern & DFA and entered the O&MFL Seconds as "Wodonga".[41]
Around 1949, Wodonga FC set up a Provident Fund for injured players to be compensated if they were not able to work for a length of time. [42] [43]
In 1953, the Wodonga "Thirds" won the Albury Midgets Football League Under 15 Premiership when they defeated West Albury. [44]
In March 1954, the Wodonga FC decided to enter a third team in the Albury and Border Junior Football League and the competition age limit was reduced from 21 years to 18 years. [45]
Wodonga made three consecutive Ovens & Murray League Grand finals, winning in 1967 & 1969 (losing to Corowa Football Club in 1968), coached by former Collingwood Football Club player Mick Bone and they played in four consecutive Grand finals in 1992 (Premiers), 1993, 1994 and 1995, but lost the last three.
The Club's Thirds/Under 18 side played in eleven consecutive Grand finals between 1977 and 1987, winning seven Premierships in a period of dominance, when Wodonga was a real powerhouse in the Ovens & Murray League. The Thirds then played in seven consecutive Grand finals between 2001 and 2007, winning five.
In 1981, Wodonga achieved the rare feat of winning football Premierships in the Firsts, Seconds and Thirds. No other team has done this.
In 1991, the Club made, but later withdrew, a bid to join the Victorian Football Association.[46]
In 1993 the Ovens & Murray League introduced a netball competition, with A & B Grade initially.
Football Competitions
Wodonga Football Club have played in the following competitions:
Johnson's Football Association (Donor – Johnson's Waterloo Hotel, Yackandandah) - 1896[47]
The Weis Trophy[48] (Donor – Karl Weis' Saloon, Wodonga) - 1897
The Alty's Football Trophy Association (Donor – Alty's Royal Hotel, Yackandandah) - 1898[49]
Border Football Association - 1901 [50] – 1903 & 1906
Wednesday Half Holiday Football Association - 1908[51]
Twomey/Stewart Football Association [52] - 1909
Chiltern & District Football Association - 1912 to 1913
Wodonga District Football Association - 1914
Chiltern & District Football Association - 1915
World War One, Club in recess - 1916 to 1918
Albury & Border Football Association - 1919[53] to 1923
Chiltern & District Football Association - 1924 to 1928 (Wodonga Rovers FC)
Tallangatta & District Football Association - 1929
Chiltern & District Football Association - 1930 to 1935
Ovens & Murray Football League - 1936 to present day
World War Two, Club in recess - 1941 to 1945
