Aquinas Old Collegians Football Club

Aquinas Old Collegians
Names
Full nameAquinas Old Collegians Football Club Inc[1][2]
Former name(s)Aquinas Old Boys Football Club (1981−1986)
Nickname(s)Bloods, Blooders
Club details
Founded18 February 1981; 43 years ago (1981-02-18)
Colours  Red   Black   Green
CompetitionVAFA: Senior men's
VAFAW: Senior women's
PremiershipsVAFA (4)
ESCFA (2)
Other information
Official websiteaquinas.com.au

The Aquinas Old Collegians Football Club, nicknamed the Bloods and also known simply as Aquinas, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Ringwood.[3]

As of 2024, the club's men's team competes in Division 2 of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), while the women's team is in Premier B of the VAFA Women's (VAFAW) competition.

History

In 1980, discussions were held between former students of Aquinas College about forming a football club.[4] At a meeting at the Ringwood Parish Hall on 18 February 1891, the club was formally established as the "Aquinas Old Boys Football Club", entering E Grade in the Eastern Suburbs Churches Football Association (ESCFA).[4][5]

In its second year, the club made the E Grade senior and reserves premiership, winning the latter.[5] Back-to-back senior and reserves premierships came in 1983 and 1984.[5]

Aquinas moved to the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) at the start of the 1987 season, entering F Section.[4] The club, now renamed to "Aquinas Old Collegians", finished first on the ladder with just one loss for the season, and won the grand final by 1 point over Whitefriars.[6][7]

The club won its second senior premiership in E Section (East) in 1996, defeating Yarra Valley Old Boys by 37 points.[8] A third senior premiership came 21 years later in Division 4 in 2017 with a grand final win over Manningham Cobras, which was followed by a 2-point victory − also against Manningham − in the 2019 Division 3 grand final.[9]

Seasons

Grand finals

Premiers Runners-up Drawn
Year League Division Grade Opponent Score Venue Crowd Date Report
1982 ESCFA E Grade Seniors St Patrick's Mentone 16.7 (103) d. 10.8 (68)
1982 ESCFA E Grade Reserves Springvale Districts 14.8 (92) d. 12.16 (88)
1983 ESCFA D Grade Seniors St Patrick's Mentone 16.11 (107) 7.5 (47)
1983 ESCFA D Grade Reserves Black Rock 11.14 (80) d. 4.6 (30)
1984 ESCFA C Grade Seniors St Paul's Bentleigh 15.10 (100) d. 12.10 (82)
1984 ESCFA C Grade Reserves St Paul's Bentleigh 19.17 (131) d. 12.9 (81)
1985 ESCFA B Grade Reserves Mazenod Old Collegians 7.11 (53) d. 2.9 (21)
1986 ESCFA B Grade Reserves St Kevin's Ormond 20.23 (143) 10.8 (68)
1987 VAFA F Section Seniors Whitefriars 12.13 (85) d. 12.12 (84) [10]
1996 VAFA E East Seniors Yarra Valley Old Boys 18.9 (117) d. 12.8 (80) [11]
2017 VAFA Division 3 Seniors Manningham Cobras 14.10 (94) d. 10.9 (69) 16 September 2017
2019 VAFA Division 3 Seniors Manningham Cobras 8.14 (62) d. 7.18 (60) 5 September 1987

References

  1. ^ "VicHealth Active Club Grant 2018-19 Round Two" (PDF). VicHealth. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  2. ^ "The Amateur Footballer Week 19 2005" (PDF). boxhillnorthfc.com.au. Victorian Amateur Football Association. 27 August 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  3. ^ Devaney, John. "Aquinas Old Collegians". Australian Football. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Aquinas OC Football Club". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "EASTERN SUBURBS PROTESTANT CHURCHES FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION 1923 – 1992" (PDF). Southern Football Netball League. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  6. ^ "The Amateur Footballer Week 22 1987" (PDF). Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2024.
  7. ^ Armistead, Nick (12 October 2020). "Bloods bounce back in '87 thriller". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  8. ^ "The Amateur Footballer, Week 21, 1996". Issuu. VAFA Media. 13 December 2016. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  9. ^ Gunawardana, Tash (16 September 2019). "Bloods hold on in Division 3 thriller". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original on 7 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Division 3 Section Grand Finals". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Division 2 Men's Grand Finals". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.