Bacchus Marsh Football Club

Bacchus Marsh Football and Netball Club is an Australian rules football and netball club, located in Bacchus Marsh in Victoria, Australia. The club's various football and netball teams compete in the Ballarat Football League, which is part of the Victorian Country Football League.

The home ground of Bacchus Marsh is Maddingley Park, located to the south of Bacchus Marsh.

History
There was an attempt to form an Australian Rules Football club in Bacchus Marsh in May 1874, but this was delayed until "a greater interest was displayed".
 * Bacchus Marsh FC (1881 to 1978)

The Bacchus Marsh FC was originally formed April 1881.

In May 1891, Mr. T. Cain was elected as the President.

It appears the club wore red and blue horizontal stripe football jumpers from the early 1900s to the early 1920s.

In 1923, Bacchus Marsh colours were branded as the "Two Blues".

The club initially joined in official competition football in 1911 and then played in the Ballarat Football League in 1929 and 1930.

The Bacchus Marsh "Tigers" initially wore a black guernsey with a yellow strip going diagonally from top left to bottom right from 1929, when they first joined the Ballarat Football League.


 * Football Club Timeline
 * 1881 - 1910: Club formed in 1881 & played friendly matches against other local clubs up until 1910.
 * 1911 - ? Football Association
 * 1912 - 1915: Bacchus Marsh District Football Association 1915 BMDFA season abandoned in July.
 * 1916 - 1918: Club in recess due to World War One
 * 1919 - 1927: Bacchus Marsh District Football Association
 * 1928 - Werribee & Bacchus Marsh District Football Association
 * 1929 - 1930: Ballarat Football League 1st 18 played in the BFL.
 * 1929 - Bacchus Marsh District Football Association. BMFC 2nd 18 played in this competition.
 * 1930 & 1931 - Bacchus Marsh & Melton Football Association. BMFC 2nd 18 played in this competition.
 * 1931 - 1932: Geelong & District Football League
 * 1933 - 1941: Bacchus Marsh & Melton Football Association
 * 1942 - 1944: Association & Club in recess due to World War Two. Club active but no official competition football.
 * 1945 - 1958: Bacchus Marsh & Melton Football Association
 * 1959 - 1972: Bacchus Marsh District Football League
 * 1973 - 1978: Bacchus Marsh & Ballarat District Football League
 * 1979 - 1982: Ballarat Football League. Merged with Maddingley FC to form Maddingley-Bacchus Marsh FC
 * 1983 - 2019: Ballarat Football League. The club changed their name to just the Bacchus Marsh FC in 1983.
 * 2020 - League & club in recess due to COVID-19
 * 2021 - 2024: Ballarat Football League

The Maddingley Football Club was formed in April 1909, with Mr. W.J. Lindsay elected as President and played in the Bacchuss Marsh FA from 1912 until 1915, but did not reform after World War One, as a club until 1931.
 * Maddingley FC (1909 to 1978)

The Maddingley Spiders who wore a black guernsey with a red strip going diagonally from top left to bottom right.

In 1978 Maddingley left the Ballarat-Bacchus Marsh FL and joined the Ballarat Football League. Bacchus Marsh remained in the B-BMFL in 1978 and struggled because the club was practically insolvent. At the end of the 1978 season, a deal was done and the two clubs merged. The two clubs officially merged in 1979 to form Maddingley-Bacchus Marsh FC who decided to wear a black guernsey with two "v" shape strips, one red, one yellow starting at the top left and finishing on the top right.
 * Maddingley-Bacchus Marsh FC (1979 to 1982)

The Maddingley-Bacchus Marsh FC changed their name to just the Bacchus Marsh FC in 1983.
 * Bacchus Marsh FC (1983 to present day)

There have been a few great footballers to go through the district from both Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley including, Fred Wooller, Sandy Talbot, Frank Pomeroy, Liam Duggan and Bugsy.



