Glenorchy Football Club - the magpies
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The Oasis Glenorchy Magpies
is a Premier League club in the AFL Southern Tasmania competition of Australian Rules football.
Premiers in - 1935,1948,1949,1951,1953,1956,1958, 1965,1975,1983,1985,1986,1999 |
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LATEST NEWS
Training Recommences
The Club recommenced training on Monday night (14/01/02) and will train Monday, Tuesday & Thursday nights starting at 6.00pm at KGV.
The players are looking forward to the 2002 season with a number of new faces at the club. Leigh McConnon will certainly have his players fit by the start of the season and is looking forward to working with some of the younger players at the Club in 2002.
Club Colours
The Club will again be wearing the new jumper (Green,White,Black) it wore in 2001 and will keep the Storm logo. At that the last SFL meeting the issue of Club colours was voted upon and the majority of the Clubs were of the opinion that each club in the SFL should have their own identity. This means that their will be 16 teams with their own distinguishable colours and nickname in 2002.
Sponsorships
In 2002 the Club will again conduct a draw for major sponsorship status.
MAJOR SPONSORSHIP FOR JUST $300
Yes that's right you could become a major sponsor of the Glenorchy District Football Club for just $300.
Any Business that sponsors the Club for $300 will be eligible to participate in a draw offering three opportunities;
To become a major sponsor for season 2002,
To become a secondary sponsor with signs at the ground, 10 home game passes (value $720) and use of the hospitality boxes for six people at a home game ($240)
Multiples of $300 will provide more chances thus $1200 is four chances in the draw.
Regardless the sponsor will receive:
- 2 Club Memberships
- 2 Free Home Game Passes
An advertising promotion at the Clubrooms for two weeks of the year displaying your business products or services.
Acknowledgement on our list of sponsors in the clubrooms, annual report and at home games on the P.A system.
An invitation for two people to the 2002 Season Launch just prior to the football season. 3 Course Meal & Drinks provided.
One Entry in the draw for; -major sponsor status or $3500
Fundraising Boxes
The Club is planning to sell Fundraising Chocolates and other confectionary during the month of February. Our goal is to sell 100 boxes, which will raise around $3000 that will go towards the cost of socks & shorts, and other equipment that is required to get the all four teams on the field in 2002. If you require any further information please contact Shayne Stevenson at the Club on 6272 9593.
New Coach for 2002 - Leigh McConnon
Cazaly Medal Winner 2001
Last Saturday night Glenorchy utility player Jamie Kaye was awarded the Cazaly Medal for the Best & Fairest player in the seniors for 2001. Kaye won the award by 5 votes from Brad Curran. It was just reward for the 99' Premiership player who has given everything to the Glenorchy Football Club over recent years. He polled in every game and was also Runner Up in this years Hodgman Medal.
The Reserves Best & Fairest was awarded to Jamie Ling who won by 4 votes from Brad Gardiner.
In the Colts Jamie Walker made it back to back Best & Fairests with a runaway win from Luke Cranefield.
GDFC First game vs Hobart
Alliance Formed - In a Tasmanian first the GDFC has recently formed an alliance with the OHA Devils Netball Club for season 2001. The OHA Netball Club has a long and proud history similar to the GDFC. The alliance will see OHA use KGV as their home base, for after match functions, dinners, fundraising nights and also joint functions with the Football Club. This is a fantastic initiative and one the GDFC is determined to make a success. Stay tuned for further developments.
HISTORY
The Glenorchy Football Club was formed around 1898 and played in the senior Australian Rules Football competition in Southern Tasmania in that year. In subsequent years it then continued on in one form or another in junior grade competitions. The club, before it merged with the New Town Football Club wore a white jumper with a red "V" .
New Town Football Club was originally formed in 1878 and was reformed in 1919, and then the Club entered the Senior Ranks of Australian Rules Football in 1921.
With the re-organisation of the Club system in 1944 the New Town District Football Club was formed as the Magpies.
ln 1957 the New Town Football Club relocated to the King George V Oval at Glenorchy and was incorporated into the Glenorchy District Football Club Inc. It was then that the Club became the Glenorchy Magpies wearing the colours of black and white. The Club motto became "Forte ad finem" its latin translation is "Fight to the finish".
Since the introduction of Senior District Football the Club has won 14 Premierships, and has appeared in a record 13 Grand Finals between 1975 and 1986. After a thirteen year drought, the Club under Paul Hamilton won the 1999 grand final being the last for that century and second last for the Statewide league.
