Burnie Dockers Football Club is an
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
club in
Burnie, Tasmania
Burnie is a port city on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. When founded in 1827, it was named Emu Bay, being renamed after William Burnie, a director of the Van Diemen's Land Company, in the early 1840s.
, Burnie had an urban popu ...
, Australia. The club currently competes in the
North West Football League
The North West Football League is an Australian rules football competition in North West Tasmania. The league was previously known as the "Northern Tasmanian Football League" from its inception in 1987 until the end of the 2014 season.
History ...
(NWFL).
Club history
The Burnie Dockers were formed as a result of a merger between former
TFL Statewide League club
Burnie Hawks (formerly known as Cooee) and NTFL club the Burnie Tigers. After several years of bitter hatred in the city between the two rival clubs, both clubs were struggling both on-field and financially by the early 1990s.
In late 1993 the Burnie Hawks absorbed the Burnie Tigers and merged, however the club still played as the Burnie Hawks until, with the arrival of former North Melbourne champion
Peter German
Peter German (born 2 February 1965) is a former Australian rules footballer. Since retiring he has become a successful coach. German coached Subiaco to the 2004 and 2006 WAFL premierships and was rewarded by being named as an assistant to ...
, the club adopted a new emblem, colours and jumper designed to appease both sides of the divide.
From 1995 the Burnie Dockers were successful, making the 1996 and 1997 Grand Finals, but ultimately losing both to Southern powerhouse,
Clarence Clarence may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division
* Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow
* Clarence River (New South Wales)
* Clarence Strait (Northern Territory)
* City of Clarence, a l ...
. Shortly after, the Dockers found themselves (like many TFL clubs during the 1990s) in serious financial trouble and facing extinction until a late bailout by the
Burnie City Council
Burnie City Council (or City of Burnie) is a Local government in Australia, local government body in Tasmania, located in the city and surrounds of Burnie, Tasmania, Burnie in the north-west of the state. The Burnie local government area is cl ...
saved them. The Dockers participated in the
Tasmanian Football League
The Tasmanian State League (TSL), colloquially known as the "Tasmanian Football League (TFL)" (formerly known as the "Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL)" and several other short-term names) is the highest ranked Australian ru ...
until 2000 when it announced it would be pulling out of the fledgling competition, the League therefore folding and the Dockers joined the
Northern Tasmanian Football League
The North West Football League is an Australian rules football competition in North West Tasmania. The league was previously known as the "Northern Tasmanian Football League" from its inception in 1987 until the end of the 2014 season.
History ...
in 2001.
Success was never far away and the Dockers became arguably Tasmanian football's most powerful domestic club during the early part of the 2000s, winning five consecutive NTFL premierships from 2001 to 2005. After two lean years, the Dockers bounced back in 2008. Playing in a thrilling NTFL grand final, the Dockers fought tenaciously against the all-conquering
Launceston Blues, but fell short by 13 points in front of 5,274 fans at Latrobe.
Burnie rejoined the newly re-established
Tasmanian State League
The Tasmanian State League (TSL), colloquially known as the "Tasmanian Football League (TFL)" (formerly known as the "Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL)" and several other short-term names) is the highest ranked Australian r ...
(TSL) competition in 2009, and has played there since. Since 2015, its
reserves team has competed in the
North West Football League
The North West Football League is an Australian rules football competition in North West Tasmania. The league was previously known as the "Northern Tasmanian Football League" from its inception in 1987 until the end of the 2014 season.
History ...
seniors, and it has also fielded teams in the junior grades of that competition.
Burnie Dockers first fielded a
women's team in 2013 in the Tasmanian Women's League. The Dockers competed in 3 consecutive grand finals taking out the TWL premierships in 2014 and 2016.
In 2017, Burnie withdrew from the NWFL seniors and reserves competitions due to lack of players. In 2018, they withdrew from the Tasmanian Football League and rejoined the NWFL seniors, citing lack of players and raising questions about AFL support of local footy.
Club song
The club song is "We're a happy team at Burnie" which is based on "The Yankee Doodle Boy".
