109-749: Arden Street Oval (1966–1985) Coburg City Oval (1965) The North Melbourne Football Club , nicknamed the Kangaroos or colloquially the Roos , is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Kangaroos also field a reserves men's team in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and women's team in
218-436: A city store. The official name of the club is North Melbourne, but the club has gone under several other aliases over the years. The club was founded as the "North Melbourne Football Club", but changed to "North Melbourne cum Albert Park" after merging with Albert Park in 1876. Following the reformation of the club in 1877, it was known as the "Hotham Football Club" but later took the name "North Melbourne" again in 1888. In 1998
327-530: A close resemblance to the earlier Blackfriars Bridge over the River Thames in London , a resemblance which was noted at its opening. Princes Bridge is wider, 30 metres compared with 26 metres, but with 3 spans of 33 metres and an overall length of 131 metres, it is much shorter than Blackfriars Bridge's 5 spans with a central span of 61 metres. Both are excellent surviving examples of Arch Bridge design in
436-479: A design largely as eventually built. Jenkins was likely included simply as a local representative, with the design mainly by John Grainger (1855–1917), who already had experience with bridges, and who was working alone by the time the bridge was completed. (Grainger was the father of the Australian composer Percy Grainger .) Construction was delayed over funding and other issues, and it was not until 1884 that
545-399: A disappointing 2020 season where North won only 3 games and finished second-last, Rhyce Shaw left the club in late October 2020 due to personal issues, bringing his short tenure as head coach to an end. In 2021, former Western Bulldogs and Adelaide assistant coach and long-time football administrator David Noble was appointed as the new senior coach on an open-ended staff contract. Noble led
654-663: A golden era of success that transformed North Melbourne into one of the powerhouses of the VFL. Barassi took North to a Grand Final (losing to Richmond by 41 points) in 1974 and brought success in his 1975 and 1977 seasons. North made five consecutive Grand Finals from 1974 to 1978 and defeated Norwood in the 1975 national championship and thus declared Champions of Australia . In 1973 and 1974, North's wingman Keith Greig (recruited from Brunswick Football Club, Victoria) won consecutive Brownlow Medals ; forward Malcolm Blight (recruited from Woodville Football Club, South Australia) then won
763-570: A match between North Melbourne and the South Yarra Football Club . Whether there was continuity between this team and today's club or not, no further mentions appear in the mainstream media until 1869. It is generally believed to have been founded in North Melbourne in 1869 by local cricketers desiring to keep fit over the winter months, however its involvement in the season 1868/1869 implies that it had been formed at
872-442: A matter of convenience the two clubs amalgamated so they could compete in the 1922 season. As it had after the merger with West Melbourne, North once again managed to avert its destruction. During this Period, North's main rivals were Footscray, Meeting them in three Grand Finals. After three attempts, 29 years of waiting and numerous other applications to enter the VFL, finally North was rewarded for its persistence with admittance to
981-660: A place in light of their previous contributions to Australian Football. The 1880s marked the emergence of the modern identity we now associate with North today. In 1882, the club amalgamated with the Hotham Cricket Club and moved into the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve (Arden St Oval), which remains the home of the club today. The joint venture was aimed at affecting improvements at the Hotham Cricket Ground, which
1090-502: A preliminary final berth in 2007, and a first-round elimination final exit in 2008, North Melbourne dropped to 13th in 2009, and coach Dani Laidley announced her resignation, with Darren Crocker acting as caretaker coach for the rest of the season, to eventually be replaced by ex-Brisbane Lions premiership player and Collingwood assistant coach Brad Scott . A$ 15 million redevelopment of the Arden Street, which had started in 2006,
1199-424: A repeat of the club's relocation to Coburg. Along with new administration facilities, a new first rate social club was built that became the envy of other VFL clubs during the 70s. The pavilion itself set a new benchmark in football standards, with the introduction of corporate hospitality where clients could enjoy the football in comfort. These improvements were responsible for the great success North achieved during
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#17327917757021308-467: A reputed cost of £850 . Remnants of this stand, the concrete players’ race and the base of one of the external staircases, remain in the terraced area . The players’ race still connects the players’ dressing rooms in the Football Club administration building with the oval. In 1909, plans for a new grandstand, to cost £1,000, were drawn up by local councillor and club founder J H Gardiner . Despite
1417-400: A season full of close losses. Nick Dal Santo signed with the club at the end of the 2013 season as a restricted free agent . In 2014, North Melbourne finished 6th at the end of the home and away season and reached 40,000 members for the first time in the club's history. In September, North Melbourne went on to defeat Essendon by 12 points in the 2nd Elimination Final, only taking the lead in
1526-415: A separate colony effective on 1 July 1851. The bridge was a single-span 150 ft (46 m) bluestone and granite arch bridge, with a rise of only 24 ft (7 m). At its building, it was one of the longest, flattest stone arch bridges in the world. Paid for with government funds, the bridge was designed by David Lennox and built by James Linacre. It was opened on 15 November without tolls. At