The Club has long been associated as being a "working class" club with Glenorchy being the main industrial area of Hobart. This asociation extended to Labor politicians, one of the Club's most ardent supporters was the great Premier, the late Hon. Eric Reece AC. Another former Premier, Hon Doug Lowe AM is a supporter and former player. The Hon. Dr. David Crean MLC served as club doctor for a number of years.
The 2000 season was the last for the Statewide league (SWL) as Burnie voted January 2001 to withdraw from the competition. This left North Hobart, Clarence and Glenorchy without a league to play in. The Southern Football League (SFL) finally accepted the teams into their competition but on conditions which required Glenorchy to change colours, logo and song (as it conflicted with Claremont). Glenorchy on 23 January 2001 accepted those conditions and on 30 January 2001 became the Glenorchy Storm with the colours green, black and white. Glenorchy members could not help feeling that an alternative agenda by the administration had cost them their tradition, time, effort and money.
Australian Rules Football icons,
Roy Cazaly and
Peter Hudson ( both Legends in the AFL Hall of Fame ) have coached and played for Glenorchy (New Town). Other great players include men of the calibre of
Jack Rough ,
Roy Witzerman ,
Rex Garwood , Barry Strange, John Chick,
Ron Marney , Daryl Sutton, Gary Linton,
Danny Ling ,
Robbie Dykes ,
Trevor Sprigg ,
Adrian Fletcher , John Klug,
Michael Styles , Roland Curley,
Kevin Baker ,
Neil Conlan ,
Max Griffiths and many more who have helped make the club what it is today.
Many Glenorchy players have successfully pursued careers in the VFL/AFL. Such players include John Chick, Daryl Sutton,
Rodney Eade , Andy Lovell, Adrian Fletcher, John Klug, Brodie Holland and Ben Beams to name a few.
more information on the club visit
http://gdfc.hypermart.net
GDFC History
Premierships: 1935, 1948-49, 1951, 1953, 1955-56, 1958, 1965, 1975, 1983, 1985-86, 1999 (14 total)
Tasmanian State Premierships: 1948, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1965, 1975 (6 total)
William Leitch Medallists: R.Garwood 1951; T.Sprigg 1975; P.Hudson 1978 & 1979; G.Linton 1980; A.Fletcher 1988 (5 Medallists/6 Medals)
All Australians: Barry Strange 1956 (1 total)
Highest Score: 34.21 (225) vs. Hobart at KGV Football Park in round 20 1983
Most Games: 274 by Kevin Baker
Record Home Attendance: 6,520 in round 14 1966: Clarence 7.8 (50); Glenorchy 5.12 (42)
Record Finals Attendance: 24,968 for 1979 grand final at North Hobart Oval: Clarence 12.11 (83); Glenorchy 11.14 (80)
The first club bearing the name of the Hobart district of New Town was actually formed as early as 1878, but it was not until 1919 that a club of that name participated in the TANFL, albeit only at junior level. After achieving outstanding success at this level, however, the club was admitted to senior ranks in 1921, but once there it found success much harder to come by. Indeed it was not until 1935 that New Town broke through to record its first senior premiership with an 18.9 (117) to 15.13 (103) win over North Hobart in front of a crowd of 6,021. One of the stars of the win was New Town's captain coach, the legendary Roy Cazaly, who was ably supported by Langford (7 goals), the Rooke brothers, and Ferguson.
The 1935 triumph was to be New Town's only success prior to the TANFL's introduction of district football in 1944. Since then, however, the club has shared with North Hobart the distinction of being the most successful club in the competition, with a further dozen premierships to its credit. The first post war grand final appearance came in 1946, but Sandy Bay were comfortable winners by 42 points, 12.16 (88) to 5.16 (46).
In 1948 Roy Cazaly returned to the club as non-playing coach (although he did actually end up playing on occasion, most notably in the 1951 grand final when, as a 58 year old, he was named as a reserve), and he reaped immediate success. In the grand final that year New Town defeated North Hobart by 16 points in a hard, slogging game of poor standard in which numerous injuries were sustained. Final scores were 11.15 (81) to 9.11 (65), with Fox, Smith (5 goals), Kelly, Tonks and Conway among New Town's best. The team then went on to win the state premiership at first time of asking.
The 1949 season brought back to back flags after a 10.8 (68) to 4.12 (36) grand final win over Hobart. Kelly, Rough, Witzerman and Loring were the best players. In the state premiership play off, however, the side was defeated by North Launceston.
