Wahgunyah Football / Netball Club is an Australian Rules Football club based in North Eastern Victoria that currently competes in the Tallangatta & District Football League.
Club history
The town of Wahgunyah has had an Australian rules football team since 1877 and Wahgunyah's first recorded match was against Corowa (a return match) on Saturday, 16 June 1877, played "on the hill" in Corowa, with Wahgunyah winning the first encounter by three goals to nothing. W Busch was the captain of Wahgunyah FC. Throughout 1877, there was talk of the Wahgunyah and Corowa Football Club's merging to form one stronger club and be called Border United Football Club, with this merger taking place in August, 1877 and their first match as Border United was played against the Rutherglen Football Club in August 1877 and was captained by Jacob Levin. The Border United team wore pink and white colours.
The Wahgunyah Recreation Reserve was set aside by the Victorian Government in 1864 and was controlled by a Government appointed committee of Management.
In 1888, Border United FC fielded three teams, First Twenty, Second Twenty and a junior team that played against other local teams and towns.
Wahgunyah FC (Juniors) was re-established in 1897, with Mr. J Grimmond elected as president and decided that the club colours would be black and white (Magpies) and they decided to play at the racecourse in the Murray Valley Junior Football Association. The club won the 1897 and 1899 Murray Valley Junior Football Association premierships. The Murray Valley Junior Football Association was abandoned in May, 1905.
In 1901, Mr. Hancock won the club's most consistent player award at a club dinner at Wahgunyah's Victoria Hotel.
Border United FC remained in place until 1905, when Corowa and Wahgunyah both entered stand alone teams in the Corowa District Football Association in 1906.
In 1907, Wahgunyah finished on top of the ladder, with eleven wins from twelve games in the Corowa and District Football Association and won the premiership.
Wahgunyah were runners to Howlong in the 1909 Ovens & Murray Junior Football Association grand final. William King won the club's Best all round player award in 1909. Interestingly, in 1896, King was suspended for life by the O&MFA after assaulting an umpire. In 1909, Wahgunyah defeated Corowa to win the local State School premiership.
In 1910, Wahgunyah were runners up to Lake Moodemere in the Ovens & Murray Junior Football Association grand final, after they walked off the ground at three quarter time due to excessively rough play.
Wahgunyah have been involved in two drawn Chiltern & District Football Association senior football grand finals, in 1924 and again in 1954, with Wahgunyah winning both grand finals replays. Details below.
Football competitions timeline
Ovens & Murray Football League 1895 - 1905 (Border United FC) Murray Valley Junior Football Association 1897 - 1904 Corowa & District Football Association 1906 and 1907 (Wahgunyah FC) Ovens & Murray Football League 1908 Ovens & Murray Junior Football Association 1909 & 1910 Rutherglen & District Football Association 1911 & 1912 Ovens & Murray Football League 1913 to 1915, (Border United FC) Club in recess due to World War One 1916 & 1917 Rutherglen & Murray Football Association 1918 (Border United FC) Chiltern & District Football Association 1919 & 1920 Ovens & Murray Football League 1921 Coreen & District Football League 1922 Chiltern & District Football Association 1923 - 1929 Corowa & District Football Association 1930 Chiltern & District Football Association 1931 - 1937 Club withdrew from the Chiltern & District Football Association 1938. Wahgunyah FC withdrew from the C&DFA & Corowa Rovers FC entered a team in the C&DFA 1938 & 1939. Club in recess due to World War Two 1939 - 1943 Murray Valley Patriotic Football League 1944 & 1945 (Border United FC) Ovens & Murray Football League 1946 & 1947 (Border United FC) Coreen & District Football League 1948 & 1949 Chiltern & District Football Association 1950 - 1956 Coreen & District Football League 1957 - 2007 Tallangatta & District Football League 2008 - 2021
Football Premierships Juniors Murray Valley Junior Football Association 1897, 1899.
