# Mansfield Football Club

The Mansfield Football Netball Club, nicknamed the Eagles, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in Mansfield, Victoria.
The Mansfield teams currently compete in the Goulburn Valley League. The Eagles home ground is the Mansfield Recreation Reserve.

## History

The seed of the Mansfield FC was planted because of an advertisement in the Mansfield Guardian on 18 May 1878. The ad called for a meeting to be held at the Mansfield Hotel with the purpose of forming a football club.
Surviving records of those times describe a game between Mansfield and Jamieson in July 1883. Nevertheless, in 1886 the Mansfield Courier reported that Mansfield had fielded teams in 1881.
Early games were played against neighbouring towns on a round robin basis with the teams playing for trophies donated by prominent businessmen. The original shirt worn by Mansfield was white with red stripes. In 1900 these local clubs formed an Association, adopted a constitution and began a formal competition for points culminating in a final series. Mansfield played many clubs in this era in various leagues and associations. Jamieson, Bonnie Doon, Merton, Maindample, Delatite, Mt Battery, Swanpool, Tolmie, Yarck, among others.
Between the wars the district became unable to maintain numerous clubs, so the various smaller ones morphed towards the larger Mansfield FC and Mount Battery FC. Eventually these two formed the "Mansfield Battery FC", adopting a navy blue guernsey with a white monogram.
Mansfield competed continuously in the various District Associations until after World War II when the club joined the Waranga North East FL. The netball section would be added later.
Trent Hotton, won the league best and fairest in 2007. The Eagles won their first GVFL premiership in 2004 since moving to the league in 1997. In 2009 the Eagles capped off a fantastic year with a win in the GVFL Grand Final over Kyabram, capturing their second GVFL flag in five years.

## Leagues

Since its foundation, the club has participated in the following leagues:
* 1925–33: Mansfield Line Association
* 1934–40: Mansfield-Alexandra FA
* 1945–46: Upper Goulburn FL
* 1946–77: Waranga North East FL
* 1977–95: Tungamah Football League
* 1996–97: Goulburn Valley FL (2nd Division)
* 1998–present: Goulburn Valley FL

## Players
### 2010 Football Squad

Matt Storer and Guy Taylor are Eagles Co-Captains for the 2010 season. The Eagles Seniors are coached by ex-Collingwood player, Craig 'Ned' Kelly.

## VFL / AFL Players

The following footballers played with Mansfield prior to playing senior VFL / AFL football. The year indicates their VFL / AFL debut.
* 1922 - Jim Fraser - Carlton
* 1950 - Bill Reardon - Footscray
* 1953 - Tom Tarrant - Collingwood
* 1955 - Alan Jewell - Hawthorn
* 1955 - Ray Yeoman - Hawthorn
* 1957 - Peter Barran - Geelong
* 1962 - Peter Dolling - South Melbourne
* 1962 - Bob Lockhart - Richmond
* 2000 - Josh Fraser - Collingwood & Gold Coast
* 2005 - Jarrod Kayler-Thomson - Hawthorn
* 2017 - James Cousins - Hawthorn
The following players/coaches came to Mansfield, with prior VFL / AFL senior football experience -
* 1942 - Ted Leehane - Essendon
* 1982 - Peter Tossol - Melbourne
* 1989 - Craig Kelly - ex-Collingwood and player manager.
* 1990 - Brendan Hehir - Draft Number 17, in AFL 1990 National Draft. Geelong, Australian Football League
* 1993 - Andrew Tranquilli - ex-Collingwood player in the Australian Football League
* 1992 - David Mensch - ex-Geelong player in the Australian Football League
* 1994 - Trent Hotton - ex-Carlton player in the Australian Football League
* 1997 - Darren Hulme - Carlton
* 1999 - David A. Clarke - Geelong & Carlton
* 2005 - Craig Flint - Number 17 in 2005 AFL Rookie Draft. Carlton

## Premierships

* Mansfield Hotel / Bremner's Cup (1):
** 1900
* Mansfield FA (3):
** 1900, 1904, 1905
* Mansfield District FA (3):
** 1911, 1912, 1913
* Mansfield Swanpool District FA (1):
** 1927
* Mansfield Line FA (1):
** 1929
* Waranga North Eastern Football Association (4):
** 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955
* Tungamah Football League (2):
** 1987, 1989
* Goulburn Valley 2nd. Division (1):
** 1996
* Goulburn Valley FL (2):
** 2004, 2009

## Grand Finals

| 2004 GVFL Grand Final | G | B | Total |
| Tatura | 11 | 8 | 74 |
| Mansfield | 20 | 15 | 135 |
| Venue: Deakin Reserve, Shepparton |
| 2009 GVFL Grand Final | G | B | Total |
| Mansfield | 16 | 12 | 108 |
| Kyabram | 13 | 9 | 87 |
| Venue: Deakin Reserve, Shepparton |

## Football League Best & Fairest honors
### Seniors

Tungamah Football League
* 1987 - Bruce McCormack
* 1988 - Bruce McCormack
Goulburn Valley Football League - Division 2
* 1997 - Dennis Sheahan
Goulburn Valley Football League
* 2007 - Trent Hotton