Wangaratta Football Club

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Full nameWangaratta Football Netball Club
NicknameMagpies
Founded1875; 151 years ago (1875)
Colours   
Wangaratta FNC
Names
Full nameWangaratta Football Netball Club
NicknameMagpies
Club details
Founded1875; 151 years ago (1875)
Colours   
CompetitionOvens & Murray Football League
PremiershipsO&MFNL 1sts:(15) 1925, 1933, 1936, 1938, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1957, 1961, 1976, 2007, 2008, 2017. O&KFNL 1sts:(6) 1905, 1906, 1920, 1931, 1932, 1941.
GroundNorm Minns Oval
Uniforms
Home
Other information
Official websiteWangaratta FNC

The Wangaratta Magpies Football Club, officially known as the Wangaratta Magpies Football & Netball Club, is an Australian rules football club, which first played in the Ovens and Murray Football League in 1893 and is based in Wangaratta, Victoria at the Wangaratta Showgrounds and play on the Norm Minns Oval.[1]

On 20 June 1864, the first Wangaratta Football Club in Wangaratta was formed, with Edward Lucas, President, Henry B. K. Leigh as Secretary and Thomas Cusack and seven others as committee.[2] The Wangaratta Football Club was then reformed in Wangaratta, in 1875,[3] when matches were played intermittently against other local towns like – Albury, Beechworth, Benalla, Chiltern, Corowa, Howlong, Rutherglen, Tarrawingee and Wahgunyah.[4]

There were two Wangaratta teams that entered the Ovens & Murray Football League in 1893, Wangaratta Central FC and West End FC (1893 only), with Wangaratta Central (Magpies) remaining in the O&MFA and moving between the Ovens & King Football League on a number of occasions prior to World War Two. These two teams played in the Wangaratta Football Association in 1892, with Wangaratta FC finishing on top of the ladder and winning the premiership.[5]

In July, 1897, the club withdrew from the O&MFA competition[6] after not winning any matches up until that point.[7]

Wangaratta FC then joined the Murray Valley Junior Football Association and won the 1898 premiership, before rejoining the O&MFA for the 1899 season.

In July, 1900, Collingwood, 12.18 - 90 defeated Wangaratta, 2.8 - 20 in Wangaratta.[8]

Wangaratta FC moved into the Ovens and King FL in its first year of competition in 1903.[9]

Wangaratta's first golden era was between 1919 and 1926 when they played in eight consecutive senior football grand finals, with the first three in the Ovens & King Football League and the last five in the Ovens & Murray Football League, winning an O&KFL premiership in 1920 and an O&MFL premiership in 1925, under coach, Percy Rowe.

In late September 1931, Wangaratta (O&KFL premiers) defeated Weir United (O&MFL Premiers) in a challenge match to decide the champion club in the North East of Victoria.[10] Then in 1932, Wangaratta (O&KFL Premiers) defeated Corowa (O&MFL Premiers) to once again be the North Eastern Victoria champion club.[11]

Wangaratta FC entered two sides into the Ovens & King FL in 1941 and they both played off in the grand final, with the "Rainbows" defeating the more fancied Wangaratta team.[12]

In 1945 Wangaratta entered a team in the Murray Valley Football League and they became undefeated premiers.[13]

Wangaratta FC have been in the Ovens & Murray Football League continuously since 1946.

Wangaratta's second golden era was between 1945 and 1957 when they won six premierships, and were runners up in 1955, winning a record four consecutive premierships between 1949 and 1952 under their captain / coach, former Collingwood player, Mac Holten.

The club had a very lean period between 1997 and 2002, collecting six consecutive wooden spoons and losing 32 consecutive games between 1997 and 1999, but by the mid-2000s were playing finals and later played in seven O&MFNL senior football grand finals between 2007 and 2025, winning four. This included the 2022 grand final, but the club was stripped of its premiership flag for salary cap breaches in the 2022 season, a first in country football.[14]

Since 2012, the club has fielded three football teams and four netball teams in the Ovens & Murray Football League.