A 2 point grand final defeat against Hobart in 1950 was followed a year later by a 20.14 (134) to 9.9 (63) annihilation of North Hobart for the club's most convincing premiership victory to date. New Town were particularly well served on this occasion by Fox, Garwood, Scott, Chick, Conway and Lewis (7 goals). The state premiership was not contested in 1951, but New Town would surely have been hard to beat if their form in the grand final was anything to go on.
Bill Fox took over from Cazaly as coach in 1952 but he lasted only a year as the side slumped to 3rd. The following season, however, under Fox's replacement, Jack Rough, the side returned to the top with an 11 point victory over a resilient Sandy Bay combination. New Town's best in their 16.18 (114) to 15.13 (103) triumph included Garwood, Strange, Lewis, Conlan and Robson, and the side were good enough to go on to win the state premiership for the second time.
Hobart took the honours by 10 points in the 1954 grand final but this proved to be just a temporary hiatus as New Town roared back to claim successive flags in 1955 and 1956. The 1955 grand final was a 'revenge' mission with Hobart the victims by 35 points, 15.11 (101) to 8.18 (66). Best players for New Town included Stockell, Strange, Rough, Johnston and Shadbolt. A year later New Town and North Hobart treated a 12,000 crowd to a nail-biting tussle in which New Town led by less than a goal at every change before squeezing home by just 3 points, 8.7 (55) to 7.10 (52). Despite inclement weather conditions it was a high standard game with Webster, Eade, Griffiths, Lewis and Rough shining for New Town. The side went on to win its third state premiership this year, making up for a disappointing failure in 1955. Another highlight of the 1956 season was Barry Strange's selection in the All Australian team selected after the Perth Carnival; Strange remains - and is likely ever to remain - the only New Town/Glenorchy player to be so honoured.
1957 was a seminal year in the club's development as it saw a relocation to the King George V Oval in Glenorchy and, following an amalgamation with the club already based there, a re-christening as the Glenorchy District Football Club. On the field the team continued to do well, losing the 1957 grand final by 2 goals against North Hobart before, in 1958, annexing another premiership with a 15.15 (105) to 11.11 (77) defeat of Sandy Bay. Conlan, Johnston, Eade, Siely and Churchill were among the best players in a side which went on to lift the state premiership.
A plethora of injuries saw the Magpies slump to the unaccustomed indignity of last place (out of 6) in 1959, and when this performance was repeated after a comparatively injury free 1960 season the club hierarchy decided to ring the changes. Former player John Chick returned as senior coach in 1961 after a 119 game 29 goal career with Carlton and under his astute guidance the Magpies played off in the grand final, losing by 36 points to North Hobart. This proved to be something of a false dawn, however, as the side slipped down the ladder to 5th in 1962 before collecting another wooden spoon a year later.
Bob Parsons succeeded Chick as coach in 1964 and after a season of re-building the side broke through for a premiership in 1965 after a 10.15 (75) to 6.8 (44) victory over North Hobart. Best players were Marney, McMahon, Kingston, Johnston and Baker. A win in the state premiership followed. Parsons guided Glenorchy to another grand final a year later but the result was a soul-destroying 1 point loss to Hobart. Parsons commented that "all things considered 1966 was a happy and successful year for the club and to reach the grand final was indeed an achievement." [see footnote 2]
The 1967 season brought a second successive grand final loss, this time against North Hobart by 14 points, and thereafter it gradually became clear that the team was on the slide. 4th place in 1968 was followed by a drop to 5th in 1969 under new coach Graeme Gahan. When this result was repeated in 1970 Gahan departed to be replaced by experienced East Fremantle player and Western Australian interstate representative Trevor Sprigg, but in four seasons as coach he was unable to lift the side above 3rd position.
The big news prior to the start of the 1975 season was the appointment of Tasmania's and one of Australia's greatest ever goalkickers, Peter Hudson, as senior coach. Hudson was to have a pronounced impact on the team's fortunes, both as coach and player. In the latter capacity he kicked 81 goals for the year to top the League list, while in the former he steered the Magpies to their first grand final in 8 years and their first premiership in 10. Glenorchy's victims on grand final day were Sandy Bay. Hudson kicked 7 goals to be one of his side's best players, while others to do well included 1975 Leitch Medallist Sprigg, obviously revelling in his new found freedom from the burdens of coaching, Parish, Linton and Johannsen.
After adding the state premiership to that of the TFL the Magpies journeyed to Adelaide for the Australian Club Championships where they performed creditably in sustaining only narrow losses to Norwood and West Perth.
With Hudson still at the helm a year later there seemed good reason for optimism but the side foundered on grand final day against Sandy Bay, going down by 97 points. It was a similar story in 1977 under Jack Rough, the Seagulls' grand final winning margin this time being 91 points. The 1978 grand final was a much more evenly contested affair, but not even the return of the mighty Peter Hudson to the Glenorchy camp could prevent Sandy Bay from registering an 11 point triumph.
