Prahran Football Club
1886
Prahran Football Club formed at meeting at Prahran Court House on 20 March, 1886. Colours of Royal Blue and Sky Blue adopted. Entry into Victorian Football Association sought and gained. Home games at Warehouseman's Ground (later known as Albert Reserve). (There is a reference to a Emerald Hill- Prahran team playing Melbourne in 1859 in a 25 a side game with Melbourne winning).
1887
Eight clubs break-away from VFA to form Victorian Football League.
1899
Prahran Football Club reformed at meeting on 15 March 1899 at
1909
Prahran finished season on top of ladder. After losing semi-final to
1910
Prahran finished season fourth. Lost Semi Final to Essendon Association (2.7.19 to 5.9.39).
1911
Finished season third. Again lost Semi Final to Essendon Association.
1918
After World War I, VFA resumed play with 6 teams & shortened season (10 games). Prahran finished second to
1920
Bert Chadwick, later
1928
Frank Smith awarded the Recorder Cup. First Prahran player to win this trophy.
1931
Bill Koop awarded the Recorder Cup.
1934
Bill Koop awarded the Recorder Cup.
1935
Les White awarded Prahran's third Recorder Cup in eight seasons.
1936
Prahran finished home and away season second to Brunswick. Prahran 15.18.108 d Brunswick 14.14.98 in 2nd Semi Final. Northcote 19.6.120 d Prahran 15.15.105 in Grand Final.
1937
Prahran finished fourth after home and away rounds. Prahran 11.18.84 drew Yarraville 12.12.84 in 1st Semi Final. Prahran won the replay by 28 points. Prahran 14.12.96 d
1938
Prahran again finished fourth after home and away matches. Northcote defeated Prahran by 15 points in 1st Semi Final. Jack Lowry tied Williamstown player Huggins for VFA Medal.
1939
Prahran finished the season at the top of the ladder. Lost 2nd Semi Final to
1939 - 1940
Harold Bray, later to play for and captain St.Kilda, played two seasons for Prahran. Bray was runner-up in the Brownlow in 1947 and third in 1949 and 1952.
1940
Prahran finished third. Won 1st Semi Final 16.26.122 to
1941
Prahran second (by percentage) to Port Melbourne. Lost 2nd Semi Final by 2 points.
1945 - 47
Former Fitzroy player Keith Stackpole (father of the Australian test cricketer) appointed Captain/Coach.
1946
Prahran won 5 games for season, but still 'won' wooden spoon.
1947
Prahran improved to make finals, but lost 1st Semi Final to Sandringham 6.18.54 to 10.6.66
1950
Recruits included 1948 Morrish Medallist Ray Harvey from Melbourne, Russell Grambeau from Sandringham and Don Chipp from Melbourne Seconds.
1951
Prahran finished second to Port Melbourne. Prahran 19.19.133 d Port 12.13.85 in 2nd Semi. Prahran 11.13.79 defeated Port Melbourne 10.10.70 in Grand Final.
1953
Prahran fourth. Lost 9.7.61 to Yarraville 8.16.64 in First Semi Final. Prahran player Roy Hart won the Stawell Gift foot race held at Easter.
1959
Expelled from VFA after losing sole use of
1960
Re-admitted to VFA. Ray Harvey retired as a senior player after 206 games & 328 goals in 11 years.
1961
VFA split into two divisions - Prahran in 2nd Division.
1962
Garry
1963
Prahran lost Preliminary Final to Preston by 34 points.
1964
Kevin Sheedy played first senior game. Played 50 games (1964-7) Recruited by
1966
Prahran finished third. PFC 11.15.81 defeated Sunshine 2.7.19 in 1st Semi, beat Northcote by a point in Preliminary Final. Prahran 17.12.114 defeated Geelong West 5.15.45 in Grand Final and won promotion to First Division.
1968
Kevin Rose appointed Captain/Coach. Prahran finish second. In the Grand Final Preston 15.8.98 defeated Prahran 12.12.84.
1970
Prahran topped the ladder with 15 wins (18 games) PFC 10.15.75 defeated Williamstown 9.15.69 in Second Semi Final. In Grand Final Prahran 17.18.120 defeated Williamstown 10.10.70.
1973
Prahran fourth. Won First Semi Final 18.21.139 to Port Melbourne 10.17.77. Beat Dandenong by 29 points in Preliminary Final. Prahran 15.23.113 defeated Oakleigh 10.18.78 for Premiership.
1974
Kim Smith played first game with PFC. Leading club goal kicker every year from 1974-82 except 1975 when he played at Melbourne. '74 - 55 goals, '76 - 56, '77 - 69, '78 - 95, '79 - 97, '80 - 93, '81 - 68, '82 - 77. Retired after 1982 season with 610 goals in 136 games for Prahran.
