The North Albury Football Netball Club, nicknamed the Hoppers, is an Australian rules football and netball club playing in the Ovens & Murray Football League (O&MFL). They are incorporated as part of the North Albury Sports Club licensed club at Bunton Park in North Albury, Albury, where they play their home matches. The club has won six O&MFL premierships. The Hoppers currently play in forest green guernseys with a gold vee and the "Hopper" logo on the right side. Previous guernsey designs included a dark green and gold design similar to the West Coast Eagles' classic wingtip design (up to 2008) and a gold design with two dark green vees over the yoke. The club song is a version of "Join in the Chorus" with some words altered from the AFL Kangaroos version.
| North Albury | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Names | ||
| Full name | North Albury Football Netball Club Inc | |
| Club details | ||
| Founded | 1943 | |
| Colours | ||
| Competition | Ovens & Murray Football League | |
| Premierships | (6): 1948, 1955, 1980, 1984, 1999, 2002 | |
| Ground(s) | Bunton Park | |
| Uniforms | ||
| ||
| Other information | ||
| Official website | hoppersfc.com.au | |
History
editThe club was formed in 1943, and for the first few years of their existence played in the Chiltern & District Football Association, then moved to the O&MFL in 1947. For a short time in the early 1950s they also played a reserves team in the Hume Football League. Bunton Park was established during the post-World War II period in an area that was quickly becoming established with housing. Bunton Park is named after Cleaver Bunton, long-time mayor of Albury, rather than his famous footballing brother Haydn Bunton, although neither played for North Albury.
In the early 1980s the club was beset by financial difficulties causing it to fall in arrears in paying match payments to its players. In the meantime the club committee was endeavouring to establish a licensed club at its ground, which would allow it to serve alcohol outside of match times and house poker machines. With the establishment of the licensed club in 1984, the club's future in the O&MFL was secured.
A large number of North Albury players have gone on to play in the VFL/AFL, such as 1984 Morris Medallist Rudy Yonson, who played a number of games with the Sydney Swans, and most famously Brett Kirk, who played with North Albury up to the 1998 season and then joined the rookie list of the Sydney Swans on trial the following year, later being elevated to the main list and being an integral part of the Swans' 2005 premiership-winning side.
As many as 17 players have been recruited from North Albury to the VFL/AFL including Peter Curtis (North), Ross Henshaw (North), Don Ross (Footscray)& Brian Leahy (Melbourne) amongst others.[1] Anthony Miles, the 2014 star recruit for Richmond from GWS, also played his junior football at North Albury and Howlong.[2]
The three-time AFL premiership player Jason Akermanis coached the club in 2013–14.[3] Other ex-VFL/AFL players to have coached the club include Tim Robb, Martin Cross Snr and John Sharrock.[4]
North Albury traditionally play an Anzac Day fixture against cross-town rivals, the Albury Tigers, with the venue alternating between the two clubs every year.
Football Premierships
edit- Seniors
- Reserves
- Thirds
- O&MFL
- Nil
VFL / AFL Players
editThe following footballers played with North ALbury FNC prior to playing VFL / AFL senior football and / or were drafted. The year indicates their VFL / AFL debut.
- 1952 - Don Ross - Footscray
- 1955 - Bill Barton - North Melbourne
- 1955 - Peter Curtis - North Melbourne
- 1957 - Vin Bourke - North Melbourne
- 1960 - Brian Leahy - Melbourne
- 1963 - Geoff Doubleday - Fitzroy
- 1971 - Ross Henshaw - North Melbourne
- 1980 - Paul Ross - Footscray
- 1980 - Graham Schodde - St. Kilda
- 1985 - Rudy Yonson - Sydney Swans
- 1987 - Brett Yorgey - Collingwood
- 1988 - Gerard Butts - Carlton
- 1999 - Ben Hollands - Richmond
- 1999 - Brett Kirk - Sydney Swans
- 2001 - Brent Piltz - Sydney Swans
- 2001 - Mark Hilton - North Melbourne
- 2015 - Anthony Miles - Richmond
- 2023 - Tylar Young - Richmond
Team song
editNorth Albury's theme song is based on a 1920's song - Wee Deoch an Doris, by Scottish singer, Harry Lauder.[11] Their team song is:
Out we come, out we come, out we come to play hey.
Just for recreation's sake to pass the time away, oh Lots of fun, heaps of fun, enjoy yourself today, North Albury boys are hard to beat, when they come out to play.
Sooooo join in the chorus and sing it one and all, Join in the chorus, North Albury's on the ball. Good old North Albury, they're champions you'll agree, North Albury is the team to play to win for you and me HEY
See also
editBibliography
edit- Johnston, David (20 May 2004). "Green and Gold didn't fold in '84" Border Mail
- Halloran, Jessica (10 September 2004) Never-give-up Kirk arrives The Melbourne Age
References
edit- ^ Wilks, M. (2011) Australian football clubs in NSWBas Publishing. p. 36.
- ^ "Best and Fairest - Albury Wodonga Junior Football League - GameDay".
- ^ "North Albury Hoppers focus on bouncing back from debt and defections".
- ^ Wilks, M. (2011) Australian football clubs in NSWBas Publishing. p. 31
- ^ "1946 - North Albury Win Premiership". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW). 23 September 1946. p. 6. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "1948 - North's One Goal Premiership Victory". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW). 6 September 1948. p. 11. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ^ "1948 - O&MFL Grand Final Scores". O&MFL. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ^ "1954 - O. & M. Seconds Final To North Albury". The Corowa Free Press (NSW). 21 September 1954. p. 4. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "1954 - Seconds Grand Final a Draw". Benalla Ensign. 30 September 1954. p. 11. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "1954 - Football Flashes: Replay on 10th October". Benalla Ensign. 30 September 1954. p. 12. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "The 18 theme songs and their origins". The Hickey Stand. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
External links
edit