Australian Football

Doncaster

Most of Doncaster’s early years (1909 to 1926) were spent in the Box Hill Reporter District Football Association, but the club did not taste premiership success until it crossed to the Ringwood District Football Association in 1927. In that season’s grand final Doncaster defeated Blackburn by 23 points, 8.13 (61) to 5.8 (38), before going on to complete a hat trick of flag triumphs at the expense of Blackburn once more and Mitcham. Further RDFA premierships followed in 1931 and 1936, with Ringwood the grand final victims on both occasions.

In 1938 Doncaster transferred to the Eastern Suburbs Football League where it would remain until 1961. During that time it contested half a dozen senior grade grand finals, but only once, in 1939, did it emerge victorious.

When the Eastern Districts Football League was formed in 1962 Doncaster was a foundation member. The club competed initially in Division One, but all seven of its senior grade premierships have been attained in the lower grades. In 1972, 1984, 1990 and 2015 the Sharks were victorious in Division Two, while they have also claimed a total of three flags in Division Three.

Recent seasons have seen the Sharks performing quite strongly to qualify for the finals in Division One (subsequently renamed Premier Division) three times out of four.