The Camberwell Football Club, nicknamed the Cobras, was an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell. The club competed in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1926 until 1990, which was followed by three seasons in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) before going into recess in 1995.
History Early years Camberwell was formed in 1886 and joined the Victorian Junior Football Association (VJFA), with its earliest-recorded match on 1 May 1886 against .
The club finished sixth on the ladder in 1889, eighth in 1890, and eighth in 1891. At the 1895 VJFA AGM, the competition was reduced from 20 teams to 12 teams and Camberwell was one of the clubs that was not admitted and it appears that Camberwell FC went into recess for a number of years, before joining the Eastern Suburbs Football Association (ESFA) in 1899 and the Reporter District Football Association (RDFA) in 1905.
In 1912, Camberwell went into recess again, with their players being distributed to the Burwood and Kew football clubs. In 1913, the club was readmitted into the VJFA, rated by many as the third highest grade of football in Victoria at that time.
Camberwell won a three-peat in the Melbourne District Football Association (MDFA) from 1921 until 1923, with the latter grand final held as a curtain-raiser at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before played in the second Victorian Football League (VFL) semi-final.
In its earliest years, the club was playing at Camberwell Junction (the corner of Burke and Riversdale Roads); the space that became the home of the Camberwell Football Club for 80 years (eventually known as "Camberwell Sports Ground") was originally a vegetable garden ("Brooks Paddock") and part of Camberwell Racecourse. The preparation of a new sports ground (originally dubbed "Bowen Park") on this site was finished in 1909 and Camberwell Football Club first played at the new ground the following year (1910). A grandstand for visitors' rooms (the "Tramways Grandstand") was built in 1920. A much larger spectators' grandstand and pavilion was built in 1935 – and ready for the 1936 football season.
VFA After establishing itself as a successful junior and sub-district club, Camberwell was seen by the 1920s as a likely strong fit for expansions into the eastern suburbs of either the Victorian Football League (VFL) or the Victorian Football Association (VFA). It lodged applications to join both at different times during the early 1920s, and was admitted to the VFA for the 1926 season. It reached its first Grand Final in 1935, losing by nine points to Yarraville.
With the introduction of throw-pass football to the VFA in 1938, the club made one of the VFA's most significant ever recruiting coups when it recruited champion VFL player Laurie Nash for a huge salary of £8/wk."Naughty Nash", The Canberra Times, 4 April 1938. Following World War II, Camberwell won its first and only top division minor premiership in 1946, but lost in the Grand Final against Sandringham by seven points.
Following the end of the throw-pass era in 1950, Camberwell became one of several weaker VFA clubs who struggled throughout the 1950s. The club was operating as amateur in 1953 due to lack of funds, and it faced pressure to hold its lease at the Camberwell Sports Ground from local soccer clubs who could offer the council more money. It was generally near the bottom of the ladder, and found itself in Division 2 when the Association was partitioned in 1961. The club remained weak throughout the 1960s.
The club improved through the early 1970s, and became a regular Division 2 finalist from 1973. The club played in losing Grand Finals in 1975 against Brunswick and in 1978 against Frankston, before winning its first premiership in 1979, defeating Oakleigh by 38 points. Promoted to Division 1 for the first time, the club was relegated after one season, but won the Division 2 premiership again in 1981, defeating Waverley by 32 points in the Grand Final. In the next few years, Camberwell was considered one of the boom clubs of the VFA, and in 1984 it reached the Division 1 finals for the first time since the 1940s.
Camberwell's position deteriorated abruptly in 1985. Struggling financially, as many VFA clubs were, it asked its players to take a pay cut at the start of the season; but, still unable to make its player payments, senior players began to walk out on the club at midseason. Within a year, there had been an exodus of more than forty players, plus the club was left with a large damage bill after a grandstand fire. The inexperienced team which remained was winless with a percentage of only 30.1 in 1986, including suffering a VFA-record loss against Williamstown by 315 points,"" and was relegated. The club was more competitive in Division 2, but endured two consecutive winless seasons after the competition was recombined into a single division in 1989. After pre-season form indicated the club would be even less competitive in 1991, the club dropped out of the VFA a couple of weeks prior to the start of the season.
