- Source: Monash Blues Football Club
The Monash Blues Football Club is an Australian rules football club that represents Monash University in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA).
The club was formed in 1961 as Monash University, changing its name to the Blues when the Monash Whites joined the VAFA in 1964. In 2001, the two teams merged, and the Whites now compete as the Blues' Club XVIII team.
As of 2024, the club's men's team competes in the Premier C division of the VAFA, while the women's team is in the Premier Division of the VAFA Women's (VAFAW).
History
Monash University Football Club was formed in 1961, shortly after Monash University opened on 13 March of that year. Whilst too late to be accepted into a local competition for the 1961 season, the club played internal matches, as well as matches against teams from Newman College, Ormond College and Burwood Teachers' College. In 1962, the club entered the VAFA, going undefeated and winning the E Section premiership in its inaugural season.
1967 marked the beginning of the club's most successful decade, including two periods in A Section. The club was first in the highest division from 1969 until 1973, with its best finishing position in fifth place in 1970.
After being relegated, the club made the 1974 B Section grand final and, although they lost to Old Trinity, immediately returned to A Section. The club avoided relegation in 1975, but finished last in 1976 and was sent back to B Section, beginning a period of decline for the Blues.
The Blues lost the 1986 D Section grand final to Balaclava, but finally won its second senior premiership in 1987 with a 25-point victory over Kew in the C Section grand final. Further senior premierships came in 1996 and 2003.
The club established a women's team in 2016 and it entered the inaugural VAFAW season in Development Division 1 in 2017.
In 2022, the Blues won their first women's premiership, defeating Collegians by three points in the VAFAW reserves grand final. One month later, the club's senior men's team won its fifth premiership with a 21-point victory over Old Geelong in Premier C.
Monash Whites
Monash University established a second team in 1964, the Monash Whites, which entered F Section. However, after just two seasons, the Whites (along with F Section itself) went into recess for five years.
The Whites were replaced by a junior side in 1966, but as numbers continued to grow, the Whites were revived in 1971 in the reformed F Section. The first Whites premiership came in 1972, winning the F Section reserves grand final. A senior premiership came in 1975, defeating Heatherton in the F Section grand final.
Despite the premiership, the Whites struggled in E Section in 1976, winning only four games and being relegated back to F Section for the 1977 season.
At the end of the 1979 VAFA season, the Blues and the Whites split, with the Monash Whites Football Club being established as a separate entity.
The Whites' end-of-season review in 1980 wrote:
"The start of the season began in reality at the end of the 1979 season when there was a big push from a lot of quarters to have the Whites thrown out of the VAFA. The first push came in the form of the Monash Blues; who in their wisdom decided it would be for the betterment of all concerned if the Whites did no longer exist. We were blamed for all sorts of things as well as the Blues bad showing during the year. So, the Blues thought, they had the right to decide where 40 odd players would not be playing in 1980."
The club struggled on its own, unable to win a premiership post-split until 1998, when they defeated Kew by 11 points in Club XVIII Section 2.
In 2000, the Blues and Whites merged. The Whites played its final game as a separate club in the first Club XVIII semi-final, before merging and becoming the Blues' Club XVIII team at the start of the 2001 season.
Seasons
Source:
= Men's
=Seniors
Although the Monash Blues finished first in 2021, no finals series was held as the season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The following players won the Division Best & Fairest Award but did not win the Club's Best & Fairest in the same year: 1986 D Section Andrew McGregor; 1991 C Section Jamie Sturgess; 1999 D Section A. Anderson; 2005 C Section George Smyth; 2021 Premier C MacGregor Cameron.
= Women's
=Seniors
References
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Daftar klub sepak bola Australia
- Monash Blues Football Club
- Ross Booth
- City of Monash
- List of Australian rules football clubs in Australia
- Melbourne University Football Club
- Victorian Amateur Football Association
- Luke Sayers
- List of rugby union clubs in Australia
- Victorian FIDA Football League
- Beaumaris Football Club
