Australian Football

Oakleigh

Formed in 1906, Oakleigh spent more than thirty years as a junior club before being admitted to the Victorian Football Association, along with Sandringham, in 1929. Known as the Purple and Golds, they rapidly developed into a force, winning a premiership in only their second season thanks to a 9.6 (60) to 7.9 (51) defeat of Northcote in the final. Victory was earned the hard way in a rough, spiteful encounter which erupted into full scale violence during the last term when Northcote defender Ernie Wilson elbowed Oakleigh half forward Fred Goding in the face and an all-in brawl, involving a number of spectators as well as players, ensued. The Purple and Golds were undeterred, however, and with captain-coach Frank Maher leading from the front, held on to clinch a deserved win. Others to shine for Oakleigh included Goding, wingman Leo Oprey, and centre half back George Rudolph. Had the Purple and Golds lost they would, as minor premiers, have had a chance to overturn the result in a challenge final.

The Brickfielders provided even sterner opposition in the following year’s final but once again the Purple and Golds proved too strong in the end. Final scores were Oakleigh 10.14 (74) to Northcote 11.5 (81) after the Brickfielders had led by 4 points at the last change. This was rover Frank Maher’s second flag as captain-coach. Best players for the victors included centre half back George Rudolph, centre half forward Eric Fleming, and centreman Jack Dolan. As in 1930, a challenge final would have been required had Oakleigh lost.

The Purple and Golds did not qualify for the finals again until 1949 when they finished runners-up to Williamstown despite managing 22 scoring shots to 15 in the grand final. This proved to be the last match in which the VFA’s unique throw pass was used, and the following year the Purple and Golds proved that they could perform better without it by heading the ladder going into the finals and then accounting for Port Melbourne in the second semi by 11 points and by 19 points a fortnight later in the flag decider. Oakleigh’s defence was the key to its win with full back Ted Ryan and back pockets Frank Deayton and Charlie Temme particularly conspicuous, as indeed they had been all season.

The Purple and Golds dropped to third in 1951 but in 1952 they again had the better of Port Melbourne on grand final day winning 11.18 (84) to 8.15 (63) in front of a huge crowd estimated to be just short of the 40,000 mark at the Junction Oval.[1] Oakleigh led at every change and always seemed to be in control with full back Bill Vains, centre half back Norm Tindal, centreman Vic Hill and centre half forward Max Wenn the main driving forces behind its win.

Oakleigh did not contest another finals series until 1959 when it finished fourth. In 1960 its home ground underwent resurfacing work and was unavailable. Oakleigh trained at Toorak Park and played its home matches at Camberwell. During the finals both Toorak Park and Camberwell became unavailable and the players were forced to train using second rate facilities. However, despite this handicap, which was magnified still further by a second semi final loss to Sandringham, Oakleigh went on to secure a fifth flag. After downing Williamstown in the preliminary final the side maintained its momentum to play all over Sandringham in the grand final and record an emphatic 10 goal win. Oakleigh’s first ruck of Graham Ash, Vic Naismith and Ray Allsopp together with skipper and second ruckman John Coughlan were the cornerstones of the triumph.

When the Purple and Golds next broke through for a premiership in 1967 it yielded considerably less satisfaction, however, as it was in Division Two. With a mere 3,500 spectators in attendance for the grand final at Coburg Oakleigh defeated Geelong West by 13 points, 12.14 (86) to 11.7 (73). Centre half forward Tom Traill was best afield with rover Graeme Wapling, centreman Brian Ford and ruck rover Keith Bell also shining.

The early 1970s brought Oakleigh’s most consistently respectable performances for twenty years with first division grand final appearances in 1972, 1973 and 1974. Unfortunately, only the first of these was won but the 25.17 (167) to 18.15 (123) defeat of Dandenong was one of the most exhilarating exhibitions of VFA football witnessed up to that point. Half forward flanker John ‘Swooper’ Murnane contributed 7 goals to the victors’ total, while centreman Brian Ford and ruck rover Bill Barrot probably vied for best on ground.

The Devils, as they had by this time become known, lost the 1973 grand final to Prahran by 35 points and the 1974 grand final to Port Melbourne by 69 points. Two years later they were relegated to Division Two where they remained until the last year of the two division format in 1988. For most of that time they were extremely competitive, contesting the finals on eight occasions for one premiership (the last ever second division flag in 1988), and losing the grand finals of 1979 (to Camberwell by 39 points), 1984 (to Box Hill by a record 135 points), and 1985 (to Brunswick by 24 points).

After struggling without success under the single division system Oakleigh opted to withdraw from the VFA and channel its energies into developing a VSFL feeder club (the Oakleigh Chargers) for VFL club Springvale.