Moorabbin Kangaroos
| Moorabbin | ||
|---|---|---|
| Names | ||
| Full name | Moorabbin Football Club | |
| Nickname(s) | Kangaroos | |
| Club details | ||
| Founded | c. 1909 | |
| Colours | Royal Blue and White | |
| Competition | Victorian Football Association 1951-1963, 1983-1987 | |
| Ground(s) | Moorabbin Oval | |
| Uniforms | ||
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Moorabbin Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos, was the name of two distinct Australian rules football clubs which played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA). The first club, founded in the early 20th century, joined the VFA in 1951 and played there until 1963 with great success; they played home matches at Moorabbin Oval and wore royal blue and white hooped jerseys. The second club played in the VFA from 1983 to 1987.
Moorabbin played initially in the Federal Football League, making their debut in 1909 and competing until 1950. During this time the club won 12 premierships, including winning all six premierships staged over the nine years between 1940 and 1948 (the competition was in recess from 1942 until 1944).
The club entered the VFA in 1951. Its Federal League home ground, the Dane Road Reserve, was not up to VFA standards; so, in 1951 the club played at Cheltenham, and in 1952 moved into the Moorabbin Oval, which the Moorabbin Council had developed during 1951. The Kangaroos made the 1954 and 1955 finals series without success but in 1957 they helped eliminate premiership favourite Williamstown after defeating them by two points in the Semi Final. Moorabbin, who were coached by Bill Faul, took on Port Melbourne in the Grand Final, whom they had not once beaten since joining the league. In another upset, Moorabbin won comfortably to claim their maiden VFA premiership.
In 1958, Moorabbin reached the Grand Final once more, but were forced to return the following weekend after drawing with Williamstown. The replay was won by Williamstown, the first and only instance of a grand final replay in the VFA.
By the 1960s, the club was one of the strongest both on and off the field in the VFA. Its 1962 match payments to players of £12 for a win and £6 for a loss were the highest in Association history. The club was minor premier in three consecutive years from 1961 until 1963, and reached the 1962 and 1963 Grand Finals. It lost in remarkable fashion to Sandringham in 1962 – despite trailing by 44 points at three quarter time, Sandringham put on an eight goal final quarter to win by a single point. Moorabbin exacted its revenge the following year, beating Sandringham twice in the finals in 1963, including a 64-point win in the Grand Final under coach, Graham Dunscombe, who was appointed mid-season.
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