The Sebastopol Football Netball Club, nicknamed the ''Burras'', 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 ...

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 ...

club based in the southern suburb of

Sebastopol Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. The football team currently competes in the

Ballarat Football Netball League The Ballarat Football League (BFL) is an Australian rules football competition that operates in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia. The competition formed in 1893 as the Ballarat Football Association and was renamed Ballarat Footba ...

, having debuted there in 1978.

History

The club was originally founded in 1893, and completed in the Ballarat Football Association wearing the colours of red and white before changing to blue and white in 1894. The club was a founding member of the competition in 1893 finishing in fourth place, and took until 1920 to win its inaugural premiership. In 1922 the club adopted the colours of blue and gold that prevail to the present day. After winning its second premiership in 1929, Sebastopol moved to the Ballarat and District Football League and won two premierships in a row in 1936 and 1937 before joining the

Ballarat Football League The Ballarat Football League (BFL) is an Australian rules football competition that operates in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia. The competition formed in 1893 as the Ballarat Football Association and was renamed Ballarat Football ...

in 1938. The club played off in the grand final in its first season and were defeated by South Ballarat, but then in 1939 it transferred to the Clunes Football Association winning the premiership before returning to the BFL in 1940. Consequent to this World War Two affected player numbers causing Sebastopol to form a temporary merger with South Ballarat before the BFL went into recess. Sebastopol returned in its pre war form in 1946 rejoining the Clunes FA. In 1947 it moved back to the BFL in its B Grade competition, and won premierships from 1950 to 1953. In 1959 the B Grade competition separated from the BFL to form the Ballarat District Football League and Sebastopol won premierships in this competition in 1965, 1967 and 1969. The BDFL then merged in 1973 with the Bacchus Marsh Football League and Sebastopol won the premiership in this competition in 1975. This would be the club's last premiership to date. Sebastopol rejoined the BFL in 1978 and has made three grand finals, losing them to

North Ballarat North Ballarat Football & Netball Club, nicknamed ''The Roosters'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based at Mars Stadium in Ballarat. The club currently fields senior, reserve and Under 19 sides in the Ballarat Football Lea ...

in 1985,

Melton Football Club The Melton Football Netball Club, nicknamed The Bloods, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the Victorian town of Melton. The football team currently plays in the Ballarat Football League. History Melton Football Cl ...

in 2000 and

East Point Football Club The East Point Football Netball Club is an Australian rules football and netball club. The football squad competes in the Ballarat Football League. The club, originally named "East Point Kangaroos" was formed in 2001 when historical clubs Eas ...

in 2019.

Netball

Sebastopol won the 1993

Netball Premiership, led by club-icon Maree Hutt. On October 26, 2012, Sebastopol announced the signing of

Central Highlands Football League The Central Highlands Football League is an Australian Rules Football League in the Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, B ...

club Dunnstown's premiership coach Georgia Cann. Club-coach Cann was joined by Narelle Perkins to co-coach the club in 2022. The 2022 season was

Netball's first full season since 2019, due to COVID-19 interruptions in 2020 and 2021. The Burras returned to court against

Darley Football Club The Darley Football Netball Club, nicknamed the ''Devils'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the Victorian town of Bacchus Marsh. The football squad competes in the Ballarat Football League. In 2017 Darley defeated B ...

to go down 42-38 at Marty Busch Oval on 9 April 2022. After a string of narrow losses, Sebastopol stunned the competition by drawing with then-competition leaders

Melton South Football Club Melton South Football and Netball Club, nicknamed the ''Panthers'', is an Australian rules football and netball club located in Melton. The football squad competes in the Ballarat Football League which is part of the Victorian Country Footbal ...

50-all. Their first win of the season came in an emphatic 63-42 victory over

Ballarat Football Club The Ballarat Football Netball Club is an Australian rules football and netball club. The football squad currently competes in the Ballarat Football League in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia. The Ballarat Football Netball Club was es ...

. The Burras finished seventh with four wins, missing finals. The Best and Fairest was won by Adut Manyiel with young gun Libby Hutt finishing second. Thalia Watts secured the Coaches Award. Adut Manyiel was part of the

Victorian Netball League The Victorian Netball League is a state netball league featuring teams from Victoria, Australia. The league is organised by Netball Victoria. The modern league was first played for during the 2009 season. It replaced an earlier state league as th ...

Under 19s Grand Final win with City West Falcons, starring in the shooting circle.
on Wyndham website On September 22, 2022, the Burra announced that Perkins would become Head Coach from 2023.

Home ground

Sebastopol play their home matches at Marty Busch Reserve, Sebastopol. In the 2019 offseason, Sebastopol secured a major sponsorship deal with Sovereign Financial Group. The home ground will be played under the banner of the Sovereign Financial Group Oval for seasons 2020 and 2021.

Club song

Out we come, Out we come, Out we come to play Just for recreation sake To pass the time away Lots of fun, lots of fun Enjoy yourself today The Burra boys are on the ball When they come out to play! Soooo, Join in the chorus And sing it one and all Join in the chorus The Burras on the ball Good old Burra They're champions you'll agree The Burra boys are premiers Just you wait & see!!

VFL/AFL/AFLW/VNL/Super Netball players

* Daryl Peoples - * Wayne Johnston - * Malcolm Scott (Australian footballer) - and *

Mick McGuane Michael McGuane (born 29 December 1967) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented and in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. Playing career Early years (1987–1990) McGuane showed great promise fo ...

- and * Steven Venner - * Matt Austin - *

Brett Goodes Brett Goodes (born 17 February 1984) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is the younger brother of Sydney Swans dual Brownlow Medalist Adam Goodes. He played f ...

- *

Rowan Marshall Rowan Marshall (born 24 November 1995) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by St Kilda with their first selection and tenth overall in the ...

- *

Kaitlyn Ashmore Kaitlyn Ashmore (born 8 November 1991) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She has previously played for Brisbane and North Melbourne. She was drafted by Brisbane as a priority si ...

- and *

Nicole Hildebrand Nicole Hildebrand (born 22 November 1993) is an Australian rules footballer who last played for Collingwood in the AFL Women's. Early life Hildebrand was born in 1993 in Victoria. She was playing for Melbourne University when she was drafted. ...

- and * Adut Manyiel -

Victoria Netball League The Victorian Netball League is a state netball league featuring teams from Victoria, Australia. The league is organised by Netball Victoria. The modern league was first played for during the 2009 season. It replaced an earlier state league as th ...

City West Falcons

Bibliography

* ''History of Football in the Ballarat District'' by John Stoward -

References

External links

Official website
{{Ballarat Football League Ballarat Football League clubs 1879 establishments in Australia Sports clubs established in 1879 Australian rules football clubs established in 1879 Netball teams in Victoria (Australia) Australian rules football clubs in Victoria (Australia)