Australian Football

Beaumaris

Formed in August 1962, the Beaumaris Football Club was a founder member the following year of the South East Suburban Football League (SESFL) in which it was successful in procuring senior grade premierships in 1965, 1970 and 1977. Beaumaris remained in the SESFL and the competition into which it evolved, the Southern Football League, until 1995, when it crossed to the VAFA. Its progress since has been impressive, involving no fewer than five premierships. The Sharks went top in E South Section on debut and two years later they triumphed in D Section. A C Section flag then followed in 2003 as a result of which promotion to B Section was achieved.

The side’s initial stint in B Section was fleeting as it succumbed immediately to relegation. However, it then bounced straight back on the strength of a losing C Grade grand final against University Blacks.

This time the Sharks’ stay in B Section lasted three years but the 2009 season saw them once again lining up in C Section. Then, in 2010, they bounced back thanks to a 10.11 (71) to 9.16 (70) grand final defeat of Caulfield Grammarians. Two seasons later they achieved promotion to the VAFA's Premier Division, despite losing the grand final to University Blacks 27 points. Beamaris's initial stint among the VAFA's elite came to an end after a 2015 season which saw them win just 2 and draw 1 of their 18 home and away matches. The 2016 season in Premier C afforded a complete contrast as the Sharks topped the ladder going into the finals. Their second semi final clash with St Bedes Mentone Tigers was a closely fought affair until the final change, at which point the Tigers held a single point advantage. In the last quarter, however, St. Bedes Mentone rattled on 7 goals to 3 to win with comparative comfort, 14.8 (92) to 9.11 (65). The following week saw Beaumaris fronting up to Old Scotch in a cut-throat preliminary final. At quarter time Old Scotch led by 5 points, but thereafter the Sharks were much the better side, adding 12 goals to 7 to win pulling away by 34 points. The grand final re-match with St. Bedes Mentone Tigers was a somewhat topsy turvy affair, with the Tigers transforming a 13 point quarter time deficit into a 5.7 to 3.5 half time advantage. Then, during the third quarter, Beamaris produced a match-winning burst of 6.9 to 1.2 before cruising to victory by 31 points, 14.17 (101) to 10.10 (70). The victory meant that the Sharks would compete in the VAFA's Premier Division in 2017 but they found the opposition too hot to handle in the main and slumped to last place after managing just three wins all season.

Fronting up in Premier B in 2018 the Sharks performed quite solidly in the main, winning 11 out of 18 matches to finish fifth and miss the finals only on percentage. This was followed by a highly promising 2019 campaign which produced finals qualification for an ultimate finishing position of fourth.