# Altona Football Club

The Altona Football Club is an Australian rules football club which competed in the WRFL since 1988. The team is based in the Melbourne suburb of Altona.

## History

Altona Football Club was established in 1918 in a Pier Street café by James Duke. Altona's nickname in the 1930s was “The Seagulls” or "The Seadogs". In 1939 Altona changed their Guernseys to Navy Blue with a white "A" on the breast and were known as "The As" In 1940 Altona struggled to keep a team going due to many players joining the Armed Forces. With 2 games to complete the 1940 W.D.F.L. season, Altona were expelled from the Association due to not fielding a team on 2 occasions. Altona would go into recess from 1941 to 1943. In 1944 a group met at Leo Barnes' shop in Pier Street Altona and formed a committee to resume the football club which would play social matches in 1944. In 1945 Altona entered the Footscray District Football League in B-Grade where they won the 1947 Premiership and were elevated into the A-Grade for seasons 1948 and 1949.
In 1950 Altona did not field a Senior team due to the Werribee Shire unwilling to supply a satisfactory playing area, Altona only ran an Under 18 team in C-Grade of the F.D.F.L.
In 1951 with a new playing area Altona rejoined the B-Grade of the F.D.F.L. where they won the Premiership Flag.
In 1952 the F.D.F.L. made it mandatory that there would only be 1 Senior Grade and that all teams must have an Under 18 side. Altona could not raise an Under 18 side so it joined the Werribee Football League and changed its Guernseys back to purple & gold. Altona played in the W.F.L. from 1952 to 1964 and were finalists every year and winning the 1956 & 1964 Premierships.
In 1965 Altona had 2 Senior sides and Juniors. Due to the W.F.L. only having one Senior Division, Altona joined the strong Metropolitan Football League with 1 Senior side and had its Reserves and Juniors in the Werribee Football League. Altona's Reserves would move to the 2nd Division of the Metro Football League in 1966 and the Juniors played in the Western Suburban Football League which had changed its name from the Werribee Football League on the request of the South Melbourne Football Club whom was sponsoring the League.
In early 1969, Altona Football Club Committee released a statement that due to lack of support and poor finances Altona would not field a Senior side and only field Juniors in the W.S.F.L. Former Altona Shire President, Bill Lee had registered the name "Altona City Football Club" with the W.S.F.L. and this would be the start of a new club which would have all the A.F.C. players, same colours and same ground. In 1972 Altona City adopted the nickname "The Vikings" and penned the theme song which would pay homage to the Altona Football Club with the ending chorus of "C'mon the As". This era would be Altona's most successful winning Senior Premierships in 1970,71,72,73,75 &76.
In 1977 Altona City FC joined the FDFL for 3 seasons.
Altona rejoined the WSFL in 1980 winning the Division 2 flag and the 1987 Premiership. Altona City played in the WSFL until 1988 when the WSFL merged with the FDFL. In 1991 Altona City won the F.D.F.L. A2 Division Premiership which elevated them to the A1 Division in 1992.
At Altona's AGM at the end of 1992, it was voted that Altona City would be named Altona Football Club and all records from both clubs be amalgamated. Altona played in the A1 Division until they were relegated back to the A2 Division after the 2003 season. 2004 saw Altona win the A2 Premiership. Instead of taking the elevation into the A1 Division, the club believed they were not ready to play in the A1 Division and decided to stay in the A2 Division in 2005 where they won back to back Premierships and were elevated into A1 Division for season 2006. The club rebuilt itself from 2006 and saw some lean years but it paid dividends were Altona won the 2012 A1 Division Premiership.