1635-617: A seven-year lease with the City of Coburg after initially negotiating long-term leases for up to 40 years. The club came to an arrangement to merge with the VFA's Coburg Football Club , whom it was displacing from the ground; fourteen Coburg committeemen joined the North Melbourne committee, but the merger was never completed after Coburg established a rival committee which remained loyal to the VFA. The lease at Coburg lasted only eight months;
1744-482: A spark into the side and lifted many hopes for North supporters and the excitement to the general football public. The innovative idea of night games was instigated by the club and meeting the challenges, the club survived. One major highlight was the recruitment of forward John Longmire in 1989, who topped the club goalkicking over five consecutive seasons (1990–1994) and won the Coleman medal in 1990 with 98 goals. At
1853-465: A training and administrative base after shifting home games away. From 2002 until 2010, the club based its administration to offices at Docklands Stadium (which was then serving as its home ground), before returning to upgraded Arden Street Oval offices in early 2010; but it has maintained Arden Street as its training base continuously throughout that time. In 2006 the ground became the subject of an arson attack, with several portable buildings including
1962-513: Is victoria amat curam , Latin for "victory demands dedication". Aside from their representation in the AFL, the Kangaroos also field teams in the competitions AFL Women's , VFL Women's and Victorian Football League competitions. The club has won four VFL/AFL premierships: 1975 , 1977 (replay), 1996 and the most recent in 1999 . In two aspects North Melbourne stands second to none. One
2071-451: Is 30 metres (99 ft) wide and 120 metres (400 ft) long, with Harcourt granite squat half columns resting on the bluestone piers that support the three iron girder arch spans. The coat of arms on the bridge belong to the municipal councils who contributed towards the cost of construction. Other design features include an elaborate balustrade along the top of the bridge, and lamp standards crowning each pier. The bridge design bears
2180-496: Is an inner-suburban sporting facility and sports oval in North Melbourne , Victoria, Australia . It is currently the training base of the North Melbourne Football Club , an Australian rules football club. It has a long association with the club and league, with the club first moving to the ground in 1882 ; 142 years ago ( 1882 ) and for 60 years between 1925 and the 1985 season it
2289-493: Is limited, but it is known that it took place in Royal Park . James Henry Gardiner is often cited as a founder of the club, though he heavily promoted it in its early years in his role in the local council there is no documented evidence of his role in its formation. One of the earliest newspaper mentions of it was on 14 August 1869 when it was scheduled to play against Messrs. Walker, May, and Co. at Princes Bridge in what
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#17327917757022398-407: Is now central Melbourne. The article mentions that the two teams had already played an earlier match, though it does not say when it does names the team was captained by Fuhrhop, presumably Harry Fuhrhop . Fuhrhop was a Carlton United cricketer who would go on to later captain the football team between 1870 and its 1877 VFA team and, according to historian Gerard Dowling (1973), was a pivotal figure in
2507-423: Is regarded as one of the most inspirational stories of Australian rules football and Australian sport in general, McCartney successfully returned to action on 6 June 2003 against Richmond at Docklands Stadium. Playing at full-forward, he took a mark in the final quarter, scored a goal from the resulting set shot, and set up Leigh Harding 's winning goal with two minutes remaining. McCartney retired immediately after
2616-521: Is sung to the tune of a Scottish folk song from around 1911, "A Wee Deoch an Doris". The song is generally sung, in accordance to common football tradition, after a victory. It is also played before every match. Arden Street Oval Administration & Training (1882–1964), (1966–present) VFL/AFL (1882–1964), (1966–1985) AFLW (2018–present) VFL (2018–present) VFLW (2021–present) Arden Street Oval (also known as North Melbourne Cricket Ground or North Melbourne Recreation Reserve )
2725-446: Is the loyalty of its supporters. The other is the determination to carry on, despite its disadvantages. In the face of adversity, which might well have broken the spirit of most men, we find that from the earliest days there were always enthusiasts to fight for North Melbourne. The exact date of founding is not known. The club believes that there were early attempts at formation dating back as far as 1864. An 1865 newspaper article mentions
2834-527: The Docklands area of Melbourne , Victoria , as well as Blundstone Arena in Hobart , Tasmania which is also used by the women's team as a secondary home ground. The club's mascot is a grey kangaroo wearing the club uniform, and its use dates from the mid-20th century. The club is also unofficially known as "The Shinboners", a term which dates to its 19th-century abattoir-worker origins. The club's motto
2943-690: The Essendon League Club to help facilitate the amalgamation. The amalgamation was foiled when some members of the VFA launched a successful legal challenge. As a result, the Essendon League Club moved instead to the Essendon Oval, replacing the ground's original occupants, Essendon Association . North was now without a playing team and the Essendon Association Club was now without a ground, so as
