The Maryborough Football & Netball Club, nicknamed the Magpies, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the town of Maryborough, Victoria.
The club is currently a member of the Bendigo Football Netball League. However, they have been in recess since 2025. In 2027 they will join the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League
History An Australian Rules football club was tried to be formed in Maryborough in 1869, but was unsuccessful, then in 1872, the club was formed and three matches were played against Avoca.
In 1891, the Maryborough Albion Junior FC played 15 games, for 14 wins, one draw to be premiers of the Maryborough district.
Maryborough joined the Ballarat Football League in 1924 and were premiers on four occasions between 1924 and 1931 but missed both the 1929 and 1930 seasons as they were without a home ground. The council had decided to allocate Princes Park to the Maryborough District Football Association (MDFA).
In August, 1928, Marborough player, Charlie Backway kicked 18 goals against Ballarat Imperial FC.
After returning and winning the 1931 premiership, Maryborough applied to join the Bendigo Football League in 1932 and were suspended by the Ballarat Football League as a result, who refused to clear the club to the Bendigo Football League.
To get around the disqualification, a new club was formed, called Maryborough United FC and they participated in the Bendigo Football League, from 1932 to 1940, due to Maryborough FC's disqualification.
The original club reformed in 1945, spent a season in the Maryborough District Football Association (MDFA), before returning to the Ballarat Football League in 1946.
At the end of 1991 the club were successful in transferring to the Bendigo Football League.
Football Timeline 1872 - 1891: Maryborough FC formed in 1872, club active playing matches against local towns, but no competition football. 1892 - 1894: Maryborough District Football Association formed in 1892. 1895 - 1898: Maryborough District Football Association? Club active, but no competition football? 1899 - 1900: Maryborough District Football Association 1901 - 1903: Maryborough District Football Association ? 1904 - 1910: Maryborough District Football Association 1911 - 1915: Maryborough FC appears to be in recess. Maryborough Temperance FC, Maryborough Railways FC and Bristol Hill FC (Maryborough) all active in the Maryborough DFA. 1916 - 1918: Association & club in recess due to World War One 1919 - 1923: Club in recess 1924 - 1928: Ballarat Football League 1929 & 1930: Club in recess. Maryborough FC was forced into recess, after the local council did not provide the club with the lease of their home ground, Princes Park. 1931: Ballarat Football League 1932 - 1940: Bendigo Football League, as Maryborough United FC. 1941 - 1944: League and club in recess, due to World War Two 1945: Maryborough District Football League 1946 - 1991: Ballarat Football League 1992 - 2019: Bendigo Football League 2020: BFNL & club in recess due to COVID-19 2021 - 2024: : Bendigo Football League 2025-2027- MFNC in recess. 2027 Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League