## Team Of The Century 1918 - 2018

| Back pocket | Full back | Back pocket |
| Danny Brennan | Bernie Brennan | Ian McLeod |
| Half back | Centre half back | Half back flank |
| Bill "Scud: Thompson -VC | Frank Nielson | Ian Harris |
| Wing | Centre | Wing |
| John Rohleder | Mal Tisdale | Greg Cunninghan |
| Half forward | Centre half Forward | Half forward |
| Steve Sheils | Steve Mandics | Wayne Muschialli |
| Forward pocket | Full forward | Forward pocket |
| Andrew Venner | Ron Schwabe | Bill Devereaux |
| Ruck | Ruck rover | Rover |
| Gordon Timmins | Martin Crump | Noel Rohleder-Capt |
| Interchange |
| Vic Pateras | Geoff Bebend | Kevin Rohleder | Peter Mildenhall |
| Coach | Assistant Coach |
| Mal Tisdale | Lou Thompson |

## Competitions
### Y.M.C.A

1921,1924,1925,1927,1928 (5 Seasons)

### Sunshine & District Football Association

1922, 1923 (2 Seasons)

### Melbourne & Suburbs A-Grade

1926 (1 Season)

### V.F.A. Suburban District B Section

1929 (1 Season)

### Footscray District Football League / Western Region Football League

1933,34,35,36,37,45,46,47,48,49,51,77,78,79,1988–present (45 Seasons)

### Werribee District Football Association / Werribee Football League

1930,31,32,38,39,40,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64 (19 Seasons)

### Metropolitan Football League

1965,66,67,68 (4 Seasons)

### Western Suburban Football League

1969,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87 (16 Seasons)

## Premierships Seniors

* W.D.F.L. = 1930, 1932
* W.F.L. = 1956, 1964
* F.D.F.L. & W.R.F.L. = Div 1 = 2012, 2022 Div 2 = 1947, 1951, 1991, 2004, 2005
* W.S.F.L. = 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1987

## Premierships Reserves

* W.S.F.L. 1972,1974
* W.R.F.L. Div 2 = 2005, Div 1 = 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019

## Premierships U19s

* W.R.F.L. 2017, 2018

## Premierships U18s

* W.F.L. 1960,1961,1964
* W.S.F.L. 1966,1967,1968,1970,1971,1984
* W.R.F.L. 2007 Div: 1, 2007 Div: 2

## Premierships U16s

* W.S.F.L. 1968,1969,1970,1971

## Premierships U13s

* W.S.F.L. 1973,1977

## Senior Grand Final Results

| Year | Team | Score | | Team | Score | League |
| 1925 | Abbotsford | 12:8:80 | Defeated | Altona | 11:5:71 | Y.M.C.A. Open Age |
| 1930 | Altona | 10:11:71 | Defeated | Truganina | 9:6:60 | W.D.F.L. |
| 1932 | Altona | 12:10:82 | Defeated | Laverton | 4:13:37 | W.D.F.L. |
| 1947 | Altona | 12:25:97 | Defeated | Waratah | 4:5:29 | F.D.F.L. B Grade |
| 1951 | Altona | 12:12:84 | Defeated | Kingsville | 11:7:73 | F.D.F.L. B Grade |
| 1956 | Altona | 9:13:67 | Drew | Werribee INF | 10:7:67 | W.F.L. |
| 1956 | Altona | 8:7:55 | Defeated | Werribee INF | 5:7:37 | W.F.L. |
| 1957 | Werribee South | | Defeated | Altona | | W.F.L. |
| 1958 | Werribee INF | 12:17:89 | Defeated | Altona | 6:13:49 | W.F.L. |
| 1959 | Werribee South | 6:11:47 | Defeated | Altona | 3:8:26 | W.F.L. |
| 1963 | Werribee South | 10:13:73 | Defeated | Altona | 9:9:63 | W.F.L. |
| 1964 | Altona | 5:13:43 | Defeated | Werribee South | 5:4:34 | W.F.L. |
| 1970 | Altona City | 17:14:116 | Defeated | Central Altona | 14:10:94 | W.S.F.L. |
| 1971 | Altona City | 13:9:87 | Defeated | West Newport | 11:13:79 | W.S.F.L. |
| 1972 | Altona City | 16:8:104 | Defeated | Newport | 2:11:23 | W.S.F.L. |
| 1973 | Altona City | 14:20:104 | Defeated | Newport | 8:12:60 | W.S.F.L. |
| 1975 | Altona City | 20:13:133 | Defeated | Central Altona | 10:13:73 | W.S.F.L. |
| 1976 | Altona City | 25:9:159 | Defeated | Brooklyn | 14:13:97 | W.S.F.L. |
| 1980 | Altona City | 18:11:119 | Defeated | Laverton | 11:9:75 | W.S.F.L. 2nd Div |
| 1983 | Werribee Centrals | 25:13:163 | Defeated | Altona City | 10:7:67 | W.S.F.L. |
| 1984 | West Newport | 12:12:84 | Defeated | Altona City | 7:9:51 | W.S.F.L. |
| 1987 | Altona City | 18:10:118 | Defeated | Hoppers Crossing | 15:9:99 | W.S.F.L. |
| 1991 | Altona City | 10:14:74 | Defeated | Sunshine Heights | 7:13:55 | F.D.F.L. A2 Div |
| 2004 | Altona | 11:14:80 | Defeated | Deer Park | 8:7:55 | W.R.F.L. A2 Div |
| 2005 | Altona | 19:12:126 | Defeated | Glenorden | 8:9:57 | W.R.F.L. A2 Div |
| 2012 | Altona | 14:7:91 | Defeated | Spotswood | 12:18:90 | W.R.F.L. A1 Div |
| 2019 | Altona | 9:10:64 | Defeated By | Deer Park | 9:13:67 | W.R.F.L. A1 Div |
| 2022 | Altona | 10:21:81 | Defeated | Werribee Districts | 9:4:58 | W.R.F.L A1 Div |

