NORTH LAUNCESTON (Railway/Essendon/Northern Bombers)
Affiliated: NTFA (juniors) 1893-95; NTFA 1896-1980; GNFL 1981-82; NTFA 1983-85; TFL Statewide 1986 [see footnote 1] -2000; NTFL 2001-present
Club Address: P.O. Box 1453, Launceston, Tasmania
Home Ground: York Park Oval
Formed: 1893
Colours: Red and black
Emblem: Bombers (formerly Robins)
Premierships: NTFA 1898, 1901, 1904-05-06, 1911-12, 1923, 1925, 1927, 1931, 1946-47-48-49-50, 1961, 1963, 1975, 1978-79-80-81, 1983 (24 total) GNFL - 1981 (1 total); TFL - 1995, 1998 (2 total) Tasmanian State Premierships - 1947, 1949-50 (3 total) OTHER PREMIERSHIPS - NTFA Junior Premiership 1895 (1 total)
Tasman Shield: F.J. Odgers 1927; F. Smith 1937 & 1938; F.Horsenail 1941 & 1945; W.Byrne 1952; J.Ross 1956 & 1958; K.McLean 1963; C.Thompson 1964 (7 Medallists/10 Medals)
Hec Smith Memorial Medallists: I.Marsh 1975 (1 total)
William Leitch Medallists: Jason Gibson 1992; Darren Trevena 1999; Nathan Howard 2000 (3 total)
All Australians: J.Leedham 1953; J.Ross 1958; R.Withers 1961 (3 total)
TFL Top Goalkickers: A.Aherne (68) 1999 (1 total)
NTFA Top Goalkickers: R.Anderson (N/A) 1914 & (N/A) 1920; C.Scott (23) 1923 & (14) 1924; O.Adams (68) 1927; F.Smith (52) 1934; F.Palliser (54) 1939; M.Mitchell (87) 1947; P.Stephens (55) 1956; J.Hawksley (70) 1963 & (48) 1964; D.Frost (78) 1975; S.Reid (69) 1979 & (53) 1981 (14 total)
North Launceston's Official 'Best Team 1945 to 1999': Click here
Highest Score: 47.14 (296) vs. South Launceston 10.8 (68) in 1995
Most Games: 323 by Neil Maynard
Record Home Attendance: 5,625 vs. Clarence in 2000
Record Finals Attendance: 15,633 for 1990 grand final at North Hobart Oval: Hobart 19.16 (130); North Launceston 10.12 (72)
| MINI-BIOGRAPHIES: | Ray Biffin Bruce Carter Noel Clarke Steven Goulding Tony Haenen Bob Johnson John Leedham Gavin Luttrell Merv Mitchell Jim Ross Allan Scott Charlie Searl Lerrel Sharp |
The club which would eventually become North Launceston was formed in 1893 as the Railway Football Club. The club was a junior member of the NTFA between 1893 and 1895, winning a premiership in the last of those seasons, and gaining entry to the senior competition the following year.
From the outset the club's official colours were red and black, and it was partly because of this that a new name was adopted in 1898. This new name, rather quaintly, was Essendon, and it appeared to have an immediate charm-like effect as the side promptly proceeded to win a premiership, its first at senior level. However, it was clear to almost everyone that the name was not really appropriate, and at the AGM of 1899, held just before the start of the season, members voted to re-name the club North Launceston, an appellation which has been retained ever since.
During these early days the NTFA consisted of only three clubs, which cynics might say made premierships almost impossible to avoid. Nevertheless, as the cliché has it, 'you have to be in it to win it', and the fact is that prior to the first World War North Launceston were premiers on six occasions, in 1901, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1911 and 1912. North was also the first northern club to win a state premiership (albeit only an unofficial one), beating North Hobart 4.8 (32) to 3.10 (28) at the Launceston Cricket Ground in 1905, an achievement that was quickly duplicated the following year.
The NTFA went into recess towards the end of the 1915 season and its re-commencement in 1919 was cut short by an influenza epidemic, which affected the whole of Tasmania.
The 1920s proved to be a moderately successful decade for North with premierships being recorded in 1923, 1925 and 1927. As far as state premierships went, however, the club was unsuccessful, although it may have been unfortunate in that its NTFA flags were won in years when the state grand final was scheduled for Hobart, where the odds were clearly stacked against them.
