Waverley Football Club
| Waverley | |
|---|---|
| Names | |
| Full name | Waverley Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | Panthers |
| Club details | |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Dissolved | 1987 |
| Colours | Red Black |
| Competition | Victorian Football Association (1961–1987) |
| Premierships | VFA (D1): (1) 1965 |
| Ground(s) | Central Reserve |
Waverley Football Club, nicknamed the Panthers, was an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1961 until 1987. Waverley wore red and black as their club colours and was based at Central Reserve in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley.
Waverley started out in the Caulfield-Oakleigh District League as the Glen Waverley Football Club, and in 1961 joined the newly formed VFA 2nd Division. They changed their name to Waverley to better reflect their representation of the region, and adopted the nickname Panthers in 1963. They started strongly, winning half of their 18 matches that year, and then in 1963 finished runners up to Preston at Toorak Park. The club was promoted at short notice to the 1st Division in 1964 to fill the spot left after Moorabbin was suspended from the Association. In its first season in Division 1, the club survived relegation back to Division 2 by winning the last game of the season against their nemesis from the previous season, Preston.
The club's breakthrough year came in 1965 under the coaching of Ian Thorogood when, despite competing in just their second season in the top division, they claimed the premiership with a 12-point victory over Port Melbourne in the Grand Final at Port Melbourne's home ground. The following season they met again in the decider, but this time Port Melbourne was too strong. In 1970 they finished third, but in 1972 the club finished last and was relegated to Division 2, ending its nine-year stint in the top division.
The club struggled for support in Division 2, and were also hindered by the opening of VFL Park in nearby Mulgrave, as many locals preferred to watch the VFL game played at the ground every Saturday than watch the Panthers on a Sunday. In the mid-1970s when Association-wide crowds were averaging more than 4,500, Waverley still seldom drew more than 1,000 fans to games. The club was runner-up in Division 2 in 1981, and earned promotion to the expanded 12-team Division 1 for 1982, but returned to Division 2 in 1984 after two wooden spoons at the top level. Waverley was Division 2 runner-up in its final season, 1987, then abruptly folded one month before the 1988 season due to financial difficulties.
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