The Avondale Heights Football Club is part of a community sports club that operates in the suburb of

Avondale Heights Avondale Heights is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Moonee Valley local government area. Avondale Heights recorded a population of 12,388 at the 2021 c ...

. It is located 14 km north west of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. The sporting club offers its community an outlet to pursue Australian football as well as

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

and

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

. The football team plays in the

Essendon District Football League The Essendon District Football League (EDFL) is a professional Australian rules football league competition based in Essendon, Victoria, consisting of teams based in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne. Founded in 1930, the men's competition ...

History

The club was founded as a junior club in September 1965 where a small group of locals met at St James Church in Macey Street to establish a club for the youth of Avondale Heights.Our history in brief
on AHFC website The first side to represent the Avondale Heights in the

was an Under 15 team in 1966. The average age of the team was 11 and it took six games for the first score, a behind, to be registered. The team managed five goals for the season. It was a tough time for the committee to get the players to away games. In season 1967, the club fielded its first open age team with a Thirds side. By 1972, the number of junior teams had increased to five and a senior and reserve side. The clubs first B Grade senior premiership was in 1976. After being promoted to A Grade in 1977, the club won their first A Grade premiership in 1987 Season 2001, saw the club relegated back to B Grade. This was on the back of severe financial losses that threaten the club's viability. In 2004 the Seniors were Premiers and Champions of B Grade (undefeated). The club fields teams from under 10s through to open-age.

AFL players

Matthew Lloyd Matthew James Lloyd (born 16 April 1978) is a former professional Australian rules footballer, who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A highly decorated full-forward, Lloyd's AFL's honours include ...

– Captain &

Coleman Medal The Coleman Medal is an Australian rules football award given annually to the Australian Football League (AFL) player who kicks the most goals A goal is an objective that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve. Goal may also refer ...

list with

Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington * Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport * Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United Ki ...

- over 250 games * Ken Mansfield – 48 games with

1976–1980 * Peter Baxter – 23 games with Footscray 1985–1988 *

Brad Lloyd Brad Lloyd (born 16 September 1975) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the 1990s. Playing career Early playing career Lloyd, a midfielder from Victorian Football Leag ...

– 11 games with

Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

1997–1999

Premierships

Senior

*A Grade (1): 1987 *B Grade (2): 1976, 2004 *A3 Grade (2): 1980, 1984

Bibliography

* ''History of football in Melbourne's north west'' by John Stoward –

References

External links

Official website

AH Cricket club

AH Netball club
{{EDFL Essendon District Football League clubs 1965 establishments in Australia Australian rules football clubs established in 1965 Sport in the City of Moonee Valley Australian rules football clubs in Melbourne