Northern Bullants Explained

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Color2:white
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Clubname:Northern Bullants
Fullname:Preston Football Club Inc., trading as Northern Bullants Football Club Inc.[1]
Formernames: (1920s)[2]
Preston Knights Football Club (1996−1999)[3]
(2012−2020)
Nicknames:Bullants, Tonners, Ants
Formernicknames:Knights, Blues, Prestonians[4]
Season:2024
Home&Amp;Away:21st
Topgoalkicker:John Jorgensen (25)
Colours: Red White
Captain:Matthew King & Liam Mackie
Premierships:VFA/VFL (D1) (4) VFA (D2) (2) VJFA (5)
President:Whitlam Malkoun
Ground:Preston City Oval (10,000)
Url:northernbullantsfc.com.au
Pattern Name1:Home
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Shorts1:ED1C24
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Pattern Name2:Clash
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Pattern Name3:Original
Current:2024 VFL season

The Northern Bullants are a semi-professional Australian rules football club that currently competes in the Victorian Football League (VFL). The club, which is based in the Melbourne suburb of Preston, plays its home games at Preston City Oval.

The club was established in 1882 as the Preston Football Club, the name which the club is still legally registered under. The club participated in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) between 1903 and 1911, and then since 1926. After World War II, the club was known as the Bullants, and wore a plain red guernsey with a white monogram. The club later became the Northern Bullants. It was affiliated with the Carlton Blues in the Australian Football League (AFL) from 2003 to 2020, and from 2012 until 2020, the club adopted the colours and nickname of its AFL affiliate to become the Northern Blues.[5] The alignment was terminated in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and since 2021, the club has again operated as a stand-alone VFL club under the Northern Bullants name.[6] [7]

The club has won four Division 1 premierships and two Division 2 premierships, all during its most successful period from the 1960s to the 1980s.

History

The club was formed in 1882 but little is known of its first three years before the Shire of Jika Jika changed its name in September 1885 to Preston. Preston and another local club, Gowerville, then merged and competed at lower levels of the Victorian Junior Football Association (VJFA). After a battle with the council, the club was finally granted permission in 1887 to play on Preston Park, where it has remained with the exception of one year when it played at Coburg to allow the ground to be widened.

1890−1902: VJFA

From 1890, the club played in the First Rate Division of the VJFA and despite its remote location compared with other clubs, was the only one of the 28 teams of 1890 to survive the decade, despite finishing last or second last in five consecutive seasons.

By the late 1890s, the district was starting to grow and the struggling club gathered depth and strength. It took out the first of three consecutive First-Rate premierships in 1900, defeating Collingwood Juniors (effectively the League team's Seconds) before 5,000 people at the Brunswick Street Oval. Further premierships followed in 1901 and 1902, with no finals being played as Preston finished the requisite two games clear of its nearest rivals to claim the title. After the 1902 premiership, "Bounce" in The Herald asked: "Will the [VFL] find room for [Preston]?"[8]

1903−1911: VFA entry

With the VFA keen to expand, Preston was a logical choice to join the senior body in 1903. The uniform changed from a blue jumper with yellow sash (which would have clashed with Williamstown) to a plain maroon jumper with navy blue knicks. Despite a reasonable opening season where it won six games, the club struggled to find players and finished last in 1904 in the middle of what was to be a 27-game losing streak.

Several other bottom-of-the list results came before a brief resurgence in 1909 under former Collingwood champion Charlie Pannam, but with the loss of several key players to League clubs, Preston again went on a downward spiral and won just one game through 1910 and 1911.

1912−1925: Back to the juniors

See also: Preston Districts Football Club. With Northcote joining the Association in 1908, pressure was applied for the two neighbouring clubs to merge and the VFA forced the issue early in 1912. Preston officials encouraged their players to move, but diverted all the club's trophies and assets to the junior Preston Districts Football Club, which had acted as its reserves team. Northcote became known as the Northcote and Preston Football Club (or simply Northcote-Preston) for the next few years, but it played its games in Northcote, retained Northcote's colours, and its team in the VFA continued to be known as Northcote. The merged entity is considered a continuation of the Northcote Football Club.[9]

Preston was simply promoted before its time: by 1912, the district numbered just 4,800 people spread over 8,800 acres (an average of 0.6 persons per acre). Of the other suburbs represented in the VFA, the next smallest was Brighton with 11,000. Preston's leading player during the early VFA days was Sid Hall, a centre half-back regarded as the best high mark in the competition. Despite the lack of success, Preston managed to supply some fine players to League ranks in Percy Ogden (Essendon), Hedley Tomkins and Bill Hendrie (Melbourne), Hugh James (Richmond), Joe Prince (St Kilda, South Melbourne and Carlton), George Doull (Geelong) and Eric Woods (University). Preston's place was taken by Melbourne City which didn't win a game in the two years before it folded.

The junior club played as Preston Districts from 1912 to 1915, until the name changed to Preston prior to the start of the 1916 season, something that Preston officials may have always intended in 1912. This effectively meant Preston Districts ceased to exist, replaced by Preston.[10]

The nucleus of Preston returned to the First-Rate Division of the Victorian Junior Football Association. Ogden returned to captain-coach the club in 1916 and 1917 while Essendon was in recess for the First World War and by 1919 Preston had re-established itself as one of the top teams in junior football. Young George Gough was recruited by Fitzroy as a rover. Premierships came in 1921 and again in 1923 with Preston, under the coaching of William "Bull" Adams, who had been refused a clearance to Fitzroy by his West Australian club, overrunning Yarraville in the final term despite playing one man short.

