Murchison-Toolamba Football Netball Club, nicknamed the Grasshoppers, is an Australian Rules Football and Netball club that plays its home games in the small north eastern Victoria town of Murchison. Its name also recognises the initial 1952 merger with nearby town of Toolamba.[1]
| Murchison-Toolamba FNC | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Names | ||
| Full name | Murchison-Toolamba Football Netball Club | |
| Nickname(s) | Grasshoppers | |
| Club details | ||
| Founded | 1881 | |
| Colours | ||
| Competition | Kyabram DFNL | |
| Premierships | 9 (1897, 1904, 1910, 1914, 1945, 1964, 1966, 1982, 2013) | |
| Ground(s) | Murchison Recreation Reserve | |
| Uniforms | ||
| ||
It now competes in the Kyabram District Football League, where they field four teams in four grades of football (Seniors, Reserves, Under 18's & Under 12's), and 13 teams across 10 grades of Netball (KDNL; A-Grade, B-Grade, C-Grade, C Reserve, Under 17's, Under 15's, Under 13's and Under 11's. TNA Div 1 - Murchison Green, Murchison Gold, TNA Div 2 - Murchison, Toolamba Pink, Toolamba Black).
History edit
The Murchison FC was established in 1881 and began in the Upper Goulburn Football Association in 1897.[2]
Toolamba, which has a population of about 900, had its own football club for the first half of the 20th century. But the club, which played in various district leagues, ended up merging with nearby Murchison. The merged entity was initially known as Murchison-Toolamba, and evidence of this, in the form of a team photo, still hangs in the Junction Hotel in Toolamba.
However, the Toolamba name was dropped when the club joined the Kyabram District league in 1964. For the next five decades the club was simply known as the Murchison Grasshoppers. The name Murchison-Toolamba was reinstated following a member vote on 14 April 2016[3]
The club's current colours are bottle green with a gold sash, with some white highlights being added in 2012 to reduce the clashing with opposition clubs Rushworth and Lancaster.
The green with gold sash have been the colours of the club since 1910, before that the club wore black & white stripes with a green sash (1908–1909), Green & Gold Stripes with a Red Sash (1895–1907) and a Navy Jumper with Navy Knickerbockers, Red hose & Cap (1881–1894).
The 2018 senior football coach was Nick Iorianni,[4] A Grade netball coach was Jenni McCluskey[5] and the 2018 President was Craig Thompson.[6]
The 2022 season saw Murchison-Toolamba FNC entered every possible KDL grade and all teams made finals. The Senior team went down in the decider by 10 points to Lancaster in torrential conditions.[7]
Football Premierships edit
- 1st XVIII
- Upper Goulburn Football Association
- 1897 - Murchison: 5.8 - 38 d Nagambie: 5.7 - 37[8]
- Waranga Football Association
- 1904 - Murchison: 1.3 - 9 d Rushworth: 1.1 - 7[9]
- Goulburn Valley Football League
- 1910 - Murchison: 13.9 - 87 d Echuca: 3.7 - 25[10]
- Waranga-North East Football League
- 1914 - Murchison: 7.5 - 47 defeated Nagambie: 4.8 - 32[11]
- Euroa District Football Association
- 1945 - Murchison: 26.17 - 173 d Euroa: 9.9 - 63[12]
- Kyabram & District Football League
- 1964 - Murchison: 14.14 - 98 d Merrigum: 3.7 - 25
- 1966 - Murchison: 10.15 - 75 d Nagambie: 8.15 - 63
- 1982 - Murchison: d Avenel
- 2013 - Murchison: 16.19 - 115 d Stanhope: 12.12 - 84
Premierships 2nd XVIII edit
- Kyabram & District Football League
- 1967, 1972, 1982, 2001
Premierships 3rd XVIII edit
- 1970, 1980, 2010
Netball Premierships edit
- A Grade
- Nil
- B Grade
- Nil
- C Grade
- 2012, 2013, 2014
- C Reserve
- Nil
- 17 & Under
- Nil
- 15 & Under
- Nil
- 13 & Under
- Nil
- 11 & Under
- Nil
References edit
- ^ Oliver Caffrey. "History spanning 100 years". The Press Reader. Shepparton News. pp. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ "Club History - Murchison-Toolamba Football Club". SportsTG.
- ^ McNicol, Adam (14 May 2016). "Grass Boots: It started as a hoot, but neglected Toolamba reclaims its history". The Age.
- ^ "Nick Iorianni new senior coach at Murchison-Toolamba". Riverine Herald. 2 November 2018.
- ^ "Finals aims spurs fitness push for Murchison-Toolamba". Shepparton News. 25 May 2020.
- ^ Alex Mitchell (27 October 2018). "Move looks off the cards". The Press Reader. Shepparton News. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ "KDL and MFNL grand final: Lancaster triumphs in the wet; Mulwala stun Tigers". sheppnews.com.au. 17 September 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ^ "1897 - THE FINAL - WON BY MURCHISON BY 1 POINT". Nagambie Times (Vic). 10 September 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ "1904 - Concentrates". Nagambie Times (Vic). 5 August 1904. p. 2. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ "1910 - Football Premiership". Kyabram Free Press and Rodney and Deakin Shire Advocate (Vic). 16 September 1910. p. 3. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ "1914 - WNEFA Grand Final Review". Murchison Advertiser and Murchison, Toolamba, Mooroopna and Dargalong Express. 2 October 1914.
- ^ "1945 - FOOTBALL FINAL A "FIZZLE"". The Violet Town Sentinel (Vic). 18 September 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
Sources edit
Grass Boots: It started as a hoot, but neglected Toolamba reclaims its history
External links edit
