South Melbourne Districts Football Club Explained

Color1:
  1. AE3033
Color2:white
Color3:solid white
Clubname:South Melbourne Districts
Fullname:South Melbourne Districts Sports Club
Nicknames:Bloods, Swans, Districts
Motto:"Onward To Victory"
Season:2024
Afterfinals:VAFA

3rd
VAFAW: N/A

Home&Amp;Away:VAFA: 3rd[1]
VAFAW: 7th[2]
Topgoalkicker:
VAFAW: Louise Payne (5)[3]
Bestandfairest:VAFA: Tom Foley[4]
VAFAW: Clara Samms
League:VAFA

Division 2
VAFAW: Division 4
SMJFL: Juniors

Pattern B1:_Vonwhite
Pattern So1:_hoops_red
Body1:ff0000
Shorts1:ff0000
Socks1:ffffff
Url:smdsc.com.au

The South Melbourne Districts Football Club, nicknamed the Bloods, is an Australian rules football club based in South Melbourne. The club also has athletics and cricket programs.[5] [6]

As of 2024, the club's men's team competes in Division 2 of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), while the women's team is in Division 4 of the VAFA Women's (VAFAW) and junior teams compete in the South Metro Junior Football League (SMJFL).

History

VJFA and Sub-Districts

South Melbourne Districts was formed in 1912, although its origins can be traced back to the Pembroke Juniors who played in the mid-1890s.[7] [8] The club entered the Victorian Junior Football Association (VJFA) in 1914, finishing fourth on the ladder, before being defeated by Port Melbourne Railway United by 51 points in the grand final.[9] [10] [11] [12]

The club made its second grand final in 1922 after another fourth-placed home-and-away finish, where they lost to North Melbourne Juniors by 22 points.[13] [14] [15] In 1924, the club won its first premiership with a 33-point victory over Hawthorn Juniors.[16] [17] The club did not have a home ground for the 1925 season, and did not find a permanent home ground until the mid-1930s.[7] [18] [19] [20]

The Districts had a close relationship with the South Melbourne Football Club (now Sydney Swans) from its formation, with many players going on to play for both clubs.[21] In the late 1920s, the Districts donated 40 guineas to South Melbourne to stop them from folding, and often provided assistance payments to players when needed.[22]

In the 1920s and 1930s, MLC Robert Williams served as the club's president, while senator Joseph Hannan served as vice-president.[23] [24] [25] Williams died in a car crash at Wagga Wagga in March 1938, and his son − Alf Williams − took over as acting president until officially becoming club president in February 1939.[26] [27]

South Melbourne Districts' last season in the VJFA was in 1926, where they made the semi-finals.[28] By this point, the VJFA had started to formally become the reserves competition for the Victorian Football Association (VFA), and South Melbourne Districts left the VJFA to join the VFL Sub-Districts in 1927.[29] [30] [31]

The club made a grand final in its second Sub-Districts season in 1928 under captain-coach Joe Russell, then won a premiership in 1930 against Sunshine.[32] [33] At some stage in the 1930s they moved to the VFA Sub-Districts and continued in that competition until at least the end of the 1936 season.[34] [35]

South Melbourne Districts joined the Metropolitan Football League (MFL), the successor to the VFL Sub-Districts, when the competition was formed in 1950.[36] [37] [38]

SESFL/SFL

In 1974, South Melbourne Districts joined the South East Suburban Football League (SESFL) as the MFL was struggling at the time.[39] The club won its first SESFL premiership in 1976 with a 15-point victory over Carnegie in Division 2, and a second premiership came in 1983 against North Kew.[40]

The SESFL became the Southern Football League (SFL) in 1992, and merged with the Eastern Suburbs Churches Football Association (ESCFA) in 1993 to become an expanded SFL. At the end of the 1999 season, South Melbourne Districts left the SFL to join the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA).[41]

VAFA

South Melbourne Districts joined the VAFA for the 2000 season, entering D4 Section.[42] The club started strong, winning a premiership in its inaugural VAFA season after defeating Bentleigh (who also joined the VAFA in 2000) by 27 points in the grand final.[43] [44]

The club went back-to-back with a Division 3 premiership in 2006 and a Division 2 premiership in 2007.[41]

South Melbourne Districts entered its first women's team in the inaugural VAFA Women's season in 2017, finishing third at the end of the season.[45]

In 2024, the club was the subject of controversy after being asked by animal rights activist Sheena Chhabra to cut ties with Ralphs Meat Company and to end its Auskick sausage sizzle "on the grounds of animal cruelty, the impact of farming livestock for meat and the negative health effects of red meat".[46]

AFL/AFLW players

A number of South Melbourne Districts players have played in the Australian Football League (AFL), which was previously known as the Victorian Football League (VFL), as well as in the AFL Women's (AFLW).[47] coach Alan Miller, who never played a VFL game, also played for South Melbourne Districts.[41]