3052-669: The Moomba Festival , New Year's Eve and many celebrations taking place on the Yarra River where it flows through the city. When the first European settlers settled in Melbourne in 1835, there was no permanent crossing point of the Yarra River. Over time various punt and ferry operators set up business to ferry people and other traffic across the river. The colonial government in Sydney was unreliable in providing funds for
3161-558: The North-West Melbourne Association . A new administration and football facility was built in its place. The Harold R Henderson Pavilion is the latest stand to be built. It was constructed in the late '60s following the club's disastrous move to the Coburg City Oval. Led by Allen Aylett and Harold R. Henderson, a committee was formed that aimed to redevelop the ground so that there would never be
3270-514: The Port Phillip District , Charles La Trobe , favoured an Elizabeth Street crossing, but despite such official pressure the private company favoured the construction conditions at Swanston Street, which had become regarded as the growing town's main street. In 1844, a wooden trestle bridge was built across the river, and was a toll bridge colloquially known as Balbirnies Bridge. The bridge was built for £400 from June-Oct 1843 just to
3379-467: The Victorian Football League (VFL), in 1896. Despite finishing 6th in 1896, North Melbourne was not invited to the breakaway competition. The main reasons for being excluded were: North continued on in the depleted VFA, emerging as a powerhouse, finishing 2nd in 1897, 1898 and 1899. In 1903, after 34 years of competing, the club won its first premiership, defeating Richmond in the final. The club became back to back premiers in 1904 after Richmond forfeited
North Melbourne Football Club - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-471: The Victorian Football League (VFL). The invitation to join the VFL came at a time when local support for the club was at an all-time high prompting further upgrading of facilities. This included the construction of the main grandstand in 1928, with seating for 2,000 spectators. In 1965, North Melbourne moved its playing and training base from the Arden Street Oval to Coburg Oval . The move
3597-538: The 1998 Grand Final to Adelaide , not helped by an inaccurate goalkicking performance of 8.22 (70) to Adelaide's 15.15 (105). In 1999, the Kangaroos finished the regular season in second position on the ladder, and went on to defeat Carlton in the Grand Final, winning the club's fourth VFL/AFL premiership; former Sydney midfielder Shannon Grant taking out the Norm Smith Medal . The club was eliminated in
3706-521: The 70s. After 1985, the Pavilion was converted into the 'Kanga Kasino' that housed the clubs pokie machines. In 2002, North Melbourne acquired the Captain's Bar at the newly constructed Docklands Stadium, and the pokies were moved there. From 2002-2009 the Pavilion held the club gym, and North's official merchandise store the 'Roo Shop'. The Pavilion was demolished in 2009 as part of the development of
3815-640: The Arden St Oval has served as the permanent home of the North Melbourne Football Club from 1882 until now. Apart from this, boxing, cricket, cycling, hurling and greyhound racing have all been accommodated at Arden Street Oval at some stage. The original tenant of the oval was the North Melbourne Cricket Club. The cricket club first started playing at the ground in 1868. The cricket club began to share
3924-536: The Coburg council was hesitant to build a new grandstand without the security of a long-term lease, and neither party made the returns they expected, so it was terminated by mutual agreement in September 1965 and North Melbourne returned to the Arden Street Oval. Onfield, the 1950s and 1960s were lean years for North Melbourne, though the club did secure two consecutive Night Premierships in 1965 and 1966. Allen Aylett
4033-457: The East of where Princes Bridge stands today. Described as "a primitive construction of piles & planking, 120ft. in length & with a road-way 17ft. wide, flanked on one side by a railed-off footpath", it was in use for 5 years, 1843-48. Tolls were leased to Mr. R. A. Balbirnie, whence the name derived. In disuse from 1848, it was demolished Oct 1852, although famed chronicler of early Melbourne,
4142-480: The League in 1925, along with Footscray and Hawthorn . Even then, the opportunity was almost lost as the League delegates debated into the early hours of the morning on which clubs should be invited to join the intake. It was only after much deliberation that North Melbourne's name was eventually substituted for Prahran's making North "the lucky side" of the invitees that included Footscray and Hawthorn. North Melbourne
4251-405: The League. On 30 June 1921, North told its players it would disband and try to gain entry to the VFL by the 'back-door'. Essendon League Football Club had lost its playing ground at East Melbourne and had decided to acquire the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve as a new playing ground. North accepted their proposal in the idea that the clubs would amalgamate. All of North's players were urged to join
4360-610: The Melbourne City Council, Victorian State Government, and the Commonwealth Government to have the new facilities increased in size and value from the original $ 10 million, to a final plan costing $ 16 million, and providing the NMFC and local community with some of the best amenities of any club in the AFL. The new development was opened in time for the 2010 season. The development includes offices for
4469-561: The St Mary's Church of England Cricket Club, now the St Mary's Anglican Church North Melbourne, whose colours – blue and white – are reflected in the club's colours today. The association between the St Mary's Church of England Cricket Club and the establishment of the North Melbourne Football Club is believed to have been an informal gathering to play some competitive sport. Information on the club's first ever match
