Warrandyte FC - Home of the Bloods

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In 1906 Warrandyte Football Club was formed out of the comradery and desire of the miners at the Caledonia mine to have relaxation and sport during winter. As can be expected over a one hundred year period their have been many changes along the way. We were not always know as the 'Bloods'. Other nicknames have included the 'Yarrasiders' and the 'Cavemen' for obvious reasons. Our playing uniforms have also evolved donning no fewer than five playing guernsey's, including an alternate white strip in 1999, a premiership year. In 2006 a heritage guernsey representing previous strips was worn.

The club’s initial home ground was situated adjacent to the Caledonia mine on a flat piece of land on Capt. A Selby’s private property at a bend on the south side of the Yarra River and on the West side of today’s Tills Drive. The ground was cleared, flattened and otherwise prepared by the players themselves. In 1908 a newly established Anderson’s Creek Recreation Reserve Committee of Management was established to effect the necessary improvements to the reserve, (previously only used for cricket, wood chopping, and athletic sports purposes) which allowed it to be used for football. Through a sustained effort the ground was prepared for the 1909 season, and it is this arena the club uses as their home ground today.

With Melbourne expanding in the East, the district grew and many new sides were formed and through the years very few disbanded although some amalgamated. Over the years as various leagues expanded and split into divisions, Warrandyte at some time over the years played against every team from Camberwell to the Dandenong ranges, Diamond Valley in the north to Rowville in the south.

It is through dedicated volunteers behind the scenes working in the canteen, team managers, runners, umpires, gatekeepers, scoreboard attendants, officials, bar attendants, junior coaches and numerous other thankless tasks that the club functions on a weekly basis. Warrandyte Football Club is a name said with pride, but without the spirit and dedication of the people and personalities involved with it for the last ten decades it would not have survived and flourished.

Aboriginal Origins

Before, and how long before we have no way of knowing, the arrival in 1838 of James Anderson, the first European to establish a cattle and sheep property in the district, there existed a tract of land cleared by the Wurundjeri people, which was situated close to the confluence of the Yarra River and Anderson’s Creek. This was adjacent to, or encompassing, today's Warrandyte Recreation Reserve and it was here that the Wurundjeri and their competitors from other clans played their brand of football, variously known as marn-grook or mangrut.

It was here, on festive occasions, that the local Aborigines held their corroborees and in the early 1850’s during a lull in mining activity between the first discovery in 1851 and the second goldrush from 1854-56, that Templestowe pioneer Tom Chivers was given the rare opportunity, as a young child, to observe such a ceremony. It was an auspicious event that lasted about a fortnight and included football (mangrut).

According to noted local historian Murray Houghton, the Aboriginal game is best described in the book Australian Aborigines, published in 1881 by James Anderson's neighbour James Dawson, who wrote: "One of the favourite games is football, in which 50 or as many as 100 players engage at a time. The ball is about the size of an orange and is made of opossum skin, with the fur side outwards. It is filled with powdered charcoal, which gives solidarity without much increase of weight, and is tied hard around with kangaroo tail sinews. The players are divided into two sides and ranged in opposing lines which are always of a different 'class', white cockatoo against black cockatoo, quail against snake etc.”

"Each side endeavours to keep possession of the ball, which is tossed a short distance by hand and then kicked in any direction. The side which kicks it oftenest and furtherest gains the game. The person who kicks it highest is considered the best player and given the honour of burying it in the ground until required next day.”

"The sport is concluded with a shout of applause and the best player is complimented on his skill. This game, which is similar to the white man's game of football, is very rough, but as the players are barefoot and naked, they do not hurt each other so much as the white people; nor is the fact of an Aborigine being a good football player considered to entitle him to assist in making laws for the tribe to which he belongs."

Celebrating Warrandyte's intriguing history a book was released for the Centenary year of 2006. If you would like to order a copy of this professionally published history of the Warrandyte Football Club for only $20, please contact the club at warrandytefc@efl.org.au

All but three living Life Members attended the Centenary Dinner, May 2006.