Statistics and records
Affiliations – Burnie Tigers:
*1885–1912 – North West Football
*1913–1921 – Burnie Football League
*1922–1931 – North West Football Union
*1932–1933 – Burnie Football League
*1934–1940 –
North West Football Union
The North West Football Union (NWFU) was an Australian rules football competition which ran from 1910 to 1986. In its time it was one of the three main leagues in Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Football League and Northern Tasmanian Football Asso ...
*1945 – Burnie Football League
*1946–1986 –
North West Football Union
The North West Football Union (NWFU) was an Australian rules football competition which ran from 1910 to 1986. In its time it was one of the three main leagues in Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Football League and Northern Tasmanian Football Asso ...
*1987–1993 – Northern Tasmanian Football League
Affiliations – Cooee Bulldogs/Burnie Hawks:
*1920–1922; 1930–1944 – Junior competitions
*1945–1986 – North Western Football Union
*1987–1994 – TFL Statewide League
Affiliations – Burnie Dockers:
*1995–2000 – TFL Statewide League
*2001–2008 – Northern Tasmanian Football League
*2009–2017 – Tasmanian State League
*2015–2016, 2018–present –
North West Football League
The North West Football League is an Australian rules football competition in North West Tasmania. The league was previously known as the "Northern Tasmanian Football League" from its inception in 1987 until the end of the 2014 season.
History ...
Home ground:
*West Park Oval
Formed:
*Burnie Tigers: 1885 (as Emu Bay)
*Cooee Bulldogs: 1894 (became Burnie Hawks in 1987)
*Burnie Dockers: 1995
Colours:
*Purple, green, red and white (old)
*Purple and white (-present)
Emblem:
*Dockers
Premierships – Burnie Tigers:
*1899, 1911, 1927, 1928, 1937, 1939, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1974, 1992
Tasmanian State Premierships:
*1963
Premierships – Cooee Bulldogs:
*1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1982
Tasmanian State Premierships:
*1964, 1978
Premierships – Burnie Dockers:
*2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
TSL Premierships:
*2012
Cheel Medallists:
*1928 – Charlie Hallam –
S.L Alford Medallists:
*1937 – Clem Riggs –
Wander Medallists:
*1949 – Len Hayes –
*1950 – Lou Redman –
*1954 –
Ray Stokes
Raymond Gordon "Ray" Stokes (21 May 1924 – 26 February 2017) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was born in Longford.
After making his debut for Richmond in the 1946 se ...
–
*1973 –
Graeme Shephard
Graeme Shephard (born 8 March 1949) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1970s.
Shephard, a Cooee 'best and fairest' winner in 1969, had his first stint at Coll ...
–
*1979 – Tom Lee –
Baldock Medallists:
*2003 – Nick Probert –
*2008 – Kade Munday –
*2012 –
Jason Laycock
Jason Laycock (born 4 November 1984) is an Australian rules football player. He played for the Essendon Football Club as a ruckman in the Australian Football League (AFL) from 2004 to 2010. He was drafted by Essendon from East Devonport Footb ...
–
All-Australians:
*Nil
NWFU leading goalkickers:
*1947 –
G. Goninon – 67
*1948 – B. Quirk – 52
*1961 – M. Morse – 60
*1971 – D. Hodgetts – 79
*1972 – D. Hodgetts – 73
*1979 – L. Barnes – 82
*1952 – D. Anderson – 89
*1957 – L. Hayes – 51
*1972 – S. Beaumont – 73
*1973 –
A. Hodgetts – 73
*1975 – D. Shepherd – 60
*1976 – D. Shepherd – 102
*1978 – S. Beaumont – 94
*1984 – S. Beaumont – 143
NTFL leading goalkickers:
*1991 – C. Reynolds – 76
*1992 – C. Reynolds – 96
*2001 – A. Hering – 102
TFL Statewide League leading goalkickers:
*1996 –
Justin Plapp
Justin Plapp (born 22 June 1977) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club and St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Justin was born in Penguin, Tasmania and attended Pengui ...
