Prahran Assumption FC

MEMBERS at the Prahran Football Club Inc Annual General Meeting on November 30, 2022 approved the following resolution for a name change from Prahran Assumption Football Club to Prahran Football Club .

“That the trading name for the teams of Prahran Assumption Football Club cease. Further, that Prahran Football Club senior men’s and women’s teams competing in the VAFA (or any like competition) in season 2023 and thereafter trade as, and be known as,  Prahran  Football Club (PFC) effective from this date (November 30, 2022).’’

So ended a decade long partnership between the famous football nursery and Prahran Football Club.

LATE in 2010 a joint venture with Prahran Football Club and Assumption College Kilmore was approved. 

A group of Assumption College past students were keen to re-establish an old boys team based at Kilmore, but the VAFA directive was the club had to be city based.

It so happened one of the group Kieran O'Dwyer was friends with Leigh Stafford who had been re-appointed for a second stint as Prahran senior coach.

Their chat evolved into a discussion on a partnership between Prahran and Assumption.

The agreement was to wear the Prahran strip for home games, and the famed Assumption jumper for away games which proved attractive to the past ACK players.

As for the club song after a win- it was quickly agreed to do both! So the ACK chant starts the post match celebration followed by the traditional Prahran theme song.

These two proud football institutions both sported the Two Blues colours, with a splash of gold in the Assumption strip, so there was an immediate synergy.

So formed the Prahran Assumption Amateur Football Club and in a fairytale first year under new president Fab Maya went through the 2011 Division 3 season undefeated to earn promotion to Division 2 as premier and champions.

No less than six ACK players featured in our 2010-19 Team Of The Decade (Tom Freeman, Daniel Anglin, Matthew Pell, Jamie Robbins, Ged Hogarth and Harrison Taylor) testimony to their influence.

However, in recent seasons the flow of former Assumption students slowed to a trickle, due to the changing demographics of the school as a new era has unfolded.

The School and Assumption Old Collegians Association, both supportive of the partnership, have been informed of the change.

With an Under 17 ½ boy’s team in the South Metro Junior Football League for the first time in decades next year, to be coached by 2011 premiership player Ed MacDonald, and a senior women’s team slated for 2023 now is the time to again stand on our own as Prahran Football Club.

After winning the 2011 Division 3 premiership the challenge was to repeat the feat in Division 2.

New coach Ash Mills, a former Therry Penola premiership player and it’s Under 19s coach, could not have dreamt of such a nightmare start- a 100 plus point home game loss to Bulleen Templestowe. Remarkably five months later the two teams met in the grand final with the Two Blues losing by just two points but earning successive promotions .

Back in Division 1 in 2013 the Two Blues were again finalists but bowed out in the first semi-final 11-11 to Ormond 14-8.

At the end of the 2014 season coach Mills resigned to take an assistant coach role with TAC Cup club Western Jets.

Luke Egan, who had coached Melbourne High School Old Boys, was appointed as his successor.

In what proved a tumultuous season Egan was replaced after round 10 with assistant Tony McMahon taking the reins and avoiding relegation.

Mills returned as coach for 2016 but with a diminished list had a disappointing season which saw relegation to Division 2. One of the rare highlights was Adam Sleight playing his 200th senior game.

The Two Blues recruited with spectacular results in 2017 with several former Assumption College students headed by the outstanding Eric Kuret keen to play in the old school jumper. Mid season former Essendon player Ariel Steinberg joined the club mainly as a social outing content to play in the Reserves.

After a 10 goal haul in the Reserves Steinberg agreed to play seniors.

In truth he wasn’t really needed as the club lost just two games for the season. The grand final proved a virtual cakewalk establishing a 51 point lead by three quarter-time. The Two Blues ran out winners 10-11 to 6-8 with skipper James Musster awarded the best afield medal.

The 2018 season proved ground breaking with the club fielding its first senior women’s team. Coach Wayne Oswald introduced an all abilities team with several of the girls hearing impaired.

The season ended in an anti-climax for the senior men’s team.

Going into the last round the fifth placed Two Blues needed to down cellar dweller Ivanhoe and rely on certain finalist Therry Penola to defeat fourth placed Oakleigh.

When word came through Therry Penola had ‘rested’ many of its best players the game was up, Oakleigh winning by 100 plus points with Prahran’s 65 point margin a hollow win.

Season 2019 turned into a battle to avoid relegation which was duly achieved.

A season highlight came on presentation night when Freba Mohammad-Zayee became the first women’s player to win the prestigious Neale Daniher Most Courageous Award. One of a family of 10 children, Freba migrated from Afghanistan. She was born deaf but that has not dimmed her passion for playing Australian Rules Football.

Coach Ash Mills announced he was standing down after seven seasons at senior coach.

Matthew Boland, a dual premiership player with Subiaco and best and fairest at VAFA club Parkdale was appointed captain-coach with his assistant Matthew Clifford, a decorated player in the Mornington Peninsula and the previous season best and fairest at Bendigo League club Kangaroo Flat.

Boland and Clifford has trained at Toorak Park in season 2019 to assist their preparations to play in Bendigo and jumped as the chance to turn to the next phase of their football life in coaching.

Unfortunately the 2020 season was cancelled due the COVID 19 virus.

Season 2021 proved another frustrating stop-start year. The season was abandoned after 10 games with Prahran Assumption in fourth place and finals bound.

At the end of 2021 Boland resigned as coach to be succeeded by 2017 premiership player and 2019 best and fairest Brett Dickinson assisted by Reserves coach Jack Matherson, a life member and member of the 200 games club.