Coburg Amateurs Football Club

Coburg Amateurs
Coburg Amateurs
Names
Full name	Coburg Amateurs Football Club
1987 season
Home-and-away season	10th
Club details
Dissolved	1988
Colours	Blue Red
Competition	Victorian Amateur Football Association
Premierships	VAFA A Section (1) 1969; VAFA B Section (2) 1955; 1963; VAFA C Section (2) 1937; 1952; VAFA D Section (2) 1936; 1981;
Uniforms
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The Coburg Amateurs Football Club, also known simply as Coburg, was an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg.^[1]

History

Coburg Amateurs joined the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) in 1935.^[2] Its first VAFA premiership was won in D Section in 1936, which was followed by a C Section premiership in 1937.^[3]^[4]

The club made the 1970 A Section Grand Final, but despite being seen as favourites going into the match and finishing strongly, they were defeated by Caulfield Grammarians by two points.^[5]

In its final season in 1987, Coburg only won a single game, finishing last on the D Section ladder.^[6] The club went into recess before the 1988 season began, and folded shortly after.^[7]

Honours

Premierships

Division	Level	Wins	Years won
A Section	Seniors	1	1969
A Section	Reserves	1	1976
B Section	Seniors	2	1955, 1963
C Section	Seniors	2	1937, 1952
C Section	Reserves	1	1982
D Section	Seniors	2	1936, 1981
D Section	Reserves	1	1981
Junior 2	Juniors	2	1973, 1979

Leading VAFA goalkickers

1968: Rod McFarlane − 54 goals (A Section)
1969: Rod McFarlane − 70 goals (A Section)
1970: Rod McFarlane − 105 goals (A Section)
1959: K. C. O'Brien − 41 goals (B Section)
1937: J. Plunkett − 99 goals (C Section)
1957: J. Brown − 67 goals (Junior Section)
1975: Egan − 82 goals (Junior Section)

Notable players

Phil Cleary − Coburg VFA captain and coach in the 1980s^[8]
Neil Rainbow − oldest Australian rules footballer as of 2024^[9]
Alan Salter − 1972 VAFA representative coach^[10]
Robert Walls − 259 VFL games with Carlton and Fitzroy^[11]

References

^ "Coburg Amateurs To Train". Trove. The Herald. 26 March 1938. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
^ "Previous VAFA Clubs". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
^ "Coburg Amateurs". Trove. The Age. 11 March 1938.
^ "George Ross". Tigerland Archive. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
^ Caulfield by Two Points, The Age, (Monday, 14 September 1970), p.17.
^ "The Amateur Footballer Week 23 1987" (PDF). Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2024.
^ "The Amateur Footballer, Week 1, 1988". Issuu. VAFA Media. 17 January 2017. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024.
^ Noakes, Cameron (5 June 2024). "Beloved football commentator Ross Booth dies, aged 72". 7NEWS. Archived from the original on 5 June 2024.
^ Eddie Williams; Floss Adams (28 June 2024). "Australia's oldest footballer, Neil Rainbow, still playing at 76 for Bega-Tathra in AFL Sapphire Coast comp". ABC News. Archived from the original on 29 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024. After years representing school teams and suburban junior sides, Rainbow said he received interest from VFL and VFA clubs before ultimately joining Coburg amateurs.
^ "Vale Alan Salter". Victorian Amateur Football Association. 14 November 2016. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
^ "Robert Walls". Retrieved 15 March 2022.

[1] "Coburg Amateurs To Train". Trove. The Herald. 26 March 1938. Retrieved 14 June 2024.

[previous-2] "Previous VAFA Clubs". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2024.

[3] "Coburg Amateurs". Trove. The Age. 11 March 1938.

[4] "George Ross". Tigerland Archive. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2024.

[5] Caulfield by Two Points, The Age, (Monday, 14 September 1970), p.17.

[6] "The Amateur Footballer Week 23 1987" (PDF). Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2024.

[7] "The Amateur Footballer, Week 1, 1988". Issuu. VAFA Media. 17 January 2017. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024.

[8] Noakes, Cameron (5 June 2024). "Beloved football commentator Ross Booth dies, aged 72". 7NEWS. Archived from the original on 5 June 2024.

[9] Eddie Williams; Floss Adams (28 June 2024). "Australia's oldest footballer, Neil Rainbow, still playing at 76 for Bega-Tathra in AFL Sapphire Coast comp". ABC News. Archived from the original on 29 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024. After years representing school teams and suburban junior sides, Rainbow said he received interest from VFL and VFA clubs before ultimately joining Coburg amateurs.

[10] "Vale Alan Salter". Victorian Amateur Football Association. 14 November 2016. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2024.

[11] "Robert Walls". Retrieved 15 March 2022.

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