Holroyd-P'matta

HOLROYD-PARRAMATTA-BLACKTOWN

Affiliated: SFA reserves 1979; SFA 1980-1984; SFL 1985-1994; SFA/SFL 1st Division 1995-present

Club Address: P.O. Box 302, Merrylands 2160, New South Wales

Home Ground: Gipps Road Oval, Gipps Road (corner Long St), Greystanes

Formed: 1979 (reserves only) as Parramatta; senior team instigated in 1980; changed name to Holroyd-Parramatta in 1983; merged with Blacktown in 1995

Colours: Blue and gold

Emblem: Goannas

Premierships: SFL - 1990 (1 total); SFA - 2001 (1 total)

Phelan Medallists: Michael Porta 1989 (1 total)

Snow Medallists: Salem Kassem 2000 (1 total)

S(A)FL Top Goalkickers: D.Foster (95) 1991 (1 total)

Highest Score: 58.54 (402) vs. Camden 0.0 (0) in 1984

"If one is bitten by a goanna and the skin is broken, legend has it that the bite mark will appear every year on the same day to remind the person of the painful event."

Despite being formed as recently as 1979, the Goannas have already created an enviably distinctive tradition which affords a pleasing contrast to the prevailing modern tendency to 'ape all things AFL'. The club's imaginative logo is a case in point. Although there appears to be some uncertainty as to precisely why the goanna was chosen (see footnote 1), there is no doubt that it makes a refreshing change from all the 'Crows', 'Kangaroos', 'Demons' and the like which arguably do little or nothing to bolster the individuality and local character of the Sydney football scene.

Known at first simply as Parramatta, the side contested its first senior SFA grand final in 1983, only to cop an 11 goal hiding at the hands of St Ives. In a quest perhaps to obliterate the memory of this ignominy, the club promptly changed its name to Holroyd-Parramatta, and it was under this name the following year that it accumulated a then record SFA score of 58.54 (402) to Camden's 0.0 (0).

The following year saw the Goannas gain admission to Sydney football's primary competition, the SFL, where, after a lack lustre couple of seasons, they began to emerge as a genuine force towards the end of the decade. With former Hawthorn player Len Walsh at the helm the side qualified for the 1990 finals in 2nd spot behind North Shore before winning the 2nd semi final by 31 points. In the grand final a fortnight later it again met North Shore and, in a spiteful, tempestuous match at the Erskenville Oval, won its first and, to date, only Sydney top grade pennant by 7 points. Final scores were Holroyd-Parramatta 9.15 (69) to North Shore 9.8 (62), with Brian 'Alf' Hawke courageously seeing out the entire game for the victors despite sustaining a broken jaw early on.

Goannas skipper Garry Eaton holds the 1990 SFL premiership cup aloft after his team's 7 point grand final victory over North Shore. (Click to enlarge.)

The Goannas retained the nucleus of their premiership side in 1991, but on this occasion fell at the final hurdle. The premiership decider featured the same teams as in 1990 and was, if anything, an even more bruising and unpleasant encounter, with the Goannas, despite having only 15 fit men, doing well to get within a goal during the last term before going down by 22 points.

In 1995, the club decided that it was being over-stretched in the SFL, and took the opportunity of merging with struggling SFA club, Blacktown. The newly merged club would compete in the SFA, where it has remained ever since, with the highlight being a 14.10 (94) to 11.11 (77) grand final defeat of Wollongong in 2001.

Arguably the Goannas' most famous player was Mark Taylor, who won the club's best and fairest award in 1983, and later went on to captain the Australian Test cricket team. Taylor has maintained his involvement with the Goannas by acting as the club's patron.

In 2007 the Goannas qualified for the SFL 1st Division finals but bowed out of premiership contention at the first hurdle against Manly-Warringah.

Where now?

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Footnotes

1. One view is that the idea was the brainchild of the club's 1980 coach, Bob 'Stumpy' Fallon, while an alternative - and arguably more alluring - view holds that the name was chosen after a number of aboriginal footballers joined the club, with their quick, efficient actions on the field being thought to resemble the typical movements of the goanna. Return to Main Text