North Melbourne Football Club - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-736: The State Minister for Lands had final say over the use of the reserve. In 1921, the Essendon Football Club attempted to move to the ground after its home ground, the East Melbourne Cricket Ground , was closed , and the North Melbourne Football Club disbanded as it sought to amalgamate with Essendon; but the State Minister for Lands vetoed Essendon's move. This prompted Essendon to move to the Essendon Recreation Reserve , and
4687-527: The Town of Hotham reverted to the name of North Melbourne in August 1887. The sharing agreement between the cricket and footy clubs was not all rosy, and by the late 1890s the two entities ended up in court over a dispute about the use of the cricket pavilion by a visiting football team. The court ruled in favour of the cricket club citing that since it was Crown land, it was illegal to fence off any part of it for
4796-524: The VFLW. Founded in the suburb of North Melbourne in 1869 and based at the Arden Street Oval , it is the 4th oldest club in the competition and one of the oldest surviving clubs in the world. Its original home at Arden Street continues to serve as its headquarters, training facilities and home ground for its women's side. The club's senior men's team plays its home matches at Marvel Stadium in
4905-468: The West Coast Eagles by 25 points after leading at half time. In 2016, North Melbourne won its first nine matches, which is the club's best start to a season in its VFL/AFL history. On 27 July 2016, the club announced it had surpassed 45,000 members for the first time in the club's history. In 2016, the Kangaroos fielded what was the oldest team in AFL history. Unfortunately after the midpoint of
5014-497: The award in 1978. Doug Wade (recruited from Geelong Football Club, Geelong) won the Coleman Medal in 1974 with his 103 goals for the season. Barassi remained team coach until 1980, but only a Night Premiership in that year resulted in him leaving Arden Street . North then entered another period of decline, though Malcolm Blight kicked 103 goals to take out the Coleman medal in 1982, and another Brownlow win came through
5123-427: The beginning of the 1993 season, in a dramatic and controversial move, the board of the club sacked coach and long-time player Wayne Schimmelbusch , and appointed Denis Pagan in his place. Results were immediate, as North reached the finals for the first time in nearly a decade. Pagan was instrumental in appointing young centre half-forward Wayne Carey as the club's youngest-ever captain. Carey had been recruited at
5232-537: The benefit of either party. The playing surface, previously notorious for becoming a gluepot in inclement weather, was upgraded during the winter of 1897, so no football was played there during that season. 1906 saw the construction of the ground's first grand stand. By mid-1909, the control of the Recreation Reserve had shifted to the Parks and Gardens Committee of the Melbourne City Council, meaning that
5341-627: The betting ring was destroyed in an arson attack. At the eastern goals, and along the Macaulay Street boundary, stood small shelters for the spectators. These shelters were demolished in the aftermath of the 1985 Bradford City stadium fire in England, when the Metropolitan Fire Brigade declared them a fire hazard. One of the iconic features of VFL football at Arden Street was the gigantic gasometer that towered over
5450-428: The club develop a penchant for inter-colonial travel with trips to Tasmania (1881/1887) and South Australia (1889). Hotham also found itself well represented at the first ever inter-colonial representative game in 1879 with four players from the club gaining selection for Victoria. The VFA grew to 13 senior clubs in the 1890s. Led by Geelong and Essendon , the largest clubs of the VFA formed their own breakaway league,
5559-505: The club left Arden Street altogether in 2010, playing and training nomadically at Holland Park, Albert Park and Royal Park for a couple of years before moving permanently to the outer north-western suburb of Greenvale in 2013. From 1957-62, the Melbourne Greyhound Racing Association used Arden St to hold its Greyhound racing meetings. The greyhounds ran on a track that formed a perimeter around
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#17327917757025668-461: The club proposed changing its name to the "Northern Kangaroos", but it was rejected by the AFL. From 1999 to 2007, the club traded without much success as "The Kangaroos" in a bid to increase its appeal nationally; this decision was reversed at the end of 2007 when the club again reverted to the name "North Melbourne". "Join in the Chorus" is the official anthem of the North Melbourne Football Club. It
5777-466: The club such a strong North Melbourne character that many described it as "Albert-park cum North Melbourne". In 1877, the club was re-established as a stand-alone entity, under the name Hotham Football Club and moved to the Hotham Cricket Ground (now Arden Street Oval). Football took a giant step forward in 1877, with the formation of Victoria's first colonial football league, the VFA. Hotham were prime movers in establishing this league and were afforded
5886-440: The club to the wooden spoon in 2021 despite the team producing some encouraging results towards the end of the season and ending with four wins and a draw from the season. Noble resigned from the position in mid-2022 after pressure resulting from North's poor start to the season. On 19 August 2022, North Melbourne signed Alastair Clarkson to coach the team for five seasons, starting with the 2023 season. Clarkson stepped down as
5995-433: The club was known as the "Blue Birds", but this nickname did not last. It was Phonse Tobin, North president from 1953 to 1956, who oversaw the club adopting the kangaroo emblem in 1954; Tobin found the image of a shinbone unsavoury and wanted the club to have a mascot it could show with pride. In selecting a new name, he wanted something characteristically Australian and was inspired by a large kangaroo he saw on display outside
