Northcote Park Football Club
Encyclopedia
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| Full name | Prince of Wales FC/Northcote Park FC |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Cougars |
| Strip | Green,Gold and White Panels with green Cougar emblem |
| Founded | 1945 |
| League | Northern Football League |
| Ground | Bill Lawry Oval Northcote Northcote, Victoria Northcote is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin... . |
| Senior Premierships | 16 [5] as Prince of Wales F.C b/w 1947-1951 |
| Premierships Years | 1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1957, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002. |
The Northcote Park Football Club, nicknamed the Cougars, is an Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
club, located 6 km north of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, in the suburb of Northcote
Northcote, Victoria
Northcote is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin...
, currently playing in the Northern Football League.
The club has been known as Northcote Park since 1952 and play their home matches at Bill Lawry
Bill Lawry
William Morris "Bill" Lawry, AM is a former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Tests, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural One Day International match, played in 1971...
Oval, Northcote
Northcote, Victoria
Northcote is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin...
.
Original name
The club formed as the Prince of Wales Football Club and was affiliated with the Methodist Football Association, playing their home matches at McDonell Park. Between 1947 and 1951, Prince of Wales FC won five consecutive premierships.Name change
In 1952 the club changed its name to Northcote Park on transferring to the Metropolitan Football League, because it sought tougher competition or due to off field restrictions on the club imposed by the Methodist Association.The Cougars won their first premiership in the Metropolitan League in 1957, then transferred to the PHFL in 1973 where the club won three consecutive premierships from 1977 to 1979.
The search for stronger competition again led the club to move leagues again, this time to the Diamond Valley Football League
Diamond Valley Football League
The Northern Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Diamond Valley region of suburban Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The league changed its name on 1 May 2007. The league was founded in 1922, originally having seven clubs, four of whom are still participating...
(DVFL). The League formed a Division Two in 1981 and the club along with fellow new affiliates West Preston, Bundoora
Bundoora Football Club
Bundoora Football Club is an Australian rules football club in Bundoora, Victoria, currently competing in the Northern Football League.-History:*1975–1980 P.H.F.L Premiers as Bundoora A 1980*1981–1981 D.V.F.L Division Two, Premiers 1981...
and Reservoir
Reservoir Football Club
The Reservoir Football Club is an Australian rules football club located 12 km north of Melbourne in the suburb of Reservoir founded in 1923, the club initially competed in the Bourke-Evelyn, Diamond Valley, Metropolitan, and Panton Hill leagues before returning to the DVFL now known as the...
and the bottom four clubs from the 1980 DVFL season formed the new Division Two.
Northcote Park's first DVFL premiership was the 1985 Division Two flag and as a result the club was promoted to Division One in 1986, but the Cougars were relegated that same season. In 1994 Northcote Park won their second Division Two premiership and have remained in Division One since.
Relocation
In 1987 Northcote Football ClubNorthcote Football Club
Northcote Football Club, nicknamed The Dragons, was an Australian rules football club which played in the VFA from 1908 until 1987. The club's colours were green and yellow and it was based in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote...
played its final season in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) and was wound up and Westgarth St was left without a tenant. In 1989 Northcote Park relocated to Westgarth St from McDonell Park.
In 1996, in partnership with the Darebin City Council, the club embarked on a major redevelopment of the ground, which included extending the club rooms and the viewing area, as well as constructing new change rooms and a gymnasium.
With a revamped facility at the premier venue in Northcote the Cougars started to dominate the DVFL, winning Division One premierships in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. The feat of four successive premierships, from 1999 to 2002, has only recently being equaled by Heidelberg
Heidelberg Football Club
Heidelberg Football Club is an Australian rules football club in Heidelberg, Victoria, currently competing in the Northern Football League.-History:...
, from 2006 to 2009.
The club also fields junior teams, formerly known as Alphington Cougars Football Club, and now known as Northcote Junior Football Club. The club also fields several women's teams.