New Norfolk Football Club - the eagles

The New Norfolk Eagles is a Premier League club in the AFL Southern Tasmania competition of Australian Rules football. Premiers in 1968, 1982

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The New Norfolk Football Club was founded in 1878 and is the third oldest senior club along with Longford and Newtown (now Glenorchy).

1. Launceston founded 1875

2. City (later changed to Hobart) founded in 1876

3. New Norfolk founded in 1878

- Longford founded in 1878

- Newtown (changed to Glenorchy in 1957) founded in 1878

New Norfolks first colors were the same as the N.N. Rowing Club Black & Gold. In 1921 N.N. played Scottsdale in Launceston for the Cyrill Nash trophy and a side wager of 100 pounds. N.N. won by 3 points in a thriller. The team was captained by Bill Cowburn - the family owned the Bush Inn for many years.

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In 1928 30 & 33 N.N. won the Storr Cup for the Premier team (Storr are now a Dress Suit Hire firm in Hobart) other sides to win this Cup were Upper Derwent in 1929 & Bothwell in 1931. This Cup is on display in the N.N.D.F.C.. Just prior to the 2nd World War N.N. played in the Southern District Competition - other teams were Bothwell, Bridgewater & Clarence, the N.N. home ground was Lachlan Park Oval, where up to 1500 would watch.

Along with Clarence N.N. were admitted to the T.F.L. Competition in 1947 for a trial period of 2 years, other teams were Sandy Bay, North Hobart, New Town and Hobart. Our first coach was Albert 'Tich" Edwards (no relation to the Clarence Tich Edwards). Our Tich passed away at 87 and lived in Doveton, Victoria. He previously played with Fitzroy and was a Life Member of the Brisbane Lions. Our colors in the first 2 years of the T.F.L. were green & gold, in 1949 gold & green then in 1950 red, white & black like St.Kilda - we have had different variations of those colors over the years.

New Norfolk had little success in the T.F.L. only winning flags in 1968 under coach Trevor Leo plus the state final that same year, and Robbie Dykes coached to another flag in 1982. The Reserves and underage teams have had the most success. In our present league the Seniors were Runners-up to Kermandie, the Reserves won the flag after going through the season undefeated and the Colts ended in third spot. We were runners up in the 2000 season Grand Final losing to Kermandie and then lost again in the 2004 Grand Final to Clarence.

While in the T.F.L. the Club had many champion players, with 11 players winning 13 William Leitch Medals between them plus numerous other awards. The great Peter Hudson started his career at N.N. in 1963 at 17 years of age. He booted 20 goals in the 1966 carnival and won an All Australian blazer and was the first player to kick 100 for N.N. Paul Dac booted 526 in 113 games for the Eagles to be our top Goal Kicker.

In the year 2000 our club joined the Southern Football League with the colors gold & brown like Hawthorn and we were known as the Hawks until the end of the 2003 season. In the 2004 season we were allowed to return to our traditional red, white and black strip and our nickname of the Eagles.

Michael Eiszele is the New Norfolk record game holder with 324 games including 124 in the reserves. He is the nephew of the late Robert 'Boy' Wilton who was the N.N. Record Games holder until 2004 - 314 including 84 in the Reserves.

Mr. Les Hepper is the longest serving President from 1957 - 1974

N.N. Players who are members of the old T.F.L. Senior or Rep Games Club are:

H. Thompson 254
R. Wilton 230
P. Plunkett 225
T. Browning 223
N. Taylor 214
M. Hunnibell 214
D. Young 204
D. Munnings 206
L. Harris 203
M. Eiszele 200
R. Hanlon 200

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Both Hunnibell and Hanlon games include games played with Glenorchy and North Hobart respectively.

Most goals kicked in a game: Wayne Fox and Paul Dac both kicked 14 goals twice each.

Most goals kicked in a reserves game: 16 by Clay King in a 1999 SWL game against Devonport.

Most goals kicked in a season: Wayne Fox - 135



Jason Wilton is the only N.N. player to ever win the Darrel Baldock Medal for best player in the 1994 Grand Final won by Clarence.

N.N. home ground is Boyer Oval which is now owned by the Derwent Valley Council. It was given to them by A.N.M. The ground measures 170m x 137m. The Derwent Valley Council built the new change rooms. N.N. own their own Clubrooms 300m west of the oval. They were opened by the late Mr. R. Henry A.N.M. in August 1972.

By Lyn Harris who was born in the New Norfolk Cottage Hospital on 3.12.1931 and joined the N.N.D.F.C. in 1949 and played 203 Senior and 22 Reserves games. Became the Eagles first local non-playing coach in 1962, came back in 1963 and played then retired at the end of that year.