6104-483: The club won the championship in both 1915 and 1918 for finishing on top of the ladder, and accounted for VFL side St Kilda comfortably. During this period the club won 58 consecutive matches including 49 successive premiership matches, a record that has remained unmatched in Association or League history since. Despite being rejected from the VFL in both 1896 and 1907, North persisted in trying to gain admission into
6213-500: The coach of North Melbourne for part of the 2023 season due to him struggling with mental health problems from the racism accusations while he was at the Hawthorn Football Club, however returned toward the end of the season. The club was widely known as the "Shinboners" for much of its early history. The origins of the nickname is believed to come from the areas abattoirs, where a number of the players worked. By 1926,
6322-618: The construction of a bridge, resulting in most of Melbourne’s early infrastructure being provided by private enterprise. On 22 April 1840, a private company was formed to construct a bridge across the Yarra. Traders in Elizabeth Street vied with those in Swanston Street to have the through traffic that would be generated by a bridge. On the south bank of the river, St Kilda Road was still a dirt track. The Superintendent of
6431-486: The early establishment of the club. Other early newspaper reports include the 24th September 1870 against Carlton United at Royal Park (which the paper noted was the second meeting of the season between the two clubs) and 1st October 1870 against East Brunswick. Royal Park served as the club's home ground until 1882. Regular premiership matches of Australian Football commenced in Victoria in 1870. Although North Melbourne
6540-413: The football club up until the club stopped playing games there in 1984. From then on, it fell into disrepair and was eventually closed off to the public in 1991. It housed the club gym for a few years before bird droppings inside the roof began to present a safety hazard. The grandstand was eventually demolished in 2006 after failed attempts to find funds to repair the structure, much to the disappointment of
6649-464: The football department and administration of the NMFC as well as training facilities. As housed in the building is a fencing centre, community gym, basketball court and 'The Huddle' which is a community learning centre. Princes Bridge Princes Bridge , originally Prince's Bridge, is a bridge in central Melbourne , Australia that spans the Yarra River . It is built on the site of one of
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#17327917757026758-409: The foundation-laying ceremony, Superintendent La Trobe named the structure "Prince's Bridge" in honour of Albert, Prince of Wales . It seems also to have been known as "Lennox’s Bridge," after its designer. Within a year of the bridge's opening, gold was discovered in country Victoria and Melbourne saw a massive increase in population. In addition to the increase in traffic crossing the bridge, there
6867-468: The game, citing that his recovery had left him spent, and he was chaired from the ground. McCartney wore the numbers "88" and "202" on the front of his long-sleeved guernsey for the match, signifying the Australian and total number of victims of the Bali bombings, while many in the crowd bore signs reading "Bali 88/202". Onfield, the club reached the elimination finals in 2002 and 2004. After a top-4 finish and
6976-461: The grand final due to the appointment of an umpire whose performance when the two teams met earlier in the year was severely criticised by Richmond players and officials. North merged with fellow VFA football club West Melbourne in 1907, which at the time had lost its home ground. The joint venture saw a chance of promotion, and the club applied for admission to the more prestigious VFL in 1908, but Richmond and University were admitted instead. North
7085-411: The ground. The giant gas works structure was located along Macaulay Road and became synonymous with North Melbourne in the football world. The gasometer was so well known that Mick Nolan was affectionately labelled the "Galloping Gasometer" by footy fans due to his large size and resemblance to the structure. Apart from its aborted move to Coburg in 1965, and times when the ground was being upgraded,
7194-622: The ground. Before then, the Hotham Football Club had been playing home matches at Royal Park , near the present site of the Melbourne Zoo. The first game of Australian football ever played at the ground took place on 29 April 1882, when Hotham defeated Royal Park. Three years later, the ground became permanently reserved to the Crown. The football and cricket clubs changed their names to North Melbourne on 23 March 1888, after
7303-527: The gymnasium, coaches' offices and players' lounge being destroyed by fire in the early hours of 22 July, the morning after the Kangaroos suffered a 72-point loss to the Adelaide Crows at Football Park . Links between the attack, the team's loss and speculation surrounding its future were quickly dismissed. The first grandstand was built in 1906 on the Fogarty Street side of the ground, at
7412-651: The journalist "Garyowen" reported some remnant piles from the bridge could still be seen the Yarra's waters as late as 1883. The foundation stone for a new bridge was laid in 1846, and the bridge was opened in on 15 November 1850. The opening was incorporated amongst extensive celebrations for the Royal Assent to the Australian Colonies Act. This Act enabled separation from NSW of the Port Phillip District, establishing Victoria as
7521-416: The ladder at the end of the home-and-away season with 14 wins and 5 losses. They failed to make the Grand Final that year (eventually won by Essendon ), but in 1950 they did reach the final, but were defeated by Essendon. It was in this year that the club adopted the "Kangaroos" mascot. In February 1965, North Melbourne moved its playing and training base from the Arden Street Oval to Coburg Oval , signing
