The Battle of Bell Street was an Australian rules football rivalry, contested by the Coburg Football Club and the Preston Football Club between 1926 and 2025. It was one of the oldest rivalries in the Victorian Football League (VFL), which was known as the Victorian Football Association (VFA) until 1996.
The clubs met 163 times, with Preston winning 81 times. Preston's VFL licence was revoked at the end of the 2025 season, before the club entered voluntary liquidation several months later.
History Coburg and the Bullants are closely located, with their respective home grounds of Coburg City Oval and Preston City Oval divided by Bell Street in Preston (hence the name of the rivalry).
The first clash was on 7 June 1926, with Coburg defeating Preston by 43 points. Preston's first win was a 29-point victory on 6 July 1929.
No match between the clubs occurred in the cancelled 2020 season, nor in the 2022 season.
Notable matches 1973 relegation match Heading into the final round of the 1973 VFA season, Preston were sitting in last place on the Division 1 ladder, although their percentage was slightly higher than Coburg's, who were in second-last place. The teams faced each other in round 18, with the winner able to avoid relegation to Division 2 for the 1974 season.
The lead changed eight times during the match, but Preston were able to win in part to Coburg's inaccuracy, with the Bullants kicking 7.2 to Coburg's 2.8 in the final quarter. Coburg full-forward Shane McCarthy kicked five behinds, including missing several shots directly in front of goal, before kicking his only goal for the match. Ultimately, Preston won the match 27.9 (171) to 22.22 (154), with Coburg relegated to Division 2.
A crowd of 13,000 people attended the match at Coburg City Oval, which The Age reported was the largest crowd of the 1973 home-and-away season.
Results Seniors # Year Home Away Ground Date Winner Ref Team Score Team Score 1 1926 6 Preston 10.9 (69) Coburg 16.16 (112) 5 Jun 43 2 15 Coburg 17.18 (120) Preston 7.9 (51) Coburg City Oval 7 Aug 69 3 1927 6 Coburg 13.22 (100) Preston 10.16 (76) 4 Jun 24 4 15 Preston 13.21 (99) Coburg 22.7 (139) Preston City Oval 6 Aug 40 5 1928 1 Preston 7.15 (57) Coburg 11.12 (78) 21 Apr 21 6 10 Coburg 14.11 (95) Preston 6.11 (47) Coburg City Oval 23 Jun 48 7 1929 2 Preston 7.9 (51) Coburg 8.12 (60) 27 Apr 9 8 13 Coburg 10.13 (73) Preston 14.12 (96) Coburg City Oval 6 Jul 23 9 1930 6 Coburg 11.14 (80) Preston 10.20 (80) 3 May DRAW 0 10 13 Preston 17.10 (112) Coburg 11.11 (77) Preston City Oval 19 Jul 35 11 19 Preston 9.15 (69) Coburg 13.13 (91) 30 Aug 22 12 1931 2 Preston 13.16 (94) Coburg 14.7 (91) Preston City Oval 2 May 3 13 18 Coburg 6.11 (47) Preston 7.11 (53) Coburg City Oval 19 Jul 6 14 1932 2 Coburg 13.12 (90) Preston 13.13 (91) Coburg City Oval 30 Apr 1 15 SF Coburg 11.9 (75) Preston 8.20 (68) Coburg City Oval 7 1995 5 Coburg 13.9 (87) Preston 18.13 (121) Coburg City Oval 21 May 34 14 Preston 10.13 (73) Coburg 4.3 (27) Preston City Oval 30 Jul 46 1996 6 Coburg 15.9 (99) Preston 8.19 (67) Preston City Oval 11 May 32 2000 2 Northern Bullants 7.12 (54) Coburg-Fitzroy Preston City Oval 26 Mar 105 16 Coburg-Fitzroy 11.10 (76) Northern Bullants 17.9 (111) Coburg City Oval 9 Jul 35 2014 13 Northern Blues 9.15 (69) Coburg 12.6 (78) Preston City Oval 3 May 9 156 2018 19 Northern Blues 15.6 (96) Coburg 12.8 (80) Preston City Oval 11 Aug 16 157 2019 10 Northern Blues 14.15 (99) Coburg 13.4 (82) Preston City Oval 9 Jun 17 2020 12 Coburg — Northern Blues — 20 Jun — — 158 2021 13 Coburg 12.10 (82) 12.11 (83) Coburg City Oval 11 Jul 1 159 2023 8 Coburg 12.8 (80) Northern Bullants 12.15 (87) Coburg City Oval 7 160 2024 13 Coburg 10.12 (72) 8.11 (59) Coburg City Oval 23 Jun 13 161 20 13.10 (88) Coburg 13.13 (91) Preston City Oval 3 162 2025 8 Coburg 15.9 (99) 10.9 (69) Coburg City Oval 18 May 30 163 18 9.16 (70) Coburg 13.7 (85) Preston City Oval 27 Jul 15
Harold Martin Medal Since 2021, the Harold Martin Medal has been awarded to the player judged best on ground in the Battle of Bell Street. It is named after Harold Martin, who was the captain-coach of Preston before moving to Coburg as its coach in 1982.
Winners Year Winner Ref 2021 13 Daniel Hughes 2023 8 Cam Wild 2024 13 Deacon Kalpakis 20 Joel Trudgeon 2025 8 Jack Bytel 18 Sam Donegan
See also Vicki Cleary Day Rivalries in the Victorian Football League
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