Australian Football

Belgrave

Belgrave began life as a member of the Evelyn Football Association, winning a premiership under the captaincy of George Hayes in only its third year. Between the wars Belgrave participated in a number of different competitions, often challenging strongly for the premiership, but never quite succeeding.

Far and away the most successful period in Belgrave’s existence came shortly after world war two when the seniors contested seven successive MDFL grand finals for six wins. Among the key members of these premiership winning combinations were the Argoon brothers, Don and Keith, Alan Burt, Ted Fitton, Jack Graham, Les Hayes, Mick James, Jack McSween, Jack Needs, Denis O’Donohue, Jack Paterson, Don Pitts, Ron Prendergast, Harry Preston, Fred Rafton, Hugh Robertson, Jim Stump and John Taylor.

In 1966, Belgrave was among a dozen foundation members of the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League which came into being as a result of a merger between the Mountain District Football League and the Yarra Valley Football Association. The Magpies fielded some very strong teams during the 1970s, reaching the preliminary final in 1974 before claiming successive flags in 1975-6.

Belgrave’s next premiership was won in 1999 in Division Two, the YVMDFL having added a second tier twenty-one years earlier.

In 2006, the Magpies endured a horror season, winning just 1 of their 18 Division One home and away matches to succumb to relegation to Division Two. The 2007 season brought considerable improvement as the side won 11 and drew 1 of its 18 matches to qualify for the Division Two finals in third place. Victories over Yarra Glen in the first semi final and Alexandra in the preliminary final earned the ‘Pies a crack at minor premiers Thornton Eildon in the ‘big one’ but they failed to do themselves justice and lost heavily.

In 2008 Belgrave suffered a significant decline in fortune, dropping to sixth place on the ten team division two ladder with a 10-8 record. The next three seasons saw the Magpies failing to impress before, in 2012, claiming an unexpected but highly meritorious premiership. Only once during the entire season did they taste defeat, and on grand final day they proved comfortably superior to opponents Yarra Glen, pulling away with 6 last quarter goals to 1 to win by 49 points, 19.15 (129) to 12.8 (80). 

The Magpies competed in Division One for the next four seasons. They qualified for the finals in 2013, finishing fourth, but thereafter the standard of their performances declined significantly. A dismal 2016 season which produced just a couple of wins consigned them to relegation back to Division Two. Much more at home at this level, Belgrave got as far as the 2017 grand final and duly "brought home the bacon" courtesy of an 18.15 (123) to 14.11 (95) defeat of Yarra Glen. 

Promoted to Division One in consequence of their triumph the Magpies endured a testing 2018 campaign which saw them win just 2 of their 18 matches and finish in ninth place out of ten teams, above tenth placed Warburton Millgrove only on percentage (a mere 0.15%).

In 2019 the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League merged with the South East Football League, producing the three division, 25 club Outer East Football Netball League. Competing in the second tier first division the Magpies endured a difficult debut season, winning just of two of their 16 games to finish above only Warburton Millgrove on the eight team premiership ladder.