The Old Scotch Football Club, nicknamed the Cardinals, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell. It is affiliated with the Old Scotch Collegians Association and maintains a close relationship with Scotch College.
Old Scotch has competed in the top division of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) for 72 out of a possible 88 years, the most of any club. The club has never competed lower than the Premier B division, and also held a 35-year continuous playing record in A Section/Premier Division until 2015.
History In 1894, the Scotch Collegians Football Club entered the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA). The club finished sixth in its inaugural season, and competed again in 1895, but disbanded prior to the start of the 1896 season.
The present-day club was formed on 15 April 1921 as the Old Scotch Collegians Football Club, entering the renamed Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA) the same year. The club won back-to-back premierships in 1923 and 1924, were runners-up in 1925, then again went back-to-back in 1926 and 1927.
Old Scotch went back-to-back with a B Section premiership in 1977 and an A Section premiership in 1978. The club moved its home ground from Old Scotch Oval to Camberwell Sports Ground in 1992. The club were runners-up to Old Xaverians in 1997 and 1998.
The club changed its name from Old Scotch Collegians to "Old Scotch Football Club" in 2003.
At the end of the 2015 season, Old Scotch was relegated after finishing ninth and entered B Section/Premier B for the first time since 1980. They lost to Beaumaris in the 2016 preliminary final, but made the 2017 grand final and were promoted back to Premier Division in 2018. The club also introduced its first women's team, the Old Scotch Stars, for the 2018 VAFA Women's season.
In 2024, Old Scotch broke its 46-year men's senior premiership drought with an 18-point victory over Old Brighton in the Premier Division grand final. It was the second senior premiership won in 2024, with the club also claiming its first Premier Division premiership in the VAFAW.
Honours Premierships Competition Division Level Wins Years won Victorian Amateur Football Association Premier Seniors 10 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1978, 2024 Premier B Seniors 3 1965, 1970, 1977 VAFA Women's Premier Seniors 1 2024 Seniors 1 2019
Minor premierships Competition Division Level Wins Years won Victorian Amateur Football Association Premier Seniors 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928
Club song The club song is sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells".
Old Scotch, Old Scotch winners all the way We always play good football, on any sort of day...hey! Be it fine, be it wet, mud is everywhere Whenever there’s a game to win the Scotchies will be there!
Seasons PremiersGrand FinalistMinor premiersFinals appearanceWooden spoonDivision leading goalkickerDivision best and fairest Men's Seniors YearLeagueDivisionCoachCaptainBest and fairestLeading goalkicker 1921 MAFA 7th 1922 MAFA 3rd 1923 MAFA 2nd 1924 MAFA 3rd 10 4 0 1925 MAFA 1st 1926 MAFA 1st 16 2 0 1927 MAFA A Section 1st 16 2 0 1928 MAFA A Section 3rd 16 1 1 1929 MAFA 1st 2024 VAFA Premier 3rd 12 6 0 Mark Gnatt Andy Jelbart Charlie Cormack Ryan Valentine 38
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