1926: Rejoining the VFA

With the loss of North Melbourne, Footscray and Hawthorn to the League in 1925, the Association accepted Preston (just proclaimed a city) and Camberwell into its ranks for the 1926 season.

The team used the uniform from its junior days, a broad red stripe down the chest and back with white sides and sleeves. This time the club was ready for senior ranks, raising a few eyebrows when it won nine of the 18 games in its first season as well as supplying the Recorder Cup winner, William "Bluey" Summers. A finals appearance came the following year. Preston's first ever senior final finished in a draw with Brighton, which won the replay a fortnight later.

The club remained in the middle ranking of the Association up until the cessation of play during World War I, the highlight being a remarkable 1931 season under the legendary Roy Cazaly who sacked half the side mid-season and promoted youngsters. Needing to win 12 games straight to ensure a finals spot, Preston managed to sneak in with 11 wins and a draw, but was bundled out in the preliminary final due to several injuries (including Cazaly).

Despite its modest finals record (the semi-final win was the only finals match Preston won), the club provided the 1934 and 1936 Recorder Cup winners in Danny Warr and Bert Hyde respectively. Leading players up to World War 2 included Summers, Warr, "Bert" Smith, Frankie "Dickie" Dowling and Bill "Socks" Maslen, the latter pair being the club's record-holders for number of senior games played. Although he was never a star with Preston, 17-year-old Bert Deacon played his first match in 1940, later becoming Carlton's first Brownlow Medallist in 1947. With the abolition of clearance agreements between the League and Association in 1938, Preston snared Footscray champion Alby Morrison as captain-coach for 1939–40 (although Morrison did obtain a clearance), and in 1941 a young Geelong ruckman, Jack Lynch who was switched to full-forward early in the season and finished with 133 goals. Lynch, sadly, is the only known player to have been killed during the War.

The "Bullants" nickname was first mentioned in the Herald newspaper in 1938, with an article on Association clubs adopting new nicknames, noting that "Preston will be known as the 'Bullants', because they can sting".[11] 1930s radio commentator Wallace "Jumbo" Sharland referred to the small Preston team in its bright uniforms as "like a swarm of busy bullants".

Post-war, the uniform was changed to plain red with a PFC monogram, but finals appearances remained few and usually with little success. The club again was to the fore in the new Liston Trophy, providing the 1949 and 1953 winners in Jack Blackman and Ted Henrys. Henrys, a moderate utility player with Brunswick in previous years, switched to Preston at age 26 and moved to full-back in just his second match where he made the position his own, adding three consecutive club best-and-fairest awards to his Liston and becoming one of the first two Association players to be named in the All-Australian team.

Deacon returned as captain-coach in 1952 and other leading players through the 1950s including centre-half forward Pat Foley, Kevin Pritchard, rover George Bradford, back pocket Bob "Moggie" McLachlan, and the Chard brothers, Kevin and Fred, the latter leading the goal kicking on three occasions. Despite building a solid combination, the loss of several experienced players saw the club plummet to fifteenth in 1960 and forced into Second Division when the VFA opted for two levels. The club played second division finals in 1961 and 1962, but were beaten both times.

By 1963, Preston's all-time VFA finals record stood at just one win and one draw from 18 attempts, with 13 losses in succession. Again their premiership hopes looked doomed when the Bullants went down to Waverley in the second semi-final, but fate finally smiled when Preston beat Prahran comfortably in the Preliminary Final and then downed Waverley to take out a long-awaited premiership, and earn promotion to Division 1.

Preston was relegated back to Division 2 at the end of 1964, and ironically it was 1963 runners-up Waverley – who had been promoted to Division 1 only to replace Moorabbin after it was disqualified from the Association for being complicit in 's takeover of Moorabbin Oval – who defeated Preston in the final round to ensure their relegation. The return to Division 2 lasted only one year, with a minor premiership and Grand Final victory against Mordialloc seeing them promoted again. With substantially more depth and keen recruiting, Preston finishing third in Division 1 in 1966.

Bert Hyde, Preston's 1936 Recorder Cup winner, had lived in the area since his playing days and was an active official at Hawthorn, which was then rapidly emerging from years in the wilderness to become the power side of the 1960s. It was probably Hyde's influence that saw two Hawthorn players that were to become the cornerstone of Preston's success move to Association ranks – John McArthur, captain-coach of the 1965 premiership side was transferred to Western Australia on business and replaced by Alan Joyce, later to coach two AFL premiership sides. Joyce (with McArthur returning as a player) led Preston to back-to-back premierships in 1968 and 1969. Preston players won four out of six Liston Trophies between 1968 and 1971, with the award collected in 1968 by Dick Telford, in 1969 and 1971 by Laurie Hill, and in 1973 by Ray Shaw, who was then the youngest winner of the award.

Preston was beaten by Dandenong in the 1971 VFA Grand Final, which remains one of the most controversial in football history. Field umpire Jim McMaster awarded Dandenong full-forward Jim 'Frosty' Miller a free kick before the opening bounce, resulting in a goal; Dandenong ultimately won by six points. Preston protested, and despite several opinions from leading lawmakers that McMaster had no right to award the free kick because he had not officially started the game, Preston's protest proved to be of no avail.

Preston's fortunes slumped in the early 1970s, and the club narrowly avoided relegation at Coburg's expense in 1973, after defeating the Lions 171–154 in a famous high-scoring final round match.[12] It wasn't until 1976 that Preston again played a major role in the finals, finishing second on the ladder, then crashing out after losses in the second semi and preliminary finals.

