The Wangaratta Rovers Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is an Australian rules football club based in the Victorian city of Wangaratta.
History
Wangaratta Rovers were initially formed in 1922 and competed in the Wangaratta District Football Association (WDFA) from 1922 to 1924, then moved across to the Ovens and King Football League (O&KFL) from 1925 to 1929. Wangaratta Rovers lost both the 1922 and the 1923 WDFA grand finals to Milawa.
Wangaratta Rovers actually merged with the Wangaratta Football Club in 1930, who then entered one team in the Ovens and Murray Football League and one team in the O&KFL.
The Wangaratta Rovers re-formed in 1945 and competed in the O&KFL from 1945 to 1949, winning the 1948 premiership and losing to Myrtleford in the 1949 O&KFL grand final, before joining the Ovens & Murray Football League in 1950.
Football Premierships Seniors Ovens and King Football League (1) 1948 Ovens and Murray Football League (18) 1958, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2024, 2025, 2026 Ovens and Murray Football League Pre Season Premiership 1975, 1990 Goulburn Murray Night Football League (Pre season competition at Katandra) 1986, 1992
Reserves Ovens and Murray Football League (9) 1958, 1962, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1984, 2007, 2026.
Under 18 / Thirds Ovens and Murray Football League (12) 1980, 1985, 1988, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2018, 2024.
Netball Premiership A. Grade Ovens and Murray Football League (4) 1993, 1994, 2005, 2006, B. Grade Ovens and Murray Football League (1) 1999 C. Grade Ovens and Murray Football League (3) 1996, 2025, 2026 17 & Under Ovens and Murray Football League (2) 2019, 2025,
League Best & Fairest Award Winners Seniors Ovens & Murray Football League - Morris Medal 1958 & 1960 - Bob Rose 1966 - Neville Hogan 1975 - Andrew Scott 1991, 1997, 1999, 2001 & 2003 - Robert Walker 2025 - Lochie O'Brien
Reserves Ovens & Murray Football League 1969 - Alan Daniel 1975 - Barry Clarke 1979 - Malcom Dalton 1982 - Ian Gambold 1989 - Andrew Robinson 2021 - Mitchell Booth 2024 - Noah Amery
Thirds / Under 18's Ovens & Murray Football League 1984 - Chris O'Connor 1989 - Daine Hochfeld*(Polled the most votes, but was disqualified due to an abusive language suspension) 1996 - Daniel McLaughlin 2002 - Jamie Allan 2005 - Ben Reid 2007 - Zac O'Brien 2016 & 2017 - Paul Sanderson 2018 - Ed Dayman 2019 - Alessandro Belci 2023 - Riley Allan
VFL / AFL Players The following footballers played with Wangaratta Rovers, prior to playing senior football in the VFL/AFL, and / or drafted, with the year indicating their VFL/AFL debut.
1929 - Gil Patrick - Footscray 1950 - Mac Hill - Collingwood 1956 - Alan Dale - St. Kilda 1959 - Kevin Dellar - Essendon 1959 - Les Gregory - St. Kilda 1964 - Barrie Beattie - Footscray 1964 - Graeme Leydin - Essendon 1967 - Mike Hallahan - Fitzroy 1968 - Norm Bussell - Hawthorn 1972 - Phil Doherty - North Melbourne 1973 - Mick Nolan - North Melbourne 1975 - John Byrne - North Melbourne 1985 - Rohan Robertson - North Melbourne 1985 - Shane Robertson - North Melbourne 1987 - Paul Bryce - North Melbourne 1987 - Craig Patrick - North Melbourne, Pick No.35 1988 - Scott Williamson - West Coast Eagles, Pick No.44 1989 - Joe Wilson - Brisbane Bears, Pick No.51 1990 - Tim Rieniets - Carlton 1990 - Robert Hickmott - Melbourne 1990 - Scott Williamson - Melbourne, No. 31 (1990 Pre season draft) 1991 - Dean Harding - Fitzroy 2001 - Andrew Hill - Collingwood, No.39 (2001 AFL Rookie Draft) 2002 - Sean O'Keeffe - Carlton 2003 - Karl Norman - Carlton 2004 - Luke Mullins - St. Kilda 2006 - Alipate Carlile - Port Adelaide 2007 - Ben Reid - Collingwood 2010 - Sam Reid - Sydney Swans 2014 - Zac O'Brien - Brisbane Lions 2021 - Nick Murray - Adelaide Crows 2022 - Brayden George - North Melbourne 2023 - Darcy Wilson - St. Kilda 2024 - Toby Murray - Adelaide Crows
The following footballers played senior VFL / AFL football prior to playing and / or coaching with Wangaratta Rovers with the year indicating their first season at WRFNC.
1950 - Ken Bodger - Hawthorn 1954 - Alan Dale - St. Kilda 1956 - Bob Rose - Collingwood 1962 - Graeme Leydin - Essendon 1964 - Ken Boyd - South Melbourne 1964 - Frank Hogan - South Melbourne 1965 - Bob Hempel - Footscray 1967 - Ian Brewer - Collingwood 1968 - Hugh Earnshaw - Geelong 1975 - Andrew Scott - Hawthorn 1981 - Phil Seaton - Melbourne 1983 - Gerry McCarthy - Hawthorn & Fitzroy 1987 - Peter Tossol - Melbourne 2001 - Nick Trask - Brisbane Bears 2012 - Barry Hall - St. Kilda, Sydney Swans & Footscray 2014 - Daniel Archer - St. Kilda 2014 - Jarrad Boumann - Hawthorn 2014 - James Mulligan - Footscray 2019 - Daryn Cresswell - Sydney Swans 2021 - Matt Jones - Melbourne 2021 - Sam Murray - Collingwood 2024 - Lochie O'Brien - Carlton 2024 - Eddie Betts - Carlton & Adelaide Crows
References
External links
WRFNC - Website WRFNC - Facebook 1949 - Wangaratta Rovers team photo 1954 - Wangaratta Rovers team photo 1953 - Alan Dale photo / article 1956 - Wangaratta Rovers team photo 1964 - O&MFL Premiers: Wangaratta Rovers team photo 1967 - O&MFL Runner Up: Wangaratta Rovers team photo 1971 - O&MFL Premiers: Wangaratta Rovers team photo 1972 - O&MFL Premiers: Wangaratta Rovers team photo 1975 - O&MFL Premiers: Wangaratta Rovers team photo 1984 - O&MFL Reserves Premiers: Wangaratta Rovers team photo