The Toronto Eagles Australian Football Club (commonly known as the Toronto Eagles) is an amateur Australian rules football club competing in the AFL Ontario Australian football league.
The club was formed in 1989 when the then Canadian Australia Football Association (now known as AFL Ontario) began. They are based at Humber College (North Campus) in Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada which has been their home for 10 years. Since entering the competition, the Eagles have become the most successful club in AFL Ontario history, winning 13 premierships, being runners up in 2018, and competing in finals constantly over the years.
History In 1989, members of the local Australian community in Toronto, Canada congregated to play a number of Australian Rules football matches. Sighting some growing enthusiasm, AFL Ontario, which was then known as the Canadian Australian Football League and more recently as the Ontario Australian Football League (OAFL), was established later that year.
Soon after forming the AFLO, the pioneers of the league formed an affiliation with teams from the Australian Football League (AFL). This affiliation brought forward the formation of two teams – the Toronto Panthers and the Mississauga Mustangs.
1989 was a trying year for the Toronto Panthers as they lost every game that season until the inaugural Grand Final which saw the Toronto Panthers begin a legacy of winning football. The Panthers would defeat the Mississauga Mustangs 65 to 48 in the grand final, winning the inaugural Conacher Cup. The Panthers would then go on to win the next two Premierships, capturing three in a row amidst increasingly difficult competition.
At the end of 1991, amongst pressures of league expansion, many core Panthers left the club to form other teams. During these years, the team was pressured to recruit Canadian born players and introduce them to the game. In the next three years Toronto would fare well with one undefeated season, losing only by disqualification in the play-offs and another, which saw the Panthers once again make it all the way to the Grand Final.
By 1994, the Panthers were attracting many traveling or newly resided Australian players. That, combined with a base of talented Canadians players completed the rebuilding of their Championship squad.
1995 was a turning point for the Toronto Panthers football club as their new membership brought with it a new affiliation. The West Coast Eagles football club of the Australian Football League (AFL) would become the new sister club to the Toronto Panthers. That year the Toronto Panthers were reborn as the Toronto Eagles, trading their white with blue stripes for the blue and gold colors of the West Coast Eagles. To assist the club with the transformation the West Coast Eagles helped by providing team uniforms and footballs, a gesture that was greatly appreciated by the club.
Regenerated as the Toronto Eagles, they then went to be undefeated the entire 1995 season, winning their fourth premiership in six years. Toronto’s high flying Eagles would then go on to capture the next four premierships in a row, establishing themselves as the dominant team in the AFLO. The Eagles would then fare well in the following two seasons but wouldn’t get their hand on the cup until 2002 when they would win their 9th premiership.
2006 and 2007 once again saw the Toronto Eagles tasting premiership glory as they would win back to back flags in impressive style. 2009 would see the Eagles win again, before a rebuilding phase. In 2017 the Eagles secured their 13th AFLO title in 26 seasons, firmly establishing the Toronto Eagles as the only true dynasty in AFL Ontario history.
Club Symbols
The Toronto Eagles official colours are royal blue, gold, and white. The club's current logo features a stylised Wedge-tailed Eagle with the words "Toronto Eagles" written underneath. Previous logos have all incorporated a stylised eagle's head. The club's current guernsey design features a stylised eagle's head taken from the club's logo on navy blue.
The club's official team song is "We're the Eagles", composed by Kevin Peek, a former member of the band Sky, and initially recorded at Peek's studio in Roleystone.