7630-402: The last quarter. The following week, North Melbourne beat Geelong in the 2nd Semi-final by 6 points advancing them through to their first preliminary final since 2007. Their finals campaign came to a disappointing end at Stadium Australia when they were beaten by Sydney by 71 points. In 2015 the club made history by becoming the first team to qualify for a preliminary final from 8th spot, losing to
7739-408: The latest the previous year. There is little evidence to support any connection to the North Melbourne Cricket Club except that the two clubs shared some players. Interestingly, while the borough was originally named Hotham, the club didn't identify with that name until later and went by the name of North Melbourne Football Club for much of its early history. One thought is that the club was connected to
7848-647: The majority of traffic over the bridge, but other forms of traffic include motor vehicles, trams, buses and bicycles, as well as an occasional tourist-orientated horse-drawn carriage. The destination of pedestrian traffic is two way, with many commuters parking at the Arts Centre and going to work in the CBD , as well as visitors to the Melbourne Arts Precinct on the Southbank side. Princes Bridge
7957-494: The more notable clubs of the time such as Melbourne, University, Carlton or Geelong and as such was not invited to compete in the Challenge Cup . The club continued to develop, graduating to senior ranks in 1874, finishing 4th. Along with the promotion, the club adopted its first uniform of blue and white horizontal stripes. In 1876, North Melbourne disbanded, and many of its player and members joined Albert-park , giving
8066-485: The northern approach to the bridge. Until about June 2013 there were two vehicle lanes and a tram lane across the bridge in each direction; the wide footpaths on each side were divided for pedestrians and bicycles. At that time the bicycle lanes were moved to the road surface and the number of vehicle lanes was reduced to a single lane in each direction - starting with the Western (in-bound) side. Pedestrians account for
8175-529: The northern end, had a view past the grandstand and across the terraces to the finishing line. After the demise of greyhound racing at Arden Street, the betting ring served as a car park and equipment shelter. Much of the area was taken up by the Bob Dempster Memorial Nets, which were built on the oval in 1975, before being shifted to the corner of the betting ring closest to the intersection of Arden and Fogarty streets. furniture. In 2006,
8284-428: The old bridge and ironwork fabricated by Langlands foundry in Melbourne. (Munro was also responsible for the construction of Queens Bridge and the nearby Sandridge Bridge .) The foundation stone of the new bridge was laid on 7 September 1886, and a memorial stone with a suitable inscription was built in over its position in the west end of the south abutment. The new bridge was opened on 4 October 1888, in time for
8393-402: The old bridge was disassembled and replaced by a temporary structure. The stones were lettered and numbered and neatly stacked, to allow future re-erection at another location. In the event this did not occur, as the materials were instead reused in the replacement bridge. David Munro & Co. supplied the winning bid for the construction of £136,998 9s.9d., incorporating reused materials from
8502-536: The oldest river crossings in the city, and forms a gateway into the central city from the south. The bridge connects Swanston Street on the north bank of the Yarra River to St Kilda Road on the south bank, and carries road, tram and pedestrian traffic. The present bridge was built in 1888 and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register . Because of its position, Princes Bridge is often a focal point for celebratory events in Melbourne such as
8611-437: The oval with the football club in 1882, with the football club using the oval in winter, and the cricket club using the oval in the summer. Historically this arrangement has been difficult and the North Melbourne cricket and football clubs have not got along. In 2007, the cricket club moved its First and Second XIs playing base to J. J. Holland Park in neighbouring Kensington , but its Third and Fourth XIs remained at Arden Street;
8720-410: The oval. The betting ring was a concreted area beneath a roof, behind the 1928 grandstand, on the corner of Arden and Fogarty streets. The betting ring was built for greyhound racing meetings that were held at Arden St from 1957-62. The dogs ran on a track that formed a perimeter around the cricket oval. While the betting ring was alive with punters and bookmakers, only those in the ring's top corner, at
8829-436: The oval. Races were held on Monday nights and regularly attracted crowds of 5000, with double that number in attendance on the night when Rookie Rebel won the first Australian Cup in 1958. The Arden Street days are described as being the best in the history of Melbourne greyhound racing. Melbourne Greyhound Racing Association shifted its meetings to Olympic Park in 1962 after the Arden Street's ground committee sought to cash in on
8938-400: The popularity of the club, it was deemed that too few finals games were scheduled for the ground to warrant the construction of another stand . North's move to the VFL in 1925 prompted significant upgrading of the club's facilities. Almost symbolic of the club's new status as a member of the VFL was the construction of the brick grandstand in 1928, with seating for 2,000 spectators. Located to
9047-534: The popularity of the dogs by increasing the annual rent from £7,000 to £9,500. In the winter of 1965, after North Melbourne had moved to Coburg, Arden Street Oval was rented by the VFL – in large part to prevent other football codes from renting it. The VFL used it junior football, umpire training, school programs, and from June it was used as a central ground for the Essendon District Football League game-of-the-week. In 2007, it
