RICHMOND CENTRAL
Current Affiliation: Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) since 1987
Home Ground: Loughnan Oval, Kevin Bartlett Reserve, Yarra Boulevard, Richmond
Formed: 1986
Colours: Black and yellow
Emblem: Snakes
Senior VAFA Premierships: G Section - 1994 (1 total); H Section - 1989 (1 total)
Senior Competition Best and Fairest Awards: J. Fullerton Medal (E White Section) - S.Shannon 1998 (1 total)
The Richmond Central Football Club was formed in May 1986 by George Paras and Doug Egerton. It was named after the primary school that Paras had attended between 1967 and 1972. In the early days, club members delivered white page phone books in order to place the club on a secure economic footing and help it present a viable case for admission to the VAFA. In 1987 the club was admitted to the VAFA's H Section, and within three years had won its first premiership beating St Kilda CBOC in the grand final by 45 points, 14.11 (95) to 7.8 (50).
In 1990 the club added a reserves team and was therefore eligible for inclusion in the mainstream VAFA competition, commencing in F Grade. The Snakes won their second senior flag in 1994 thanks to a 12.13 (85) to 9.10 (64) G Section grand final defeat of Chirnside Park in what was the last ever football match to be played at the Lakeside Oval (see footnote 1).
In 2006 Richmond Central's senior team had the unenviable record of going through the entire season winless. Just as ignominiously, the side finished in last place in the VAFA's bottom division, D4.
Unpleasant as both of these experiences must have been, the club remains both vibrant and forward thinking, and it would be a surprise if the difficulties experienced in 2006 proved to be anything other than short term. The Snakes as they are known have already celebrated two senior premierships in their brief history - in H Section in 1989, and in G Section in 1994 - and in 2007 they were coached by a former premiership player with the club in Danny Hickey, who oversaw a solid season that yielded 7 wins from 18 matches for 7th place on the 12 team ladder.
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Footnotes
1. I am grateful to the club's co-founder, George Paras, for providing much of the historical material for this entry. Return to Main Text