Kew Football Club Explained

Color1:
  1. 552309
Color2:white
Color3:solid gold
Clubname:Kew Football Club
Fullname:Kew Football Club[1]
Nicknames:Bears
Motto:Vigore Honoreque
("With vigor and honor")
Colours: Brown Gold
Ground:J.J. Higgins Reserve
Url:kewfc.com
Pattern Name1:Home
Pattern B1:_goldrightsash
Pattern So1:_hoops_brown
Body1:552309
Shorts1:552309
Socks1:552309

The Kew Football Club, nicknamed the Bears, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. The club's men's team currently competes in Division 1 of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), while the women's team is in the Premier Division of the VAFA Women's (VAFAW) competition.[2]

History

Early years

Kew was founded in 1876 and won its first premiership in 1880 in the second-rate ranks of the Hawthorn District Zone competition.[3] The club entered a first-rate league for the first time in 1889 when it joined the Victorian Junior Football Association (VJFA), finishing 20th with two wins and six draws.[4]

The club withdrew during the 1891 season after failing to win a game, and dropped down to the 2nd rate and 3rd rate ranks of the VJFA.[3] [5] The club continued in the Association until 1896, when the VJFA mandated that all clubs must play on a fenced oval. As Victoria Park was unfenced, the club withdrew from the VJFA and "reluctantly" went into recess for two years.[3]

In 1899, Kew returned and entered the Suburban Junior Football Association (SJFA). However, in May of that year, Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA) club St Francis Xavier disbanded.[6] [7] [8] Kew was chosen to fill the vacancy, and it played in the MJFA for the remainder of the 1899 season.[9] [10] [11]

RDFA and VJFA return

Following the 1900 season, Kew left the MJFA and joined another competition, also known as the MJFA. They joined the Reporter District Football Association (RDFA) in 1911, withdrawing mid-season in 1915 because of a loss of players due to World War I enlistments, but resumed when the RDFA returned after the war in 1919.[3]

Kew returned to the VJFA in 1920.[12] [13] The club was winless in its return season, but eventually rose up the ladder and finished sixth with 10 wins in 1926.[3] Kew also applied for admittance into the Victorian Football Association (VFA) when Brunswick was temporarily excluded, but although VFA officials were "greatly impressed" with the club's home ground and surroundings, its application was unsuccessful and Brunswick remained in the VFA for the 1927 season.[14] [15]

At the time, the VJFA was also transitioning to become a reserves competition for the VFA, and as Kew was not a VFA member, it left the VJFA.[3]

VFL Sub-Districts

For the 1927 season, Kew entered the Victorian Football League (VFL) Sub-Districts, and won the premiership in its first year in the competition.[3] Further premierships came in 1929, 1931, 1932, and 1934, and the club ultimately made finals in all but 5 of its 18 seasons in the Sub-Districts.[3]

Kew also had an autonomous reserves team, the Kew Junior Football Club, which was formed in 1922 and won a premiership in the Eastern Suburban Junior Football Association in 1925.[16] The juniors entered the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA, formerly MJFA) in 1926 and was renamed to Kew District Football Club, before joining the Sub-Districts in 1927 and winning premierships in 1928, 1929, and 1930.[3] Kew District joined the Eastern Suburban Football League in 1934 but folded in 1938 after an unsuccessful finals campaign in 1937.[16]

VAFA return

In 1949, amid "unruly behaviour" from a majority of other Sub-Districts clubs, Kew left and returned to the MJFA/MAFA, which had been renamed to the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) in 1933.[17] The club was ranked very highly by the VAFA Executive, and was admitted into C Section instead of the lower D Section for its return season.[3]

Kew won the 1949 minor premiership and was set to be automatically promoted to B Section, but after a round 18 victory over East Caulfield, an anonymous caller to VAFA headquarters stated Kew was fielding an ineligible player who had fought as a professional boxer during his army service in World War II. Kew was stripped of the eight games he played in, along with their place in the finals series, and remained in C Section for the 1950 season.[3]

