WEST COBURG
Current Affiliation: Essendon District Football League (EDFL) since 19
Formed: 1927
Club Address: P.O. Box 5076, Moreland West 3055, Victoria
Home Ground: Shore Reserve
Colours: Red, white and black
Senior EDFL Premierships: A Grade - 1965, 1967-8, 1970-1 (5 total); B Grade - Juniors 1958 (1 total); Seniors 1963, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2006 (6 total)
League Best and Fairest Awards: A Grade (Reynolds Medal) - G.Todd 1976; R.Haoucher 2002 & 2007 (2 Medallists/3 Medals); B Grade (W.Hutchison Medal) - W.McMillan 1962; A.Kheir 2003; R.Haouchar 2006 (3 total); C Grade (F.Garland Medal) - P.Sully 1968 (1 total)
| MINI-BIOGRAPHIES: | David Dench Wes Lofts |
West Coburg Football Club has been an important focal point for the local community for eight decades. It attracts widespread active involvement from all age groups, and has enjoyed considerable on field success, particularly over the last half century.
West Coburg's first EDFL flag was won by its junior team, in 1958 in B Grade. The club has gone on to add another half a dozen B Grade premierships, making it the league's most successful club at that level.
The 1960s and early 1970s proved to be the club's halcyon era. Following promotion from B Grade as premiers in 1963 the team went on to become a dominant force in A Grade, winning no fewer than five flags in the seven seasons between 1965 and 1971.
The club has been a major producer of V/AFL talent with a total of twenty-two former West Coburg players amassing in excess of 1,000 games at the sport's elite level.
West Coburg's most recent grand final appearances have both been in B Grade. In 2005, after finishing the home and away rounds in 4th place with a 12-4-1 record, the side scored impressive wins over Westmeadows, Taylors Lakes and Maribyrnong Park to set up a grand final clash with Craigieburn. The Eagles seemed comfortably the better side for most of the match, but in the last quarter West Coburg mounted a magnificent fight back that ultimately fell short by just 8 points. In 2006 the side overcame the disappointment of a hefty 63 point 2nd semi final loss to Maribyrnong Park to to turn the tables a fortnight later in the grand final. West Coburg won by 21 points, 15.12 (102) to 11.15 (81), after leading at every change by 24, 22 and 36 points. 2006 Hutchison Medallist Rabee Haouchar emphasised his brilliance with a best afield performance, while Bassman Abul-wahed, Lee Nicholson, Ferras Mehri, Ashley Flavel and Richard Cudmore were among a host of other fine performers for the victors.
In 2007, West Coburg fronted up under the guidance of new coach Dean Greig, who boasted experience in the AFL with St Kilda, where he played 33 senior games from 1991 to 1994. The side was competitive, but ultimately failed to earn itself a finals spot on percentage after finishing the year with an 11-7 record.
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