PORT MACQUARIE MAGPIES HISTORY
The club was formed in the pre-season of 1981 and joined the New England AFL for the inaugural year of competition led by its President elect Paul Wilson. The following season, the North Coast AFL was formed consisting of representative clubs from Grafton, Woolgoolga, South Coffs, North Coffs, Urunga and Port Macquarie. In just its second year of existence, the Mighty Magpies progressed to the NCAFL Grand Final only to be disappointed by the Woolgoolga “Blues”.
In 1985, the Mid North Coast AFL was formed with the club joining as a foundation member together with our opponents in the Forster “Bombers”, the Taree “Lions”, the Wauchope “Demons” and the Kempsey “Saints”. This began a very successful period for the “Pies”, winning six premierships over the ensuing eight seasons including the inaugural 1985 year of the competition as well as 1986, 89, 90, 91 and 1992. We were also successful with the Under 17 team winning the flag in 1988 which continues to represent our only under aged premiership to this date. Some the stars during this period included MNCAFL Best and Fairest award winners Brett Williams from 1985, Steve Wallace, Matthew Walder and Peter Graham in 1991.
The demise of the MNCAFL in 1993 returned the Magpies to the North Coast AFL in which it continued to compete today. These initial years back in the premier league saw the club doing it tough with limited player numbers and on one occasion required Cass Payne to pull on a jumper and take to the field in order to avoid a forfeit. To our knowledge, this represents the only female player in open aged competition and is indicative of the spirit and pride our players and supporters have in our colours. We persevered during the 1990s and finally broke the drought to again taste premiership success in 2000 under the guidance of Coach Chris Landini. Whilst flag opportunities were again on offer in Grand Final appearances between 2002 and 2004, we were defeated on each occasion.
It was during this period that our record breaking Reserve Grade sides gained their reputation as the unbeatable premier team of the era. Having won the premiership in 1998, they then proceeded to win eight consecutive flags in a row between and including seasons 2002 (Captain Coached by Life Member Al Rider) and 2010 (no Reserve Grade competition was played in 2004) the majority of which under the guide of our late President and Life Member, Paul Sheldon.
In 2006, the club celebrated its 25th anniversary and celebrated the event with the naming of our Team of the Quarter of a Century.
The team included:
B. Terry Schultz Steve Cottom Chris McGeoch
HB. Peter Farlow Damon Munt Bradd Payne
C. Brett Williams Chris Landini Paul Wilson
HF. Mick Tritton Peter Graham Scott Payne
F. Andy Brown Tony Read Kerry Felchi
Foll. Peter Nicholson Steve Wallace Rick Fyfe
I/C Neville Stephens, Kevin Horton, Simon Fitzgerald, Shannon Skreja, Peter Maymaru, Ben Wurst.
2007 saw Captain and Coach Matt Newton lead the senior team to its next premiership victory over Sawtell Toormina Saints.
In celebration of Paul Sheldon’s contribution to the club and in recognition of our close relationship with the Coffs Swans AFL Club (and their late President Peter Morgan), the two clubs agreed to compete for a memorial trophy known as the Sheldon Morgan Cup with the Magpies successful in its 2011 inaugural year of inception.
The Club celebrated 30 consecutive years of history in 2011 at the Westport Bowling Club in a gala evening witnessed by well over 100 past and present players and supporters which included the Teams of the Decade (illustrated under “The Trophy Room” tab). In the same year and for the very first time in the clubs history, we fielded a team in each of the Under 18s, Reserve Grade and Senior Grand Finals only to be denied success in all three.
The “Home” of the Magpies had always been Stuarts Park during this entire period. After a great deal of lobbying with council and the AFL over many years, we finally said goodbye to the old ground and Shirlene Smith officially opened and relocated the club to the state of the art facility within the Wayne Richards Park complex on 21st April, 2012, prior to our Round 1 game against Coffs Swans.
"In this inaugural year at our new home, the club successful progressed all three teams to the Grand Final only to come away without a single Premiership, losing to Grafton, Sawtell and North Coffs in the Seniors, Reserve Grade and Under 18s, respectively.
Scott Abercrombie returned to the club as Head Coach the following season (2013) and despite being down by more than 5 goals during the 3rd quarter of the Grand Final against red hot favourites and minor premiers Sawtell Toormina, secured the clubs 9th Senior flag. In the same year, Craig Carroll coached our Under 18s team to an undefeated and 1st Premiership over Sawtell. The club also took out the inaugural AFLNC Club Championship (with our Reserve Grade defeated in the Preliminary Final).
2014 yielded a further two Premierships with Anthony Beasley coaching the Reserve Grade in his first year in the role (against Sawtell) and the Under 18's repeating the "back-to-back" success undefeated for the season again and by a massive 98 points over Sawtell-Toormina. Another Club Championship capped off a successful year and Presentation Night (which saw Isaac Brambley win the clubs Best and Fairest player award in both the Seniors and the Under 18s)"
Each Saturday, you can witness the clubs history in the making at Wayne Richards Park.