Football Premierships

 * Seniors
 * Bacchus Marsh FC


 * Bacchus Marsh District Football Association
 * 1912 - Bacchus Marsh: 8.12 - 60 defeated Melton: 5.6 - 36
 * 1920 - Bacchus Marsh: 6.3 - 39 d Melton: 4.7 - 31
 * 1924 - Bacchus Marsh: 10.17 - 77 d Melton: 2.5 - 17
 * 1925 - Bacchus Marsh: 4.3 - 27 d Rockbank: 3.5 - 23


 * Werribee & Bacchus Marsh District Football Association
 * 1928 - Bacchus Marsh: 10.6 - 66 d Werribee: 9.6 - 60


 * Bacchus Marsh & Melton District Football Association
 * 1933 - Bacchus Marsh: 10.23 - 83 d Maddingley: 11.8 - 74
 * 1937 - Bacchus Marsh: 9.10 - 64 d Maddingley: 6.22 - 58
 * 1940 - Bacchus Marsh: 14.9 - 93 d Darley: 10.14 - 74
 * 1941 - Bacchus Marsh: 9.10 - 64 d Ballan: 7.14 - 56
 * 1945 - Bacchus Marsh: 14.8 - 92 d Darley: 13.12 - 90
 * 1946 - Bacchus Marsh: 11.7 - 73 d Darley: 8.20 - 68


 * Bacchus Marsh District Football League
 * 1962 - Bacchus Marsh: 13.11 - 89 d Ballan: 10.8 - 68
 * 1974 - Bacchus Marsh: d


 * Ballarat Football League
 * 2016 - Bacchus Marsh: 13.21 - 99 d Sunbury: 5.14 - 44


 * Maddingley FC
 * Bacchus Marsh & Melton District Football Association
 * 1936 - Maddingley: 10.12 - 72 d Rockbank: 7.10 - 52
 * 1951 - Maddingley: 14.13 - 97 d Rockbank: 8.12 - 60
 * 1954 - Maddingley: 17.11 - 113 d Darley: 12.15 - 85
 * 1958 - Maddingley: 13.10 88 d Melton: 12.14 - 86
 * Bacchus Marsh District Football League
 * 1967 - Maddingley: 19.12 - 126 d Rockbank: 17.15 - 115
 * 1968 - Maddingley: 14.4 - 88 d Ballan: 9.9 - 63
 * Ballarat-Bacchus Marsh Football League
 * 1973 - Maddingley: 20.13 - 133 d Bacchus Marsh: 20.11 - 131
 * 1977 - Maddingley: 15.21 - 111 d Sebastopol: 12.15 - 85


 * Reserves
 * Bacchus Marsh FC
 * Bacchus Marsh District Football League
 * 1967 - Bacchus Marsh: 10.6 - Ballan: 7.9 - 51


 * Maddingley FC
 * Bacchus Marsh District Football League
 * 1961 - Maddingley:
 * 1966 - Maddingley:
 * 1969 - Maddingley:

Football Runner Up

 * Seniors
 * Bacchus Marsh FC
 * Bacchus Marsh District Football Association
 * 1913 - Melton: 8.16 - 64 d Bacchus Marsh: 3.3 - 21
 * 1914 - Melton: 10.14 - 74 d Bacchus Marsh: 6.7 - 43
 * 1919 - Melton: 5.7 - 37 d Bacchus Marsh: 3.4 - 22
 * 1921 - Melton: 4.7 - 31 d Bacchus Marsh: 2.9 - 21
 * 1923
 * 1927
 * Geelong & District Football League
 * 1931 - Geelong West: 8.13 - 61 d Bacchus Marsh: 6.10 - 46
 * Bacchus Marsh District Football League
 * 1961, 1964, 1966
 * Bacchus Marsh & Ballarat Football League
 * 1973
 * Ballarat Football League
 * 2017


 * Seniors
 * Maddingley FC
 * Bacchus Marsh & Melton Football Association
 * 1932, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1949, 1953, 1955
 * Bacchus Marsh District Football League
 * 1969

League Best & Fairest winners

 * Senior Football
 * Bacchus Marsh & Melton District Football Association
 * 1936 - Laurie Shea: Maddingley
 * 1937 - Mick Vallence: Maddingley
 * 1938 - Walter Wehlan: Maddingley
 * 1939 - Ron Durham: Bacchus Marsh
 * 1940 - Wally Russell: Bacchus Marsh
 * 1941 - Ron Durham: Bacchus Marsh
 * 1952 - Jack Cooper: Maddingley
 * 1953 - Jack Cooper: Maddingley
 * Ballarat Football League - Henderson Medal
 * 1997 - Wayne Cracknell
 * 2018 - Daniel Burton