Seniors Corowa & District Football Association 1907 Chiltern & District Football Association 1919, 1924, 1954, 1955 Leeton Football Club – Knockout Competition Border United FC 1946 Coreen & District Football League 1948, 1949, 1968, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004.
Reserves Coreen & District Football League - (1976 to 2007) 1977, 1978, 1984, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2007.
Thirds Coreen & District Football League - (1980 to 2007) 1987, 1998, 2007. Tallangatta & District Football League - (2008 to present day) 2012
Fourths Tallangatta & District Football League - (2008 to present day) 2009, 2010, 2012
Football runners up Juniors Murray Valley Junior Football Association Wahgunyah 1898, 1900 Corowa & District Football Association Wahgunyah 1906 Ovens & Murray Junior Football Association Wahgunyah 1909
Seniors Ovens & Murray Football League Border United 1900, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1914. Chiltern & District Football Association Wahgunyah 1926 Murray Valley Patriotic Football League Border United 1944, 1945 Coreen & District Football League Wahgunyah 1978, 1982, 1999
Netball Premierships
A. Grade Tallangatta & District Football League - (2008 to present day) 2009
B. Grade Tallangatta & District Football League - (2008 to present day) 2009
C. Grade Tallangatta & District Football League - (2008 to present day) Nil
D. Grade (18 & Under) Tallangatta & District Football League - (2008 to present day) Nil
E. Grade (15 & Under) Tallangatta & District Football League - (2008 to present day) Nil
F. Grade (13 & Under) Tallangatta & District Football League - (2008 to present day) Nil
League Best & Fairest Awards Senior Football Chiltern & District Football Association - Higgins Medal 1955 & 1956 - John Voss. Voss was also runner up in the Chiltern & DFL award in 1954.. Coreen & DFL: Archie Denis Medal 1957, 1961, 1965, 1966 - John Voss. Voss was also runner up in 1962 & 1970. 1976 - Len Chandler 1977, 1981 - Len Johnstone 1989 - Wayne Milthorpe 2002 - Scott Parker
Reserves Coreen & DFL 1984 - T Cope 1989 - Mick Upton 2005 - Darren Harvey
Thirds Coreen & DFL 1980 - R Eyres 1988 - Wayne Johnstone 1991 - P Roksandic 1993 - Grant Jolly 2003 - Scott Brunnemeyer 2004 & 2005 - Taylor Duryea
Club Best & Fairest Senior Football 1948 - Neville Webster 1949 - Tom Hennessey 1950 - Ray Allan 1952 - John Voss 1953 - 1954 - John Voss
VFL / AFL players
The following footballers played with Wahgunyah FNC prior to playing senior VFL / AFL football or were drafted into the AFL. The year indicates their VFL / AFL debut. 1909 - Duncan McIvor - Collingwood 1994 - Damien Houlihan - Collingwood 1997 - Adam Houlihan - Geelong 2000 - Ryan Houlihan - Carlton 2001 - Josh Houlihan - St. Kilda (No. 49 - 2001 AFL Draft. No senior AFL games) 2010 - Taylor Duryea - Hawthorn
The following VFL / AFL Footballers were born in Wahgunyah, Victoria. 1903 - Gordon Rickards - St. Kilda 1911 - Arthur Francis - Fitzroy 1930 - Bert Mills - Hawthorn 1940 - Shadrach James - Fitzroy
External links Tallangatta & District FNL Ovens & Murray Football Netball League 1919 - Chiltern & District Football Association Premiers: Wahgunyah FC team photo 1945 - Border United FC & Tungamah FC team photos 1948 - Coreen & District FL Premiers: Wahgunyah FC team photo 1948 - Bill & Billy Bryant: Wahgunyah FC premiership players 1949 - Coreen & District FL Premiers: Wahgunyah FC team photo 1949 - Coreen & District FL Grand Final: Wahgunyah FC spectators photo 1949 - Wahgunyah FC Premiership Banquet photo 1949 - Coreen & District FL - John Voss: Wahgunyah FC
References