YEAR	PRESIDENT	SECRETARY	TREASURER	COACH	BEST & FAIREST
2010		J. Logan	T. Naughtin	M. Tout
2009	P. Treeby	J. Logan	T. Naughtin	M. Tout	T. Naughtin
2008	P. Treeby	J. Logan	T. Naughtin	G. Hocking	G. McAdam
2007	P. Treeby	J. Logan	P. Treeby	P. Green	T.Naughtin-M.Wood
2006	P. Treeby	J. Logan	P. Treeby	P. Green	M. Wood
2005	P. Treeby	J. Logan	P. Treeby	P. Green	M. Wood
2004	P. Treeby	J. Logan	R. Valentine	A. Hamilton	M. Wood
2003	N. Taplin	J. Logan	J. Evans	S. Hunter	T. Holman
2002	N. Taplin	J. Logan	J. Evans	S. Hunter	M. Blagrove
2001	R. Ireland	J. Logan	J. Evans	S. Hunter	M. Wood
2000	J. Evans	R. Ireland-J. Logan	N. Carrington	L. Munro	M. Clarkson
1999	J. Evans	R. Ireland	N. Carrington	L. Munro	M. Clarkson
1998	J. Evans	R. Ireland	N. Carrington	L. Munro	K. O'Connor
1997	J. Evans	R. Ireland	M. Grybas-J. Evans	G. Cole-D. McCartin	K. O'Connor
1996	L. Munro	J. Evans	T. Kerkhof	R. Jones	J. O'Brien
1995	L. Munro	R. Valentine	T. Kerkhof	D. Dickson	J. O'Brien-D. Peters
1994	L. Sloan	P. Faulker	G.Faulkner-T.Kerkhof	D. Purcell	D. Peters
1993	L. Sloan	N. Carrington	G.Faulkner-T.Kerkhof	D. Peters	S. Carroll-D. Murphy
1992	L. Sloan	L. Spencer	R. Drew-T. Kerkhof	D. Purcell	K. O'Connor
1991	C. Bawden	N. Carrington	R. Drew-T. Kerkhof	D. Purcell	K. O'Connor
1990	C. Bawden	N. Carrington	D. O'Brien	L. Hopkins	J. O'Brien
1989	K. McLean	A. Giles-Peters	H. S. Revell	L. Hopkins	R. Golding
1988	K. McLean	A. Giles-Peters	H. S. Revell	L. Halley	S. Carroll
1987	K. McLean	A. Giles-Peters	R. Drew	D. Clark	P. Banks
1986	J. Reddie	A. Giles-Peters	M. Luttick	D. Clark	L. Halley
1985	J. Reddie	A. Giles-Peters	M. Magill	C. Valerkov	P. Banks-M.Cippolla
1984	D. Mitchell	A. Giles-Peters	B. Tomlinson	K. McLean	R. Golding
1983	K. McKenzie	A. Giles-Peters	K. McKenzie	K. McLean	M. Brenchley
1982	K. McKenzie	A. Giles-Peters	K. Luttick	K. McLean	M. Brenchley
1981	K. McKenzie	W. Manson	K. Luttick	K. McLean	R. Wilson
1980	L. Sloan	W. Manson	B. Tomlinson	C. Bawden	J. McCartin
1979	L. Sloan	L. Nightingall	B. Tomlinson	C. Bawden	J. Kornachi
1978	L. Sloan	W. Manson	B. Tomlinson	B. Docherty	C. Bawden
1977	L. Sloan	I. Harris	D. Mitchell	B. Tomlinson	C. Bawden
1976	L. Sloan	I. Harris	D. Mitchell	B. Tomlinson	W. Blair
1975	L. Sloan	V. Thornton	K. Luttick	J. Tuckwell	W. Blair
1974	L. Sloan	B. Harris	K. Luttick	J. Tuckwell	K. Beruldsen
1973	L. Sloan	J. Templeton	K. Luttick	R. White	V. Thornton
1972	J. Templeton	B. Harris	K. Luttick	B. Tomlinson	V. Thornton
1971	J. Templeton	D. Mitchell	R. Edwards	D. Stephens	T. Kerkhof
1970	J. Templeton	D. Mitchell	R. Edwards	D. Stephens	B. Tomlinson
1969	J. Templeton	T. Kerkhof	R. Edwards	B. Tomlinson	J. Knight
1968	W. Deam	B. Thomas	R. Edwards	B. Tomlinson	A. Cornhill
1967	R. Beatt	R. Sullivan	D. Symons	B. Tomlinson
1966	R. Beatt	R. Sullivan	D. Symons	B. Tomlinson	F. Schubert
1965	K. Donald	R. Sullivan	D. Symons	B. Tomlinson	P. Stewart
1964	W. Cornhill	J. Hollowood	D. Symons	K. Rochow
1963	W. Cornhill	P. Wallace	D. Symons	K. Rochow	K. Rochow
1962	W. Cornhill	A. Beatt	D. Symons	R. Green	A. Jones
1961	K. Allen	G. Day	D. Symons	R. Taylor	J. Read
1960	K. Allen	G. Day	D. Symons	W. Haines	B. Tomlinson
1959	W. Cornhill	B. Miller	J. Holland	R. Green	B. Tomlinson
1958	W. Cornhill	D. Fry	J. Holland	R. Green	R. Green
1957	J. Benson	J. Holland	A. Day	A. Padley	W. Haines
1956	W. Cornhill	B. Miller	A. Day	E. Yates
1955	W. Cornhill	N. Pearson	A. Beatt	S. Beale	G. Mawer
1954	J. Huxtable	N. Pearson	A. Beatt	S. Beale	B. Miller
1953	J. Huxtable	E. Strudwick	A. Beatt	D. Daniel	B. Fitzgerald
1952	W. Ilsley	E. Strudwick	B. Miller	D. Daniel
1951	J. Mc Auley	E. Strudwick	E. Strudwick	J. Benson	J. Benson
1950	J. Mc Auley	E. Strudwick	E. Strudwick	J. Benson	J. Benson
1949	E. Laidlaw	L. Adams	L. Adams	J. Reeve
1948	E. Laidlaw	L. Adams	L. Adams	J. Reeve
1947	G. Upward	C. Robertson	C. Robertson	J. O'Niell
1946	G. Upward			A. Houghton
1941		L. Adams
1939	E. G. Houghton			A. Hall
1938	E. G. Houghton			A. Hall
1937	E. G. Houghton	F. Carleton		A. Hall
1936	L. Sterks	J. Moore Jnr		C. Hemsworth
1935	W. Fisk	R. Brady		W. Millsom
1934	J. Moore Jnr	F. Houghton
1933	E. E. Houghton
1932	E. E. Houghton
1931	C. Hemsworth			C. Hemsworth
1930	C. Hemsworth			C. Hemsworth	E. Houghton
1929	C. Hemsworth			C. Hemsworth	E. Houghton
1928	C. Hemsworth
1921	V. Meeking				Arch Forden
1920		J. Moore Snr
1919		J. Moore Snr
1911	C. Fritsch
1909		R. Schneider
1907	M. O'Bryan	W. Moore
1906	J. Till	J. Meares