If the 1920s had been mediocre then the '30s were close to disastrous, with North managing only a single premiership (in 1931) in what since 1926, following the admission of Longford, had been a four team competition.
It was in the immediate wake of World War Two that North Launceston really came of age as a club, with their achievement in claiming five premierships in succession between 1946 and 1950 being surpassed only once in NTFA history.
In 1946 North Launceston overcame City by 25 points in a grand final watched by 6,000 spectators at York Park. Best players included Chilcott, Turner, Hird, Mitchell and Leedham. A week later Sandy Bay defeated North by 6 points in an enthralling state premiership play off in front of 8,000 spectators at North Hobart Oval.
The 1947 season saw the black and reds in irrepressible form, with big wins over City (by 79 points) in the NTFA grand final, and North Hobart (by 61 points) in the clash for the state premiership, which this year was played at York Park.
North Launceston found things somewhat tougher the following season, which saw the NTFA expand to include two new clubs, Cornwall and Scottsdale, bringing the total to six. In the local grand final North downed Launceston by 4 points, 12.14 (86) to 13.4 (82), but then were on the receiving end by 2 points against New Town in the state premiership decider. Another memorable feature of the 1948 season was North's 13.12 (90) to 8.14 (62) victory over Collingwood in a challenge match at York Park.
A record crowd of 8,500 witnessed the 1949 NTFA grand final in which North Launceston 10.15 (75) defeated Launceston 9.14 (68). Pennicroft and Mitchell both bagged 4 goals, with Summers, Atkins and Clarke also making noteworthy contributions. A 13.17 (95) to 8.7 (55) trouncing of New Town in the state premiership play off at York Park followed, with North being best served by Hawksley, Burke, Summers, Mitchell and Leedham.
North Launceston achieved another 'double' the next year. The NTFA grand final brought a 13.11 (89) to 8.11 (59) victory over City, watched by a crowd of 8,750 at York Park. Clarke, Chilcott, Ringrose (4 goals), Huxley and Castles were especially prominent. The state premiership this year was extended to include the NWFU premiers, Ulverstone, which North Launceston defeated 14.16 (100) to 8.8 (64) in the state preliminary final to earn the right to confront TFL premiers North Hobart at North Hobart Oval in the state grand final. A resounding 35 point victory followed in front of 10,000 spectators to leave no doubt whatsoever as to the black and reds' pre-eminence.
It is all the more surprising therefore to note that the next ten seasons were entirely barren for the Robins, with unsuccessful grand final appearances in 1956, 1958 and 1960 representing their best efforts.
The 1961 season brought a return to the winners' dais after a hard fought 1 point defeat of Longford watched by a crowd of 10,188. Bob Withers kicked the winning goal after taking a disputed mark just before the final siren. Best for North included Bennett, Wing, Thompson, Sharp and Withers.
In the state preliminary final the Robins lost to eventual premiers North Hobart by 26 points at North Hobart Oval.
Two seasons later North again scraped home against Longford in the NTFA grand final, this time by 2 points. Sharp, Thompson, Turner, Henderson and Stingle gave noteworthy performances. In the state preliminary final, however, Burnie came to York Park and dished out a real football lesson to the Robins. Admittedly the eventual margin was a comparatively modest 24 points, but a final scoreline of 8.25 (73) to 6.13 (49) tells its own story.
Another sustained period of mediocrity followed. Indeed, it was not until the appointment of former Essendon player Peter Daniel as coach in 1975 that the Robins again tasted premiership success. A 16.14 (110) to 8.10 (58) grand final triumph over Scottsdale that year was followed by an 89 point thumping of Wynyard and a fighting 24 point loss to Glenorchy in the state premiership play offs. The clash with Glenorchy was widely regarded as one of the best club matches ever seen in Tasmania, and involved a total of eleven players who had either previously played or would go on to play in the VFL.
Under Daniel the Robins remained a force for another six seasons. In 1976 and 1977 they made the grand final, losing to Launceston by a point in the former year and Scottsdale by 39 points in the latter. Beginning in 1978, however, North Launceston embarked on its best run of success since the immediate post World War Two period.