VAFA Camberwell hoped to regroup and rejoin the VFA in 1992, but this did not eventuate. Instead, the club joined the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) as Camberwell Amateurs for the 1992 VAFA season, competing in the G North section. Although the club finished fifth at the end of the season and did not make the finals series, they were promoted to F2 Section in 1993, in which they finished second-last with only three wins. The club played at Rathmines Road Reserve in Hawthorn East during the 1993 season.
Camberwell's final season was in 1994 in the Club XVIII North section (formerly known as G Section North), with the club winning its final game against North Old Boys. In the summer of 1995, Camberwell went into recess and folded later that year.
Honours Club records Highest Score43.22 (280) v Yarraville, Round 4, 1981, Camberwell SportsgroundLowest Score1.8 (14) v Oakleigh, Round 9, 1959, Camberwell SportsgroundGreatest Winning Margin193 points v Yarraville, Round 4, 1981, Camberwell SportsgroundGreatest Losing Margin315 points v Williamstown, Round 16, 1986, Camberwell SportsgroundLowest Winning Score6.10 (46) v Brunswick 6.9 (45), Round 3, 1928, Brunswick ParkHighest Losing Score20.24 (144) v Preston 21.19 (145), Round 20, 1940, Camberwell Sportsground
Most goals in a season: 141 - Laurie Nash in 1941 Most Consecutive games in a row: Harry Jones - 133
VFA best and fairest winners J. J. Liston Trophy winners 1950 – Frank Stubbs 1957 – Ken Ross J. Field Medal winner 1971 – Rodney Evans
Team of the Century Backline: Colin Judd, Jim Bohan, Ken Ross Half back: Geoff Mason, Harry Jones, Marcus Boyall Centre: Reg Horkings, Lloyd Holyoak, Charlie Clamp Half forward: Ian Whitten, Laurie Nash, Roy Williams. Forward: Bill Luff, Garry Hammond, Geoff Simpson Followers: Frank Stubbs, Godon Duff, R.J. 'Nipper' Bradford Interchange: Brendan Budge, Mark Davidson, Peter Oliver, Peter Stevenson, George Stone, Ross Wright Coach: A 'Horrie' Mason Captain Jim Bohan Vice Captain Colin Judd
100-game players The following footballers played at least 100 senior games for Camberwell in the VFA:
Greg Spithill: 163 Gary Hammond: 162 Ken Freiberg: 151 Oscar Skalberg: 150 Harry Jones: 143* Jim Bohan: 140 Phil Neilson: 139
Colin Judd: 134 Roy Williams: 133 Bill Hazlett: 128 Geoff Mason: 127 Geoff Simpson: 123 Kevin Johnson: 116 Gordon Duff: 114
Jack Seelenmeyer: 113 Charlie Clamp: 113 Reg Fletcher: 113 Ken Douglas: 112 Dennis Boyd: 112 Mark Davidson: 110 John Hook: 110
Reg Horkings: 108 Peter Fox: 106 Bob Gibson: 106 Keith McGuinness: 105 John Smith: 105 Ern Dyball: 104 Geoff Brayne: 103 Ken Benbow: 101
Harry Jones: Played his first 133 games in a row for Camberwell.