1975
Wayne Johnston recruited from Wandin North. Went on to play 69 games and kick 173 goals for PFC including 1978 Premiership. Also finished in top three of B&F 1975-8. Played 209 games (283 goals) for
1976
Ross Thornton joins Prahran. plays 71 games including '78 Premiership then recruited by Fitzroy in 1980. Played 146 games for Fitzroy (1980-9).
1978
Prahran finished third. Won First Semi against Dandenong by 25 points. Defeated Port
1979
Prahran beaten in First Semi-Final by Port Melbourne.
1983
Graeme Yeats, after several years with Prahran Juniors, recruited by Melbourne. 182 games and 45 goals with MFC (1984-95, including 1988 Grand Final.) Later Played in Springvale & coached Sandringham Premierships.
1985
Prahran finished tenth of twelve clubs. VFA restructure of divisions meant that PFC relegated to Second Division with Werribee and Box Hill.
1986
Jim Stynes recruited from
1987
Prahran 18.9.117 defeated Waverley 14.14.98 to win Second Division Premiership.
1992
Bryan Taylor kicked 16 goals in game against Oakleigh.
1993
Michael Sinni awarded JJ Liston Trophy. First time Liston won by a Prahran player, first major VFA award since Les White's Recorder Cup win in 1935, with the exception of Garry Butler's Field Trophy in 1962.
1994
Prahran played its last game in the Victorian Football Association. Although having beaten reigning premier Werribee, won only 3 games and collected wooden spoon.
1995-98
Club in recess.
1999
Prahran returns to the field with two junior teams, Under 10 and Under 12 in the Moorabbin Saints Junior Football League, and Senior, Reserve and Club XVIII teams which play in the Victorian Amateur Football Association as Prahran Amateur FC, formed from amalgamation with Southbank AFC. The Club XVIII team was formerly affiliated with Kew Amateur FC.
2000
Tony Free (ex-Richmond) appointed coach. Junior teams (Under 9, 11 & 13) play in Waverley Junior Football Association.
2001
Tony Free plays his first game in 5 years and inspires his team to its first win of the season. André Pitts plays his 250th game for the club. Four junior teams (U 9, 10, 12 & 14) compete in the WJFA.
2002
1978 Premiership coach Mick Erwin returns to Club as Football Director. Derek Hine returns to role of Senior Coach. Five junior teams (u9, 10, 11, 13 in WJFA & u15 in Yarra JFL) Under 15 team wins Division 2 Premiership. Under 13 wins B Section Premiership. Two Blues name their Team of the Century. Bill Morrow, ToC centre half forward passed away at the end of the season.
2003
After luring former Port Melbourne coach Neil Ross to the club as Derek Hine's assistant, Hine is appointed to the position of Player Development Officer at Collingwood. Neil Ross is appointed head coach at Oakleigh Chargers two weeks later and Prahran is without a senior coach just two months before the start of the season. John Ross is appointed to the role after seven seasons as reserves coach with Southbank/Prahran. Despite the disruption during the pre-season the Two Blues win their first round one clash for 5 years. Their opponent in that game, Ormond, is however destined to drop from B Section straight through C & into D1. Prahran wins only twice more in the remaining 17 rounds. One of those wins a remarkable comeback in the return game at Ormond after trailing by 20 points going into time on in the last quarter. The Club XVIII team does the club proud by reaching the Grand Final. The junior section of the club continued to grow, with six teams fielded. (u9, 10, 11, 12, & 14 in WJFA & a joint Glen Iris/Prahran team in the u16/17 colts section of the YJFL) The under 11 & 12 teams won B Section premierships. Long serving Team Manager/Committeeman Len Reed and Club Legend Ray Harvey both passed away after the season. His assistant John Ross took over at a difficult time as the club was in constantly in relegation battles.
2004
After five seasons in C Grade- the club finished eighth three times- Prahran was relegated to D1 for 2004.
2005
Leigh Stafford in his second year as playing coach took the club to winning a final before bowing out in the preliminary final of Division 1.
2006
Stafford ended his three years in charge and after losing the first nine games miraculously avoided relegation with a barnstorming finish to the season winning five of the last nine games.
2007
Champion St Kevins footballer Paul Greenham took charge as playing coach and in his first season took the club to the finals bowing out to Hampton Rovers.
2008
Greenham badly injured his knee in an inter-league match and the team's efforts fell away accordingly. The disqualification of
2009
Stephen Mead from Oakleigh Chargers took over as non playing coach.
2010
Mead was transferred in his employment and replaced by 1978 premiership player Serge D'Angelo. A frustrating season with narrow losses and key injuries saw the club relegated to Division 3.
