Noble Park Football Club

The Noble Park Football Club is an Australian rules football club that fields teams in both the seniors and juniors of the Eastern Football League (EFL) in Melbourne. The club is considered one of Victoria's most successful breeding grounds for VFL/AFL players.[1]

Noble Park Football Club
Names
Nickname(s)The Bulls
2023 season
Home-and-away season7th of 12
Leading goalkickerBen Marson (21 goals)
Best and fairestJackson Sketcher
Club details
Founded1918
Colours  Royal Blue   Gold
CompetitionEastern Football League
PresidentGrant Connelly
CoachSteve Hughes
Captain(s)Kyle Martin
PremiershipsDandenong District Association: 1935, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953.

Caulfield Oakleigh District League: 1961, 1962.

Federal Football League: 1972. (Reserves: 1970, 1972. Under 18s: 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981).

South East Suburban Football League: 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992. (Reserves: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992. Under 18s: 1982, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992).

Southern Football League: 1994, 1996, 1997. (Reserves: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999. Under 18's: 1994, 1995).

Eastern Football League: 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2022. (Reserves: 2004)

(Under 19s: 2016, 2018).
Ground(s)Pat Wright Senior Ground
Uniforms
Home
Away
Other information
Official websiteNoble Park Football Club

Due to the club's rich history of Premierships and its contribution to the sport and the community, in 2005, Noble Park was recognised as the only sporting club named by the City of Greater Dandenong, among its 14 sporting heroes' commemorative display.[2]

History

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Noble Park was formed in 1918 and played in the Under 21 competition in the Berwick Association until the end of 1933. The club jumper was black with a yellow sash. From 1934 until 1958, Noble Park played in the Dandenong District Association, winning eight premierships.

In 1959 Noble Park merged with the Harrisfield Football Club and became known as Noble Park-Harrisfield Football Club. The club also changed its jumper to royal blue and white vertical stripes.

In 1961, the club adopted the yellow from the original Noble Park jumper and the blue from the Harrisfield jumper to create the blue and gold vertical striped jumper which was worn for most of their existence. Once again the club was known as the Noble Park Football Club. This was also the year that they joined the Caulfield Oakleigh District League where they won two premierships before joining the Federal Football League in 1964.

In the Federal league, Noble Park won two reserves premierships, five under 18 premierships and one senior premiership between 1964 and 1981.

In 1982, Noble Park joined the South East Suburban Football League winning seven under 18 premierships, seven reserves premierships and six senior premierships before the league merged with the Eastern Suburbs Churches Football Association, creating the Southern Football League in 1993.

In the newly formed SFL, Noble Park won two under 18 premierships, seven reserves premierships and three senior premierships.

At the turn of the millennium, Noble Park transferred to the much stronger Eastern Football League, where they became known as the Bulls and changed their jumper to its current design. The Bulls would have to wait until 2003 to win their first EFL premiership, but would not have to wait as long for their second, as the club went back to back, winning the 2004 premiership. The Bulls reserves team also won a premiership in 2004.

In 2010 and 2011, Noble Park went back to back, winning their third and fourth EFL premierships since joining the league in 2000. In 2013 Noble Park made a surprising entrance into the Grand Final where they lost by a significant margin.

Notable former players

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Name VFL/AFL Club VFL/AFL Games Major Football Achievement
Glenn Archer North Melbourne 311 1996 Norm Smith Medal, 1996 & 1999 Premiership Player, North Melbourne Team of the Century, 1996, 1998 and 2002 All-Australian Team
Stephen Milne St Kilda 275 Record for most goals kicked at Docklands Stadium, 2002, 2010, 2011 & 2012 St Kilda leading goalkicker
Mark Bayes Sydney 246 Named in Sydney Swans Team of the Century, 1989 Bob Skilton Medal
Tony Morwood South Melbourne/Sydney 229 Named in South Melb/Sydney's Team of the Century, 1979 & 1982 South Melb/Sydney's leading goalkicker
Tim McGrath North Melbourne, Geelong 226 1992, 1994 & 1995 Grand Final Team, 1998 State of Origin Team
Shane Morwood South Melbourne/Sydney, Collingwood 212 1990 Collingwood Premiership Player, 1989 & 1990 State of Origin Team
Brian Mynott St Kilda 210 1966 Premiership Player
Steven Icke North Melbourne, Melbourne 198 1977 Premiership Player, 1982 Melbourne best and fairest, 1983 & 1984 State of Origin Team
Paul Morwood South Melbourne/Sydney, St Kilda, Collingwood 170 1985 St Kilda best and fairest
Jim O'Dea St Kilda 167
Shane Savage Hawthorn, St Kilda 163* 2011 AFL Rising Star nominee
Adam Treloar Greater Western Sydney, Collingwood 163* 2016-2017 and 2019 All-Australian Squad
James Gwilt St Kilda, Essendon 152 2010 Grand Final team
Bill "Polly" Perkins (Dec.) Richmond 148 1943 Richmond Premiership Player
Darren Millane (Dec.) Collingwood 147 1990 Premiership Player, 1990 Leigh Matthews Trophy, Collingwood Team of the Century( wing)
Adam Ramanauskas Essendon 134 2000 Premiership Player, 2001 International Rules Series
Tory Dickson Western Bulldogs 113* 2016 Premiership Player
Kris Barlow Hawthorn 102 2012 EFL Premiership Coach
Darren Bennett West Coast Eagles & Melbourne 78 1989 & 1990 Melbourne leading goalkicker
Barry Beecroft South Melbourne 71 1977 VFL Premiership Player, 1981 WAFL Premiership Player
Max Cole Fitzroy 52
Denis McGrath North Melbourne 36
John Blair South Melbourne, Fitzroy, St Kilda 33 1982 Grogan Medal
David Gallagher Adelaide, Carlton 33
Glen Parker South Melbourne 32 1970 Michelsen Medal
Kevin Shinners Richmond 23
Wayne Lamb Melbourne, Fitzroy 21
Frank Deayton (Dec.) Melbourne 17
Beau Dowler Hawthorn 16 U/18 All-Australian, TAC Cup Team of the Year
John Georgiou St Kilda 16 Greek Team of the Century, 1999 J.J. Liston Trophy
Craig Jacotine Collingwood 16 2010 & 2011 EFL Premiership Player
Robert Bell (Dec.) South Melbourne 15
Shane Valenti Melbourne 15 2010 & 2011 J.J Liston Trophy
Steven Cummings St Kilda 14
Rick Norman North Melbourne, Brisbane Bears 13
Robert Bell South Melbourne 13
Patrick Foy Sydney 7
Brent Williams Adelaide 7 1998 West Adelaide Leading goal kicker, U/17 All-Australian
Kyle Martin Collingwood 6 2013 & 2014 Joseph Wren Memorial Trophy, 2012 Frankston (VFL) Best and Fairest
Ray Jamieson South Melbourne 5
Bill Norman Hawthorn 5
Peter Weidemann Collingwood 5
Michael Plant South Melbourne 4
Ben Robertson Carlton 3
Will Sangster Sydney 2
Bill Smith Fitzroy 2
Alex Woodward Hawthorn 2 2014 J.J. Liston Trophy
Daniel Donati Richmond 1 1999 Norm Goss Memorial Medal
Peter Maloni Sydney 1
Duncan McGregor South Melbourne 1
Doug Ensor Nil N/A Guinness World Record for most goals in a game (60)
Damien Fleming Nil N/A Played 20 test matches & 88 ODI matches for Australia

References

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