History - Prahran Football Club, footy, AFL, Toorak Park, VAFA, Melbourne, Australia

1886 Prahran Football Club formed at meeting at Prahran Court House on 20 March, 1886. Colours of Royal Blue and Sky Blue adopted. Entry into Victorian Football Association sought and gained. Home games at Warehouseman's Ground (later known as Albert Reserve).

1887 Home games played at Wesley College. Due to unrest among the stronger clubs, the VFA reduces the number of clubs. As a result Prahran was forced to amalgamate with St. Kilda.

1897 Eight clubs break-away from VFA to form Victorian Football League.

1899 Prahran Football Club reformed at meeting on 15 March 1899 at Prahran Town Hall and re-admitted to VFA. Home games at Toorak Park.

1909 Prahran finished season on top of ladder. After losing semi-final to Brunswick (5.6.36 to 8.6.54), Prahran sacked 4 players in mysterious circumstances. Defeated in Grand Final by Brunswick - 8.7.55 to 10.11.71

1910 Prahran finished season fourth. Lost Semi Final to Essendon Association (2.7.19 to 5.9.39).

1911 Finished season third. Again lost Semi Final to Essendon Association.

1918 After World War I, VFA resumed play with 6 teams & shortened season (10 games). Prahran finished second to North Melbourne. Defeated 3.10.22 to 18.13.121 by North in final.

1920 Bert Chadwick, later Melbourne player & Premiership Captain/Coach and Brownlow Medal Runner-up, played season for Prahran.

1928 Frank Smith awarded the Recorder Cup. First Prahran player to win this trophy.

1931 Bill Koop awarded the Recorder Cup.

1934 Full-Forward George Hawkins became first Prahran player to kick century of goals with 107.

1935 Les White awarded Prahran's third Recorder Cup in eight seasons.

1936 Prahran finished home and away season second to Brunswick. Prahran 15.18.108 d Brunswick 14.14.98 in 2nd Semi Final. Northcote 19.6.120 d Prahran 15.15.105 in Grand Final.

1937 Prahran finished fourth after home and away rounds. Prahran 11.18.84 drew Yarraville 12.12.84 in 1st Semi Final. Prahran won the replay by 28 points. Prahran 14.12.96 d Brighton 9.9.63 in Preliminary Final. Prahran 12.13.85 d Brunswick 11.17.83 in Grand Final to win the club's first premiership.

1938 Prahran again finished fourth after home and away matches. Northcote defeated Prahran by 15 points in 1st Semi Final. Jack Lowry tied Williamstown player Huggins for VFA Medal.

1939 Prahran finished the season at the top of the ladder. Lost 2nd Semi Final to Brunswick and Preliminary Final to Williamstown. George Hawkins broke VFA goalkicking record by kicking 164 goals for the season.

1939-40 Harold Bray, later to play for and captain St.Kilda, played two seasons for Prahran. Bray was runner-up in the Brownlow in 1947 and third in 1949 and 1952.

1940 Prahran finished third. Won 1st Semi Final 16.26.122 to Preston 17.11.113. In the Preliminary Final Prahran 15.21.111 d Williamstown 11.16.82. Port Melbourne 23.22.160 d Prahran 17.11.113 to win premiership at MCG. Roy Lyons kicked 9 goals for Prahran in the Grand Final.

1941 Prahran second (by percentage) to Port Melbourne. Lost 2nd Semi Final by 2 points. Coburg won Preliminary Final by 31 points. Roy Lyons kicked 109 goals for season.

1945-7 Former Fitzroy player Keith Stackpole (father of the Australian test cricketer) appointed Captain/Coach.

1946 Prahran won 5 games for season, but still 'won' wooden spoon.

1947 Prahran improved to make finals, but lost 1st Semi Final to Sandringham 6.18.54 to 10.6.66

1950 Recruits included 1948 Morrish Medallist Ray Harvey from Melbourne, Russell Grambeau from Sandringham and Don Chipp from Melbourne Seconds.

1951 Prahran finished second to Port Melbourne. Prahran 19.19.133 d Port 12.13.85 in 2nd Semi. Prahran 11.13.79 defeated Port Melbourne 10.10.70 in Grand Final.

1953 Prahran fourth. Lost 9.7.61 to Yarraville 8.16.64 in First Semi Final. Prahran player Roy Hart won the Stawell Gift foot race held at Easter.

1959 Expelled from VFA after losing sole use of Toorak Park. Joined Metropolitan FL. Prahran 4.14.38 defeated East Hawthorn 4.6.30 for Premiership. Prahran lost one game for season.

1960 Re-admitted to VFA. Ray Harvey retired as a senior player after 206 games & 328 goals in 11 years.

1961 VFA split into two divisions. Prahran in 2nd Division

1962 Garry Butler awarded Field Trophy as Best & Fairest in 2nd Division. Dandenong 16.24.120 defeated Prahran 8.12.60 in Grand Final

1963 Prahran lost Preliminary Final to Preston by 34 points.

1964 Kevin Sheedy played first senior game. Played 50 games (1964-7) Recruited by Richmond after first game of 1967 season. Played 251 games for Richmond (1967-79) and coached Essendon in over 400 games (1981-2001)

1966 Prahran finished third. PFC 11.15.81 defeated Sunshine 2.7.19 in 1st Semi, beat Northcote by a point in Preliminary Final. Prahran 17.12.114 defeated Geelong West 5.15.45 in Grand Final and won promotion to First Division.