Football Premierships Seniors Maryborough Football Association (1892–1915, 1945): 1892 - Maryborough: 4.6 - 30 defeated Bowenvale: 2.8 - 20 1894 - Maryborough: 1908 - Maryborough: 7.9 - 51 d Carisbrook: 1.0 - 6 Ballarat Football League (1924–1931, 1946–1991): 1924 - Maryborough: 6.13 - 49 d Ballarat: 6.4 - 40 1925 - Maryborough: 11.12 - 78 d Ballarat: 10.9 - 69 1927 - Maryborough: 6.10 - 40 drew Ballarat: 6.10 - 40 1927 - Maryborough: 8.17 - 65 d Ballarat: 8.12 - 60 (Grand Final Replay) 1931 - Maryborough: 13.24 - 102 d Ballarat Imperial: 11.7 - 73 1960 - Maryborough: 8.12 - 60 d Daylesford: 6.14 - 50 1965 - Maryborough: 13.10 - 88 d Ballarat: 8.8 - 56 1968 - Maryborough: 21.18 - 124 d Ballarat: 9.13 - 68 1972 - Maryborough: 18.12 - 120 d North Ballarat: 9.14 - 68 1974 - Maryborough: 10.12 - 72 d East Ballarat: 9.16 - 70 Bendigo Football League (1932–1940, 1992–present): 1998 - Maryborough: 19.11 - 125 d Sandhurst: 12.6 - 78 1999 - Maryborough: 20.17 - 137 d Castlemaine: 17.4 - 106
Reserves Ballarat Football League (1946–1991) 1959, 1960, 1966, 1985 Bendigo Football League (1992–present) 2010
Thirds Ballarat Football League (1951–1991) 1961, 1963
Football Runners Up Seniors Bendigo Football League (1932–1940, 1992–present) 1933, 1939 Ballarat Football League (1924–1931, 1946–1991) 1946, 1948, 1949, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1964
Reserves Ballarat Football League (1946–1991) 1965, 1974
League Best & Fairest Winners Senior Football Ballarat Football League (1924–1931, 1946–1991): 1948 - H Hubble 1953 - Don Nicholls (as a 16 year old) 1961 - Brian Coleman 1969 - Kevin Coleman 1971 - Colin Elliott 1982 - Rod Fehring 1990 - Geoff MacIlwain 1991 - Geoff MacIlwain Bendigo Football League (1932–1940, 1992–present):: 1932 - Stan Nicol 1996 - Jamie Bond 2002 - Matt Aston
League Leading & / or Century Goalkicker Ballarat Football League (1924–1931, 1946–1991) 1933 - (2nd:) S. Slater: 111 goals 1949 - Ken Yates: 61 1950 - Bill Wells: 73 1965 - Noel Bishop: 1967 - Noel Bishop: Bendigo Football League (1932–1940, 1992–present) 1994 - Shane McCluskey: 100 (113)
Football Club Best & Fairest Award Seniors 1924 - Walter Grose G. F. Cuttle Memorial Gold Medal The club's senior football best and fairest award, was initially called the G F Cuttle Memorial Award, who resurrected the club in 1924 and was Maryborough's first president when they joined the Ballarat Football League and was first awarded in 1926. Cuttle received a life membership of the Maryborough FC in April, 1926, just prior to his unfortunate death in June, 1926.
1926 - Ted Waugh 1927 - Colin Niven 1928 - Thomas Rowe 1932 - Stan Nicol 1935 - James Durbridge
Football Coaches Seniors 1873 - Keast 1876 - Dood 1910 - A R Outrim (captain) 1924 & 1925 - Artie Wood 1926 - Les Johnson 1927 - Colin Watson 1928 - Maurie Beasy Appointed as captain-coach, but Carlton did not clear him. 1932 - Hugh Donnelly 1933 - Bob Makeham 1934 - Cecil Kerr 1935 - Les Dayman Dayman appointed but did not coach. Gordon Mackie was originally appointed as captain-coach in 1935, but Carlton refused to clear him. 1936 - Ted LlewellynThe Argus,"North Injuries", 24 June 1936, p. 12 1937 - 1939: Fred Coppock 1946 - 1948: Ernie Coward 1950 - Bill Wells 1951 & 1952 - Don Wilks 1953 & 1954: Vic Chanter 1967: Ralph Rose 1976 & 1977: Bryan Quirk 1993 - Brent Dyer 1994: Merv Neagle 1998 & 1999: Neville Massina 2000: Jamie Bond 2014: Jamie Bond / Glenn Chadwick 2022: Coby Perry
Notable players The following footballers played with Maryborough FNC, prior to playing senior football in the VFL/AFL, and / or drafted, with the year indicating their VFL/AFL debut.