The club enjoyed a resurgence under Harold Martin in 1978, reaching the Grand Final where a crowd of nearly 30,000 packed the Junction Oval for what is still rated by many as one of the greatest ever Grand Finals. After a tense opening, the crowd erupted late in the second term when Martin and another of football's legendary hard men, Sam Kekovich, went head-to-head in a wild brawl. Unfortunately for the Bullants, Prahran settled down much better in the second half and ran out comfortable winners.

1980s

The club was one of the VFA's strongest in the 1980s, and it reached four Grand Finals in a row between 1981 and 1984. The team fell well short in the 1981 decider, unable to match Port Melbourne who inflicted a record Grand Final defeat (both score and winning margin) on the Bullants. The Borough kicked 23 goals to six in the second half to record its first score above 200 ever against the Bullants. The following season saw the return of Ray Shaw, captain of Collingwood in 1982 but disillusioned with bitter infighting at the club. Shaw's influence and a number of highly rated recruits had many believing that this would be Preston's year, but again Port Melbourne proved the nemesis with a seven-point win in the Grand Final.

Further strong recruiting brought together probably the greatest depth of players ever at an Association club. Preston rewrote the record books in 1983 by becoming the first club to win the Senior, Seconds and Thirds premierships in the same year in Division 1, and repeated the achievement in 1984. Preston was a dominant force in the Seconds over that period, reaching eight of ten Grand Finals between 1978 and 1987, winning five. The club had been a perennial force in the Thirds competition since the 1950s, missing the Grand Final only nine times over a 37-season stretch between 1953 and 1989 and winning the premiership a VFA-record 13 times (eleven in Division 1 and two in Division 2); its 1980s form was particularly strong, missing only one Grand Final between 1978 and 1989.[13] Neil Jordon capitalised on the club's strong minor grade form, playing an astonishing 84 matches with the club across all three grades before ever playing in a losing side.[14]

Eight straight wins in 1985 extended Preston's winning stretch to a record 23, but with the loss of Shaw to the Diamond Valley, retirement of a few experienced players and the movement of several promising younger players to League ranks, Preston's period of dominance was at an end. The club reached a further four finals series between 1985 and 1990, winning the minor premiership in 1990, but was eliminated from the finals by Williamstown on all four occasions. During this time, the club unearthed a new legend in Jamie "Spider" Shaw who kicked 106 in his first season and followed up with an astonishing 146 in 1986 before an unsuccessful stint at Fitzroy.

1990s: Decline

With the ethnic mix of the Preston area rapidly changing and the almost saturation coverage of the now Australian Football League, the club's off-field position deteriorated in the 1990s, and it was constantly battling for survival. Preston was not the only club struggling, and at the end of 1994, the VFA Board of Management merged with the Victorian State Football League (VSFL) (now controlling the elite under-18 competition that had effectively replaced both the League and Association Thirds), and plans gradually evolved for the development of a new competition, which became the Victorian Football League.

With a mounting debt, Preston entered into a merger with the Northern Knights under-18 team in 1996. The combined entity was known as the Preston Knights and adopted the Knights uniform of white with black and blue hoops. The move provided some financial stability off the field, but little success on the football front.

In October 1997, the VSFL executive announced that the Preston Knights' licence with the League had been withdrawn and that Preston, after 95 years, was effectively out of the competition. A number of protest meetings were organised and the club found a willing ally in Don Gillies, an administrator appointed by the State Government to replace the long-dysfunctional Preston Council, who through years of neglect had allowed the Preston Oval to degenerate to a standard well below that required for senior football. Gillies, in meeting with the VSFL, undertook to initiate significant drainage and lighting improvements at the ground and after around about a month of uncertainty, the Knights' license was reinstated when Traralgon announced its withdrawal from the VFL after an unsuccessful two-year trial.

Bullants revival

The shaky alliance with the Knights continued until 1999 when the Board announced it could not recommend continuing. A new group approached the now VFL with a proposal to resurrect the club under the name of the Northern Bullants, market research having revealed that much of the club's support and player base no longer lay within the old Preston area. The revived club returned to a variation of the traditional red uniform, replacing the PFC monogram with a white bullant. The PFC initials were later added to the back of the guernsey below the collar.

At the same time, the AFL abandoned its reserves competition in favour of a restructured VFL comprising a number of AFL–VFL affiliations, AFL reserve teams and "standalone" VFL clubs. The Bullants opted not to pursue affiliation with an AFL club. 2000 and 2001 saw the stand-alone Bullants post six wins in each season, but the difficulty of having part-time players and coaching staff competing with full-time AFL counterparts was obvious in many games where the Bullants were highly competitive for much of the match but outgunned by fitter, bigger and stronger opposition late in the game.

2003−2020: Affiliation

Just before the end of the 2002 season, proposals for affiliation were received from both Essendon and Carlton. Essendon's plans were virtual domination of the club with a jumper change, renaming as the Northern Bombers and playing several games each season at Windy Hill. Carlton's, on the other hand, was for a cooperative playing group with no change to traditional values and was accepted without major modification by the Bullants board.

The affiliated team continued under long-serving coach Mark P. Williams, but there was to be no instant success, the club coincidentally matching the 2001–02 result with six wins in 2003. With a few personal tensions emerging, Carlton announced its intention to withdraw from the two-year agreement at the end of the 2003 season, but subsequent negotiations between the two clubs and the VFL saw the problems resolved and a new arrangement established. Williams had already resigned, citing lack of time, (later accepting the role at Sandringham) and under the terms of the agreement, Carlton retained the right to nominate one of their assistant coaches, eventually Barry Mitchell, as his replacement.