League Goal Kicking Award Winners

 * Senior Football


 * Bacchus Marsh & Melton Football Association
 * 1945 - T Hine (40)


 * Ballarat Football League - Tony Lockett Medal (awarded from 1988 onwards)
 * 1987 - Malcom Scott (69 goals)
 * 1990 - Malcom Scott (79)
 * 1991 - R.Maguire (82)
 * 1998 - Brendan Hehir (74)
 * 2000 - Chris Stuldreier (93)
 * 2001 - Chris Stuldreier (88)

VFL / AFL players
The following footballers played with either Bacchus Marsh FNC or Maddingley FNC, prior to playing senior football in the VFL/AFL, and / or drafted, with the year indicating their VFL/AFL debut.


 * 1926 - Harry Vallence -
 * 1926 - Danny Wheelahan - South Melbourne
 * 1930 - Martin Wheelahan - South Melbourne
 * 1932 - Keith Shea - and
 * 1934 - David Wilkie -
 * 1936 - Eddie Shea -
 * 1938 - Les Watkins -
 * 1939 - Jack Skinner -
 * 1942 - Ray Bamford -
 * 1942 - Ollie Grieve -
 * 1942 - Wally Russell -
 * 1943 - Ron Durham -
 * 1945 - Jack Shea -
 * 1947 - Les Carr -
 * 1948 - Alan Bulman -
 * 1956 - Fred Wooller -
 * 1964 - Wayne Closter -
 * 1970 - Sandy Talbot -
 * 2009 - Nick Suban -
 * 2015 - Liam Duggan -

The following footballers played senior VFL / AFL football prior to playing and / or coaching with Bacchus Marsh FNC with the year indicating their first season at BMFNC.


 * 1931 - Don Watson -
 * 1932 - Pat Murphy -
 * 1940 - Monty Brown -
 * 1949 - Ken Dyer -
 * 1970 - Frank Pomeroy -
 * 1974 - Graham Middleton -
 * 1987 - Malcom Scott -
 * 2007 - Dion Miles -
 * 2012 - Doug Hawkins -
 * 2013 - Brendan Fevola -
 * 2016 - Damian Cupido -

Netball
As of 2024, the club's netball section fields a number of sides in the Ballarat Football League's netball competitions -
 * A. Grade, B. Grade, C. Grade, D. Grade & E. Grade
 * 19 & Under
 * 17 & Under Seniors & 17 & Under Reserves
 * 15 & Under Seniors & 15 & Under Reserves
 * 13 & Under Seniors & 13 & Under Reserves
 * 11 & Under Seniors & 11 & Under Reserves
 * 9 & Under

Bacchus Marsh Football Association
The Bacchus Marsh Football Association was formed in 1912 from the following clubs - Bacchus Marsh, Deer Park, Maddingley, Melton and Parwan.

The Bacchus Marsh Football Association initially went into recess in 1928 due to Ballan pulling out, which left only four clubs, then Bacchus Marsh and Rockbank FC's joined the Werribee District Football Association, which then changed its name to the Bacchus Marsh & Werribee District Football Association.

The Bacchus Marsh District Football Association was reformed in April 1929, at their annual meeting.

In 1930, the BMDFA became the Bacchus Marsh & Melton District Football Association.

The BM&MDFA was revived in 1945, after being in recess since 1942 due to World War Two, the competition consisted of five teams, including one new club, the 2nd Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) Training Battalion Football Club.

In 1949, a 20 year old Lifeguard FC player received a heavy knock to the head and later died at a local Doctor's surgery.

In 1959, the BMMDFA changed their name to the Bacchus Marsh Football League.

In 1979, the Ballarat & Bacchus Marsh District FL merged with the Clunes FL to form the Central Highlands Football League.

Football Premiers

 * Seniors


 * Reserves

League Best & Fairest

 * Seniors

Football Teams

 * Seniors

Book

 * History of Football in the Ballarat District by John Stoward - ISBN 978-0-9805929-0-0