VFL/AFL players

AFLW players

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Division 2 Men's 2024 . PlayHQ . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929033038/https://www.playhq.com/afl/org/victorian-amateur-football-association-vafa/victorian-amateur-football-association-vafa-2024/division-2-men/043fb303/ladder . 29 September 2024.
  2. Web site: Division 4 Women's 2024 . PlayHQ . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929033048/https://www.playhq.com/afl/org/victorian-amateur-football-association-vafa/victorian-amateur-football-association-vafa-2024/division-4-womens/3791bbf7/ladder . 29 September 2024.
  3. Web site: Division 4 Women's 2024 Statistics . PlayHQ . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929033440/https://www.playhq.com/afl/org/victorian-amateur-football-association-vafa/victorian-amateur-football-association-vafa-2024/division-4-womens/3791bbf7/statistics?sort=GOAL_COUNT:DESC . 29 September 2024.
  4. Web site: Congratulations to all our award winners, including our Best & Fairest, across the club on Presentation Night! Proud to celebrate the achievements and hard work of our Bloods in 2024 . Facebook . South Melbourne Districts Football Club . 21 November 2024 . https://archive.today/20241121205520/https://www.facebook.com/SMDFC1912/posts/pfbid02bi6YKdEa5Q3DYL1kVkTFZjQqNUbMmZTYkb953Ydc9oFXoyp6mqxzFYWNSKRtq41El . 21 November 2024 . 1 October 2024.
  5. Web site: Senior Athletics . South Melbourne Districts Sports Club . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929031213/https://www.smdsc.com.au/seniorathletics . 29 September 2024.
  6. Web site: Junior Cricket . South Melbourne Districts Sports Club . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929031213/https://www.smdsc.com.au/juniorcricket . 29 September 2024.
  7. Web site: BLOODS 100 . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929030831/https://www.vafa.com.au/news/2012/03/05/bloods-100/ . 29 September 2024 . 5 March 2012.
  8. Web site: COMMON GROUND . cayzer.com.au . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929030841/https://www.cayzer.com.au/news/common-ground-10 . 29 September 2024.
  9. Web site: VICTORIAN JUNIOR ASSOCIATION . Trove . The Argus . 26 July 2024 . 18 August 1913.
  10. Web site: VICTORIAN JUNIOR ASSOCIATION . The Argus . 26 July 2024 . 6 . 3 August 1914.
  11. Web site: JUNIOR ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL . Trove . The Argus . 26 July 2024 . 4 . 10 August 1914 . The Railways United team, Port Melbourne, met South Melbourne District on Saturday at the North Melbourne ground in the first semi-final.
  12. News: The Standard. Football premiers. 29 August 1914. 3. Melbourne, VIC .
  13. Web site: SOUTH MELBOURNE DISTRICT NOTES . Trove . Record . 29 September 2024 . 2 . 1 July 1922.
  14. Web site: Junior Association . Labor Call . 27 July 2024 . 7 September 1922.
  15. News: The Argus. Junior association. 29 September 1922. 7. Melbourne, VIC .
  16. Web site: JUNIOR ASSOCIATION . Labor Call . 28 July 2024 . 25 September 1924.
  17. Web site: South Melbourne District Club . Trove . The Argus . 29 September 2024 . 17 . 17 March 1925.
  18. Web site: SOUTH DISTRICTS DEFEATED . Trove . Record . 29 September 2024 . 8 August 1925.
  19. Web site: SOUTH MELBOURNE DISTRICT CLUB . Trove . The Age . 29 September 2024 . 18 . 17 March 1926.
  20. Web site: SOUTH MELBOURNE DISTRICT . Trove . Record . 29 September 2024 . 1 . 20 March 1926.
  21. Web site: South Melbourne District Sports Club . City of Port Phillip . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230322195154/https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/people-and-community/community-directory/south-melbourne-district-sports-club . 22 March 2023.
  22. Web site: SOUTH DISTRICTS TO FIGHT FOR PENNANT . Trove . Record . 30 September 2024 . 4 . 12 September 1936.
  23. Web site: SOUTH MELBOURNE DISTRICT CLUB . Trove . The Age . 29 September 2024 . 15 . 14 March 1925.
  24. Web site: SOUTH MELBOURNE DISTRICT F.C. . Trove . Record . 29 September 2024 . 7 . 21 March 1925.
  25. Web site: SOUTH MELBOURNE DISTRICT FOOTBALL CLUB . Trove . Record . 29 September 2024 . 1 . 15 February 1930.
  26. Web site: Robert Henry Williams . Parliament of Victoria . 29 September 2024 . https://archive.today/20240929014859/https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/robert-williams/ . 29 September 2024.
  27. Web site: ANNUAL MEETING OF SOUTH DISTRICT F.C. . Trove . Record . 29 September 2024 . 5 . 25 February 1939.
  28. Web site: VICTORIAN JUNIORS . The Age . 28 July 2024 . 7 . 10 September 1926.
  29. Web site: ASSOCIATION . The Age . 28 July 2024 . 15 . 25 August 1924.
  30. Web site: LEAGUE SUB-DISTRICTS . Trove . Record . 29 September 2024 . 2 . 13 August 1927.
  31. Web site: SOUTH DISTRICTS WIN FINAL . Trove . Record . 29 September 2024 . 1 . 15 September 1928.
  32. Web site: South Districts Defeated. . Trove . Record . 29 September 2024 . 1 . 22 September 1928.
  33. Web site: South Melbourne District Is Premier Team . Trove . The Sun News-Pictorial . 30 September 2024 . 35 . 13 October 1930.
