The Nathalia Football Netball Club, nicknamed the Purples, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the town of Nathalia located in north east Victoria. The club currently compete in the Murray League, which Nathalia joined in 1931.
Club history
The club was established in 1888 and played in a number of different football associations in its early years, winning a number of premierships along the way.
The club managed to win five Goulburn Valley Football Association premierships between 1896 and 1930.
At a Murray Football League (MFL) club's delegates meeting in June, 1940, MFL club's decided to abandoned the season and a motion was carried to conclude the season at the end of the first round. Nathalia Football Club were undefeated when the season was officially abandoned in 1940 "and will retain the pennant until the end of next season's play".
Between 1941 and 1945 the MFL went into recess for World War II.
Former Essendon and Glenelg ruckman, Norm Betson was appointed as captain / coach in 1950.
Nathalia won four in a row from 2005 to 2008 and five in a row from 2015 to 2019. Nathalia now boast the equal most (14) premierships in the Murray Football League alongside the Deniliquin Rams with 10 premierships coming from the last 15 seasons.
Football Competitions Timeline Goulburn Valley Football Association 1888 & 1889 Nathalia Football Club 1890 & 1891 – Unsure, in recess ? Goulburn Valley Football Association 1892 to 1897 Nathalia & District Football Association 1898 & 1899 Goulburn Valley Football Association 1900 Barmah & Lower Moria Football Association 1901 to 1903 Nathalia & District Football Association 1904 Picola & District Football Association 1905 Goulburn Valley Football Association 1906 Picola & District Football Association 1907 Western & Moria Ridings Football Association 1908 to 1915 Nathalia Football Club 1916 to 1918 – Club in recess due to World War I. Western & Moria Ridings Football Association 1919 to 1920 Goulburn Valley Football Association 1921 to 1930 Western & Moria Ridings Football Association 1931 to 1932 Murray Football League 1933 to 1940 Nathalia Football Club 1941 to 1945 – Club in recess due to World War II. Murray Football League 1946 to present day
Football Premierships Seniors Goulburn Valley Football Association (5): 1896, 1897, 1923, 1927, 1930 Barmah Central Football Association (1): 1901 Nathalia District Football Association (1): 1904 Western & Moira Ridings Football Association (1): 1932 Picola & District Football League 1947 (NFC 2nds) Murray Football League (14): 1939, 1949, 1963, 1978, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Reserves Murray Football League 1997, 2000
League Best & Fairest) Seniors - O'Dwyer Medallists 1976 – Peter Pettigrew (15 votes) 1983 – Wayne Deledio (28 votes) 1985 – B. Morrison (26 votes) 2004 – Ashley Gemmill (25 votes) 2005 – Nathan Gemmill (19 votes) Joint winner
Reserves ?
Les Mogg Perpetual Trophy Winners (Murray FL – Leading Goalkicker)
1950 – Denis Bourke: (70 goals) 1962 – M. McKay: 64 1987 – Michael Souter: 125 1988 – Michael Souter: 117 2000 – Adam Rudd: 78 2004 – Brendon Parker: 92 (108) 2005 – Brendon Parker: 120 (131) 2006 – Brendon Parker: 108 (121) 2007 – Brendon Parker: 106 (111) 2012 – Jason Limbrick: 76 (84) 2018 – Brodie Ross: 59 (69)
( ): Figures in brackets includes goals kicked in finals
Rising Star Award Winners
2004 – Drew Barnes 2014 – Tom Nihill 2017 – Bailey Bell 2018 – Adam Jorgensen
Nathalia FC / VFL / AFL senior football players
The year indicates their VFL / AFL debut match.
Victorian Football League 1912 – Keith Doig – University 1921 – George Robinson – Richmond 1925 – John Sutherland – Footscray 1930 – Hope Collins – Richmond 1932 – Matt Carland – Essendon & Footscray 1936 – Alan Crawford – North Melbourne 1941 – Jimmy Bates – Essendon 1943 – Frank Bourke (1943, 1946–1947) Richmond – 16 games 1965 – Wes Smith – Hawthorn 1967 – Francis Bourke (1967–1981) Richmond – 300 games played & 46 games as coach of Richmond.
Australian Football League – National Draft 1989 – Brett Hawkey (1989 VFL Draft – # 20) North Melbourne – 0 games 1991 – Brendon Parker (1991 AFL Mid-Season Draft – #7) Carlton – 5 games
References
External links
Gameday website