1884 – Jack Worrall - , , player/coach 1887 - Con Hickey - 1895 - Pat Hickey - 1897 – Tom Banks - player/administrator 1897 - Alf Wood - () 1899 - Alf Catlin - 1909 - Bert Richardson - 1918 - Jimmy Sullivan - 1920 - Horrie Clover - 1921 - Larry Polinelli - 1922 - Jim Cullum - South Melbourne 1922 - Bill Gunn - South Melbourne 1923 - Hedley Blackmore - 1925 - Ted Brewis - 1927 - George Arnott - 1927 - Les Johnson - 1929 - Cecil Kerr - 1929 - Paul Killeen - 1929 - Colin Niven - 1931 - Johnny Leonard - South Melbourne 1931 - Ray Niven - 1932 - Reg Drew - 1932 - Leo Nolan - 1935 – Gordon Jones - 1935 - Jack Ryan - 1936 - Wally Lock - 1939 - Jack E. Williams - South Melbourne 1940 - Jim Mooring - 1941 - Jack Matthews - North Melbourne 1942 - Max Oppy - 1945 - Joe Keating - 1945 - Jim Oppy - 1946 - Allan Matheson - 1948 - Dick Bryar - 1951 - Ron McMahon - 1951 - Ron Richards - 1952 - Brian Coleman - 1953 – Ron Branton - Richmond 1953 - Kevin Coppock - 1953 - Ian McCann - 1956 – Don Nicholls - 1957 - Rod McKindlay - North Melbourne 1957 – John Nicholls - Carlton / AFL Hall of Fame 1959 - Ron Nalder - 1960 - Kevin Connell - 1961 - Bernie Dowling - 1961 - Tony Polinelli - 1964 - Mike Hammond - 1968 - Noel Bishop - 1969 - Geoff Thatcher - 1974 - Graeme Whitnall - 1975 - Gary Higgins - 1975 – Russell Ohlsen - Collingwood & Carlton 1986 - Geoff MacIlwain - 1989 - Daryl Groves - (No. 10 AFL Draft) 1989 - Brendan Tranter - 1991 - Jamie Elliott - Fitzroy, Richmond & St Kilda 1994 - Glenn Gorman - Sydney Swans 2004 – Jed Adcock - Brisbane 2010 – Stewart Crameri - Essendon 2010 - Eddie Prato - (No. 59 Rookie Draft) 2022 - Kai Lohmann -
The following footballers played senior VFL / AFL football prior to playing and / or coaching with Maryborough FNC with the year indicating their first season at MFNC.
1878 - Bill Lacey - 1924 - Artie Wood - South Melbourne 1927 – Colin Watson - St Kilda 1933 - Bob Makeham - 1935 - Les Dayman - 1936 - Ted Llewellyn - 1937 - Fred Coppock - 1946 - Ernie Coward - 1950 - Bill Wells - North Melbourne 1951 - Don Wilks - 1953 - Vic Chanter - 1954 - Fred Clarke - 1967 - Ralph Rose - Collingwood 1976 - Bryan Quirk - 1988 - Gordon Sumner - Collingwood 1989 - Jamie Bond - 1994 - Merv Neagle - Essendon 2015 - Brock McLean -
Netball Premierships Bendigo Football Netball League B Grade 1996
Netball Runners Up Bendigo Football Netball League A Grade 2002 B Grade 1999, 2000, 2004 C Grade 1997, 1998, 2000 Under 17 2010, 2017
References
External links
Maryborough FNC on Mygameday.app Official Maryborough FNC website via Full Points Footy Maryborough's proud history Stabber: The mini marvel from Maryborough Maryborough champs retire Cameron Skinner: Happy to give back 1924 - Ballarat FL Teams: Maryborough FC & Ararat FC team photos 1924 - Ballarat FL Grand Final team photos: Maryborough FC & Ballarat FC 1924 - Maryborough FL premiership captain-coach, Artie Wood photo 1925 - Ballarat FL Premiers: Maryborough FC team photo 1925 - North Central Districts Junior Technical Schools Association Premiers: Maryborough team photo 1926 - Ballarat FL teams: Maryborough FC & Ballarat FC team photos 1927 - Ballarat FL Grand Final team photos: Maryborough FC & Ballarat FC 1927 - Ballarat FL Teams: Maryborough FC & South Ballarat FC team photos 1928 - Ballarat FL Team: Maryborough FC team photo 1931 - Ballarat FL Teams: Maryborough FC & South Ballart FC team photos 1932 - Bendigo FL Teams: Maryborough United FC & Castlemaine FC team photos 1933 - Bendigo FL Teams: Maryborough United FC & South Bendigo FC team photos 1934 - Bendigo FL Teams: Maryborough United FC & Castlemaine FC team photos 1954 - Ballarat FL Team: Maryborough FC team photo