The Prahran Football Club (IPA: /prəˈræn/), nicknamed the Two Blues, is an Australian rules football club based at Toorak Park in Armadale, Melbourne, Victoria. The club is currently in Division 1 of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA). The nickname Two Blues comes from the club uniform which has been royal blue and sky blue since the club formed in 1886.
| Prahran | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Names | ||
| Full name | Prahran Football Club | |
| Nickname(s) | Two Blues | |
| Club song | "Here come Prahran boys" | |
| Club details | ||
| Founded | 1886, re-formed 1899 | |
| Colours | ||
| Competition | Victorian Amateur Football Association | |
| Coach | Brett Dickinson | |
| Ground(s) | Toorak Park (capacity: 15,000) | |
| Uniforms | ||
| ||
Prahran fields Senior, Reserves, Club XVIII and junior teams.
History edit
Prahran Football Club was formed at a meeting at Prahran Court House on 20 March 1886. The club was admitted to the Victorian Football Association in 1886 playing its home games at the Warehouseman's Cricket Ground. In 1887, it moved to nearby Wesley College Ground.[1][2] After the 1887, the VFA reduced the number of clubs and Prahran amalgamated with the neighbouring St Kilda Football Club, which was based less than a mile away.[3]
Prahran was reformed as a club on 15 March 1899, and rejoined the VFA that season, this time playing at Toorak Park, approximately two miles from St Kilda.[4][5][6] It played in the VFA between 1899 and 1994, with the exception of 1959, when it competed in the Metropolitan League; this was because the Prahran Council would not lease Toorak Park to Prahran's Seconds team, leaving the club expelled from the Association's requirements for failing to meet its minimum home ground requirements. At the end of 1994, when administration of the VFA was turned over to the Victorian State Football League, Prahran left the Association as part of the VSFL's efforts to reduce the size of the VFA and align it with the TAC Cup; Although Prahran's identity was carried on within the TAC Cup from 1995, when the Central Dragons club moved to Toorak Park and was renamed the Prahran Dragons,[7] a name it carried until the end of 1999, there was no affiliation with Prahran Football Club.
The club continued to exist in an administrative capacity after its departure from the VFA, and continued to operate the Prahran Tabaret – a gambling bar it owns and operates in Chapel Street, Prahran – despite having no on-field presence. In 1999, the club merged with Southbank Amateur Football Club in 1999 and joined the Victorian Amateur Football Association under the stewardship of Herald Sun racing writer Tim Habel. It also re-established its junior arm; and, after commencing with just two junior teams, the club now has eight junior teams and has formed a joint Under 19 team with Caulfield Football Club. In 2010, a joint venture with Assumption College was approved and in 2011 the club changed its name to Prahran/Assumption Football Club. The club won 2 premierships in 2011 and 2017 as Prahran Assumption, and reverted to the ‘Prahran’ moniker only in 2023.
Achievements edit
Club honours edit
| Premierships | |||
| Competition | Level | Wins | Years Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victorian Amateur Football Association | Seniors (Division 2) | 1 | 2017 |
| Seniors (Division 3) | 1 | 2011 | |
| Victorian Football Association | Seniors (Division 1) | 5 | 1937, 1951, 1970, 1973, 1978 |
| Seniors (Division 2) | 2 | 1966, 1987 | |
| VFA/VFL Reserves | Division 1 | 2 | 1946, 1991 |
| Division 2 | 1 | 1965 | |
| VFA/VFL Thirds | Division 1 | 2 | 1970, 1972 |
| Division 2 | 1 | 1964 | |
| Metropolitan League | Seniors | 1 | 1959[8] |
League Best & Fairest Awards edit
- VFA - Recorder Cup
- VFA - J J Liston Trophy
- 1993 - Michael Sinni
Club champions/best and fairest edit
- 1904 – George Brown (best all-round)
- 1940 – Bill Faul
- 1945 – A Gardiner
- 1952 – Ian Armstrong
Team of the Century edit
- Back: Vin Crowe, Kerry Foley, Robert Anderson
- Half back: Bill Faul, Dick Culpin, Ian McGuiness
- Centre: Frank Smith, Pat Walsh (c), Ken Emselle
- Half forward: Wayne Johnston, Bill Morrow, Glenn Dickson
- Forward: Barry Pearson, George Hawkins, Les White
- Follower: Rod Payne, Kevin Rose, Ray Harvey (vc)
- Interchange: Kim Smith, Bill Koop, Graeme McMahon, John Townsend, Ross Thornton, Michael Sinni.
- Coach: Kevin Rose
Selected in 2003 by - Jack Morgans, Ray Harvey, Charlie Roach and Ray Ryan.[12]
VFL/AFL players edit
The following well known footballers played with Prahran FC prior to making their senior VFL/AFL debut. View the complete list at the bottom of this page under "Prahran Football Club Players".
- 1941 - Harold Bray – finished in the top three in the Brownlow Medal three times
- 1967 - Kevin Sheedy – former coach of Essendon Football Club and former Richmond player, began his football career with Prahran.
- 1979 - Wayne Johnston – went on to play in four Premierships for Carlton Football Club
- 1980 - Ross Thornton – went onto to play for Fitzroy Football Club
- 1984 - Graeme Yeats – went on to play 182 games for Melbourne Football Club
- 1987 - Jim Stynes – won a Brownlow Medal and went on to set an Australian Football League record for most consecutive games (244) for Melbourne Football Club
The following footballers played with Prahran FC after playing senior VFL / AFL football, with the year indicating their first season with Prahran.
- 1951 - Don Chipp – Australian Federal politician. A former Liberal Minister in the Australian government and inaugural leader of the Australian Democrats political party. Played in the club's 1951 VFA Premiership team.
- 1978 - Sam Kekovich – North Melbourne Premiership player and well known football identity.
- 1991 - Brian Taylor
- 2001 - Tony Free – player-coach in 2001 and 2002 after retiring from an illustrious career with the Richmond Football Club including being Captain of the Tigers.
Thomas Anthony McLaughlin. Born Belfast, travelled to Australia to complete his professional Football career playing for Prahran 1963-1965
Further reading edit
- Fiddian, Marc The Blue Boys: a History of the Prahran Football Club, Prahran Football Club, Melbourne 1986
References edit
- ^ "The Football Season". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 30 April 1886. p. 6.
- ^ Vin Maskell (11 March 2012). "Albert Cricket Ground, Victoria, Australia". Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ^ Rover (7 April 1888). "Football". The Telegraph, St Kilda, Prahran and South Yarra Guardian. p. 7.
- ^ Fiddian, Marc (21 April 1986). The Blue Boys: A History of the Prahran Football Club. Prahran Football Club. ISBN 0958989907.
- ^ "Prahran Football Club". Prahran Football Club.
- ^ "A senior club at Prahran". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 16 March 1899. p. 7.
- ^ Adrian Dunn (13 October 1994). "Plan a 'victory' for VFA identity". Herald Sun (Afternoon ed.). Melbourne, VIC. p. 73.
- ^ "Prahran gets Toorak Oval". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. 6 October 1959. p. 52.
- ^ "1928 - Best & Fairest Player". The Argus. 27 August 1927. p. 6. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ "1931 - W. Koop to Receive Recorder Cup". Sporting Globe. 7 November 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ "1935 - VFA Best & Fairest". The Age. 9 September 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ "Prahran FC - Team of the Century". Boyles Football Photos. Prahran FC. 2003. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
External links edit
