MODBURY FOOTBALL CLUB

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:19): Last Friday night, along with a function room full of club supporters, I attended the Modbury Football Club's 150^th Year Celebration Ball at Sfera's on the Park, located beside Civic Park in the heart of Modbury. The MC for the event was Mr Peter Walsh from the ABC's Grandstand Radio.

Peter's knowledge of the game and the history of AFL is widely and justifiably regarded and apart from his significant ability to interview people, he kept us all informed of progress scores throughout the night. Peter kept the evening moving along smoothly as he shared the stage with Men in Black, a four-piece group that provided the wonderful live music for the evening.

Modbury Football Club, I am reliably informed, was formed in 1862, making it the oldest extant—that is, existing without a break—football club in South Australia and the sixth oldest football club of any code in Australia. Needless to say, I am extremely proud of this early pioneering link. On looking a little further into football history, I note there is some inevitable uncertainty, as records seem to be lost until 1906. However, SANFL history talks about the formation of a league in 1877, making it the oldest surviving football league of any code in Australia and one of the oldest in the world, forming just a few years after rugby in 1874 and a decade before soccer. I am indebted to Melanie Reid from the SANFL who has supplied additional information.

In 1877, the South Australian Football Association (SAFA) formed with eight inaugural clubs, although some records seem to say it was 12. The 12 were South Park, Willunga, Port Adelaide, Adelaide, North Adelaide, Prince Alfred College, Gawler, Kapunda, Bankers, Woodville, South Adelaide and Victorian. For some unknown reason, Modbury did not join SAFA at this time, nor did its contemporary, the Tea Tree Gully Football Club. Other clubs, including Hotham, Gawler and Medindie were members of the SAFA at various periods in the association's early history. In 1907, SAFA changed its name to the South Australian Football League, and in 1911 the South Australian Amateur League was formed with just five clubs. Again, Modbury does not appear to have been a founding member.

The SANFL site also mentions that the early years were 'poorly organised and dogged by argument over which set of rules to adopt'. It then goes on to talk about a match between Adelaide and Kensington in 1873 where, because of the uncertainty of rules and interpretation, it was not certain who had actually won the match. The push for certainty was resolved in 1877 when rules similar to those in Victoria were adopted. Perhaps the rivalry that exists between our states today can be dated back to that time.

However, I digress from the Modbury Football Club and its place in history. The first ever game recorded in South Australia seems to have been played in1843, although no records of any kind remain. We then see a match between the Modbury Football Club and the Adelaide Football Club—a club formed in 1860, but it came and went under various guises. Each side in that game had 20 players and there were no umpires. Some people today may think that was a better time for the AFL. The game ended after the second goal was scored by Adelaide, with the result declared a win to them 2-0.

The two teams met again the following year near the Modbury Hotel at a place now known as Civic Park, so it was fitting that we were gathered close to where the strong traditions of the Modbury Football Club were forged. This game was 'kept up with the greatest spirit and good feeling, and so equally were the sides matched that not a goal was scored'. This is beginning to sound a bit like soccer, so it is just as well the rules were eventually sorted out.

To celebrate the 100^th anniversary in 1962, and during the state's sesquicentenary celebrations in 1986, a special game was played between Modbury Football Club and the South Adelaide Football Club at Modbury Oval to commemorate the two oldest clubs in the state. Over the years there have been different guernseys: up to 1937, a maroon guernsey with one white band, later replaced with a white vee; from 1947 to 1978, a dark blue guernsey with a light blue vee; and from 1979 onwards, the brown and gold vertical stripes of the Modbury Hawks we all know and love today.

Various grounds have been used as their home: up to 1963, the old Modbury oval, which is Civic Park, opposite Tea Tree Plaza; 1964, the memorial oval at Tea Tree Gully; 1965, the temporary oval, now Waterworld Aquatic Centre; and from 1966 onwards, the Modbury Oval, which is now their home. The Modbury Football Club has been involved in various leagues: nine after 1906, of which four were changed in the 1930s. Modbury has held many premierships, many since the 1960s: 28 senior and 35 junior; 16 A grade in all; four in B grade; six in C grade; one in D grade; and many junior titles.

Since my time in the Modbury area, now some 35 years, I have always been aware of the strong community presence the Modbury Football Club has maintained as a place where families would gather before and after matches, and many hundreds of people have learned the skills of the modern game that keeps this state and nation enthralled. It has been built on the commitment and dedication of many families. Among them, to name a few that I know, and in no particular order: the Burford, the Varley, the Bryant, the Jolly and the Vassal families. It is my honour to sponsor Scott Vassal each year.

Following on from the marvellous concert that we had for volunteers earlier this week, I would like to mention the many hours of volunteer work that go into the Modbury Football Club, where we have seen people make time for training, match day and the home and away fixtures.