Carlton at the time was struggling in the AFL due to the loss of National Draft picks because of salary cap infringements. This worked in the Bullants' favour in the mid-2000s, as Carlton opted to recruit a number of experienced mid-range AFL players recycled from other teams, who went on to provide a backbone of a very strong VFL team. The club surprised most by finishing third in 2005, then won the minor premiership with a club best 17–1 record in 2006, but suffered heavy losses in two finals to finish third.

Under coach David Teague, the Bullants managed to finish third on the ladder in 2009, then win through to the Grand Final for the first time since the 1984 victory; but, the team was comfortably beaten by North Ballarat. The Bullants reached a second consecutive Grand Final the following season, winning through to the Grand Final from sixth on the ladder, but again lost to North Ballarat. The club reached another preliminary final from sixth place in 2011.

In 2012, the club adopted many features of Carlton's identity. The club was renamed the Northern Blues, and the playing colours were changed to navy blue and white, featuring Carlton's CFC monogram but in a slightly different design to the AFL club's guernsey. Home games were split between Preston City Oval and Princes Park. The club retained a red and white guernsey for matches played in Preston, and when a clash guernsey was required.[15] The club never made VFL finals under the Northern Blues name.

By the end of their affiliation, the Northern Blues existence as a club was thought to be reliant on the Carlton Football Club's financial backing. When the start of the 2020 AFL and VFL seasons, along with all other football, were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carlton was forced to cut its expenses, and this included withdrawing its financial support for Northern, and ending its reserves affiliation. The Northern Blues initially announced they would be wound up and dissolved, and they were not included in revised plans for the cancelled 2020 VFL season.[16] [17] However, the club regrouped during the pandemic, and found a way to remain viable as a stand-alone senior club, earning a licence to return in that capacity for the 2021 season. The club returned to trading under the Northern Bullants name, and wearing its traditional red and white guernsey.

2021−present: Standalone club

Since returning as a standalone club, the Bullants have struggled in the VFL. The club only managed a single win in 2022, finishing last on the ladder. It included a loss to in round 22 where the Bullants only scored 0.10 (10) for the game, which set a new record as the heaviest loss in its history.[18]

The club appointed former player Brodie Holland as their coach for the 2023 season.[19] The club had two wins early on in the season, but were unable to achieve anymore, finishing 20th. In round 18 they scored only 0.4 (4) against, equalling the lowest score in the club's VFA/VFL history and the lowest score by any club since 1919.[20] Holland resigned as coach effective immediately shortly after the club's final game of the season, and was replaced by former player Rohan Welsh.[21]

The club's identity is also present in the Preston Bullants Amateur Football Club, which is a separate entity that comepetes in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), however the clubs use the same logo, colours and jumper design.[22] Preston AFC was formerly known as the Northern Bullants and later the Northern Blues, and by their current name since 2016.[23]

Honours

Premierships

LeagueDivisionLevelWinsYears won
Victorian Football LeagueDivision 1Seniors41968, 1969, 1983, 1984
Reserves61957, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987
111954, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1989
Seniors21963, 1965
Reserves21961, 1962
Under-19s21961, 1962
Victorian Junior Football AssociationN/AReserves51900, 1901, 1902, 1921, 1923

Other Division 1 Awards

Seasons

Source: [24] [25]

style=background:#F0E68CPremiersstyle=background:#C0BFBDGrand Finaliststyle=background:#D0E7FFMinor premiersstyle=background:#96CDCDFinals appearancestyle=background:#FFCCCCWooden spoonstyle=background:#FAECC8VFA/VFL leading goalkickerstyle=background:#DDFFDD VFA/VFL best and fairest

Seniors

The 1912 to 1915 seasons overlap with the season records for the Preston Districts Football Club.

YearLeagueCoachCaptainBest and fairestLeading goalkickerGoals
1890VJFA7th1143[26]
1891VJFA14th671[27]
1892VJFA
1893VJFARobert PatersonRobert Smart7
1894VJFARobert Paterson
1895VJFAstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align="center" 12th1183Robert PatersonJ. Henry11[28]
1896VJFA
1897VJFAstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align="center" 10th2160[29]
1898VJFA7th7110Archie "Joe" White[30]
1899VJFAArchie "Joe" White
1900VJFAstyle=background:#F0E68C; align="center" 1st1621Andy Allen[31] E. Burnell14[32]
1901VJFAstyle=background:#F0E68C; align="center" 1st2020Andy AllenJackso17[33]
1902VJFAstyle=background:#F0E68C; align="center" 1st1530Andy AllenI. "Tiny" Gilbert[34]
1903 VFA7th6120- W. Gates - Dick Knell14
1904 style=background:#FFCCCC; align="center" 10th0180- William Dickens - Bob Wawn or Prideaux
1905 VFAstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align="center" 10th1170- Claude Stanlake - R.D. Landells19
1906 VFA9th5130- Tod Collins

Parry Hall
- R.D. Landells27
1907 VFAstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align="center" 10th1170- Bill Punch29
1908 VFA8th4131- Bill Punch 27
1909 VFA8th5130Charlie Pannam - Bill Punch 22
1910 VFAstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align="center" 10th0180- Bill Punch - Louie "Lon" Smith 20
1911 VFAstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align="center" 10th1170George Sparrow