9156-477: The preliminary finals in 1994 and 1995, North went on to defeat the Sydney Swans in the 1996 Grand Final to take out the club's third premiership, and the gold centenary AFL cup; Glenn Archer won the Norm Smith Medal . The club was again eliminated in the preliminary final in 1997. In 1998, as the club won both the pre-season Ansett Cup and topped the ladder with 16 wins and 6 losses, but went on to lose
9265-566: The preliminary finals in 2000 against Melbourne. In 1996, the club was in advanced merger talks with the financially depleted Fitzroy Football Club to create the North Fitzroy Kangaroos Football Club ; however, Fitzroy ultimately merged with the Brisbane Bears instead. Seeking new markets and greater financial security in an increasingly corporatized AFL environment, the title "North Melbourne"
9374-488: The re-formed North Melbourne returned the following season to Arden Street. In 1922, management of the ground was transferred from the Melbourne City Council to the North Melbourne Football and Cricket Clubs. Improvements to the ground that year, made in an attempt to increase revenue, included the installation of hot showers in the change rooms. In early 1925, North Melbourne was finally admitted to
9483-458: The same time as Longmire , but had taken longer to develop as a player. Over the next nine seasons, Carey came to be regarded as the standout player in the league and was known as 'the King'. North Melbourne became a powerhouse through the 1990s under Pagan and Carey, and finished in the top four, making the preliminary finals or better, in every season from 1994 until 2000. After being eliminated in
9592-402: The season they fell away and struggled against some of the worst teams in competition. In the mid season of 2019 Brad Scott made the decision to leave NMFC after 10 years at the club taking them to the finals on multiple occasions. Rhyce Shaw took over as caretaker coach in the interim in mid- to late 2019 and was later awarded the position as head coach for the following 2020 season . After
9701-427: The second International Exhibition to be held in Melbourne. As with many historic Melburnian buildings and bridges, the bridge is built on solid bluestone and concrete bulwarks with plenty of cast iron. The abutments, piers and wing walls are built of solid bluestone. In 1924, the bridge was reinforced to take the weight of the electric trams which were soon to replace the previous cable trams along St Kilda Road and
9810-405: The services of several big-name stars, including Barry Davis from Essendon , Doug Wade from Geelong , John Rantall from South Melbourne , and Barry Cable from Perth . In a major coup, the great Ron Barassi was appointed coach in 1973. Barrassi reversed the club's playing fortunes, taking a struggling team that was once regarded as the traditional cellar dwellers of the competition through to
9919-414: The side-streets. The name of the bridge is now rendered as Princes Bridge, in line with the policy that possessive apostrophes are not used in place names. Princes Bridge was also the name of a railway station located on the northern side of the river, to the east of the bridge, on the current site of Federation Square . It was linked to Flinders Street station by the railway tracks that run underneath
10028-495: The site as its home ground until 1985, when the club began using the Melbourne Cricket Ground for its home matches. The last VFL match was played there on 17 August 1985 when North Melbourne defeated Richmond by 50 points. The record attendance at the ground is 35,116 in 1949. The highest score was North Melbourne's 29.19 (193) in 1983 versus Carlton . The club continued to maintain the Arden Street Oval as
10137-843: The south-east of the existing 1906 stand, it was built on the site of the small timber pavilion, which was demolished, and another even smaller structure to the south-east which was apparently re-located elsewhere. The designer was H E Morton and the builder was J E Morison. The foundation stone reads as follows: NORTH MELBOURNE RECREATION RESERVE THIS TABLET WAS UNVEILED BY THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORD MAYOR OF MELBOURNE ALDERMAN SIR STEPHEN MORELL ON SATURDAY 24TH MARCH 1928 COMMITTEE 1927-28 COUNCILLOR DR KENT HUGHES, CHAIRMAN L. W. ABLEY REV. D. DALEY A. J. HARFORD J. T. EDMONDS C. W. LETTEY J. P. T. MORAN G. P. RUSSELL W. J. WOODBRIDGE R. ROUTLEY, J. C. CONNOLEY, SECRETARY TREASURER H. E. MORTON, J. C. MORISON, ENGINEER BUILDER The main grandstand seated prominent members and administrators of
10246-425: The talented Ross Glendinning in 1983. In that year, North Melbourne won a third Minor Premiership with 16 wins and 6 losses for the season, but they failed to make the Grand Final. Despite the tough, disciplined coaching of the legendary John Kennedy , the 1980s and early 1990s were mostly lean years for the Kangaroos. However, the rebuilding of the club was taking place. The Krakouer brothers (Jim and Phil) brought
10355-474: Was a brilliant player in the late 1950s and early 1960s (and captain between 1961 and 1964), as was Noel Teasdale , who lost the Brownlow Medal on a countback in 1965 (he was later awarded a retrospective medal when the counting system was amended). In the late 1960s, under the leadership of Allen Aylett , North Melbourne began its climb to supremacy. As part of a major recruitment drive North secured
10464-408: Was a part of this, it was classed as a "junior club". The words junior and senior at the time were not used to distinguish underage side but rather the playing quality and strength of the side. The Australasian noted them as being "one of the best of many junior clubs" meaning it the club was considered respectable but far from being regarded a powerhouse as such it would rarely if ever compete against