Coached N.N. U/17's to first premiership in 1968. Life Member of New Norfolk and Life Member of Old Players and Officials Ass. President of the same for the last 26 years. Received an O.A.M. in 1999 for services to the sport of Football & Cricket in the Derwent Valley on and off the field.
 
- For further Information contact Lyn C. Harris on 62612141.

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NNDFC History

Premierships: 1968, 1982 (2 total) Tasmanian State Premierships: 1968 (1 total)

William Leitch Medallists:

J.Brown 1948
C.Busch 1952
B.Roe 1954
R.Garwood 1955 & 1958
R.Browning 1961 & 1962
R.Graham 1972
T.Browning 1974
R.Dykes 1981
G.Hunnibell 1985
R.Hanlon 1990
R.Peters 1993
Roger Belcher & Brock Ackerley 2004 (joint winners)
Horrie Gorringe Medallist: Matthew Jones 2002
13 Medallists/15 Medals)

All Australians: Peter Hudson 1966 (1 total)

Highest Score:

Seniors: 30.20.200 in SWL 1997, 31.16.203 in SFL April 2001.

Reserves: twice booted 42.14.266 in SFL. This is a club record since 1947 being in the TFL.

Most Games: 264 by Chris Sproule

Record Home Attendance: 4,710 on 1 May 1965: Clarence 8.11 (59); New Norfolk 6.8 (44)

Record Finals Attendance: 24,413 for 1970 grand final at North Hobart Oval: Clarence 19.16 (130); New Norfolk 10.15 (75)

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New Norfolk entered the TFL in 1947 along with South East Football Association rivals Clarence, bringing the total number of clubs in the competition to six. Although they have always found the winning of premierships to be a difficult proposition they have nevertheless made a telling contribution to Tasmanian football, as is evidenced, for example, by their having produced more William Leitch Medallists than any other club, including League heavyweights Glenorchy and North Hobart.

New Norfolk had to wait until 1959 for a first ever grand final appearance but would almost certainly have been prepared to wait even longer had it guaranteed a less ignominious result. The Eagles lost by 47 points, but it was not the margin which was so deflating, rather their consummate inability to trouble the scorers. Final scores were Hobart 9.14 (68) to New Norfolk 2.9 (21) with the Eagles' total being the lowest in a post war TFL grand final.

Sandy Bay provided the opposition on New Norfolk's next appearance in a grand final in 1964 but, although the Eagles put in a much improved performance, the ultimate result was the same, with the Seagulls winning by 2 straight kicks. Not even the presence in the New Norfolk side of the great Peter Hudson could enable the Eagles to bridge the gap.

Hudson had departed to the mainland by the time New Norfolk next appeared in a grand final in 1968 when thankfully it was very much a case of 'third time lucky'. The Eagles won by 29 points, 14.13 (97) to North Hobart's 9.14 (68), only to slip to 3rd in 1969.

The 1970 grand final pitted New Norfolk against a Clarence side in irrepressible form and bidding for its first ever TFL flag. The Eagles were underdogs but confident, given that they had beaten the Roos in the final roster match of the season despite being forced to play the entire last quarter with just seventeen men. A grand final record crowd of 24,413 were in attendance, but sadly this failed to inspire the Eagles who trailed throughout en route to a 55 point loss.

New Norfolk's next grand final appearance in 1972 was equally disappointing, Sandy Bay winning 18.9 (117) to 10.14 (74). The remainder of the 1970s yielded only disappointment and frustration.

The early 1980s proved to be the Eagles' best period since entering the League. Runners up slots in 1981 and 1983 were sandwiched around the club's second premiership which came after a hard fought 11 point defeat of Glenorchy.

New Norfolk's only other grand final appearance came in 1994 when they were favoured by many to upset reigning premiers Clarence. The Roos had other ideas, however, ultimately winning somewhat easier than the final margin of 38 points would suggest.

In 1997 when the TFL decided to apply the scalpel to itself with apparently ruthless abandon there were some who believed the Eagles a trifle fortunate to escape unscathed. Certainly the club has achieved less on field success than either Hobart or Sandy Bay, both of which were unceremoniously shown the door.

New Norfolk's escape was to be short-lived, however. Just two seasons later they joined their erstwhile TFL compatriots in the recently formed Southern Football League, losing both their nickname and official playing colours in the process. In 1999 when they left the TFL they received a $67,000 payout. They then became the New Norfolk 'Derwent Hawks' with the club reaching a grand final in its debut season, but losing by 30 points to Kermandie. At the end of the 2003 season a special meeting was called by club veteran Lyn Harris and the members voted to go back to red, black and white and again become the Eagles. They debuted as the New Norfolk Eagles in the Premier League of the Southern Football League in 2004.

Written for publication by John Devaney With addendums by Lyn Harris.

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