– 98
Highest scores:
*Burnie Tigers 30.21 (201) v Penguin in 1963
*Cooee 31.22 (208) v North Launceston 6.13 (49) in 1982
*Burnie Dockers 49.35 (329) v Smithton 0.1 (1) in 2001
Most games:
*265 – David Langmaid –
*288 – Anthony 'Tom' Lee –
Record finals attendance:
*Burnie Tigers: 13,223 v Hobart – 1959 State Grand Final at
North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval is a Stadium, sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.
History
North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a Brickfields Hiring Depot, convi ...
*Burnie Dockers: 12,352 v Clarence – 1996 TFL Grand Final at
North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval is a Stadium, sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.
History
North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a Brickfields Hiring Depot, convi ...
Notable players
There is a list of past and present Burnie Dockers players who have played at
AFL
AFL may refer to:
Sports
* American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues:
** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
:
*
Cameron Cloke
Cameron Cloke (born 20 December 1984) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club, Carlton Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is th ...
(Collingwood, Carlton and Port Adelaide)
*
Brad Davis (Fitzroy)
*
Robbie Fox
Robbie Fox (born 16 April 1993) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Early career
Originally from Tasmania, Fox concentrated on basketball as a junior making the s ...
(Sydney Swans)
*
Peter German
Peter German (born 2 February 1965) is a former Australian rules footballer. Since retiring he has become a successful coach. German coached Subiaco to the 2004 and 2006 WAFL premierships and was rewarded by being named as an assistant to ...
(North Melbourne)
*
Brady Grey
Brady Grey (born 20 July 1995) is an Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Drafted with the 58th selection in the 2013 AFL draft from the Burnie Dockers Football Club in ...
(Fremantle)
*
Andrew Hill (Collingwood)
*
Tom Hislop
Tom Hislop (born 7 June 1988) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club and Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
He was drafted by the Essendon Football Club in 2 ...
(Essendon and Richmond)
*
Jason Laycock
Jason Laycock (born 4 November 1984) is an Australian rules football player. He played for the Essendon Football Club as a ruckman in the Australian Football League (AFL) from 2004 to 2010. He was drafted by Essendon from East Devonport Footb ...
(Essendon)
*
Andrew Lee (Essendon)
*
Brad Pearce (Brisbane Bears and Carlton)
*
Justin Plapp
Justin Plapp (born 22 June 1977) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club and St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Justin was born in Penguin, Tasmania and attended Pengui ...
(Richmond and St. Kilda)
*
Keenan Reynolds (Footscray and North Melbourne)
*
Russell Robertson
Russell "Robbo" Robertson (born 24 November 1978) is a former professional Australian rules footballer, who last played for the Melbourne Football Club.
Robertson is one of the Melbourne's great goalkickers, being one of just four players in ...
(Melbourne)
*
Luke Russell
Luke Russell is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Penguin Football Club in the Tasmanian North West Football League (NWFL). Formerly a player in the Australian Football League (AFL), he was drafted by Gold Coast Football Club as ...
(Gold Coast)
*
Luke Shackleton
Luke Shackleton (born 17 November 1984) is an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood Football Club, Collingwood in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Shackleton was a second round draft selection by Collingwood, on the back ...
(Collingwood)
*
Eli Templeton
Eli Templeton is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Templeton was recruited from the Burnie Dockers with the third pick in the 2013 AFL Rookie Draf ...
(St. Kilda)
*
Lachie Weller
Lachlan Weller (born 23 February 1996) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Fremantle Football Club from 2015 to 2017.
Pers ...
(Fremantle and Gold Coast)
*
Maverick Weller
Maverick Weller (born 13 February 1992) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Gold Coast Suns, St Kilda Football Club and Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He currently plays and c ...
(Gold Coast and St. Kilda)
*
Grant Williams (Melbourne)
*
Brody Mihocek
Brody Mihocek (born 4 February 1993) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was selected at pick #22 in the 2018 rookie draft. He made his senior debut against ...
(Collingwood)
References
External links
Official siteon Full Points Footy profile
{{North West Football League
Australian rules football clubs in Tasmania
Sport in Burnie, Tasmania
Australian rules football clubs established in 1995
1995 establishments in Australia
Tasmanian Football League clubs