Bacchus Marsh Football and Netball Club is an Australian rules football and netball club, located in Bacchus Marsh in Victoria, Australia. The club's various football and netball teams compete in the Ballarat Football League, which is part of the Victorian Country Football League.
The home ground of Bacchus Marsh is Maddingley Park, located to the south of Bacchus Marsh.
History Bacchus Marsh FC (1881 to 1978) There was an attempt to form an Australian Rules Football club in Bacchus Marsh in May 1874, but this was delayed until "a greater interest was displayed".
The Bacchus Marsh FC was originally formed April 1881.
In May 1891, Mr. T. Cain was elected as the President.
It appears the club wore red and blue horizontal stripe football jumpers from the early 1900s to the early 1920s.
In 1923, Bacchus Marsh colours were branded as the "Two Blues".
The club initially joined in official competition football in 1911 and then played in the Ballarat Football League in 1929 and 1930.
The Bacchus Marsh "Tigers" initially wore a black guernsey with a yellow strip going diagonally from top left to bottom right from 1929, when they first joined the Ballarat Football League.
Football Club Timeline 1881 - 1910: Club formed in 1881 & played friendly matches against other local clubs up until 1910. 1911 - ? Football Association 1912 - 1915: Bacchus Marsh District Football Association 1915 BMDFA season abandoned in July. 1916 - 1918: Club in recess due to World War One 1919 - 1927: Bacchus Marsh District Football Association 1928 - Werribee & Bacchus Marsh District Football Association 1929 - 1930: Ballarat Football League 1st 18 played in the BFL. 1929 - Bacchus Marsh District Football Association. BMFC 2nd 18 played in this competition. 1930 & 1931 - Bacchus Marsh & Melton Football Association. BMFC 2nd 18 played in this competition. 1931 - 1932: Geelong & District Football League 1933 - 1941: Bacchus Marsh & Melton Football Association 1942 - 1944: Association & Club in recess due to World War Two. Club active but no official competition football. 1945 - 1958: Bacchus Marsh & Melton Football Association 1959 - 1972: Bacchus Marsh District Football League 1973 - 1978: Bacchus Marsh & Ballarat District Football League 1979 - 1982: Ballarat Football League. Merged with Maddingley FC to form Maddingley-Bacchus Marsh FC 1983 - 2019: Ballarat Football League. The club changed their name to just the Bacchus Marsh FC in 1983. 2020 - League & club in recess due to COVID-19 2021 - 2024: Ballarat Football League
Maddingley FC (1909 to 1978) The Maddingley Football Club was formed in April 1909, with Mr. W.J. Lindsay elected as President and played in the Bacchuss Marsh FA from 1912 until 1915, but did not reform after World War One, as a club until 1931.
The Maddingley Spiders who wore a black guernsey with a red strip going diagonally from top left to bottom right.
In 1978 Maddingley left the Ballarat-Bacchus Marsh FL and joined the Ballarat Football League. Bacchus Marsh remained in the B-BMFL in 1978 and struggled because the club was practically insolvent. At the end of the 1978 season, a deal was done and the two clubs merged. Maddingley-Bacchus Marsh FC (1979 to 1982) The two clubs officially merged in 1979 to form Maddingley-Bacchus Marsh FC who decided to wear a black guernsey with two "v" shape strips, one red, one yellow starting at the top left and finishing on the top right.
Bacchus Marsh FC (1983 to present day) The Maddingley-Bacchus Marsh FC changed their name to just the Bacchus Marsh FC in 1983.
There have been a few great footballers to go through the district from both Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley including, Fred Wooller, Sandy Talbot, Frank Pomeroy, Liam Duggan and Bugsy.
Football Premierships Seniors Bacchus Marsh FC
Bacchus Marsh District Football Association 1912 - Bacchus Marsh: 8.12 - 60 defeated Melton: 5.6 - 36 1920 - Bacchus Marsh: 6.3 - 39 d Melton: 4.7 - 31 1924 - Bacchus Marsh: 10.17 - 77 d Melton: 2.5 - 17 1925 - Bacchus Marsh: 4.3 - 27 d Rockbank: 3.5 - 23
Werribee & Bacchus Marsh District Football Association 1928 - Bacchus Marsh: 10.6 - 66 d Werribee: 9.6 - 60
Bacchus Marsh & Melton District Football Association 1933 - Bacchus Marsh: 10.23 - 83 d Maddingley: 11.8 - 74 1937 - Bacchus Marsh: 9.10 - 64 d Maddingley: 6.22 - 58 1940 - Bacchus Marsh: 14.9 - 93 d Darley: 10.14 - 74 1941 - Bacchus Marsh: 9.10 - 64 d Ballan: 7.14 - 56 1945 - Bacchus Marsh: 14.8 - 92 d Darley: 13.12 - 90 1946 - Bacchus Marsh: 11.7 - 73 d Darley: 8.20 - 68
Bacchus Marsh District Football League 1962 - Bacchus Marsh: 13.11 - 89 d Ballan: 10.8 - 68 1974 - Bacchus Marsh: d
Ballarat Football League 2016 - Bacchus Marsh: 13.21 - 99 d Sunbury: 5.14 - 44