Billy McGee
George Sparrow

Billy McGee
-
1912VJFAGeorge La Franchi
1913VJFA5th890George La Franchi[35]
1914VJFA6th4101George La Franchi[36]
1915VJFA7th6120Bill Punch[37]
1916VJFAstyle=background:#C0BFBD; align="center" 1st1420Percy OgdenPercy OgdenLes PunchT. A. Jacobs68[38]
1917VJFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 2nd1431Percy OgdenPercy OgdenH. BrendellBill Eade69[39]
1918VJFA5th790George WalkerGeorge WalkerH. BrendellT. A. Jacobs26[40]
1919VJFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" Sid Hall;
William Billett
H. BrendellHarry BellJ. Piper44[41]
1920VJFAWilliam Thorpe;
Tommy Downs
William Hills35
1921VJFAstyle=background:#F0E68C; align="center" 1st1530"Toodly" McDonald"Toodly" McDonald[42] Vic. Davis79[43]
1922VJFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 3rd1440Les Punch[44] [45] Archie DickensVic. Davis56[46]
1923VJFAstyle=background:#F0E68C; align="center" 2nd1720Bill AdamsWilliam "Bull" AdamsLes PunchW. Routley50[47]
1924style=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 2nd1420Percy OgdenPercy OgdenDanny WarrVic. Davis 98[48]
1925VJFAPercy OgdenPercy OgdenGeorge SurteesHugh Moffatt59
1926 VFA6th990Walter "Bolla" White Dave Hume30
1927 VFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 4th1260Walter "Bolla" White Dave Hume 61
1928 VFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 4th1170Hec Bridgeford Rupert Dodd40
1929 VFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 3rd1660William "Bull" Adams William Adams69
1930 VFA6th1091Gilbert "Bert" Taylor Jack McCormack52
1931 VFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 3rd1251Jack Monoghan Harry Davie40
1932 VFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 4th1460George Smith Danny Warr54
1933 VFA6th1291Robert Cameron Danny Warr37
1934 VFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 2nd1440style=background:#DDFFDD 57
1935 VFA6th1071Aub Robinson 42
1936 VFA6th1080Noel Fisher Noel Fisher62
1937 VFA11th4120Wyn Murray Ed Latham28
1938 VFA6th880Wyn MurrayJack Clarke Alf Roach52
1939 VFA8th9110Frank "Dickie" Dowling Albie Morrison33
1940 VFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 4th1460Bill Maslen Albie Morrison72
1941 VFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 4th1460Frank Dowling Frank Dowling Jack Connelly;
Jack Norman
Jack Lynch133
1942 (No season due to World War II)
1943 (No season due to World War II)
1944 (No season due to World War II)
1945 VFA5th1190Bill Maslen Jack Connelly 72
1946 VFA11th5150Syd Stewart Jack Connelly 26
1947 VFA10th7141Ron Leishman 46
1948 VFA6th1280style=background:#FAECC8 84
1949 VFA9th8130Kollen BryceBill Nathan41
1950 VFA11th3160Len Walker George Bradford38
1951 VFA10th8102Reg RyanReg Ryan