## VFL/AFL players

* Charles McDonald - South Melbourne 1924 - 1928 57 Games 5 goals
* Ted Sivies - South Melbourne 1924 1 game
* Bill Brown - Hawthorn 1926 & 1928 12 Games
* Kevin Rohleder - St.Kilda 1943 5 Games
* Noel Rohleder - South Melbourne 1950 1 Game 1 goal
* Tom Jones - Carlton 1951 - 1952 and Footscray 1953 - 1954 20 Games 10 goals
* Stuart Magee - South Melbourne 1962 - 1968 and Footscray 1968 - 1975 216 Games 149 goals
* Geoff Heyme - South Melbourne 1962 - 1963 10 Games
* Graham Page - South Melbourne 1969 1 Game
* Robert Saggers - Sydney & North Melbourne 1985 - 1986 5 Games 7 goals
* Jayden Post - Richmond 2009 - 2012 30 Games 6 goals

## Altona Juniors Football Club

* Trent McKenzie - Gold Coast Suns 2011 - 2017, Port Adelaide 2018 -

## League Best & Fairest
### Seniors

1955 – Max Stephens. 1962 – Noel Rohleder. 1963 – Mario Piovesan. 1968 – Algie Vosilaitis. 1973 – Ron Schwabe. 1980 – Steve Mandics. 1983 – Murray Cooper. 1998 & 1999 – Andrew Venner. 2017 -Steven Kennedy.

### Reserves

1972 – Bill Devereaux. 1999 – Glenn Evans. 2001 – Glenn Evans. 2005 – Anthony Hodgetts. 2010 – Anthony Hodgetts. 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 – Brett Miller.

### Under 19s

2018 – J.Callaway & B.Searle.

### Under 18s

1960 – Brian Skinner. 1970 – Steve Chatfield. 1971 – E.Valente 1999 – R.Cassidy. 2007 – M.Hardiman. 2008 – Corey Lawson. 2009 – Alex Vivoda. 2017 Ethan Taylor

### Under 17s

1978 – Neil Condon.

### Under 16s

1966 – Richard Zapart. 1968 – Steve Chatfield. 1971 – Joc O'Conner.

### Under 12s

1977 – Doug Cooper. 1983 – Jason Skinner.

### Under 10s

1977 – Andrew Taylor.