  34. Web site: Alphington Football Club . Darebin Libraries . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929020755/https://libraries.darebin.vic.gov.au/Darebinheritage/sport-leisure/football/alphingtonfootballclub . 29 September 2024.
  35. Web site: ASSOCIATION SUB-DISTRICTS . Trove . The Argus . 29 September 2024 . 13 . 20 May 1935.
  36. Web site: CLOTA MEDAL TO MILLER . Trove . The Sun News-Pictorial . 29 September 2024 . 32 . 22 August 1950.
  37. Web site: WEEKEND SPORTS RESULTS . Trove . The Argus . 29 September 2024 . 12 . 4 June 1951.
  38. Web site: WEEKEND SPORTS RESULTS . Trove . The Argus . 29 September 2024 . 12 . 23 July 1951.
  39. Web site: SOUTH-EAST SUBURBAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE . Southern Football Netball League . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225181626/https://sfnl.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/South-East-Suburban-Football-League-History.pdf . 25 February 2024 . 9 . South Melbourne District entered Division two transfering from the struggling Metropolitan F.L.
  40. Web site: South Melbourne Districts Football Club (Vic) . Footypedia . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240927020719/https://www.footypedia.info/00000773.htm . 27 September 2024.
  41. Web site: South Melbourne Districts Football Club . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929012207/https://www.vafa.com.au/clubs/south-melbourne-districts/ . 29 September 2024.
  42. Web site: The Amateur Footballer, Week 1, 2000 . Issuu . VAFA Media . 15 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929023950/https://issuu.com/vafa_hq/docs/vafa-vol00.no01 . 29 September 2024 . 1 April 2000.
  43. Web site: The Amateur Footballer, Week 21, 2000 . Issuu . VAFA Media . 18 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929024114/https://issuu.com/vafa_hq/docs/vafa-vol00.no21 . 29 September 2024 . 26 August 2000.
  44. Web site: Division 4 Section Grand Finals . Victorian Amateur Football Association . 15 March 2023.
  45. Web site: Women's Development Division 4 2017 . GameDay . VAFA Results Archive . 21 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240524123642/https://websites.mygameday.app/comp_info.cgi?c=0-3232-0-454317-0&pool=1001&a=LADDER . 24 May 2024.
  46. Web site: Wu . Andrew . The footy club whose Auskick sausage sizzle has come under fire . The Age . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929032039/https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-footy-club-whose-auskick-sausage-sizzle-has-come-under-fire-20240516-p5je6x.html . 29 September 2024 . 17 May 2024.
  47. Web site: VFL/AFL Players from South Melbourne Districts Bloods . draftguru.com.au . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240519020519/https://www.draftguru.com.au/from/south_melbourne_districts_bloods . 19 May 2024.
  48. Web site: ANNUAL MEETING OF SOUTH DISTRICT F.C. . Trove . Record . 29 September 2024 . 5 . 25 February 1939.
  49. Web site: Charlie Clarke . GameDay . South Melbourne Districts Football Club . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929030442/https://websites.mygameday.app/nfnn/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=191859367&client=0-4901-70196-244791-16996540 . 29 September 2024.
  50. Web site: NAB League Boys: Sandringham Dragons add Charlie Clarke to their list . Herald Sun . Caulfield Glen Eira Leader . 29 September 2024 . https://archive.today/20240929030531/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/localfooty/nab-league/nab-league-boys-sandringham-dragons-add-charlie-clarke-to-their-list/news-story/cfa3005fcf894d7fd80ffa92a06237c1?amp&nk=cb85faafdc79a5557017e8520bba4ade-1727579138 . 29 September 2024 . 4 June 2021.
  51. Web site: FORBES, Keith . essendonfcpastplayers.com.au . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929024633/https://essendonfcpastplayers.com.au/past-player-profiles/listing/forbes-keith/ . 29 September 2024.
  52. Web site: FEATURE STORY: SOUTH OF NOWHERE . Essendon Football Club . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929025219/https://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/118981/feature-story-south-of-nowhere . 29 September 2024 . 18 July 2000.
  53. Web site: Bolch . Dylan . Max Ramsden: Big Hawk ready to take flight . Sandringham Dragons . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240524095046/https://www.sandringhamdragons.com.au/players/max-ramsden-big-hawk-ready-to-take-flight . 24 May 2024.
  54. Web site: Cellini . Aidan . AFL Draft Profile: Murphy Reid . ZeroHanger . 21 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241121205719/https://www.zerohanger.com/afl-draft-profile-murphy-reid-156686/ . 21 November 2024 . 11 November 2024.
  55. Web site: The history of the Red V . Sydney Swans . 29 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240924114029/https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/1663569/the-history-of-the-red-v . 24 September 2024 . 24 September 2024.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "South Melbourne Districts Football Club".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.