Seasons Source: PremiersGrand FinalistMinor premiersFinals appearanceWooden spoonVFA/VFL leading goalkickerVFA/VFL best and fairest Seniors YearLeagueDivisionCoachCaptainPresidentBest and fairestLeading goalkickerGoals 1888 VJFA 1889 VJFA 6th 13 4 4 1890 VJFA 8th 14 6 1 1891 VJFA 8th 9 3 2 1892 VJFA 1893 VJFA 1894 VJFA 1895 N/A (In recess) 1896 N/A (No formal competition) 1897 N/A (No formal competition) 1898 N/A (No formal competition) 1899 ESFA 1900 ESFA 1901 ESFA 1902 ESFA 1903 ESFA 1904 ESFA 1905 RDFA 1906 RDFA 1907 RDFA 1908 RDFA 1909 RDFA 1910 RDFA 1911 RDFA A Section 1912 N/A (In recess) 1913 VJFA 1914 VJFA 1915 N/A (No formal competition) 1916 VJFA 8th 3 13 0 1917 VJFA 1918 VJFA 1919 VJFA 1920 MDFA 1921 MDFA 1922 MDFA 1923 MDFA 1924 MDFA 1925 VFLSD 1st 1926 VFA George RawleGeorge Rawle H. Rooks Les Woodford Les Woodford 49 1927 VFA Tom Elliott Tom Elliott Reg Page Les Woodford 40 1928 VFA Wally Gunnyon Wally Gunnyon Rev. E. Lyall Williams Les Woodford 36 1929 VFA Jim Shanahan; Bert Calwell Jim Lawn Jim Lawn Jim Lawn 44 1930 VFA Percy Wilson Jim Lawn Frank Hartnett Bob O’Neill 1931 VFA Percy Wilson Stan Petrie Frank Hartnett Harry Jones Bill Luff 52 1932 VFA Horrie Mason Horrie Mason Frank Hartnett Jim Lawn Bill Luff 81 1933 VFA Horrie Mason Horrie Mason Frank Hartnett Ern Dyball Bill Luff 106 1934 VFA Maurie Hunter; Horrie Mason Maurie Hunter; Horrie Mason J.H. Gray Roy Williams 1935 VFA Horrie Mason Horrie Mason Harry Jones Bill Luff 75 1936 VFA Horrie Mason Horrie Mason Reg Henderson Harry Jones 1937 VFA Roy Laing Roy Williams G. McCutchan Joe Meehan 1938 VFA Roy Laing Laurie Nash Frank Hartnett Arthur Davidson Laurie Nash 81 1939 VFA Laurie Nash Laurie Nash Frank Hartnett Laurie Nash Laurie Nash 100 1940 VFA Laurie Nash Laurie Nash Frank Hartnett Reg Horkings Laurie Nash 96 1941 VFA Roy Cazaly Reg Henderson Harry Whitehead Laurie Nash 141 1942 VFA (No season) Harry Whitehead 1943 VFA (No season) 1944 VFA (No season) 1945 VFA Albert Collier Albert Collier E. Jim Bradford 1946 VFA Albert Collier Albert Collier E. Jim Bradford Kollen Bryce 61 1947 VFA Marcus Boyall; Harry Collier Marcus Boyall; Harry Collier Marcus Boyall John McDonald 47 1948 VFA Roy Williams Ivor McIvor Frank Stubbs Jim Bohan 66 1949 VFA Roy Williams Frank Stubbs Frank Stubbs R. Milgate 63 1950 VFA Cec Ruddell Cec Ruddell Frank Stubbs R. Milgate 35 1951 VFA Frank Stubbs; Jim Bohan Jim Bohan C.S. Greenwood Jim Bohan R Milgate 69 1952 VFA Jim Bohan C.H. Henderson Jim Bohan Ken McFee 41 1953 VFA Jim Bohan Jim Bohan Jim Bohan Ken McFee 35 1954 VFA Ted Jarrad Ted Jarrad Geoff Mason Ken McFee 33 1955 VFA Roy Laing Kevin Clarke Lloyd Holyoak Jack Hedley 27 1956 VFA Ken Ross Ken Ross Ken Ross Keith McGuinness 38 1957 VFA Ken Ross Ken Ross Ken Ross E Higson 45 1958 VFA Ken Ross Ken Ross Peter Box E Higson 33 1959 VFA Ken Chambers Kevin Johnson Ken Freiberg 38 1960 VFA Colin Campbell Ivan 'Oscar' Skalberg Ian Whitten Ron O'Neill 39 1961 VFA Division 2 Colin Campbell Ivan 'Oscar' Skalberg Ted Bailey Ron O'Neill 95 1962 VFA Division 2 Colin Campbell Ivan 'Oscar' Skalberg Ian Whitten Ron O'Neill 52 1963 VFA Division 2 Bert Gaudion Bert Gaudion Ken Douglas G Ellis 22 1964 VFA Division 2