1979 brought a fifth successive grand final appearance and a change of opponent in Clarence; however, there was no change in fortune as the Roos won by 3 points thereby consigning Glenorchy to a fourth consecutive grand final defeat. Peter Hudson officially retired after the grand final although he was to make a brief three game come back two seasons later. All told, Hudson played a total of 289 senior games for New Norfolk, Hawthorn and Glenorchy between 1963 and 1981, netting 1,721 goals at an average of 5.95 goals per game.
He also kicked a further 317 goals in other games such as interstate matches for Tasmania and Victoria, intrastate football for the TFL, night games, state and Australian championship matches, and so forth, for an Australian record career total of 2,038 senior goals.
Colin Tully replaced Jack Rough as senior coach in 1980, but once again the team was bested on grand final day, this time by Hobart. In addition, the Magpies took part in a prototype Statewide competition involving TFL, NTFA and NWFU clubs and got as far as the semi finals before losing to Hobart.
Peter Hudson was back as coach a year later, ostensibly in a non playing capacity, but he did make a brief come back at full forward late in the season when the team was struggling and managed 30 goals in 3 games.
The side finished 3rd. 1982 saw Peter Hudson give way to Gary Davidson as coach and also saw the Magpies filling their now familiar role as bridesmaids in going down by 11 points to New Norfolk in the grand final.
A year later, however, Glenorchy swept all before them in one of the most outstanding seasons in the club's history. In round 20 they kicked a club record 34.21 (225) against Hobart, and several weeks later in the grand final they gave an equally dominant performance to overturn New Norfolk by 92 points, 28.19 (187) to 14.11 (95), with Peters, Webster, Excell, Pearce (5 goals) and Stephens starring.
Glenorchy claimed the minor premiership in 1984 but then lost the grand final by 26 points against Clarence.
In 1985 the club broke with recent tradition by appointing a local, Danny Ling, as senior coach, and he met with immediate success as Glenorchy defeated Clarence by 4 points in a fiery grand final played in front of a crowd of 16,561. There were noteworthy performances from Pearce (7 goals), Curley, Coleman, Excell and Collis.
In 1986 the League expanded to include two Launceston-based teams and Glenorchy made history by securing a premiership at every level. The reserves downed North Hobart by 51 points; Clarence succumbed in the thirds by the same margin; and in the fourths it was Hobart who went down by 25 points. At senior level the Magpies proved too good for Sandy Bay to the tune of 32 points, 14.20 (104) to 9.18 (72), with prominent showings from Klug, Coleman, Hay, Tovey and Gilham.
The TFL expanded still further in 1987 with the admission of two NWFU clubs in the Burnie Hawks (formerly Cooee) and the Devonport Blues. Glenorchy remained a force to be reckoned with but lost a high scoring grand final against North Hobart by 52 points. It was a similar story twelve months later under new coach Robert Groenewegen, with the Devonport Blues defeating the Magpies by 41 points, 15.7 (97) to 8.6 (48). Since then, however, it has all been downhill, with 4th place (in 1989 and 1993) representing the club's best return.
Danny Ling returned to the coach's hot seat in 1990 but, with the club announcing a massive financial deficit of over $200,000, he was clearly going to be up against it from the outset. The Magpies plummeted to 9th (out of 10) in 1990, heralding a decline in fortunes which was to continue for most of the rest of the decade. However, by 1999 the Magpies, under Paul Hamilton, were once again in a position of pre-eminence, and a 15.9 (99) to 7.11 (53) grand final victory over the Northern Bombers seemingly heralded a great future.
Sadly, however, this was not to be. In January 2001 the Tasmanian State Football League collapsed, leaving Glenorchy, Clarence, Hobart and North Hobart with nowhere to go. All were ultimately accepted into the recently formed Southern Football League, although in Glenorchy's case - as in that of New Norfolk before them - the price was distressingly high: the League ruled that, as a condition of affiliation, Glenorchy must change both its emblem and its colours. This was because both the Magpie emblem and the black and white playing uniform were already in use by Claremont Football Club (not to be confused with the Perth club of the same name). The Glenorchy Magpies thus became the Glenorchy Storm, supplemented the black and white in their uniform with green, and girded their loins to confront an unknown, but in all probability infinitely less auspicious, future, although a grand final appearance in their debut season in the new competition may have afforded a miniscule glimmer of solace.
Written for publication by John Devaney
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