University of New South Wales Australian National Football Club
Encyclopedia
The University of New South Wales Australian National Football Club plays Australian rules football
.
Australian National Football Club (UNSW-ANFC), also known as “the Whalies”, was formed in 1962 to participate in the Australian University Games
, but it wasn’t until the following year that the club actually fielded a team.
In 1964 the club started regular local competition. And while they combined with Sydney University during their first regular season, the two universities also quickly developed a strong rivalry. UNSW were victorious in their inaugural clash and took home a perpetual trophy donated by Shell.
In that same year the club first came to the attention of the national media. Apparently it was on their trip to the Perth, Western Australia
University Games that the club’s players united in an effort to roll their aircraft by jumping from side to side. An individual player also allegedly attempted to depressurize the aircraft by puncturing holes in the window seals.
It was in 1966 that the club first started winning premierships. They appeared in four consecutive grand finals, and won the 1968 premiership by 97 points! The following year the club was promoted a division but continued to win. From 1971 the club won five more first grade premierships (the last in 1994) and nine reserve grade premierships (the last in 1996). The club continued to appear regularly in grand finals up until the merger with the Eastern Suburbs Australian Football Club in 1999.
In the University Games the club did not do as well. The club’s only medal was won in 1995 after defeating Monash University
in Darwin, Northern Territory
for the bronze.
In 1985, the club set an Australian record for the highest score recorded by a senior grade team in an Australian National Football game with a score of 69 goals and 32 behinds (446 points) against Baulkham Hills who didn’t score a single point. The record was subsequently beaten, but remarkably the club recaptured the record in 1994 with a score of 81 goals and 49 behinds (535 points) against Blacktown who scored only one point.
Since the 1999 merger the club became known as the UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs
.
After the season of 1987 the club officially folded. A meeting of the committee was held and the proposal was put to the vote. It was carried with two dissenters. The vote was later determined to be unconstitutional, however the two dissenters left the meeting and agreed to take on the organisation of the club and to field two teams in 1988.
The club has produced many representative players. In 1964, John Ward was selected in the State side and he and Cliff Matson were selected in the Australian Universities side. In 1966, Graham McKenzie was selected in the Australian Universities side. Cliff Matson won the League best & fairest three years in a row from 1966-68 and, in 1969, was elected captain of the State side and awarded best player in a match against a Victorian side. In 1968, Cliff Matson, Kevin Williams, Chris Herbert and Ron Haley represented the club in the State second grade team. In 1970, Brian Lawn kicked over 100 goals and in 1971 kicked 94. In 1973, Lyn Davis represented the club in the State Second Division team and was adjudged the best & fairest player in the series against Newcastle and South Coast. In 1976, when UNSW hosted intervarsity, Albert Suidgeest, Andy Collins, Peter Hurst, Alan Abbot, Ian Geddes and Col Kay were all selected in the intervarsity representative side. Ian Geddes was runner-up best & fairest for the carnival. In 1985, Dale Rolfe was equal 1st in the League’s Reserve grade best & fairest after the club lodged an appeal. Apparently R Dale was awarded best on ground in one game, which was eventually awarded to Dale Rolfe. In 1988, Beres Dowdle was selected in the All Australian university side. In 1989, Richard Beissel was selected in the All Australian university side and Paul Annett won the League’s best and fairest. Paul then won a Ben Lexcen Scholarship the following year. In 1990, John O’Dwyer won the League reserve grade best and fairest award. In 1994, Steve Driscoll won the League Reserve grade best & fairest. In 1995, the club had five players selected in Australian University Games’ Green and Gold team. They were Matt Hern, Merrick Kingston, Justin Loveridge, Shayne McKenzie, and Alex Opie. In 1995 AND in 1996, Stephen Byrns won the League best & fairest AND Dan Hupfau won the League’s reserve grade best & fairest award. In 1996, the club recruited a very talented player in Stuart Cadzow and he was awarded the Ben Lexcen Scholarship, which was renewed in 1997. Also in 1996, Andrew Chaplin was selected in the Australian Universities Green and Gold team.
The club has won five first grade premierships in 1971, 1972, 1977, 1993 and 1994 and won nine reserve grade premierships in 1966, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1990, 1995 and 1996. The club’s most successful year at the University Games was in 1995, winning a bronze medal by defeating Monash University in Darwin.