Dick Goldin
Bill Harvey53[49]
1952 VFA11th7121George Bradford38
1953 VFA9th8120style=background:#DDFFDD Pat Foley35
1954 VFA5th1370Pat Foley Fred Chard84
1955 VFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 2nd1730Fred Lalor George Bradford Fred Chard 75
1956 VFA5th1460Fred Lalor Les Sweet Fred Chard49
1957 VFAstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 4th1370Clem Cooper Fred Chard84
1958 VFA12th6111Jim Cusack Laurie Rymer44
1959 VFA11th8120Pat Foley Claud Howard Ron Dangaard Gerry Walsh 45
1960 VFA14th4140Pat Foley Claud Howard Bob McLachlan Kevi Bergin 17
1961 style=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 3rd1170Bert Edmonds Bob McLachlan George Hancock Ray Murnane35
1962 style=background:#D0E7FF; align="center" 1st1420Bert Edmonds John O'Keefe Graham Pinfold Jim Lambie38 [50]
1963 style=background:#F0E68C; align="center" 2nd1240George Hancock Bob Stewart Bruce Waddell38
1964 style=background:#FFCCCC; align="center" 10th3141Graham Pinfold Bob Treloar John Walker 50[51]
1965 style=background:#F0E68C; align="center" 1st1330Ray Murnane style=background:#FAECC8 John Walker 116
1966 style=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 4th1260Bob Treloar style=background:#FAECC8 John Walker 84
1967 style=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 4th1080Denis Dalton style=background:#FAECC8 John Walker 83
1968 style=background:#F0E68C; align="center" 1st1530style=background:#DDFFDD Alan Joyce41
1969 style=background:#F0E68C; align="center" 1st1710Dick Telford Alan Joyce69
1970 6th1170Alan Joyce62
1971 style=background:#C0BFBD; align="center" 1st1341style=background:#DDFFDD Bob Baird46
1972 style=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 4th1170style=background:#FAECC8 107 [52]
1973 9th6120style=background:#DDFFDD Len Clark85
1974 6th990Noel Zunneberg 40
1975 5th8100Gary Grainger Noel Zunneberg37
1976 style=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 2nd1350Gary Grainger George Shickert Craig Stewart51
1977 9th5130Craig Stewart Leigh Carlson44
1978 style=background:#C0BFBD; align="center" 2nd1251Harold Martin Bruce Gonsalves 50
1979 7th8100Paul Bolger Kalev Vann50
1980 7th6120Brett Cooper John Frazer52
1981 VFA (D1)style=background:#C0BFBD; align="center" 2nd1260Peter Marshall Adrian Marcon Shane Halas69
1982 VFA (D1)style=background:#C0BFBD; align="center" 1st1620style=background:#DDFFDD Shane Halas76
1983 VFA (D1)style=background:#F0E68C; align="center" 1st1530Geoff Austen 51
1984 VFA (D1)style=background:#F0E68C; align="center" 1st1620David Brine Shane Halas58
1985 VFA (D1)style=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 3rd1440Gratz Salvador Jamie Shaw106
1986 VFA (D1)style=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 4th1260style=background:#FAECC8 145
1987 VFA (D1)8th891Glenn Reeves Darren Murphy;
Shane Halas
31
1988 VFA (D1)style=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 2nd1260Rod Dunbar style=background:#FAECC8 105
1989 VFA7th990Neil Jordan Rod Dunbar Jamie Shaw60
1990 VFAstyle=background:#D0E7FF; align="center" 1st1341Neil Jordan Neil Jordan Joe Lumicisi style=background:#FAECC8 103
1991 VFA11th3150Neil Jordan Neil Jordan Joe Lumicisi Max Graziano37
1992 VFA9th8100Neil Jordan Neil Jordan Matt Burrows Jamie Shaw73
1993 VFA10th7110Glenn Reeves Paul King Jamie Shaw81
1994 VFA9th5130Glenn Reeves Simon Taylor Shane Dupuy39
1995 VFA7th5110Simon Taylor Jamie Dobbs Craig Shearer37
1996 VFL9th6120Simon Taylor Matt Dobell Tony Wilson27
1997 VFL7th7110Phillip Plunkett Robert Maiorana Paul Eccles52
1998 VFLstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 5th1080Phillip Plunkett Kristian Pascoe Dean Grainger 33
1999 VFL10th1152Phillip Plunkett Kristian Pascoe Shannon Gibson29
2000 VFL16th4150Brett Zorzi Scott Grainger
2001 VFL14th6140Brett Zorzi 45
2002 VFL13th6140Scott Grainger 34
2003 VFL11th6120style=background:#FAECC8 82
2004 VFL12th5130Brett Zorzi Brett Zorzi;
Jarrod McCorkell
19
2005 VFLstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 2nd1341
2006VFLstyle=background:#D0E7FF; align="center" 1st1710
2007VFL9th8100
2008 VFLstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 8th880Josh Vansittart
2009 VFLstyle=background:#C0BFBD; align="center" 3rd1260
2010 VFLstyle=background:#C0BFBD; align="center" 6th1080Jarrod McCorkell
2011 VFLstyle=background:#96CDCD; align="center" 6th1080
2012 VFL10th6120Robert Hyde
2013 VFL9th8100
2014 VFL11th7110Brent Bransgrove Tom Wilson
2015 VFL14th4140Brent Bransgrove
2016 VFL13th6120Tom Wilson Tom Wilson
2017 VFL9th8100Tom Wilson
201812th6120Josh FraserTom WilsonTom Wilson
2019VFL10th7110Josh FraserTom WilsonHugh Goddard
2020VFL(No season)Josh FraserTom Wilson(No season)
2021VFL18th370Josh FraserTom WilsonTynan Smith13[53]
2022VFLstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align="center" 21st1170Ben HartTom WilsonJack Boyd24[54]
2023VFL20th2160Brodie HollandMatthew King;
Liam Mackie
Jean-Luc VelissarisBrandon Ryan18[55]
2024VFLstyle=background:#FFCCCC; align="center" 21st2160Rohan WelshMatthew King;
Liam Mackie
John Jorgensen25

Grand finals

style=background:#C0FFC0Premiersstyle=background:#fccRunners-upstyle=background:#FFFFC0Drawn
YearLeagueGradeOpponentScoreVenueAttendanceDateReport
1900 VJFASeniorsCollingwood Juniors3.3 (21) d. 1.6 (12)15 September 1900[56]
1901 VJFASeniors(No grand final required as Preston was at least two games clear of the second-placed club)[57]
1902 VJFASeniors(No grand final required as Preston was at least two games clear of the second-placed club)[58]
1916 VJFASeniorsCollingwood Juniors2.9 (21) d. 2.6 (18)East Melbourne Cricket Ground5,00014 October 1916[59] [60]
1921 VJFASeniorsPort Melbourne Railway United9.8 (62) d. 6.15 (51)Dandenong1 October 1921[61]
1923 VJFASeniorsYarraville9.15 (69) 7.10 (52)Richmond Cricket Ground5,00027 September 1923[62]
1957 Moorabbin11.12 (78) d. 5.12 (42)[63]
1963 15,000 [64]
1965 VFA D210,000 [65]
1968 18,000 [66]
1969 10,000 [67]
1971 14,529
1978 10.13 (73) d. 10.12 (72)Toorak Park[68]
1978 29,595 [69]
1981 20,180 [70]
1982 20,732 [71]
1983 14,719 [72]
1983 style=background:#FFFFC0; align=leftstyle=background:#FFFFC0; style=background:#FFFFC0; align=leftToorak Parkstyle=background:#FFFFC0 style=background:#FFFFC0; align=leftstyle=background:#FFFFC0 [73]
style=background:#C0FFC0; align=leftstyle=background:#C0FFC0 18.15 (123) d. 12.13 (85)style=background:#C0FFC0; align=leftFrankston Parkstyle=background:#C0FFC0 style=background:#C0FFC0; align=leftstyle=background:#C0FFC0 [74]
1983 Thirdsunknownunknownunknown
1984 8,664 [75]
2009 14,026 [76]
2010 11,000 [77]

Club song

The club song is sung to the tune of "The Yankee Doodle Boy", which is also the basis for the / and club songs.