In 1950, Kew were undefeated and won the premiership, earning a promotion to B Section for 1951. The B Section grand final was won in 1953, and Kew entered A Section for the first time in 1954.[5] [18]

Further premierships followed in 1962, 1964 (C Section) and 1966 (B Section). However, with the exception of the 1979 (C Section), Kew was unable to find further premiership success.[19] By the 1990s, the club had fallen to D Section for the first time in its history, and fell all the way down to Division 4 (F Section) in 2004.[19]

21st century

In 2007, the North Kew Football Club amalgamated with Kew.[20] North Kew was formed in 1932 and had been competing in the Southern Football League (SFL) prior to the merger.[21]

Former footballer Ian Aitken was appointed Kew senior coach in 2011.[22] He led the club to a three-peat in 2013, 2014 and 2015, before leaving at the end of the 2016 season. Aitken returned in 2019 and remained in the role until the end of the 2023 season.[23]

Kew entered two women's in the Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL) in 2014. Dwindling squad numbers meant one of the sides withdrew after round 7, while the other able to continue and ended up as runners-up in the grand final.[5] The women's sides entered the Northern Football League (NFL) in 2017, then the VAFA Women's (VAFAW) in 2018.[3]

In August 2021, a Richmond Central player recorded Kew players training (against COVID-19 lockdown rules) at Richmond Central's home ground, Kevin Bartlett Oval, and was also involved in a verbal confrontation with Ian Aitken.[24] Kew said it did not sanction the training session, and the VAFA did not sanction the club, however they did refer Aitken to AFL Victoria.[25]

Seasons

Source: [26]

style=background:#F0E68CPremiersstyle=background:#C0BFBDGrand Finaliststyle=background:#D0E7FFMinor premiersstyle=background:#96CDCDFinals appearancestyle=background:#FFCCCCWooden spoonstyle=background:#FAECC8Division leading goalkickerstyle=background:#DDFFDD Division best and fairest