In 1985, the club set an Australian record for the highest score recorded by a senior grade team in an Australian National Football game with a score of 69 goals and 32 behinds (446 points) against Baulkham Hills who didn’t score a single point. The record had been beaten but the club recaptured the record in 1994 with a score of 81 goals and 49 behinds (535 points) against Blacktown who scored only one point, which was scored by Rod Bordignon’s man.
Records show that the club has 22 life members of the club: Les Radford, John Spangler, Brian Lawn, Tom Kenny, John Graco, Ian Hopkins, Arthur Bourne, Graham Buderus, Mrs Vera Momis, Warwick Graco, Mick Keogh, Col Moodie, Rob Downing, Peter Davis, Tim McNair, Shayne McKenzie, Peter Briede, Stephen Driscoll, Ross Grinter, Michael Chisholm, John O'Dwyer and Tony Moss. The club also have 11 University Blues winners: Cliff Matson, John Ward, Kevin Williams, Peter Hurst, Brian McCleary, Andrew Collins, Kenneth Armstrong, Richard Beissel, Paul Nicholls, Merrick Kingston and Shayne McKenzie.
The club's motto is "Go Wales, you bewdy, you bewdy, you bewdy".
Content last updated: Sat 12 July, 1997 - 35 year Reunion Dinner
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...
.
Abbreviated History
The University of New South WalesUniversity of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
Australian National Football Club (UNSW-ANFC), also known as “the Whalies”, was formed in 1962 to participate in the Australian University Games
Australian University Games
The Australian University Games is a multi-sport competition held annually in September / October between teams fielded from a large number of Australian universities and tertiary institutions. The Games were first held in 1993 in Brisbane, Queensland...
, but it wasn’t until the following year that the club actually fielded a team.
In 1964 the club started regular local competition. And while they combined with Sydney University during their first regular season, the two universities also quickly developed a strong rivalry. UNSW were victorious in their inaugural clash and took home a perpetual trophy donated by Shell.
In that same year the club first came to the attention of the national media. Apparently it was on their trip to the Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
University Games that the club’s players united in an effort to roll their aircraft by jumping from side to side. An individual player also allegedly attempted to depressurize the aircraft by puncturing holes in the window seals.
It was in 1966 that the club first started winning premierships. They appeared in four consecutive grand finals, and won the 1968 premiership by 97 points! The following year the club was promoted a division but continued to win. From 1971 the club won five more first grade premierships (the last in 1994) and nine reserve grade premierships (the last in 1996). The club continued to appear regularly in grand finals up until the merger with the Eastern Suburbs Australian Football Club in 1999.
In the University Games the club did not do as well. The club’s only medal was won in 1995 after defeating Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
in Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
for the bronze.
In 1985, the club set an Australian record for the highest score recorded by a senior grade team in an Australian National Football game with a score of 69 goals and 32 behinds (446 points) against Baulkham Hills who didn’t score a single point. The record was subsequently beaten, but remarkably the club recaptured the record in 1994 with a score of 81 goals and 49 behinds (535 points) against Blacktown who scored only one point.
Since the 1999 merger the club became known as the UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs
UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs
UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs is an Australian rules football club competing in the Sydney AFL league. The club is based out of the Sydney eastern suburbs in New South Wales and is affiliated with the University of New South Wales.-History:...
.
Unabridged History
The University of New South Wales Australian National Football Club (UNSW-ANFC) was formed on 22 March 1962. The club intended on sending a team to Adelaide for intervarsity that year but did not because only 18 players were available instead of the required 22. 1963 was the club’s first year of active participation. The club came fifth at intervarsity, which was held in Sydney, and Denis Aitken and Ian Sharpe were selected to play in an All Australian Universities side against NSW. Ian was unfortunate enough to be injured after five minutes in that game but Denis spearheaded the Combined Universities win with eight goals. The team also defeated Sydney University in an inaugural match for a perpetual trophy donated by Shell. In 1964, UNSW’s players competed in regular competition for the first time in a combined Universities side with Sydney University. The club also fielded a team at intervarsity in Perth, which created headline stories. Some unnamed players almost depressurised their plane by puncturing holes in the window seals and many players jumped from one side of the plane to the other trying to get it to roll. For some reason there was no IV for Aussie Rules in 1965. From 1965, it was decided that the combined Universities side be separated and the club commenced regular competition for the first time as the University of New South Wales in first division, with a team in reserve grade only. In 1966, the club played its first game under lights against Sydney University in the annual Shell Cup game. The UNSW won this game for the fourth year in a row. 1966 was also the club’s first premiership year. The team was promoted to first grade in 1969 after four consecutive grand final appearances from 1965-68, which included two premierships. The 1968 premiers won by 97 points! In 1970, the leagues were restructured and the club fielded two sides in the second division competition. The leagues in Sydney have changed many times since then, expanding to three small divisions in 1971 and consolidating to two large divisions in 1994. Since 1970, the club has always competed in second division with at least two grades.After the season of 1987 the club officially folded. A meeting of the committee was held and the proposal was put to the vote. It was carried with two dissenters. The vote was later determined to be unconstitutional, however the two dissenters left the meeting and agreed to take on the organisation of the club and to field two teams in 1988.