We’re from Northern, we’re the Bullants

The good old red and white, are we

All good stickers for the red and white

Always we fight for victory, at Northern

We’re the best in the competition,

We won’t give up while there’s a chance

We’re a team of champions, full of fighting spirit

That’s why they call us the Bullants

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Current details for ABN 58 535 665 522 – PRESTON FOOTBALL CLUB INC. ABN Lookup. November 2014.
  2. Web site: SOME FOOTBALL . Labor Call . 27 July 2024 . 8 September 1921.
  3. Web site: PRESTON FOOTBALL CLUB . GameDay . Northern Bullants . 28 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240728234659/https://websites.mygameday.app/get_file.cgi?id=116484 . 28 July 2024.
  4. Web site: JUNIOR SEMI-FINAL PROSPECTS ANALYSED . Trove . Winner . 7 . 19 September 1917 . The Prestonians have come on rapidly lately.
  5. News: Landsberger. Sam. Northern Bullants in with the Blues. 29 July 2011. Preston Leader. 29 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111005223013/http://preston-leader.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/northern-bullants-in-with-the-blues/. 5 October 2011. dead.
  6. Web site: AFL 2020, financial crisis, Carlton, Northern Blues, VFL alignment, budget cuts, money. 2020-03-26. Fox Sports. en-AU. 2020-03-26.
  7. News: Leader. Melbourne, VIC. Paul Amy. Northern Bullants to return to VFL as a stand-alone club. 13 October 2020. 13 October 2020.
  8. Web site: Bounce . With the juniors: Preston premiers again . Trove . The Herald . 25 July 2024 . 29 August 1902.
  9. News: Weekly Times. 22. Football. 20 April 1912. Melbourne, VIC.
  10. Web site: Preston Districts Football Club . Darebin Libraries . City of Darebin . 26 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220312101227/https://heritage.darebinlibraries.vic.gov.au/article/170 . 12 March 2022.
  11. The Herald, 25 March 1938, Sports Section - "Harry Hopman Sees"
  12. News: The Sun News-Pictorial. 54. Stephen Phillips. Melbourne. 27 August 1973. West waits, but in vain.
  13. Fiddian, Marc (2004); The VFA; A History of the Victorian Football Association 1877-1995; pp. 300-302
  14. News: The Age. Melbourne. Dennis Jose. 24 June 1985. 30. Brave Seagulls stop Preston.
  15. Web site: Northern Blues. 10 Nov 2011. 11 Nov 2011. Carlton Football Club. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120324020803/http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4311/newsid/126017/default.aspx. 24 March 2012. dmy-all.
  16. Web site: Carlton and Northern Blues forced to cease alignment. 26 March 2020. Carlton Football Club. 26 March 2020.
  17. News: The Age. Melbourne, VIC. Heartbreak as Carlton call sees VFL club with 138-year history go under. Peter Ryan. Daniel Cherny. 26 March 2020. 26 March 2020.
  18. Web site: Australian Football - Northern Bullants Football Club - Biggest Losses. 22 August 2022. AustralianFootball.com.
  19. Web site: Ex-Collingwood star Brodie Holland appointed as Northern Bullants VFL coach . 4 November 2022 . ZeroHanger.
  20. Web site: Northern Bullants fail to score a single goal as they go down by 157 points in the VFL . 22 July 2023 . 6 News Australia.
  21. Web site: Rohan 'Woosher' Welsh has been appointed senior coach of VFL club Northern Bullants . CODE Sports.
  22. Web site: Bullant Community Celebrate Luke Green’s VFL Journey . Victorian Amateur Football Association . https://web.archive.org/web/20240524135115/https://www.vafa.com.au/news/2024/04/15/bullant-community-celebrate-luke-greens-vfl-journey/ . 24 May 2024 . 15 April 2024.
  23. Web site: Our History . Preston Bullants Amateur Football Club . 24 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240524141438/https://www.prestonbullantsafc.com/our-history . 24 May 2024.
  24. Web site: PRESTON FOOTBALL CLUB . GameDay . Northern Bullants . 28 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240728234659/https://websites.mygameday.app/get_file.cgi?id=116484 . 28 July 2024.
  25. Web site: 2006 Senior Results . GameDay . Northern Bullants . 28 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240728235131/https://websites.mygameday.app/get_file.cgi?id=114901 . 28 July 2024.
  26. Web site: 1890 – Victorian Junior FA – Ladder . Trove Newspapers . The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic) . 9 November 2020 . 18 . 4 October 1890.
  27. Web site: 1891 – Victorian Junior FA – Final Ladder . Trove Newspapers . Sportsman (Melbourne, Vic) . 9 November 2020 . 6 . 22 September 1891.
  28. News: The Age. Victorian Junior Football Association. 30 September 1895. 3. Melbourne, VIC.
  29. News: The Argus. Victorian Junior Football Association. 6 September 1897. 6. Melbourne, VIC .
  30. News: The Argus. Victorian Junior Football Association. 12 September 1898. 7. Melbourne, VIC .