The 1978 grand final brought a 14.12 (96) to 11.17 (83) victory over Launceston with Thomas, Maynard, Daniel, Reid and Spencer putting in particularly meritorious performances.
The following year North reaped the benefits of accuracy in front of goal as they scraped home by 2 points against Scottsdale. Final scores were North Launceston 15.7 (97); Scottsdale 13.17 (95), with Clarke, Warren, Loone, Knights and Carey best for the Robins.
In 1980 a prototype Statewide competition was introduced with all twenty-one of Tasmania's top level senior clubs participating. North performed well to reach the semi finals where they were desperately unlucky to go down to Clarence by 2 points in a replay after the two teams had initially fought out a thrilling draw. [see footnote 2]
In the NTFA, however, the Robins were still clearly the team to beat, as was emphasised by their 4 goal grand final defeat of City-South. North's best included Warren, Daniel, Young, Ward and Reid (who booted 4 goals). After the grand final Robins coach Peter Daniel took charge of the Tasmanian state of origin side for the Adelaide Carnival having already coached Tasmania against Queensland earlier in the season.
There was no statewide competition in 1981 but the six NTFA and nine NWFU clubs joined forces to form the Greater Northern Football League. After a twenty game minor round involving all fifteen clubs the two leagues played separate finals series with the two premiers then confronting one another for the GNFL title. North overcame the indignity of an 80 point second semi final loss to Launceston to down the same club by 25 points in the NTFA grand final and then defeated Devonport 18.17 (125) to 12.13 (85) to clinch the GNFL flag. Best in the former match were Reid (6 goals), Clark, Manion, Hunniball and Bushby, with Young, Hunniball, Clark, Knights and Maskrill among those to catch the eye against Devonport.
The GNFL only lasted one further season with North getting as far as the NTFA preliminary final. Peter Daniel resigned as coach after the 1982 season having officially retired as a player the previous year (although he did make a brief comeback when the side was struggling late in the 1982 season). [see footnote 3]
Tony 'Chang' Young was Daniel's replacement as senior coach and he proved an immediate success as the Robins defeated Longford 14.14 (98) to 10.10 (70) to clinch the 1983 flag.
The 1984 season saw Deloraine and George Town entering the NTFA bringing the total number of clubs in the competition to eight. The Robins underwent a fall from grace this year to finish 5th, but they were back as a force the following season to finish the home and away games 12 points clear of second placed Launceston. It was Launceston who had the last laugh, however, downing the Robins by 53 points in the grand final.
A new era dawned in 1986 with the inception of a proximate statewide league in which North Launceston were one of two northern-based entrants. However, the Robins also elected to retain a team in the NTFA, a decision which stretched the club's resources to the limit and effectively prevented either team from having an impact.
North Launceston withdrew from the NTFA in 1987 (although remaining technically affiliated to that body) but success continued to prove elusive. The Launceston public was inimical to the concept of statewide football, and on the field the Robins were finding the increased pressure and general rise in standard hard to cope with.
Tony Young retired as coach after the 1987 season ending a thirty-two year association with the club. His replacement was former Claremont and North Melbourne player Steve Goulding under whose guidance the Robins showed gradual improvement, narrowly missing the finals in 1988, and ending the roster matches the following season perched atop the ladder. Crowds were showing noticeable improvement too, with success on the field eventually wooing back a sceptical public.
The 1989 season ended in disappointment, however, as consecutive finals defeats against North Hobart and Hobart showed that much work remained to be done if the side was to take that decisive final step to premiership success.
The Robins went within an whisker of taking that decisive step the following year, qualifying for the grand final against Hobart only to crumble under the pressure of expectation on the big day itself and go down tamely by 58 points. An injury to Steve Goulding 90 seconds into the match may also have been significant. Assistant coach Robbie Sanders described the loss of Goulding as "the most tragic thing I've ever seen in football. Losing him cost us a good forty possessions, and you just can't put a value on how he inspires the players around him." [see footnote 4]
Tragically, 1991 was to see a similar pattern of events develop. The Robins qualified for the grand final, but without star ruckman Robert Groenewegen who had been injured in the second semi final victory over Clarence, they proved unable to gain enough first use of the ball to offer a sustained challenge to North Hobart. Final scores were North Hobart 12.14 (86) to North Launceston 8.12 (60).