10573-564: Was also a need to handle increased shipping traffic on the Yarra River, and the river was widened to cope with this. By that time the Yarra River had been heavily modified both upstream and downstream, and the major floods of the early years were becoming less common. In the late 1870s it was decided to replace the 1850 bridge, and a competition was held in 1879. This was won by architect and engineer John Grainger, only recently arrived in Adelaide, in partnership with local architect Mr Jenkins, with
10682-596: Was announced by Club Chairman Graham Duff that the facilities at the Arden Street Oval would get a $ 10 million upgrade, including new facilities for the State Fencing Centre. The new facilities would be ready in time for the 2009 AFL Season and allow the club to move administration from Etihad Stadium to the ground. The upgraded facilities will also serve the community with a Gymnasium, Basketball Courts and Change rooms. The new administration of James Brayshaw worked with various Government agencies including
10791-585: Was completed in 2009, giving the club top-class training facilities. North Melbourne struggled in its first two years under Brad Scott , finishing 9th in both 2010 and 2011. In 2012, the club returned to the finals for the first time since 2008, finishing the season in 8th place, but would go down to the West Coast Eagles by 96 points in an elimination final. In 2012, the club began a three-year deal to play two games each year at Blundstone Arena in Hobart , Tasmania . The club finished 10th in 2013 in
10900-471: Was eventually victorious and moved on to the final, but lost the game by a mere four points with the last kick of the day. The next few years were punctuated by "The Invincibles". In the Northerners' most illustrious period ever, the club went undefeated from 1914 to 1919, collecting premierships in 1914, 1915 and 1918 – the competition was in recess in 1916 and 1917 due to World War I . As well as this,
11009-635: Was forced to change its uniform to avoid a clash when it joined the VFL. North Melbourne struggled for most of its first twenty-five years in the VFL , with one of few bright notes being Sel Murray winning the VFL Leading Goalkicker Medal in 1941 with 88 goals. By the late 1940s, North Melbourne had developed a strong list and significant supporter base. In 1949 North secured the VFL Minor Premiership, finishing top of
11118-555: Was in decline, and questions were raised about its financial position and long-term sustainability. Furthermore, three of the people most important to the club's success in the 1990s left the club under acrimonious circumstances: CEO Greg Miller left the club, captain Wayne Carey left prior to the 2002 season following an extramarital affair with the wife of teammate and vice captain Anthony Stevens , and coach Denis Pagan
11227-493: Was intended to be permanent, with some initial negotiations seeking long-term leases for up to 40 years, but it was ultimately cancelled after only eight months, and North Melbourne returned to the Arden Street Oval in 1966. Until the late 1960s, the 1906 and 1928 grandstands were the only major structures associated with the Recreation Reserve, until the construction of the new administration building and Social Club after 1966. The North Melbourne Football Club continued to use
11336-415: Was kicked out of the VFA during the 1907/08 offseason as a result of applying to join the VFL, before the local community reestablished the North Melbourne Football Club under a new committee, successfully enabling the club to play in the VFA in the 1908 season. The reformation of the club necessitated a massive cleanout of the team, leaving only two players remaining from the previous season. The 1910 season
11445-505: Was lured to Carlton at the end of 2002. Pagan was replaced by 1996 premiership player Dani Laidley , who had previously been an Assistant Coach at Collingwood from 1999 until the end of season 2002. On a post-season holiday, several players were caught in the 2002 Bali bombings terrorist attack, notably defender Jason McCartney , who suffered second-degree burns to over 50% of his body while carrying others to safety and nearly died during surgery after being flown back to Melbourne. In what
11554-534: Was marked by one of the most sensational transfers in Victorian football history, when Andy Curran masterminded the clearance of Carlton's famed "Big Four" of 'Mallee' Johnson, Fred Jinks , Charlie Hammond and Frank 'Silver' Caine to North Melbourne. These signings secured the Northerners' third premiership in 1910. The 1912 finals series was one of the most amazing ever, with the semi-final having to be played three times, after North and Brunswick drew twice. North
11663-546: Was officially dropped from the logo in 1999, during which time the team played only as the "Kangaroos". During the successful 1999 season, North Melbourne played home games in Sydney with a view of becoming a second team in New South Wales ; however, the experiment was not successful, with crowds averaging only 12,000. North’s dominance of the league did not continue into the 21st century. Its decade-long on-field potency
11772-522: Was the name of the Reserve at the time. Four years later the club adopted the traditional uniform of blue and white vertical stripes at the insistence of the VFA, who wanted a visible contrast between Geelong's and Hotham's uniforms. The third significant development occurred in 1888 with the club returning to its original name of the North Melbourne Football Club. This followed the name of the local area reverting from Hotham to North Melbourne. The 1880s saw
11881-413: Was used as the team's home ground for Victorian Football League (VFL) matches. Not much is known about the exact date that Arden St Oval was officially opened, but local history purports it as being as old as the suburb itself. The Hotham Cricket Club served as the ground's only tenants until 1882 when they amalgamated with the Hotham Football Club - as they were then known - to effect improvements to
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