The Elsternwick Amateur Football Club, nicknamed the Wickers, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton. It is the oldest district club in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) and has played in all seven senior divisions since joining the competition in 1914.
As of 2025, the club's men's team competes in Division 1 of the VAFA, while the women's team is in Division 4 of the VAFA Women's (VAFAW).
History The Elsternwick Football Club was formed in 1906 and first competed in the Commonwealth Football Association (CFA). It was a founding member of the Federal Football Association (FFA) in 1909, finishing fifth on the ladder in the competition's inaugural season. The club moved to the Melbourne District Football Association (MDFA) in 1911 and changed its name to the "Elsternwick Amateur Football Club" in 1912, before returning to the FFA in 1913.
In 1914, the club moved to the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA, later VAFA). It won its first premiership in 1920 (the first MAFA season to be held following World War I), which was followed by a second senior premiership in 1925. The club had a substantial supporter base and player availability at this time, meaning it was able to field a second team (sometimes referred to as Elsternwick B) in the MAFA's newly-formed B Section between 1923 and 1926. The club also received an offer from Victorian Football League (VFL) club to have a delegate's position on its own committee – with the possibility of entering into a reserves affiliation – but Elsternwick denied it on the basis of not wanting to be consumed by a senior VFL club.
Elsternwick won a third senior premiership in B Section in 1939, but when the competition resumed in 1946 after World War II, the club began to struggle. This was attributed to European migrants settling in Melbourne after the war, many of whom preferred soccer, which made it hard for Elsternwick to continue recruiting local players.
In July 1980, the VAFA discovered that Elsternwick had fielded a player under an assumed identity, which resulted in the club's secretary being suspended for five years and the coach having his permit revoked.
Elsternwick planned to enter its first women's team in 2020, but the season was cancelled because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The club was able to enter the VAFA Women's (VAFAW) in Division 4 for the curtailed 2021 season.
Honours Premierships Competition Division Level Wins Years won Victorian Amateur Football Association Premier Seniors 2 1920, 1925 Seniors 1 1939 Seniors 1 1951 Seniors 1 2024 Seniors 2 1991, 2023 Seniors 1 2005
Minor premierships Competition Division Level Wins Years won Victorian Amateur Football Association Premier Seniors 1920 Seniors 2023
Seasons PremiersGrand FinalistMinor premiersFinals appearanceWooden spoonDivision leading goalkickerDivision best and fairest Men's Seniors YearLeagueDivisionCoachCaptainBest and fairestLeading goalkicker 1906 1907 CFA 5th 1908 1909 FFA 5th 1910 FFA 5th 1911 MDFA 1912 MDFA 1913 FFA 1914 MAFA 6th 8 8 1 1915 MAFA 10th 2 12 0 1916 MAFA (No season due to World War I) 1917 MAFA (No season due to World War I) 1918 MAFA (No season due to World War I) 1919 MAFA (No season due to World War I) 1920 MAFA 1st 12 1 0 1921 MAFA 5th 1922 MAFA 3rd 1923 MAFA 6th 1924 MAFA 4th 9 5 0 Gallagher 63 1925 MAFA 2nd Featherstone 44 1926 MAFA 3rd 14 4 0 1927 MAFA 3rd 1928 MAFA 3rd 11 7 0 1929 MAFA 5th
Reserves YearLeagueDivisionCoachCaptainBest and fairestLeading goalkicker 1923 MAFA 3rd 1924 MAFA 7th 5 11 0 Horman 28 1925 MAFA B Section 3rd 10 5 1 Pert 68 1926 MAFA B Section 7th
References
External links Official website