The Wangaratta Rovers Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

club based in the Victorian city of

Wangaratta Wangaratta ( ) is a city in the northeast of Victoria, Australia, from Melbourne along the Hume Highway. The city had a population of 29,808 per the 2021 Australian Census. The city is located at the confluence, junction of the Ovens River, ...

History

Wangaratta Rovers were initially formed in 1922 and competed in the Wangaratta District Football Association (WDFA) from 1922 to 1924, then moved across to the Ovens and King Football League (O&KFL) from 1925 to 1929. Wangaratta Rovers lost both the 1922 and the 1923 WDFA grand finals to Milawa. Wangaratta Rovers actually merged with the Wangaratta Football Club in 1930, who then entered one team in the

Ovens and Murray Football League The Ovens and Murray Football Netball League (OMFNL or O&MFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition containing ten clubs based in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, Victoria, the southern Riverina region of New South Wales ...

and one team in the O&KFL. The Wangaratta Rovers re-formed in 1945 and competed in the O&KFL from 1945 to 1949, winning the 1948 premiership and losing to Myrtleford in the 1949 O&KFL grand final, before joining the

Ovens & Murray Football League The Ovens and Murray Football Netball League (OMFNL or O&MFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition containing ten clubs based in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, Victoria, the southern Riverina region of New South Wales ...

in 1950.

Football Premierships

;Seniors * Ovens and King Football League (1) **1948 *

(16) **1958, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2024. *Goulburn Murray Night Football League (Pre season competition at Katandra) **1986, 1992 ;Reserves *

(8) **1958, 1962, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1984, 2007. ;Under 18 / Thirds *

(12) **1980, 1985, 1988, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2018, 2024.

Netball Premiership

;A. Grade *

(4) **1993, 1994, 2005, 2006, ;B. Grade *

(1) **1999 ;C. Grade *

(1) **1996, ;16 & Under *

(1) **2019

League Best & Fairest Award Winners

;Seniors *

- Morris Medal **1958 & 1960 - Bob Rose **1966 - Neville Hogan **1975 - Andrew Scott **1991, 1997, 1999, 2001 & 2003 - Robert Walker ;Reserves *

**1969 - Alan Daniel **1975 - Barry Clarke **1979 - Malcom Dalton **1982 - Ian Gambold **1989 - Andrew Robinson **2021 - Mitchell Booth **2024 - Noah Amery ;Thirds / Under 18's *

**1984 - Chris O'Connor **1989 - Daine Hochfeld* (Polled the most votes, but was disqualified due to an abusive language suspension) **1996 - Daniel McLaughlin **2002 - Jamie Allan **2005 - Ben Reid **2007 - Zac O'Brien **2016 & 2017 - Paul Sanderson **2018 - Ed Dayman **2019 - Alessandro Belci **2023 - Riley Allan

VFL / AFL Players

The following footballers played with Wangaratta Rovers, prior to playing senior football in the VFL/AFL, and / or drafted, with the year indicating their VFL/AFL debut. *1929 - Gil Patrick - Footscray *1950 - Mac Hill - Collingwood *1956 -

Alan Dale Alan Hugh Dale (born 6 May 1947) is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale enjoyed theatre and rugby. After retiring from the sport, he took on a number of occupations, before deciding to become a professional actor at age 27. Dale subsequent ...

- St. Kilda *1959 - Kevin Dellar - Essendon *1959 - Les Gregory - St. Kilda *1964 - Barrie Beattie - Footscray *1964 - Graeme Leydin - Essendon *1967 - Mike Hallahan - Fitzroy *1968 - Norm Bussell - Hawthorn *1972 - Phil Doherty - North Melbourne *1973 - Mick Nolan - North Melbourne *1975 - John Byrne - North Melbourne *1985 - Rohan Robertson - North Melbourne *1985 - Shane Robertson - North Melbourne *1987 - Paul Bryce - North Melbourne *1987 - Craig Patrick - North Melbourne, Pick No.35 *1988 -

Scott Williamson Scott Ryan Williamson (born February 17, 1976) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) right-handed relief pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1999–2003), Boston Red Sox (2003–), Chicago Cubs (2005–2006), San Diego Padres ...

- West Coast Eagles, Pick No.44 *1989 - Joe Wilson - Brisbane Bears, Pick No.51 *1990 - Tim Rieniets - Carlton *1990 - Robert Hickmott - Melbourne *1990 -

- Melbourne, No. 31 (1990 Pre season draft) *1991 - Dean Harding - Fitzroy *2001 - Andrew Hill - Collingwood, No.39 (2001 AFL Rookie Draft) *2002 -

Sean O'Keeffe Sean O'Keeffe (born 10 May 1982) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Australian Football League. O'Keeffe played his junior football for Wangaratta Rovers in the Ovens & Murray Football League, and played T ...

- Carlton *2003 - Karl Norman - Carlton *2004 - Luke Mullins - St. Kilda *2006 - Alipate Carlile - Port Adelaide *2007 - Ben Reid - Collingwood *2010 - Sam Reid - Sydney Swans *2014 - Zac O'Brien - Brisbane Lions *2021 - Nick Murray - Adelaide Crows *2022 - Brayden George - North Melbourne *2023 - Darcy Wilson - St. Kilda *2024 - Toby Murray - Adelaide Crows The following footballers played senior VFL / AFL football prior to playing and / or coaching with Wangaratta Rovers with the year indicating their first season at WRFNC. *1950 - Ken Bodger - Hawthorn *1954 -

- St. Kilda *1956 - Bob Rose - Collingwood *1962 - Graeme Leydin - Essendon *1964 - Ken Boyd - South Melbourne *1964 -

Frank Hogan Frank Smithwick Hogan (January 17, 1902 – April 2, 1974) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He served as New York County District Attorney for more than 30 years, during which he achieved a reputation for professionalism and ...

- South Melbourne *1965 - Bob Hempel - Footscray *1967 - Ian Brewer - Collingwood *1975 - Andrew Scott - Hawthorn *1981 - Phil Seaton - Melbourne *1983 - Gerry McCarthy - Hawthorn & Fitzroy *1987 - Peter Tossol - Melbourne *2001 - Nick Trask - Brisbane Bears *2012 - Barry Hall - St. Kilda, Sydney Swans & Footscray *2014 - Daniel Archer - St. Kilda *2014 - Jarrad Boumann - Hawthorn *2014 - James Mulligan - Footscray *2019 - Daryn Cresswell - Sydney Swans *2021 - Matt Jones - Melbourne *2021 - Sam Murray - Collingwood *2024 - Lochie O'Brien - Carlton *2024 -

Eddie Betts Edward Robert Betts III (born 26 November 1986) is a former Australian rules football player who played as a forward for Carlton Football Club, Carlton and Adelaide Football Club, Adelaide in the Australian Football League between 2005 and 2021. ...

- Carlton & Adelaide Crows Bob Rose

References

External links

WRFNC - WebsiteWRFNC - Facebook1949 - Wangaratta Rovers team photo1954 - Wangaratta Rovers team photo1953 - Alan Dale photo / article1956 - Wangaratta Rovers team photo1975 - O&MFL Premiers: Wangaratta Rovers team photo
{{Ovens & murray football league Australian rules football clubs in Victoria (state) Ovens & Murray Football Netball League clubs Sport in Wangaratta