Steve Goulding resigned as coach after a soul destroying 1992 season which saw the Robins secure the minor premiership with ease, only to crash out of the finals with successive narrow losses to North Hobart (by 3 points) and Hobart (by 2 goals).
In 1993, without the added burden of expectation which seems to go with winning the minor premiership, North actually came closer to winning a statewide flag than ever before. Under former Sydney and Carlton champion David Rhys-Jones the Robins overcame North Hobart by 18 points in the qualifying final, went down to Clarence by 24 points in the second semi final, and qualified for the grand final with a second victory over North Hobart, this time by 13 points, in the preliminary final. Then in possibly the highest standard TFL Statewide grand final played to date North Launceston were in the contest all day only to go down in the end by 9 points, 17.15 (117) to Clarence's 19.12 (126). With some justification, the Robins could be described as the 'nearly birds' of TFL football.
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Andrew McLean, winner of the Baldock Medal as best afield in the 1995 grand final. |
A depressing slump to 8th position in 1994 led to Rhys-Jones announcing his resignation as coach only for him to reverse this decision later as a result of vigorous persuasion on the part of club officials. The change of heart proved significant. Throughout the 1995 season the Robins were clearly the TFL's pace setters and this time there was to be no eleventh hour fade out. After topping the ladder at the end of the roster matches the team downed New Norfolk by 2 goals in a dour 2nd semi final before fronting up to reigning premiers Clarence in the big one. Not surprisingly, widespread doubts were expressed as to the Robins' ability to maintain their form when it really counted, but, in a frenetic, low scoring game played in sub-arctic conditions, North Launceston always seemed to have the Roos' measure. Final scores were North Launceston 9.11 (65); Clarence 7.13 (55). Only 9,448 hardy souls braved the inclement weather, a record low for a Statewide League grand final. "Everyone thought we had a monkey on our back with regard to premierships," observed Rhys-Jones, "but we've definitely thrown that off after today." [see footnote 5]
Three seasons later the 'monkey' was consigned to distant memory as, in front of 9,638 spectators at North Hobart Oval, the Robins held grand final opponents and reigning premiers Clarence goalless in the first half en route to a 14.16 (100) to 6.15 (51) victory. With neighbours South Launceston simultaneously triumphing at NTFL level there could be little doubt that, in 1998 at least, Launceston constituted the epicentre of Tasmanian football power.
To the dismay of traditionalists, North Launceston underwent a name change in 1999, becoming known as 'the Northern Bombers'. There was little change on the field, however, as the club once again made it through to the grand final. On this occasion, however, the northerners had to accept the 'second best' tag to a pumped up Glenorchy Magpies combination.
It was a similar story in the final year of the statewide competition in 2000, the only difference being that the Bombers' conquerors wore the white and red of Clarence rather than the black and white of Glenorchy.
Following the collapse of the statewide competition the Bombers joined the NTFL, reaching a grand final in their debut season of 2001, only to lose heavily to Burnie. Even worse was to follow two seasons later: after reaching the grand final without losing a single game, the Bombers succumbed with barely a whimper against a finals hardened Burnie Dockers combination, which won with embarrassing ease by 46 points, 14.11 (95) to 6.13 (39).
In 2004 the Bombers failed to qualify for the finals on percentage, while in 2005 they bowed out of finals contention at the first hurdle, losing the 1st semi final to Launceston by 18 points.
In 2006, North Launceston's immense contribution to and impact on the game over the years was recognised with its induction into the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame as a 'great club'.
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Footnotes
1. In 1986 North Launceston fielded senior teams in both the NTFA and TFL statewide competitions. Return to Main Text
2. The two games were uncannily similar, with the aggregate score on both occasions being identical. Return to Main Text
3. Daniels left the Robins to take over as senior coach of Subiaco, only to leave the Lions' den at the end of a 1983 campaign that saw them finish up with the wooden spoon after only 4 wins from 21 matches. Return to Main Text
4. 'Inside Football', 26/9/90, page 30. Return to Main Text
5. 'Inside Football', 26/9/95, page 30. Return to Main Text