Ainslie Football Club
Australian rules football club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ainslie Football Club is a semi-professional Australian rules football club based in Canberra,[1] in the Australian Capital Territory.
We'll never falter, we'll never slack When those Ainslie teams go marching Onwards to victory
Are we good, are we good Are we very, very good We are a team of champions
It takes a good team to beat us A better team to whop us And Ainslie knows it's true
Are we good, are we good Are we very, very good
We are a team of champions!| Ainslie | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Names | ||
| Full name | Ainslie Football Club | |
| Nickname | Tricolours | |
| Club song | Cheers to the Red, White and Black
We'll never falter, we'll never slack When those Ainslie teams go marching Onwards to victory Are we good, are we good Are we very, very good We are a team of champions It takes a good team to beat us A better team to whop us And Ainslie knows it's true Are we good, are we good Are we very, very good We are a team of champions! | |
| 2025 AFL Canberra season | ||
| After finals | 3rd (Preliminary Final) | |
| Home-and-away season | 2nd | |
| Club details | ||
| Founded | 1927 | |
| Colours | ||
| Competition | AFL Canberra | |
| President | Michael Cawley | |
| Coach | Men's – Jason Tutt; Women's – Stafford Cooper | |
| Captain(s) | Men's – Matt Teasdale; Women's – Shannon Brown; Jamie Clayden | |
| Premierships | AFL Canberra (28) 1929, 1936, 1946, 1947, 1952, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1970, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 | |
| Ground | Alan Ray Oval | |
| Uniforms | ||
| ||
| Other information | ||
| Official website | ainsliefootball.com.au | |
The club was formed in 1927[2] and won its first premiership in 1929.[3]
Ex-St Kilda star Kevin Neale was captain-coach for six seasons (1978–1983), during which time Ainslie won four premierships: 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983.
In 1984 Ex-Collingwood and Richmond player Rod Oborne captain-coached the club, winning the 1984 premiership. The club was also coached by former VFL/AFL great David Cloke. Chris Rourke coached Ainslie for 14 years from 2007 to 2020 taking the club to six premierships during that period.
The club entered the NEAFL for the competition's inaugural season in 2011 – finishing the year as Eastern Conference premiers.[4] The club left NEAFL at the end of the 2015 season and returned to the AFL Canberra competition.[5]
The Club's male record games holder is Todd Pulford (236 games) and the female record holder is Dani Curcio (236 games).
Club Patrons
The Ainslie Football Club has had 10 Club Patrons.
| Year/s | Patron/s |
|---|---|
| 1927–1939 | No Patron Appointed |
| 1940–1941 | Robert Menzies |
| 1942–1945 | No Paton Appointed |
| 1946–1956 | J C Moore |
| 1957–1976 | R H Lewis, BEM
R W Chew |
| 1977–1982 | R H Lewis, BEM
H Gaylard, BEM |
| 1983–1986 | H Gaylard, BEM
Senator Don Jessop Senator Michael Townley |
| 1987 | S L Ray, OAM
Senator Don Jessop Senator Michael Townley |
| 1988–1995 | S L Ray, OAM |
| 1996 – Feb 2014 | A L Ray |
| 2015– | B Marshall |
Club Presidents
There have been 24 Presidents of the Ainslie Football Club.
| Year/s | Name |
|---|---|
| 1927 | P T H McNamara |
| 1928–1930 | Frank Green |
| 1931–1933 | T James |
| 1934–1935 | C Gregory |
| 1936 | G Bourne |
| 1937 | J Horgan |
| 1938 | T Gillard |
| 1939–1953 | R H Lewis, BEM |
| 1954–1955 | B Whatman, MBE |
| 1956 | J Whatman |
| 1957–1971 | H Gaylard, BEM |
| 1972–1975 | A Ray |
| 1976–1981 | K Heales |
| 1982–1985 | B Glossop |
| 1986–1987 | K Heales |
| 1988–1990 | D Lalor |
| 1991—1993 | D Seymour |
| 1994–1996 | B Glossop |
| 1997–2000 | G Cox |
| 2001–2002 | J Miller |
| 2003–2005 | K Heales |
| 2006–2016 | I Muir |
| 2017–2023 | L Phillips |
| 2024– | M Cawley |
Ainslie Women's First Grade Coaches
Ainslie Football Club Women's First Grade Coaches and Premiership years.