Maddingley FC Bacchus Marsh & Melton District Football Association 1936 - Maddingley: 10.12 - 72 d Rockbank: 7.10 - 52 1951 - Maddingley: 14.13 - 97 d Rockbank: 8.12 - 60 1954 - Maddingley: 17.11 - 113 d Darley: 12.15 - 85 1958 - Maddingley: 13.10 88 d Melton: 12.14 - 86 Bacchus Marsh District Football League 1967 - Maddingley: 19.12 - 126 d Rockbank: 17.15 - 115 1968 - Maddingley: 14.4 - 88 d Ballan: 9.9 - 63 Ballarat-Bacchus Marsh Football League 1973 - Maddingley: 20.13 - 133 d Bacchus Marsh: 20.11 - 131 1977 - Maddingley: 15.21 - 111 d Sebastopol: 12.15 - 85
Reserves Bacchus Marsh FC Bacchus Marsh District Football League 1967 - Bacchus Marsh: 10.6 - Ballan: 7.9 - 51
Maddingley FC Bacchus Marsh District Football League 1961 - Maddingley: 1966 - Maddingley: 1969 - Maddingley:
Football Runner Up Seniors Bacchus Marsh FC Bacchus Marsh District Football Association 1913 - Melton: 8.16 - 64 d Bacchus Marsh: 3.3 - 21 1914 - Melton: 10.14 - 74 d Bacchus Marsh: 6.7 - 43 1919 - Melton: 5.7 - 37 d Bacchus Marsh: 3.4 - 22 1921 - Melton: 4.7 - 31 d Bacchus Marsh: 2.9 - 21 1923 1927 Geelong & District Football League 1931 - Geelong West: 8.13 - 61 d Bacchus Marsh: 6.10 - 46 Bacchus Marsh District Football League 1961, 1964, 1966 Bacchus Marsh & Ballarat Football League 1973 Ballarat Football League 2017
Seniors Maddingley FC Bacchus Marsh & Melton Football Association 1932, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1949, 1953, 1955 Bacchus Marsh District Football League 1969
League Best & Fairest winners Senior Football Bacchus Marsh & Melton District Football Association 1936 - Laurie Shea: Maddingley 1937 - Mick Vallence: Maddingley 1938 - Walter Wehlan: Maddingley 1939 - Ron Durham: Bacchus Marsh 1940 - Wally Russell: Bacchus Marsh 1941 - Ron Durham: Bacchus Marsh 1952 - Jack Cooper: Maddingley 1953 - Jack Cooper: Maddingley Ballarat Football League - Henderson Medal 1997 - Wayne Cracknell 2018 - Daniel Burton
League Goal Kicking Award Winners Senior Football
Bacchus Marsh & Melton Football Association 1945 - T Hine (40)
Ballarat Football League - Tony Lockett Medal (awarded from 1988 onwards) 1987 - Malcom Scott (69 goals) 1990 - Malcom Scott (79) 1991 - R.Maguire (82) 1998 - Brendan Hehir (74) 2000 - Chris Stuldreier (93) 2001 - Chris Stuldreier (88)
VFL / AFL players The following footballers played with either Bacchus Marsh FNC or Maddingley FNC, prior to playing senior football in the VFL/AFL, and / or drafted, with the year indicating their VFL/AFL debut.
1926 - Harry Vallence - 1926 - Danny Wheelahan - South Melbourne 1930 - Martin Wheelahan - South Melbourne 1932 - Keith Shea - and 1934 - David Wilkie - 1936 - Eddie Shea - 1938 - Les Watkins - 1939 - Jack Skinner - 1942 - Ray Bamford - 1942 - Ollie Grieve - 1942 - Wally Russell - 1943 - Ron Durham - 1945 - Jack Shea - 1947 - Les Carr - 1948 - Alan Bulman - 1956 - Fred Wooller - 1964 - Wayne Closter - 1970 - Sandy Talbot - 2009 - Nick Suban - 2015 - Liam Duggan - 2025 - Sam Lalor - 2025 - Lucca Grego -
The following footballers played senior VFL / AFL football prior to playing and / or coaching with Bacchus Marsh FNC with the year indicating their first season at BMFNC.
1931 - Don Watson - 1932 - Pat Murphy - 1940 - Monty Brown - 1949 - Ken Dyer - 1970 - Frank Pomeroy - 1974 - Graham Middleton - 1987 - Malcom Scott - 2007 - Dion Miles - 2012 - Doug Hawkins - 2013 - Brendan Fevola - 2016 - Damian Cupido -
Netball As of 2024, the club's netball section fields a number of sides in the Ballarat Football League's netball competitions - A. Grade, B. Grade, C. Grade, D. Grade & E. Grade 19 & Under 17 & Under Seniors & 17 & Under Reserves 15 & Under Seniors & 15 & Under Reserves 13 & Under Seniors & 13 & Under Reserves 11 & Under Seniors & 11 & Under Reserves 9 & Under
Bacchus Marsh Football Association The Bacchus Marsh Football Association was formed in 1912 from the following clubs - Bacchus Marsh, Deer Park, Maddingley, Melton and Parwan.
The Bacchus Marsh Football Association initially went into recess in 1928 due to Ballan pulling out, which left only four clubs, then Bacchus Marsh and Rockbank FC's joined the Werribee District Football Association, which then changed its name to the Bacchus Marsh & Werribee District Football Association.
The Bacchus Marsh District Football Association was reformed in April 1929, at their annual meeting.
In 1930, the BMDFA became the Bacchus Marsh & Melton District Football Association.
The BM&MDFA was revived in 1945, after being in recess since 1942 due to World War Two, the competition consisted of five teams, including one new club, the 2nd Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) Training Battalion Football Club.
In 1949, a 20 year old Lifeguard FC player received a heavy knock to the head and later died at a local Doctor's surgery.
In 1959, the BMMDFA changed their name to the Bacchus Marsh Football League.
In 1979, the Ballarat & Bacchus Marsh District FL merged with the Clunes FL to form the Central Highlands Football League.
Football Premiers Seniors