The club has produced many representative players. In 1964, John Ward was selected in the State side and he and Cliff Matson were selected in the Australian Universities side. In 1966, Graham McKenzie was selected in the Australian Universities side. Cliff Matson won the League best & fairest three years in a row from 1966-68 and, in 1969, was elected captain of the State side and awarded best player in a match against a Victorian side. In 1968, Cliff Matson, Kevin Williams, Chris Herbert and Ron Haley represented the club in the State second grade team. In 1970, Brian Lawn kicked over 100 goals and in 1971 kicked 94. In 1973, Lyn Davis represented the club in the State Second Division team and was adjudged the best & fairest player in the series against Newcastle and South Coast. In 1976, when UNSW hosted intervarsity, Albert Suidgeest, Andy Collins, Peter Hurst, Alan Abbot, Ian Geddes and Col Kay were all selected in the intervarsity representative side. Ian Geddes was runner-up best & fairest for the carnival. In 1985, Dale Rolfe was equal 1st in the League’s Reserve grade best & fairest after the club lodged an appeal. Apparently R Dale was awarded best on ground in one game, which was eventually awarded to Dale Rolfe. In 1988, Beres Dowdle was selected in the All Australian university side. In 1989, Richard Beissel was selected in the All Australian university side and Paul Annett won the League’s best and fairest. Paul then won a Ben Lexcen Scholarship the following year. In 1990, John O’Dwyer won the League reserve grade best and fairest award. In 1994, Steve Driscoll won the League Reserve grade best & fairest. In 1995, the club had five players selected in Australian University Games’ Green and Gold team. They were Matt Hern, Merrick Kingston, Justin Loveridge, Shayne McKenzie, and Alex Opie. In 1995 AND in 1996, Stephen Byrns won the League best & fairest AND Dan Hupfau won the League’s reserve grade best & fairest award. In 1996, the club recruited a very talented player in Stuart Cadzow and he was awarded the Ben Lexcen Scholarship, which was renewed in 1997. Also in 1996, Andrew Chaplin was selected in the Australian Universities Green and Gold team.
The club has won five first grade premierships in 1971, 1972, 1977, 1993 and 1994 and won nine reserve grade premierships in 1966, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1990, 1995 and 1996. The club’s most successful year at the University Games was in 1995, winning a bronze medal by defeating Monash University in Darwin.
In 1985, the club set an Australian record for the highest score recorded by a senior grade team in an Australian National Football game with a score of 69 goals and 32 behinds (446 points) against Baulkham Hills who didn’t score a single point. The record had been beaten but the club recaptured the record in 1994 with a score of 81 goals and 49 behinds (535 points) against Blacktown who scored only one point, which was scored by Rod Bordignon’s man.
Records show that the club has 22 life members of the club: Les Radford, John Spangler, Brian Lawn, Tom Kenny, John Graco, Ian Hopkins, Arthur Bourne, Graham Buderus, Mrs Vera Momis, Warwick Graco, Mick Keogh, Col Moodie, Rob Downing, Peter Davis, Tim McNair, Shayne McKenzie, Peter Briede, Stephen Driscoll, Ross Grinter, Michael Chisholm, John O'Dwyer and Tony Moss. The club also have 11 University Blues winners: Cliff Matson, John Ward, Kevin Williams, Peter Hurst, Brian McCleary, Andrew Collins, Kenneth Armstrong, Richard Beissel, Paul Nicholls, Merrick Kingston and Shayne McKenzie.
The club's motto is "Go Wales, you bewdy, you bewdy, you bewdy".
Content last updated: Sat 12 July, 1997 - 35 year Reunion Dinner