Men's

Seniors

YearLeagueDivisionCoachCaptainBest and fairestLeading goalkickerGoals
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880 HDZ2nd rate
1881
1882
1883
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889 VJFA1st rate20th2611[27]
1890 VJFA1st rate23rd3124[28]
1891 VJFA1st ratestyle=background:#FFCCCC; align="center" 24th−−−[29]
1892 VJFA
1893 VJFA
1894 VJFA
1895 VJFA
1896 VJFA
1897 N/A(In recess)
1898 N/A(In recess)
1899 MJFA
1900 MJFA7th2140[30]
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911RDFA
1912 RDFAA Sectionstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 2nd820
1913 RDFAA Gradestyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 4th1341
1914 RDFAA Gradestyle=background:#C0BFBD; align="center" 2nd1040
1915 RDFAA Grade6th650
1916 RDFA(No season due to World War I)
1917 RDFA(No season due to World War I)
1918 RDFA(No season due to World War I)
1919 RDFAA Gradestyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 2nd1059
1920 VJFA
1921 VJFA9th3131[31]
1922 VJFA8th4140[32]
1923 VJFA9th6130[33]
1924 VJFADivision 15th790[34]
1925 VJFA
1926 VJFA
1927 VFLSDDivision 1style=background:#F0E68C; align="center"
1928 VFLSDDivision 1
1929 VFLSDDivision 1style=background:#F0E68C; align="center"
1930 VFLSDDivision 1
1931 VFLSDDivision 1style=background:#F0E68C; align="center"
1932 VFLSDDivision 1style=background:#F0E68C; align="center"
1933 VFLSDDivision 1
1934 VFLSDDivision 1style=background:#F0E68C; align="center"
1935 VFLSDDivision 1
1936 VFLSD
1937 VFLSD
1938 VFLSD
1939 VFLSD
1940 VFLSD
1941 VFLSD
1942 VFLSD
1943 VFLSD
1944 VFLSD
1945 VFLSD
1946 VFLSD
1947 VFLSD
1948 VFLSD
1949 VAFA
1950 VAFA
1951 VAFA
1952 VAFA
1953 VAFA
1954 VAFA
1955VAFA
1956VAFA
1957VAFA
1958VAFA
1959VAFA
1960VAFA
1961VAFA
1962VAFA
1963VAFA
1964VAFA
1965VAFA
1966VAFA
1967VAFA
1968VAFA
1969VAFA
1970VAFAB Section6th
1971VAFAB Section
1972VAFAalign=center B Sectionalign=center 6thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1973VAFAalign=center B Sectionalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1974VAFAalign=center B Sectionalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1975VAFAalign=center B Sectionstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align=center 10thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1976VAFAalign=center C Sectionalign=center 8thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1977VAFAalign=center C Sectionalign=center 7thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1978VAFAalign=center C Sectionalign=center 8thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1979VAFAalign=center C Sectionalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1980VAFAalign=center B Sectionalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1981VAFAalign=center B Sectionalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1982VAFAalign=center B Sectionalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1983VAFAalign=center B Sectionstyle=background:#C0BFBD; align=center 3rdalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1984VAFAalign=center A Sectionstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align=center 10thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1985VAFAalign=center B Sectionalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1986VAFAalign=center C Sectionalign=center 6thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1987VAFAalign=center style=background:#C0BFBD; align=center 1stalign=center 17align=center 1align=center 0style=background:#FAECC8 Matthew Cavanaghalign=center 72align=center [35]
1988VAFAalign=center B Sectionstyle=background:#C0BFBD; align=center 1stalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1989VAFAalign=center A Sectionstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align=center 10thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1990VAFAalign=center B Sectionalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1991VAFAalign=center B Sectionstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align=center 10thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1992VAFAalign=center C Sectionalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1993VAFAalign=center C Sectionalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1994VAFAalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1995VAFAalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1996VAFAalign=center D Sectionalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1997VAFAalign=center E Eaststyle=background:#C0BFBD; align=center 3rdalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1998VAFAalign=center E Whitestyle=background:#C0BFBD; align=center 3rdalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
1999VAFAalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2000 align=center VAFAalign=center Division 2align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2001align=center VAFAalign=center Division 2align=center 6thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2002 align=center VAFAalign=center Division 2style=background:#FFCCCC; align=center 10thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2003 align=center VAFAalign=center Division 3align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2004 align=center VAFAalign=center Division 4style=background:#C0BFBD; align=center 2ndalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2005 align=center VAFAalign=center Division 3align=center 6thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2006align=center VAFAalign=center Division 3align=center 7thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2007 align=center VAFAalign=center Division 3style=background:#FFCCCC; align=center 10thalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2008 align=center VAFAalign=center Division 4align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2009 align=center VAFAalign=center Division 4align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2010align=center VAFAalign=center Division 3align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center align=center
align=center 2011align=center VAFAalign=center Division 3align=center 8thalign=center align=center align=center Ian Aitkenalign=center align=center
align=center 2012align=center VAFAalign=center Division 3align=center align=center align=center align=center Ian Aitkenalign=center align=center
align=center 2013align=center VAFAalign=center Division 3style=background:#F0E68C; align=center 1stalign=center align=center align=center Ian Aitkenalign=center align=center
align=center 2014align=center VAFAalign=center Division 2style=background:#F0E68C; align=center 1stalign=center align=center align=center Ian Aitkenalign=center align=center
align=center 2015align=center VAFAalign=center Division 1style=background:#F0E68C; align=center 2ndalign=center align=center align=center Ian Aitkenalign=center align=center
align=center 2016align=center VAFAalign=center align=center 5thalign=center 7align=center 11align=center 0Ian Aitkenalign=center align=center [36]
align=center 2017align=center VAFAalign=center style=background:#FFCCCC; align=center 10thalign=center align=center align=center Peter Callinan[37] align=center align=center
align=center 2018align=center VAFAalign=center align=center 8thalign=center 6align=center 12align=center 0Michael Shmerling[38] align=center align=center [39]
align=center 2019align=center VAFAalign=center style=background:#96CDCD; align=center 3rdalign=center 12align=center 5align=center 1Ian Aitkenalign=center align=center
align=center 2020align=center VAFAalign=center Division 1(No season)Ian Aitken(No season)align=center
align=center 2021align=center VAFAalign=center align=center 3rdalign=center 9align=center 2align=center 0Ian Aitkenalign=center align=center [40]
align=center 2022align=center VAFAalign=center style=background:#96CDCD; align=center 2ndalign=center align=center align=center Ian Aitkenalign=center align=center [41]
align=center 2023align=center VAFAalign=center align=center 7thalign=center 8align=center 10align=center 0Ian Aitkenalign=center align=center
align=center 2024align=center VAFAalign=center align=center align=center align=center align=center Jack Cole[42] align=center align=center