At the club's Annual General Meeting in November 2010, it was agreed Prahran form a partnership with Assumption College, Kilmore.
2011
Leigh Stafford, former coach in 2004-06 returned to the helm and was instrumental in the partnership with Assumption College Kilmore.
Following the demotion to lowly Division 3 the club needed to take drastic action to arrest the slide. A group of former Assumption Collegians were keen to field a team in the VAFA based at Kilmore.
The VAFA insisted its base must be in metropolitan Melbourne and so talks began.,
It was agreed home games would be played in the Prahran jumper and away games in the Assumption College strip. After each wins the Assumption 'chant' and Two Blues theme song were to be celebrated.
The partnership was a success beyond anyone's wildest dreams going through the season undefeated, emerging premiers and champions 25-9 to Monash Gryphons 12-14 at Trevor Barker Oval.
2012
Under new coach Ash Mills turned a 100 point first game loss to Bulleen Templestowe with a remarkable achievement to reach the Division 2 grand final, failing by just two points. Earned promotion for a second year to Division 1.
2013
Back in Division 1 the Two Blues were again finalists but bowed out in the first semi-final 11-11 to Ormond 14-8.
2014
A disappointing year missing finals. The positive was a Reserves premiership. Ash Mills stood down at season's end to take an assistant coach role at TAC Cup club Western Jets.
2015
New coach Luke Egan had a temporary stay being replaced mid-season by assistant Anthony McMahon. James Musster won a second Basil Cleary Best & Fairest medal.
2016
Ash Mills returned as senior coach but the club had a poor year and was relegated to Division 2. Harrison Taylor, son of former coach Brian Taylor won the Basil Cleary Medal.
2017
Some astute recruiting, notably ex Assumption College players, saw a remarkable turnaround. Both Seniors and Reserves won premierships in grand finals at Elsternwick Park.
One of the recruits Tom Freeman won the Basil Cleary Medal while skipper James Musster won the Division 2 Best * Fairest and grand final player-of-the-match.
On a sad note club patron Jack Morgans passed away days after the premiership wins/ Jack served on the club committee from 1951-991, then 1994-2004. He was premiership president in 1970 and 1973.
2018
An historic year with club fielding its first women's team. Under coach Wayne Oswald the club fielded an 'all abilities' team which included several hearing impaired players who all added to the fabric of the club.
For the seniors a frustrating season. Despite defeating every team in the competition bar premier Hampton Rovers among 11 wins and a healthy percentage of 143 the Two Blues finished fifth.
James Musster won his third Basil Cleary Medal.
2019
The end of an era with coach Mills bowing out after seven years in charge.
Such was Mills' contribution over and above a that of a match day coach the club awarded him life membership.
Performances fell away late in season with all teams missing finals although the women's team was in with a chance up to the final round.
For the first time the prestigious Neale Daniher Most Courageous Medal was won by a female Freba Mohammad Zayee.
Freba had an inspirational tale to tell- her family fled war torn Afghanistan when she was just two months old as one of a family of 10. It was several years before she was identified as hearing impaired yet to her love of football shone through playing the season while carrying injuries.
It was a traumatic year for the club with two long serving life members Steve Powell and Basil Cleary passing away. Basil clocked up more than 50 years service while Powell filled many match day roles and served as football director.
Matthew Boland, former Parkdale and Subiaco premiership player, was appointed playing coach.
2020 COVID, no games
A worldwide pandemic saw the 2020 season abandoned without a ball kicked in anger.
2021
Another frustrating COVID wrecked season with the Two Blues finals bound when the competition was called to a halt after 11 rounds.
Prahran Assumption won seven games and lost four in the abbreviated season.
2022
Matthew Boland stood down as coach at 2021 season's end with 2019 best and fairest and 2017 premiership player Brett Dickinson appointed coach.
The club finished fifth on the ladder, an accurate position as the Two Blues did not defeat a finalist all season.
But it does not tell the true story- the club drew with grand final runners-up Old Camberwell, was in front of premier PEGS when the final siren sounded only to be beaten by a goal from a free kick post siren and lost to Kew by one point.
Matthew Clifford with 57 goals won the Basil Cleary Medal.
MEMBERS at the 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.
In 2010 the club took a significant step to change its storied history to embrace Assumption College in a partnership.
The club had fallen from Division 1 to Division 2 and then Division 3 in consecutive years so the committee decided urgent action was needed.
The team that took the field in VAFA Division 3 2011 as Prahran Assumption Football Club promptly emerged as premiers and champions winning all 20 games.
In 2012 Prahran Assumption was defeated by two points in the grand final but earned a second successive promotion back to Division 1.
The club was back in Division 2 at the end of the 2016 season but bounced back to win the 2017 premiership thanks to the inclusion of several key ACK representatives.
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.
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