PORTLAND
Current Affiliation: Western Border Football League (WBFL) since 1964
Club Address: P.O. Box 42, Portland, Victoria 3305
Home Ground: Hanlon Park, Portland
Formed: 1876
Colours: Black and yellow
Emblem: Tigers
Senior Premierships: Pill Trophy (PT) - 1906-7 (2 total); South Western District Football League (SWDFL) - 1909 (1 total); Portland Football Association (PFA) - 1912 (1 total); South West District Football Association (SWDFA) - 1914, 1922, 1924 (3 total); Glenelg Football Association (GFA) - 1929 (1 total); Western District Football League (WDFL) - 1952, 1956 (2 total); WBFL - 1966, 1985-6, 1991, 2003, 2006-7 (7 total)
Senior Competition Best and Fairest Player Awards: WDFL - Peter Gurry 1933; Stuart Spencer 1949; Bob Howard 1951; Clyde Laidlaw 1953; Jack Marshman 1955 (5 total); WBFL - Leo King 1985; Barry Knight 1997; Mathew Steel 2000; Winis Imbi 2003 (4 total)
Highest Score: 44.23 (287) vs. Hamilton 3.6 (24) on 8th April 2000
| MINI-BIOGRAPHIES: | Stuart Spencer |
Football was played on the North Cliff cricket ground in Portland as early as 1866, with today's Portland Football Club able to trace its origins to a meeting at Mac's Hotel on 6th June 1876. F.L.Gill is recorded as having been the club's first ever secretary, with J.L.Archer assuming the role of inaugural president the following year.
During the twentieth century Portland competed in a number of different leagues and associations, almost invariably with at least some success. The club was particularly strong during the 1920s, winning a total of 3 senior premierships, and finishing as runner-up twice.
Arguably the greatest player produced by Portland was Stuart Spencer, who won the WDFL's best and fairest award in 1949 before embarking on a noteworthy career with Melbourne (VFL) and Clarence (TANFL).
In 1964, the competition to which Portland was affiliated, the Western District Football League, amalgamated with South Australia's South East and Border Football League to form the Western Border Football League. Portland was one of twelve foundation members of the new competition, and very quickly made its mark by winning a premiership in only its third season. Successive losing grand finals followed in 1967-8, but the club's fortunes then underwent a decline, and it was not until the mid-1980s that the Tigers again emerged as a force. Opposed by East Gambier in the 1985 grand final, Portland won emphatically, 19.13 (127) to 12.17 (89), and followed this up with a similarly comfortable win against the same opponent in 1986. Three years later, the Tigers once again contested the grand final, but went down in a thriller to North Gambier by 7 points.
The 1991 grand final was an all-Victorian affair as Portland was opposed by Casterton. It proved to be a day of celebration for the men in black and yellow as they won convincingly, 10.18 (78) to 7.10 (52). The remainder of the decade proved largely disappointing, however, although premierships to the reserves (1999) and Thirds (1991 and 1995) at least did something to maintain the club's honour.
Since the turn of the century, Portland has enjoyed probably the most sustained period of success in its history, with three flags from four grand final appearances. All three flags were won impressively, by 19 points against South Gambier in 2003, by 35 points over East Gambier in 2006 (the perfect way to celebrate the club's 130th anniversary, and by a massive 115 point margin over North Gambier in 2007.
Where now?
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