Club Awards
AFL Ontario Premierships 1989 1990 1991 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2002 2006 2007 2009 2017
Club Honour Board
Year Finishing position Coach Captain Troy Marsh Best & Fairest Leading Goalkicker Rising Star 1989 Premiers John Pearson John Pearson Kingsley Ellis, Malcolm Foletti, Shaun Ellis, Sandro Mancino (5) Patrick Grant 1990 Premiers John Pearson John Pearson Peter Vitols Peter Vitols (49) Mark Block 1991 Premiers Peter Vitols/ Mick Pearson Mark Block Mark Block Peter Vitols (52)John Schraeder 1992 5th Mick Pearson Mark Block Mark Block Peter Vitols (31)Ben Strub 1993 2nd Mick Pearson Mark Block Mick Pearson Mick Pearson (50) Oliver Mattas 1994 3rd Mick Pearson Mark Block Mick Pearson Mick Pearson (36) Arnie Korpela 1995 Premiers Greg Brown Rod Cutler Mick Pearson (68) 1996 Premiers Greg Brown John Law Mick Pearson (58) 1997 Premiers Mark Block/Gary Finch Arnie Korpela Mick Pearson (92) Luke Davies 1998 Premiers Mark Block/Gary Finch Troy Marsh Mick Pearson (20) 1999 Premiers Mark Block Troy Marsh Troy Marsh (44) Marc Nord 2000 2nd Arnie Korpela Troy Marsh Mick Pearson (55) 2001 2nd Arnie Korpela Troy Marsh Mick Pearson (49) Brian McGillis 2002 Premiers Arnie Korpela Troy Marsh Mark Van Gelder (47) Taylor Hayward 2003 3rd Mark Block Troy Marsh Troy Marsh Mark Van Gelder (60) Matt Bachinski 2004 2nd Mark Block Troy Marsh Troy Marsh Mark Van Gelder (44) Kevin Minaker 2005 3rd Mark Block Troy Marsh Troy Marsh Mark Van Gelder (41) George Dimacakos 2006 Premiers Mark Block Troy Marsh Troy Marsh Mark Van Gelder (30) Frank Luisser 2007 Premiers Mark Block Troy Marsh Aaron Falcioni Troy Marsh (18) Aaron Lunadello 2008 2nd Mark Block Troy Marsh Tarquin Netherway Troy Marsh (59) Sukhjinder Bhangu 2009 Premiers Aaron Falcioni Troy Marsh Troy Marsh Troy Marsh (49) Chris Grey/Brent Jensen 2010 5th Aaron Falcioni Tasos Dimacakos Kevin Minaker Aaron Falcioni (54) Samuel Rivett 2011 4th Aaron Falcioni Tasos Dimacakos Ralph Koens Aaron Falcioni (42) Nick Nisbett 2012 9th Aaron Falcioni Tasos Dimacakos Kevin Minaker Aaron Falcioni (32) Kevin Butler 2013 3rd Aaron Falcioni Tasos Dimacakos Kevin Minaker Clinton Runnalls (36) Brad Harding 2014 8th Aaron Falcioni Tasos Dimacakos Kevin Minaker Aaron Falcioni (26) Andrew Cober 2015 1st Aaron Falcioni Tasos Dimacakos Mikael Avramov Aaron Falcioni (38) Domenic Barranca 2016 6th Aaron Falcioni Sean Kennedy Neil Casey Aaron Falcioni (40)
Year Mark Block Clubman Coaches Award Defender of the Year Cooler Cup 2006 Damien Anderson Oliver Hayward Mark Block 2007 David Heward Kevin Minaker Matt Bachinski Tom Hammond 2008 Marc Nord Matt Bachinski Tasos Dimacakos Tom Hammond 2009 Tom Hammond Kevin Minaker Matt Bachinski Tom Hammond 2010 Nick Eddy Salvatore Capoferri Sean Kennedy Tom Hammond 2011 Tom Hammond Les Husar Tasos Dimacakos Adam Farr 2012 Ralph Koens Tasos Dimacakos Sean Kennedy Patrick Larkins 2013 Patrick Larkins Ryan McNabb Nate Llewellyn Nate Llewellyn 2014 Brad Harding Sean Kennedy Brad Harding Tom Hammond 2015 Tom Hammond Paul Loughnane Ryan McNabb Sean Kennedy 2016 - - - Tom Hammond 2017 Matthew Lowden Sean Westerhuis Brad Harding -
Women's Awards Year Women's Best & Fairest Women's Coaches Award 2011 Erin Loughnane Gillian English
Individual awards
AFL ONTARIO BEST AND FAIREST The Best and Fairest award is awarded to the best player in the competition during the home-and-away season as voted by the umpires:
Winners 2018 - Dean Gavin 2017 - Dean Gavin 2015 - Mikael Avramov 2009 - Ajit Alister 1997 - Arnie Korpela 1995 - Rod Cutler 1992 - Mark Block 1990 - Mark Block and David Kerr 1989 - Tim Maud
Runner up 2007 - Lockie McDonald
AFL ONTARIO ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 2018 - Sean Fahey 1997 - Luke Davies 1994 - Arnie Korpela 1990 - David Kerr 1989 - Patrick Grant
AFL ONTARIO LEADING GOAL KICKER 2019 - Aaron Falcioni (43) 2008 - Troy Marsh (59) 1999 - Troy Marsh (44) 1994-97 - Mick Pearson 1990-92 - Peter Vitols (49, 52, 31)
See also
External links
References