| Year/s | Name | Premierships |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–1999 | J Dehuis | |
| 2000–2007 | S Gnaden | 2001 |
| 2008 | J Fromm | |
| 2009 | T Treloar | |
| 2010 | M Porter | |
| 2011 | K Treloar | |
| 2012 | D Glatz | |
| 2013–2014 | B James | |
| 2015 | M Jamieson | |
| 2016–2018 | F Van de Made | |
| 2019-2024 | B Tully | 2023 |
| 2025- | S Cooper | 2025 |
Ainslie Men's First Grade Coaches
Ainslie Football Club Men's First Grade Coaches and Premiership years.
| Year/s | Name/s | Premierships |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | H Kirpatrick | |
| 1928 | W Griffith Snr
G Welsh |
|
| 1929 | G Hanley
M Richards |
1929 |
| 1930 | C Williams | |
| 1931 | L Alexander | |
| 1932 | H Gaylard, BEM | |
| 1933–1935 | J Keogh | |
| 1936 | L James Snr | 1936 |
| 1937 | L James Snr
J Keogh |
|
| 1938 | L James Snr | |
| 1939 | E Gyngell | |
| 1940–1941 | T Evans | |
| 1942–1945 | No Coach – WW II | |
| 1946 | L James Snr | 1946 |
| 1947–1948 | R Furler | 1947 |
| 1949 | B Kay | |
| 1950 | R Bloomfield | |
| 1951 | L James SNR | |
| 1952–1953 | A K Stevens | 1952 |
| 1954 | B Whatman | |
| 1955 | T Evans | |
| 1956 | B Whatman | |
| 1957–1960 | R Donnellan | 1958, 1959 |
| 1961–1965 | N Neeson | 1961 |
| 1966–1968 | W Drake | |
| 1969 | L Cronin | |
| 1970–1972 | J Davies | 1970 |
| 1973–1975 | J Jillard | |
| 1976 | K Hassett | |
| 1977 | B Read | |
| 1978–1983 | K Neale | 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983 |
| 1984–1985 | R Oborne | 1984 |
| 1986 | B Cook | |
| 1987–1988 | R Durnan | 1987 |
| 1989 | R Durnan
B Hannam |
|
| 1990–1991 | B Hannam | 1990 |
| 1992–1993 | D Cloke | 1992, 1993 |
| 1994–1996 | P Banfield | 1994, 1995, 1996 |
| 1997 | R Smith | 1997 |
| 1998 | K Neale | |
| 1999 | B Heaver | |
| 2000 | P Gribble | |
| 2001–2005 | B Knowles | |
| 2006 | A Bishop | |
| 2007–2020 | C Rourke | 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| 2021–2022 | J Doering | |
| 2023– | J Tutt |
AFL/VFL players
There are list of past and present Ainsile players who have played at AFL/VFL:
- Alan Bloomfield (North Melbourne)
- Neil Bristow (Footscray)
- Nathan Buckley (Brisbane Bears and Collingwood)
- David Cloke (Richmond and Collingwood)
- Brian Cook (Melbourne)
- John Davies (Geelong)
- Aldo Dipetta (St. Kilda and Sydney Swans)
- Ray Donnellan (Fitzroy)
- Bob Furler (1918–1998) (Hawthorn)
- Nick Heyne (St. Kilda)
- James Hird (Essendon)
- John Jillard (1941–1998) (Footscray)
- Ken McGregor (Adelaide)
- Kevin Neale (St. Kilda)
- Nick Salter (Port Adelaide)
- Marcus Seecamp (Fitzroy and Melbourne)
- Robert Shirley (Adelaide)
- Rob Smith (1951–2013) (North Melbourne)
- Ross W. Smith (North Melbourne)
- Shaun Smith (North Melbourne and Melbourne)
- Alan Stevens (St. Kilda)
- Jason Tutt (Western Bulldogs and Carlton)
- Aaron vandenBerg (Melbourne)
- Riley Hamilton (Greater Western Sydney)
AFLW players
There are list of past and present Ainslie players who have played at AFLW:
- Britt Tully (Greater Western Sydney - drafted October 2016)
- Ashleigh Brazil (Collingwood - drafted October 2017)
- Tess Cattle (Greater Western Sydney – drafted June 2022)
- Georgia Clayden (Gold Coast Suns – selected June 2022)
- Georgie Jacques (Port Adelaide - selected April 2023)
- Lily Quigley (Gold Coast Suns - drafted May 2026)
