Inglewood Football Club

Inglewood Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Inglewood, Victoria. The club is currently affiliated with the Loddon Valley Football League.

History

The first mention of football being played in Inglewood is in 1873, when 'the first football match of the season' was played by the Inglewood Cricket and Football Club. The first games were scratch matches between club members. Real interest began to be shown around 1876, when Inglewood played against Wedderburn in a 'grand' football match as part of an Inglewood Hospital fund raiser. Inglewood also played against Serpentine that year, as well as a team of Inglewood 'amateurs' labelling themselves 'the Bothumpians'.

In 1877 the club became a foundation member of the Victorian Football Association (VFA). The Melbourne Football Club visited Inglewood in 1877, playing a match against an Inglewood District team. A similar match was played against the Carlton Football Club in 1879.

In the 1880s and '90s, Inglewood continued playing against local teams, firstly in a competition called the North West Division, and then the Loddon Association, before becoming a foundation member of the Loddon Valley Football League in 1903, taking out the inaugural premiership.

The club then joined the newly formed Korong League in 1908. The club was dominant in the 1920s, playing in 8 grand finals for 5 premierships, under the leadership of Jack Brennan, a former premiership player with South Melbourne in the VFL. Following Brennan's departure the club sought another high profile coach, signing Edward 'Carji' Greeves in 1933. Greeves was a premiership player for Geelong and the first winner of the Brownlow Medal for the VFL's Fairest and Best Player.

Due the depression and high travelling costs in 1936 Inglewood formed two teams, the 'Stars' and the 'Rovers', competing against Serpentine and Rheola in the Inglewood Football Association. By 1937, the club was back to one team in the Korong League, returning to the Loddon Valley Football League in 1938. The club was very strong between 1946 and 1958, taking out six premierships in that period.

The club's most recent premierships came in 1971 and 1986.

The club celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2001 with premiership reunions and the naming of a Team of the Century.

After reaching the preliminary final in 2003, the club fell upon hard times, enduring a 51-game losing streak. The drought was finally broken in Round 3, 2007. The fact the club survives today is testament to the hard working committee and loyal playing group that backed the club during that difficult period.

Affiliated Competitions

1877 to 1879 - Victorian Football Association, North West Division

1879 to 1895 - No formal competition

1895 to 1902 - Dunolly Electorate/Loddon Association

1903 to 1907 - Loddon Valley Football League

1908 to 1935 - Korong League

1936 - Inglewood Football Association

1937 - Korong League

1938 to Present - Loddon Valley Football League

Club Colours

1877 - Blue Jersey, Red Cap, Blue Knicks, Blue and Red Striped Hose

1908 - Blue and White

1936 - 'Stars' - Blue, 'Rovers' - Yellow and Black

1948 to 1975 - Royal Blue with White 'V'

1976 to 2013 - Navy Blue with White 'IFC' monogram

2013-Present - Navy Blue with White 'V'

Home Grounds

1876 to 1882 - Inglewood Public Park (current Golf Course)

1883 to 1947 - Inglewood Recreation Reserve ('Old Rec', bounded by Heales St, Morrow St, Verdon St and Storm Ln)

1948 to Present - Inglewood Community Sports Centre (Grant St)

Premierships

1895 - Dunolly Electorate

1903 - Loddon Valley Football Association

1908 - Korong Central District League

1910 - Korong Central District League

1912 - Korong Central District League

1923 - Korong Central District League

1924 - Korong Central District League

1926 - Korong Central District League

1928 - Korong Central District League

1930 - Korong Central District League

1946 - Loddon Valley Football League

1951 - Loddon Valley Football League

1953 - Loddon Valley Football League

1954 - Loddon Valley Football League

1956 - Loddon Valley Football League

1958 - Loddon Valley Football League

1971 - Loddon Valley Football League

1986 - Loddon Valley Football League

Team of the Century

As part of the club's 125 Year Anniversary Celebrations in 2001, a poll of Inglewood residents was conducted by the Inglewood District Historical Society to determine an Inglewood Football Team of the Century. Players were selected by number of nominations, with no regards to field positions.

Ralph Medcalf, Windsor Rochester, Charlie Catto, Eddie Harrison, Malcolm Johns, Kelvin Dows, Edward 'Carji' Greeves, Norm Hancock, Alec Medcalf, George Vanston, David Cossar, Graham Roberts, Jim Summers, Lindsay Kelly, Ralph Conboy, Ian Drill, Harry Lamprell, Percy Martyn, Ted Bradley, Brian Dowling, Peter Larson, Orm Renshaw, Jim 'Noey' Watts, Darrell Billett, Tim Birthisel, Jack Brennan, Bill Lamprell, Ian Triplett

Victorian Football League clubs

Current clubs	Box Hill Casey Scorpions Coburg Collingwood reserves Essendon reserves Footscray reserves Frankston Geelong reserves North Ballarat Northern Blues Port Melbourne Richmond reserves Sandringham Werribee Williamstown

Former clubs	Albert Park Ballarat Ballarat Imperial Barwon Berwick Bendigo Brighton/Caulfield Brunswick Camberwell Carlton Carlton reserves Collingwood Dandenong East Melbourne Essendon Essendon 'A' Fitzroy Footscray Geelong Geelong 'A' Geelong West Gold Coast Hawthorn Hotham/North Melbourne Kilsyth Melbourne Melbourne City Moorabbin Mordialloc Murray Kangaroos Northcote Oakleigh Prahran Richmond St Kilda St Kilda reserves South Ballarat South Melbourne South Williamstown Sunshine Tasmanian Devils Traralgon University Waverley West Melbourne Yarraville

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