1968 Kevin Rose appointed Captain/Coach. Prahran finish second. In the Grand Final Preston 15.8.98 defeated Prahran 12.12.84.

1970 Prahran topped the ladder with 15 wins (18 games) PFC 10.15.75 defeated Williamstown 9.15.69 in Second Semi Final. In Grand Final Prahran 17.18.120 defeated Williamstown 10.10.70.

1973 Prahran fourth. Won First Semi Final 18.21.139 to Port Melbourne 10.17.77. Beat Dandenong by 29 points in Preliminary Final. Prahran 15.23.113 defeated Oakleigh 10.18.78 for Premiership.

1974 Kim Smith played first game with PFC. Leading club goalkicker every year from 1974-82 except 1975 when he played at Melbourne. '74 - 55 goals, '76 - 56, '77 - 69, '78 - 95, '79 - 97, '80 - 93, '81 - 68, '82 - 77. Retired after 1982 season with 610 goals in 136 games for Prahran.

1975 Wayne Johnston recruited from Wandin North. Went on to play 69 games and kick 173 goals for PFC including 1978 Premiership. Also finished in top three of B&F 1975-8. Played 209 games (283 goals) for Carlton (1979-90) including 1979, 81-2 & 87 Premierships.

1976 Ross Thornton joins Prahran. plays 71 games including '78 Premiership then recruited by Fitzroy in 1980. Played 146 games for Fitzroy (1980-9)

1978 Prahran finished third. Won First Semi against Dandenong by 25 points. Defeated Port Melbourne 20.14.134 to 16.16.112 in Preliminary Final. Prahran 21.15.141 defeated Preston 17.17.119 to win a classic Grand Final clash at the Junction Oval, St.Kilda.

1979 Prahran beaten in First Semi-Final by Port Melbourne.

1983 Graeme Yeats, after several years with Prahran Juniors, recruited by Melbourne. 182 games and 45 goals with MFC (1984-95, including 1988 Grand Final.) Later Played in Springvale & coached Sandringham Premierships.

1985 Prahran finished tenth of twelve clubs. VFA restructure of divisions meant that PFC relegated to Second Division with Werribee and Box Hill.

1986 Jim Stynes recruited from Ireland by Melbourne sent to Prahran to learn game. Played 12 games (10 goals) for PFC. At Melbourne played 264 games (244 consecutive) and won 1991 Brownlow Medal.

1987 Prahran 18.9.117 defeated Waverley 14.14.98 to win Second Division Premiership.

1992 Bryan Taylor kicked 16 goals in game against Oakleigh.

1993 Michael Sinni awarded JJ Liston Trophy. First time Liston won by a Prahran player, first major VFA award since Les White's Recorder Cup win in 1935, with the execption of Garry Butler's Field Trophy in 1962.

1994 Prahran played its last game in the Victorian Football Association. Although having beaten reigning premier Werribee, won only 3 games and collected wooden spoon.

1999 Prahran returns to the field with two junior teams, Under 10 and Under 12 in the Moorabbin Saints Junior Football League, and Senior, Reserve and Club XVIII teams which play in the Victorian Amateur Football Association as Prahran Amateur FC, formed from amalgamation with Southbank AFC. The Club XVIII team was formerly affiliated with Kew Amateur FC.

2000 Tony Free (ex-Richmond) appointed coach. Junior teams (Under 9, 11 & 13) play in Waverley Junior Football Association.

2001 Tony Free plays his first game in 5 years and inspires his team to its first win of the season. André Pitts plays his 250th game for the club. Four junior teams (U 9, 10, 12 & 14) compete in the WJFA.

2002 1978 Premiership coach Mick Erwin returns to Club as Football Director. Derek Hine returns to role of Senior Coach. Five junior teams (u9, 10, 11, 13 in WJFA & u15 in Yarra JFL) Under 15 team wins Division 2 Premiership. Under 13 wins B Section Premiership. Two Blues name their Team of the Century. Bill Morrow, ToC centre half forward passed away at the end of the season.

2003 After luring former Port Melbourne coach Neil Ross to the club as Derek Hine's assistant, Hine is appointed to the position of Player Development Officer at Collingwood. Neil Ross is appointed head coach at Oakleigh Chargers two weeks later and Prahran is without a senior coach just two months before the start of the season. John Ross is appointed to the role after seven seasons as reserves coach with Southbank/Prahran. Despite the disruption during the pre-season the Two Blues win their first round one clash for 5 years. Their opponent in that game, Ormond, is however destined to drop from B Section straight through C & into D1. Prahran wins only twice more in the remaining 17 rounds. One of those wins a remarkable comeback in the return game at Ormond after trailing by 20 points going into time on in the last quarter. The Club XVIII team does the club proud by reaching the Grand Final. The junior section of the club continued to grow, with six teams fielded. (u9, 10, 11, 12, & 14 in WJFA & a joint Glen Iris/Prahran team in the u16/17 colts section of the YJFL) The under 11 & 12 teams won B Section premierships. Long serving Team Manager/Committeeman Len Reed and Club Legend Ray Harvey both passed away after the season.

Club History