Australian Football

Redan first competed in the Ballarat Football Association, as Ballarat’s premier competition was known at the time, in 1943. After finishing a creditable third on debut the side struggled for several seasons before breaking through for a premiership in 1946. The triumph over RAAF was achieved in dramatic fashion by means of victory in a replayed grand final, This replay was just as hotly contested as the first match, and if RAAF had shown a little more steadiness in front of goal the result might have been different. As it was, Redan eased home in the end by 17 points, 10.8 (68) to 6.15 (51).

Redan’s second senior grade grand final win in 1952 was arguably even more memorable than the first as it capped a remarkable unbeaten season, only the second such in league history. On grand final day opponents Ballarat were almost contemptuously brushed aside with the Maroons leading at every change by margins of 17, 48 and 40 points before removing the foot from the accelerator somewhat during a last term which saw the Swans reduce the final leeway to four straight kicks. Making it a marvellous day all round for Redan was the reserve grade team’s feat in overcoming Geelong West in their grand final.

If Redan’s 1952 combination has to go down as one of the greatest in the club’s history its achievements were more than matched by the side which captured three successive senior grade flags between 1975 and 1977. Not that the Maroons invariably had things easy, as their victory margins in the three grand finals - 1, 6 and 15 points - make clear. Nevertheless, the club’s feat in winning 49 of its 61 games over the period affords clear evidence that the blisteringly fast, run on game espoused by coach John ‘Swooper’ Northey was inordinately effective. Northey would later further hone his coaching prowess and earn widespread admiration at V/AFL clubs Sydney, Melbourne, Richmond and Brisbane.

After the dizzy heights of the 1970s the Maroons went almost three decades without adding to their premiership haul. Since re-emerging as a force by claiming the 2002 flag, however, they have gone from strength to strength, contesting nine of the subsequent eleven senior grade grand finals, for wins in 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011. For good measure, the reserves chipped in with flags in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The last few seasons have seen both grades continuing to perform strongly in the main without quite managing to break through for another premiership. The 2018 season was an exception to this trend with both seniors and reserves struggling near the foot of the table.