Australian Football

Banyule

Banyule Amateur Football Club was established in 1979 with the objective of providing a systematic line of progression for youngsters who had played under-age football with Banyule Junior Football Club. Although the two clubs have retained their separate identities they enjoy a harmonious working relationship which has proven to be advantageous to both parties.

The 1979 season saw Banyule affiliating with the VAFA, but it only fielded an under nineteens team. Seniors and reserves followed in 1980, with both grades achieving premierships in only their second seasons. For the senior side, triumph in the F Section grand final came at the expense of another comparative newcomer to the Association in Therry Corpus Christi Old Boys. There could be no doubting Banyule’s overall superiority, but some profligate kicking for goal made the win a little less formulaic than it perhaps ought to have been. Final scores were Banyule 9.23 (77); Therry CCOB 6.6 (42).

The win was a prelude to a decade of steady progress, highlighted by grand final appearances in E Section in 1982 (lost to Therry CCOB), D Section in 1983 (beat Fawkner), and C Section in 1986 (beat Old Trinity Grammarians) and 1989 (lost to Old Haileyburians). In 1991 Banyule contested the finals in B Section for the first, and only, time, ultimately finishing fourth.

Subsequent years saw the seniors alternating been D1 and C Sections. There were no further flags, but the side did contest grand finals in D Section against Old Camberwell Grammarians (2001) and University Blacks (2004).

In 2015 the Bears transferred to the Northern Football League. Commencing in Division Three, they finished fifth on debut, and sixth in 2016 before progressing to the 2017 premiership thanks to a 13.17 (95) to 10.10 (70) grand final defeat of South Morang. Success in Division Three brought promotion to Division Two where, in 2018, the Bears did well to qualify for the finals and ultimately finish third. The 2019 season brought further improvement as the side qualified for the finals in pole position only to end up suffering the immense disappointment of a 27 point grand final reversal at the hands of Whittlesea.

In 2020 the Bears were deprived of the immediate opportunity of going one better when the competition went into enforced mothballs because of the coronavirus pandemic.