The Finley Football Club, nicknamed the Cats, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the town of Finley located in the Riverina district of New South Wales.
The club's football and netball teams currently play in the playing in the Murray FNL, which Finley joined in 1933.
History Earliest mentions of the club in the local press appear in 1894 with its early success against the Berrigan Football Club.
The club held an Annual General Meeting in 1895 and entered the Murray Border Football Association, then in 1899 joined the Federal District Football Association .
Finley FC competed in the Southern Riverina Football Association from 1905 to 1931 and played in 16 grand finals in that period and winning 10 premierships.
Walter Barthelson, a 17 year old Finley footballer from "The Rocks", Tocumwal, New South Wales was injured whilst playing football in 1908 against Leniston and died after an abdominal operation the following day.
In 1915, Finley footballer, Sidney Jones was killed shortly after the outbreak of World War I.
Some players from Finley have risen to the major football league in the country, the Australian Football League (AFL), including – Shane Crawford Tom Hawkins. Allan Jeans (1955–59, 77 games for St Kilda and premiership coach of St Kilda 1966, premiership coach for Hawthorn 1983, 1986 & 1989), Jack Hawkins (1973–81, 182 games- Geelong), Darren Jackson and Bert Taylor (1934–36, 39 games- Melbourne)Wilks, M. (2011) Australian football clubs in NSW Bas Publishing. p. 42 Dan O'Bryan also played for the club in 2025.
Football competitions timeline Finley FC have played in the following competitions. 1895 – Murray Border Football Association 1896 – No official competitions? 1897 – No official competitions? 1898 – No official competitions? 1899 & 1900 – Federal Football Association 1901 – In recess. Refused entry into the Federal FA due to excess travel for other clubs. 1902 – No official competitions? 1903 – No official competitions? 1904 – No official competitions? 1905 – No official competitions? 1906 to 1932 – Southern Riverina Football Association 1933 to present – Murray Football League
Premierships Senior Football Southern Riverina Football Association (10): 1907, 1910, 1914, 1918, 1922, 1923 1926, 1927, 1929, 1930 Murray Football League (7): 1952, 1954, 1958, 1971, 1981, 1982, 1988Club history
Runners Up Senior Football Southern Riverina Football Association (6) 1909, 1913, 1919, 1920, 1925, 1928. Murray Football League (11) 1938, 1950, 1952, 1968, 1972, 1986, 1991, 1993, 2012, 2014, 2016.
VFL / AFL Players The following footballers, played with Finley prior to playing senior VFL / AFL football, with the year indicating their debut season. 1934: Bert Taylor – Melbourne 1947: Terry Walsh – North Melbourne 1955: Allan Jeans – St. Kilda. Later coached St.Kilda, Hawthorn & Richmond 1958: Jim Broockmann – Fitzroy 1971: Phil Baker - North Melbourne, Geelong 1973: Jack Hawkins – Geelong 1973: Michael Hawkins- Geelong 1984: Robb Hawkins – Geelong 1984: Darren Jackson – Geelong 1984: David Murphy - Sydney Swans 1987: Peter Baldwin- Geelong 1990: Damian Sexton – St. Kilda 1993: Shane Crawford – Hawthorn 2000: Marcus Baldwin - Geelong 2007: Tom Hawkins – Geelong 2012: Mark Whiley – Greater Western Sydney & Carlton
Notes
References
External links
Gameday website