  31. Web site: Membrey . Brian . Where We Come From – A History of the Preston Football Club, 1882 to 2002 . GameDay . 26 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240726002910/https://websites.mygameday.app/get_file.cgi?id=116485 . 26 July 2024 . 28 June 2004.
  32. News: Weekly Times. Football Notes and Comments. 11 September 1900. 17. Melbourne, VIC .
  33. News: The Sportsman. Victorian Junior Football Association. 8 October 1901. 6. Melbourne, VIC .
  34. Web site: VICTORIAN JUNIOR ASSOCIATION . The Argus . 25 July 2024 . 9 September 1902.
  35. Web site: VICTORIAN JUNIOR ASSOCIATION . Trove . The Argus . 26 July 2024 . 18 August 1913.
  36. Web site: VICTORIAN JUNIOR ASSOCIATION . The Argus . 26 July 2024 . 6 . 3 August 1914.
  37. Web site: Footscray wins final . Winner . 26 July 2024 . 22 September 1915.
  38. Web site: PREMIERSHIP LIST TO DATE . Winner . 26 July 2024 . 13 September 1916.
  39. Web site: Football . Sporting Judge . 27 July 2024 . 22 September 1917.
  40. Web site: JUNIOR MATCHES . The Age . 27 July 2024 . 9 September 1918.
  41. Web site: ASSOCIATION PREMIERSHIP LIST . The Age . 27 July 2024 . 1 September 1919.
  42. Web site: SOME FOOTBALL . Labor Call . 27 July 2024 . 1 September 1921.
  43. Web site: ASSOCIATION . The Age . 27 July 2024 . 29 August 1921.
  44. Web site: V.J.F.A. Semi-Final . 27 July 2024 . 6 September 1922 . The teams will be comprised as follows − Preston, Punch (capt.).
  45. Web site: North Melbourne Defeat Preston . The Age . 27 July 2024 . 6 . 11 September 1922.
  46. Web site: Junior Association . Labor Call . 27 July 2024 . 7 September 1922.
  47. Web site: Association . The Age . 28 July 2024 . 10 September 1923.
  48. Web site: ASSOCIATION . The Age . 28 July 2024 . 15 . 25 August 1924.
  49. The Age, 20 September 1951
  50. The Age, 17 September 1962
  51. The Age, 22 September 1964
  52. The Age, 3 October 1972
  53. Web site: Rhodes . Brendan . Bullants name new coach as Fraser returns to Pies . AFL.com.au . 22 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240622014345/https://www.afl.com.au/news/684282/bullants-name-ben-hart-as-new-coach-as-josh-fraser-returns-to-pies . 22 June 2024 . 13 October 2021.
  54. Web site: Higgins . Ben . Ben Hart is excited by what the Northern Bullants can achieve in 2022 . Herald Sun . 21 June 2024 . 8 December 2021.
  55. Web site: Kelly . Daniel . NEW LOOK ANTS BEGIN HOLLAND ERA . Northern Bullants . 21 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240320132209/https://northernbullantsfc.com.au/club_news/new-look-ants-begin-holland-era/ . 20 March 2024 . 25 March 2023.
  56. News: Weekly Times. Football Notes and Comments. 11 September 1900. 17. Melbourne, VIC .
  57. News: The Sportsman. Victorian Junior Football Association. 8 October 1901. 6. Melbourne, VIC .
  58. Web site: VICTORIAN JUNIOR ASSOCIATION . The Argus . 25 July 2024 . 9 September 1902.
  59. News: Sporting Judge. Football. 21 October 1916. 1. Melbourne, VIC .
  60. Web site: Follower . Williamstown Premiers . The Prahran Telegraph . 26 July 2024 . 21 October 1916.
  61. News: The Argus. Football – The final matches. 3 October 1921. 11. Melbourne, VIC .
  62. News: The Age. Preston wins by 17 points. 28 September 1923. Melbourne, VIC .
  63. News: The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. 7 October 1957. Runaway win in seconds. 37.
  64. News: The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. 46. Scot Palmer. 16 September 1963. Preston earns senior ranking.
  65. News: The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. 44. Bob Crimeen. 13 September 1965. Pennant for Preston.
  66. News: Noel Pascoe. Heard was star for Preston. 48. The Sun News-Pictorial. 23 September 1968. Melbourne.
  67. News: The Age. Melbourne. 29. Mike Smith. 22 September 1969. Preston wins final for second year.
  68. News: The Age. 29. Marc Fiddian. 11 September 1978. Bullants nip Port. Melbourne.
  69. News: Prahran steps on the Bullants. Marc Fiddian. 25 September 1978. The Age. 27. Melbourne.
  70. News: Port storms to Grand Final record. Marc Fiddian. 21 September 1981. The Age. 29. Melbourne.
  71. News: Port scores a hat-trick. Marc Fiddian. 20 September 1982. The Age. 29. Melbourne.
  72. News: Bullants rally for first flag in 14 years. Marc Fiddian. 19 September 1983. The Age. 23. Melbourne.
  73. News: Bullants rally for first flag in 14 years. Marc Fiddian. 19 September 1983. The Age. 23. Melbourne.
  74. News: The Age. Melbourne. 23. 26 September 1983. In brief.
  75. News: Bullants win flag double. Michael Reid. 24 September 1984. The Sun News-Pictorial. 75. Melbourne.
  76. Web site: Victorian Football League (VFL), 2009. Australian Football.com. 7 March 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402174508/http://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/VFL/2009/. 2 April 2015.
  77. Web site: Victorian Football League (VFL), 2010. Australian Football.com. 7 March 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125644/http://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/VFL/2010/. 2 April 2015.