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Current details for ABN 96 904 678 947 . ABN Lookup . 27 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240727133020/https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?id=96904678947 . 27 July 2024.
  2. Web site: Rob Harding on what lays ahead for Kew in season 2024 . Herald Sun . 27 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240727131438/https://archive.md/kIe3J . 27 July 2024 . 2 April 2024.
  3. Web site: CLUB HISTORY . Kew Football Club . 25 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230419112433/https://www.kewfc.com/club-history/ . 19 April 2023.
  4. Web site: 1889 – Victorian Junior Football Association . Trove Newspapers . Sportsman (Melbourne, Vic) . 9 November 2020 . 2 . 9 October 1889.
  5. Web site: Kew Football Club (Vic) . Footypedia . 27 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240727115617/https://archive.md/ChkTd . 27 July 2024.
  6. Web site: A BRIEF HISTORY . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 9 June 2024 . 9 April 2009.
  7. Web site: METROPOLITAN JUNIOR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION . The Age . 25 July 2024 . 22 August 1899 . South St. Kilda, Leopold disbanded..
  8. Web site: FOOTBALL . The Age . 23 August 1899 . In today's issue the position of clubs reads that South St. Kilda and Leopold clubs have disbanded. This should read, 'South St. Kilda and St. Francis Xaviers disbanded.' You will notice that Leopold is third on the list of clubs..
  9. Web site: CLUB HISTORY . Kew Football Club . 25 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230419112433/https://www.kewfc.com/club-history/ . 19 April 2023 . Resuming in 1899 in the Suburban Junior Football Association the club quickly changed competitions after Round 4 when a vacancy occurred in the more senior Metropolitan Junior Football Association (now VAFA) replacing the St Francis Xavier (now Xavier College) club..
  10. Web site: Football . The Argus . 25 July 2024 . 11 July 1899.
  11. Web site: Football . Trove . The Age . 25 July 2024 . 2 August 1899.
  12. Web site: VICTORIAN JUNIOR ASSOCIATION . The Argus . 27 July 2024 . 30 August 1920.
  13. Web site: JUNIOR ASSOCIATION . The Argus . 27 July 2024 . 6 September 1920.
  14. Web site: Four Clubs Seek Admittance . The Argus . 28 July 2024 . 7 September 1926.
  15. Web site: CLAIMS OF YARRAVILLE AND KEW CLUBS . The Age . 28 July 2024 . 15 . 24 August 1926.
  16. Web site: Kew Juniors Football Club / Kew District Football Club (Vic) . Footypedia . 27 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240727115831/http://www.footypedia.info/00000980.htm . 27 July 2024.
  17. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205501359 Amateur Association: Change of Name Adopted
  18. Web site: Premier Section Finals Series . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 25 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240525061534/https://www.vafa.com.au/history/finals-series/premier-grand-finals/ . 25 May 2024.
  19. Web site: Kew Football Club . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 27 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240727113537/https://www.vafa.com.au/clubs/kew/ . 27 July 2024.
  20. Web site: WHERE IS NORTH KEW? . Kew Historical Society . 27 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240507055726/https://kewhistoricalsociety.org.au/khs/wp-content/uploads/KHSNewsletter-2022-2.pdf . 7 May 2024 . 6 . June 2022.
  21. Web site: North Kew Bears . Local Footy Stats . 27 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240727131847/https://www.localfootystats.org/clubs/northkew.php . 27 July 2024.
  22. Web site: Prime . Toby . VAFA 2018: Kew premiership coach Ian Aitken returns to the Bears . Herald Sun . Progress Leader . 28 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240728010927/https://archive.md/1bUGU . 28 July 2024.
