ALBERT PARK (ANZ Bank)
Current Affiliation: Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) since 1954
Home Ground: Oval 20, Beaurepaire Pavilion, Aughtie Drive, Albert Park
Formed: 1920s as ANZ Bank; changed name to ANZ Albert Park in 1996, and to Albert Park in 1999
Colours: Red and royal blue
Emblem: Falcons
Senior VAFA Premierships: Nil
Senior Competition Best and Fairest Awards: L.S. Pepper Medal (D Section) - P.Treleaven 1962 (1 total); J. Fullerton Medal (E Section) - G.Towan 1977; E.Nicolosi 1992 (2 total); O.J. Meehan Medal (F Section) - J.McDonlad 1991 (1 total)
| MINI-BIOGRAPHIES: | Peter Bedford |
The Albert Park huddle during a match early in the 2006 season.
The district football club known today as Albert Park spent the first eight decades of its existence representing, and called, ANZ Bank. During the 1930s, '40s and '50s in particular institutional clubs were very much in vogue, especially in amateur competitions. In the VAFA, for instance, State Savings Bank was a regular top four side and a three time grand finalist in A Section during the decade prior to World War Two, while Commonwealth Bank had a strong team in the late 1940s and early '50s. By the time ANZ Bank entered the VAFA in 1954, however, the institutional clubs were beginning to find it harder to compete with the stronger district, university and collegians/old boys teams with their vast pools of available players. That said, there can be no doubt that clubs like ANZ Bank, by their very existence and ongoing involvement, played a significant role in helping weave and sustain the unique fabric of Victorian amateur football for decades.
Although the Falcons, as they are known today, have yet to win a senior VAFA premiership, they have achieved promotion as losing grand finalists on three occasions, in 1958 (E Section), 1991 and 1999 (both F Section).
In 2007, the club's senior team, coached by former Port Melbourne, South Melbourne and Carlton champion Peter Bedford, finished in 6th place in the 12 team D4 Section. Rapidly forging a conspicuous local identity in the inner bayside Melbourne suburb of Albert Park, the club also boasts more widespread support thanks to its ongoing affiliation with the ANZ Banking Group.
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