Victorian Football Club (SAFA)

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Victorian
Names
Full nameVictorian Football Club
Nickname(s)Tigers[1] Bumblebees
Club details
Founded1874
Dissolved21 April 1885; 139 years ago (21 April 1885)
(resigned from SAFA)
Colours  Orange   black
CompetitionSouth Australian Interclub (1874–76) South Australian Football Association (1877–84)
Premierships(2): 1876 (interclub), 1877 (SAFA, Shared)
Ground(s)Montefiore Hill, North Adelaide

The Victorian Football Club, "The Victorians",[2] renamed the North Adelaide Football Club for the 1883 SAFA season, was an Australian rules football club based in North Adelaide, South Australia.[3]

History[edit]

Formed in 1874, the club finished second in the interclub competition in 1875 and won in 1876, becoming a founding member of the South Australian Football Association (SAFA) in 1877, sharing the competition's inaugural premiership with South Adelaide.[4]

The Victorian Football Club first recorded game was against a team called Young Clubs on Saturday 13 June 1874. The game resulted in a victory with the only goal kicked by H. Barry who played excellently all afternoon.[5]

The club's home ground was established in May 1875 west of and at the foot of Montefiore Hill, North Adelaide[6] and was used until the end of the 1881 season.

At the 1875 annual dinner held at the Crown and Sceptre Hotel on Wednesday evening, 15 September the secretary, George Downs reported that the club had only lost the opening match out of nine matches played, and that they had obtained 23 goals in these matches to four goals scored against them.[7]

The Victorian Football Club captained by G. Downs was the first to play a game against the newly formed South Adelaide Football Club on 20 May 1876 at Montefiore Hill which started at 3pm. After some hard work and several disputes over the rules of the game, it ceased two hours later after the home team the Victorians scored a goal by H. Barry.[8]

The Victorian club sent delegates and joined the newly formed SAFA on 30 April 1877 and were declared joint SAFA Premiers, together with South Adelaide, in the inaugural SAFA season of 1877.

One notable game that the Victorian Football Club played was the first intercolonial match involving a South Australian club. The game was held on 11 August 1877 on the Adelaide Exhibition Grounds against the Melbourne Football Club, with the visitors winning 1 goal to nil.[9]

At the Annual General Meeting held on Friday 16 March 1883 at Scotch Thistle Hotel, North Adelaide, with 40 members present, the club resolved to change its name to North Adelaide Football Club.[10]

The club struggled to compete against the other senior clubs in the SAFA and in it's final two seasons as North Adelaide collected the wooden spoon on both occasions.[11] The club's last game was at Kensington Oval vs Norwood on 27 Sep 1884, which was a loss. Two weeks earlier, the "Tigers" had their only win of the 1884 season, an upset victory over Norwood who had been SAFA premiers for the last five seasons (by 4 goals 4 behinds to 2 goals 10 behinds).

1885 Annual General Meeting and Resignation from SAFA[edit]

On Thursday evening 9th April 1885 the annual meeting of the North Adelaide Football Club was held at the Huntsman's Hotel, North Adelaide. There was a small attendance and Mr. G. Bickle presided. The secretary, Mr. K. Whitfield, read the annual report. The balance-sheet showed a debit balance of £5 17s 6d. It was decided that the ciub should continue its connection with the South Australian Football Association, and a committee was appointed to secure playing members. Mr. W. Osborne offered to contiibute £5 to the funds of the club with a view to furthering its interests, on condition that another contribution of a like amount was promised. The offer was received with applause, and £7 was raised in the room within a few minutes.

The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows: — Patrons, Mr. E. W. Hawker. M.P., President, Mr. W. Osborne: vice presidents, Dr. Stirling, M.P., Dr. Jay, Mr. W. Gilbert, M.P., Mr. W. H. Beaglehole, M. P. , Councillors Downs and Stevenson, Messrs. W. Stratton, J. Watkins, F. Downes, J. G. Osborne, G. Bickle, D. Braidwood, T. Meelin. W. Connell, W. F. Long, M. Middleston. E. G. Phillips, and Upton; treasurer, Mr. B. Furnell : secretary, W. Salsberg; association delegates, Messrs. R. Whitfield, B. Furnell, J. Braidwood, W. Salsberg, and T. Rees; general committee, the secretary, treasurer, captain, vice-captain, and Messrs. G. Downes, R. Whitfield, and T. Rees. [12]

On Monday evening 20th April 1885, a special meeting of the Club was held at the Oxford Hotel, North Adelaide. [13]

On Tuesday evening 21st April 1885, the Club tendered its resignation to the South Australia Football Association, where it was accepted. [14]

A number of the prominent players joined the newly formed senior Adelaide Club (formed from a merger of North Adelaide Junior and North Park Clubs) for the 1885 SAFA season and several of their other players joined the Hotham Club from the Adelaide and Suburban Association. [15]

SAFA 1877-1884 Ladder Positions[edit]

Season Position Games Wins Losses Draws GF GA Comments Top Goal Kicker
1877 2nd 14 10 1 3 30 5 Joint Champions
1878 3rd 12 4 2 6 7 6
1879 4th 11 4 5 2 11 8
1880 2nd 10 5 2 3 12 6
1881 4th 13 4 5 4 8 15
1882 4th 14 4 8 2 24-68 34-127
1883 5th 15 2 11 2 18-63 46-175 Last (Wooden Spoon)
1884 5th 12 1 10 1 11-45 54-157 Last (Wooden Spoon) Ewers (17)

Notable players[edit]

George Edward Downs was Captain of the Club and South Australia's First Captain. He also became a First Class Cricket Umpire and a Test Umpire for one test in 1892.[16][17]

Frank Marlow was a player who became a long-serving administrator as secretary of South Adelaide Football Club and of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL); most likely his brother Alf Marlow as well; both transferred to South Adelaide after moving house to Gilles Street, Adelaide.[2]

Honours[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ The South Australian Advertiser, 11 Sep 1878 on National Library of Australia
  2. ^ a b "F. Marlow's Record". The News (Adelaide). Vol. II, no. 204. South Australia. 18 March 1924. p. 3. Retrieved 3 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ Victorian (North Adelaide) – Full Points Footy. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  4. ^ SANFL Summary Chart 1877 to 2007 – Full Points Footy. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  5. ^ "Wild Sports". South Australian Chronicle & Weekly Mail. 20 June 1874.
  6. ^ "Football". South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail. 29 May 1875.
  7. ^ "Adelaide, Port Darwin, and London Telegraph". Evening Journal. 4 October 1875.
  8. ^ "Football". South Australian Chronicle & Weekly Mail. 27 May 1876.
  9. ^ "Football". South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 13 August 1877. p. 7. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  10. ^ "Football". South Australian Advertiser. 20 March 1883.
  11. ^ South Australian National Football League – Premiership Placings 1877 to 1920 – Full Points Footy. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  12. ^ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/208345686
  13. ^ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198394164
  14. ^ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198394355
  15. ^ "Football". Evening Journal. 2 May 1885.
  16. ^ "Football as Played 53 Years Ago". News. 31 July 1930.
  17. ^ "Passing by". News. 3 April 1936.
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