  23. Web site: May . Brayden . Kew appoints Rob Harding as director of men’s footy . Herald Sun . 28 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240728010410/https://archive.md/Ogw9H . 28 July 2024.
  24. Web site: VAFA calls on AFL Vic to investigate lockdown training session . Herald Sun . Leader Community News . 25 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240725114607/https://archive.md/MHzfK . 25 July 2024 . 4 August 2021.
  25. Web site: VAFA Statement . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 25 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231130171206/https://www.vafa.com.au/news/2021/08/03/vafa-statement-03-08-2021/ . 30 November 2023 . 3 August 2021.
  26. Web site: Kew . Local Footy Stats . 27 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240727131858/https://localfootystats.org/clubs/kew.php . 27 July 2024.
  27. Web site: 1889 – Victorian Junior Football Association . Trove Newspapers . Sportsman (Melbourne, Vic) . 9 November 2020 . 2 . 9 October 1889.
  28. Web site: 1890 – Victorian Junior FA – Ladder . Trove Newspapers . The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic) . 9 November 2020 . 18 . 4 October 1890.
  29. Web site: 1891 – Victorian Junior FA – Final Ladder . Trove Newspapers . Sportsman (Melbourne, Vic) . 9 November 2020 . 6 . 22 September 1891.
  30. Web site: FOOTBALL . Standard . 13 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240813092248/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164950028 . 13 August 2024 . 4 . 29 September 1900.
  31. Web site: ASSOCIATION . The Age . 27 July 2024 . 29 August 1921.
  32. Web site: Junior Association . Labor Call . 27 July 2024 . 7 September 1922.
  33. Web site: Association . The Age . 28 July 2024 . 10 September 1923.
  34. Web site: ASSOCIATION . The Age . 28 July 2024 . 15 . 25 August 1924.
  35. Web site: The Amateur Footballer Week 23 1987 . Victorian Amateur Football Association. https://web.archive.org/web/20240608054238/https://vafa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/File-AF-1987-No-23.pdf . 8 June 2024.
  36. Web site: 2016 Premier C . GameDay . VAFA Results Archive . 28 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240728003627/https://websites.mygameday.app/comp_info.cgi?c=0-3232-36881-393727-0&a=LADDER . 28 July 2024.
  37. Web site: Callinan claims Kew’s senior coaching role . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 28 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231129061831/https://www.vafa.com.au/news/2016/10/26/callinan-claims-kews-senior-coaching-role/ . 29 November 2023 . 26 October 2016.
  38. Web site: Armistead . Nick . Aitken returns to Bear Cave . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 28 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240411023004/https://www.vafa.com.au/news/2018/10/02/aitken-returns-to-bear-cave/ . 11 April 2024 . 2 October 2018 . The Kew Football Club sincerely thanks Michael Shmerling for his dedication and service in coaching the senior men’s side in season 2018..
  39. Web site: Australian Football - VAFA Premiership Season (Division 1) - Season 2018.
  40. Web site: 2021 Division 1 Men's . GameDay.
  41. Web site: 2022 Division 1 Men's . GameDay . VAFA Results Archive . 28 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240728004519/https://websites.mygameday.app/comp_info.cgi?c=0-3232-36881-600625-0&pool=1001&a=LADDER . 28 July 2024.
  42. Web site: Cook . Kate . 20 October 2023 . Kew FC finds it's man in Bryan 'Jack' Cole . Kew Football Club . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20240521010831/https://www.kewfc.com/2023/10/20/kew-fc-finds-its-man/ . 21 May 2024.

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