Football competition timeline

Seniors
Reserves
Thirds / Under 18's

Football Premierships

Seniors
LeagueTotal flagsPremiership year(s)Runner up
Wangaratta Football Association11892[17]
Murray Valley Junior Football Association11898[18][19]
Ovens & King Football Association[20]61905,[21] 1906,[22] 1920, 1931, 1932, 1941[23]1908, 1909, 1910, 1919, 1921, 1941
Murray Valley Patriotic Football Association11945[24]
Corowa & District Knockout Competition – "VFL Cup"11949[25]
Ovens & Murray Football League[26]151925, 1933, 1936, 1938, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1957, 1961, 1976, 2007, 2008, 2017.1922, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1955, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1977, 2018, 2019, 2025.
Reserves
LeagueTotal flagsPremiership year(s)Runner up
Benalla Tungamah Football League11951[27]
Ovens & Murray Football League51959, 1967, 1968, 1985, 20241964, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1984, 1993, 2014
Thirds
LeagueTotal flagsPremiership year(s)Runner up
Ovens & Murray Football League91975, 1976, 1992, 2000, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 20221974, 1978, 1979, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2024, 2025

Football League Best & Fairest Award Winners

Seniors
Reserves
  • Ovens & Murray Football League
    • Ralph Marks Medal: 1953 - 1963
    • Les Cuddon Medal: 1964 - 1975
    • Leo Burke Medal: 1976–present day
      • 1963 - Ron Wales
      • 1967 - Alan Benton
      • 1992 - Tony Gleeson
      • 2003 - Colin McClounan
      • 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 - Carl Norton
Thirds
  • Ovens & Murray Football League
    • 3NE Award: 1973 - 1984
    • Leo Dean Award: 1985 to present day
      • 1974 - Mick Ketchup
      • 2013 - Louis Vescio
      • 2014 - Hugh Amery
      • 2015 - Hugh Amery

Team of the Century

Mac Holten

Below is the Wangaratta FNC Team of the Century, that was announced on Saturday evening, 5 August 2006.

  • Back line: Graeme Nish, Jack Ferguson, Kevin French
  • Half backline: Fred Carey, Lionel Wallace, Jack McCormack
  • Centre line: Des Steele, Alec Fraser, Lance Oswald
  • Half forward line: Norm Minns, Ernie Ward, Mac Holten
  • Forward line: Phil Nolan, John Leary, Bert Carey
  • Ruck: Bill Comensoli
  • Ruck Rover: Jack O'Halloran
  • Rover: Tim Lowe
  • Interchange: Graham Wood, Jeffrey Hemphill, Jason Lappin, Kevin Mack, Ken Nish
  • Coach: Mac Holten
  • Administration: Norm McGuffie, Jack White

Ovens and Murray Football League - Hall of Fame Inductees

  • 2005 - Norm Minns
  • 2006 - Mac Holten
  • 2010 - Tim Lowe
  • 2013 - Bob Constable
  • 2014 - Kevin Mack
  • 2014 - Phil Nolan
  • 2016 - John Henry
  • 2016 - Jack O'Halloran
  • 2017 - Kevin Allan
  • 2018 - Jack McCormick
  • 2024 - Graham Nish

VFL / AFL Footballers

Steve Johnson, GWS

The following footballers played for Wangaratta FC prior to making their VFL / AFL debut & / or were drafted to an AFL club, with the year indicating their debut or year drafted.

Most Football Games

Seniors
  • 351 - Daine Porter[33]
  • 264 - Brett Keir
  • 260 - Judd Porter
  • 249 - Ken Nish
  • 249 - Graham Wood
  • 217 - John Leary
  • 214 - Graeme Nish
  • 210 - Kevin Mack
  • 203 - Alec Fraser
  • 200+ - Matt Kelly*
  • 200+ - Chris Crimmins
  • 200+ - Michael Bordignon*
  • - * still playing

Senior Football Honourboard

References

Links

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