Murray Bushrangers

The Murray Bushrangers is an Australian rules football team playing in Victorian statewide under-18s competition, presently known as the Talent League, since 1993 based in Wangaratta. The team trains on Norm Minns Oval, Wangaratta.

The Under 18's boys team has been coached by Mark Brown from 2019 to 2024. The guernsey colours are Black, Purple and Gold, with black socks and black (home) or white (away) shorts.

The Bushrangers have produced some of the elite Australian Football League players through the AFL Draft including Daniel Cross, Brett Deledio, Steele Sidebottom, Steve Johnson, Jarrad Waite, Kayne Pettifer, Justin Koschitzke, Hamish McIntosh, Barry Hall, Fraser Gehrig, Ben Mathews, Steven King, Robert Campbell, Alipate Carlile, David Mundy, Shannon Byrnes & Laitham Vandermeer in recent years.

Club history

The TAC Cup was established in 1992 following the disbandment of the VFL Under 19's competition, due to the ceasing of the Victorian state geographical zoning regions and was initially ran by the Victorian State Football League.

The Murray Bushrangers are based at Wangaratta, near the Victoria-NSW border and have been involved in the competition since 1993 when the competition added another four country teams, which brought the number of teams to twelve regions. The club's original home ground was at the W J Findlay Oval, Wangaratta between 1993 and 2011, before they moved into the new Wangaratta Sports Development Centre on the Norm Minns Oval at the Wangaratta Showgrounds in 2012.

The Murray Bushrangers supports local talent squads at Under 15 and Under 16 levels and co-ordinates the talented player pathways program for young aspiring AFL players throughout the North East and Goulburn Valley regions.

While the Murray Bushrangers forms an initial career path to the AFL for some, for many others it provides an outstanding experience of elite under 18 football, giving players a solid foundation for a successful playing and or coaching pathway at regional level.

Following season 1999, the AFL Reserves Grade was terminated leaving AFL clubs without a place to field their reserves players. The Kangaroos, together with the Ovens and Murray Football League launched their own stand-alone VFL club in the Victorian Football League called the Murray Kangaroos Football Club. The club's home games were split between Coburg City Oval in Melbourne, and Lavington Oval in Albury-Wodonga.

The side was made up with players from the Kangaroos, topped up with players from the Ovens and Murray Football League, and offering a second chance to players from the statewide under-18s Murray Bushrangers team who had missed out on the draft.

At the end of 2002, The Murray Kangaroos disbanded the club citing pressure from the AFL, and cost-cutting measures (the club cost around $100,000 a year to field). North Melbourne instead decided to align with the Port Melbourne Football Club in a short-term deal.

Murray lost in the 2007 TAC Cup Grand Final to the Calder Cannons by 50 points and Ben McEvoy was selected in the TAC Team of the Year. 2008 saw the Bushrangers dominate the entire competition season finishing 1st at season end and defeating the Dandenong Stingrays by 81 points in the 2008 grand final and midfielder-forward Steele Sidebottom had a game-high 32 possessions and kicked 10.3 claiming best on ground honours.

The club has had three players who have won the League's best and fairest award, the Morrish Medal, Derek Murray (1997)
Farran Priest
(2008) and Clayton Oliver (2015). Interestingly, back in 1959, former Wangaratta Football Club player, Dom Glassenbury won the Morrish Medal when playing for Fitzroy Football Club Under 19's. as of 2024, Glassenbury still resides in Wangaratta.

Grand Finals

;Under 18's Boys

;Under 18's Girls
2017 - Murray Bushrangers finished 2nd on the ladder.

Statistical Record

*;TAC Cup / Club Stats
**Premierships (2): 1998, 2008
**Runners-up (3): 2003, 2007, 2016
**Minor Premiers (4): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2008
**Wooden Spoons: Nil. (lowest: 13th of 18 in 2023)
**Grand Final Best On Ground Medalist: Michael Stevens (1998), Steele Sidebottom (2008)
**Most goals in a grand final: 10 - Steele Sidebottom (2008)
**Morrish Medalist: Derek Murray (1997)
Farran Priest
(2008) Clayton Oliver (2015)
**Leading U/18 Goalkicker: Josh Schache 34 (2015), Joshua Murphy 30 (2024),
**No.1 Draft Pick (Allen Aylett Medal): Josh Fraser (2000), Brett Deledio (2004)
**MB Games Record Holder: Derek Murray (48 games)
**MB Goals Record Holer: Adam Prior (85 Goals)
**MB Most goals in a season:
**MB Most goals in game: 8 - Daniel Johnson: 2017. Others ?
**TAC CUP Coach of the Year award winners: Nil
**Highest Score
MB: 28.12 - 180 d Sandringham Dragons: 8.7 - 55. Rd.8, 2003
**Lowest Score
Calder Cannons: 16.14 - 110 d MB: 2.6 - 18. Grand Final, 2003
**Most consecutive wins: 15 from Rd.9 2008 to Rd.1 2009. (no available records between 1994 & 1999)
**Longest serving coach: Kelly O'Donnell: 1994 - 2000 (seven seasons)

*;AFL Stats (by former MBFC players)
** AFL Coaches Association Award - Champion Player: Barry Hall (2005), Clayton Oliver (2021 & 2022)
**AFL Grand Final. Norm Smith Medalist: Steve Johnson: Geelong (2007)
** Anzac Day Match Medal: Mark McGough: Collingwood (2002), Steele Sidebottom Collingwood (2016)
** Robert Rose Medal: David Teague (2004)
**Leading AFL Goalkicker: Coleman Medal: Fraser Gehrig 2004 & 2005
**AFL Mark of the Year: Michael Newton: (2007), Jamie Elliott: Collingwood (2013)
** AFL Best First Year Player: Brett Deledio Richmond (2005)
**AFL Rising Star Award: (Ron Evans Medal) Brett Deledio Richmond (2005)
**Most All Australian Side Selections: 4 - Barry Hall
**Most Goals: 549 - Fraser Gehrig: &
**Most Games: 376 - David Mundy:
**Most Consecutive AFL games: 230 - Jack Crisp: Collingwood (2015 to 2024)
**Former MBFC player to be a senior AFL coach: Adem Yze: Richmond (2023)

;Yearly Ladder Placings (1993 - 2023)

* 1st*: Minor premiers
* 1st: Bold - Major premiers

MBFC / AFL Draft Selections

The following 165 former Murray Bushranger footballers were drafted / traded to an AFL club, with 125 (77%) of these players going onto to play senior AFL football (in bold). 41 drafted players have not played senior AFL football as of the 25th July 2024.
* "BR": B. Rookie; ''MSRD": - Mid season rookie draft; "P": Pre-Season Draft; "PSSS": Pre season supplemental selection; "R": Rookie Draft; "T": - Trade; "Z": - Zone.

Team of the Year players

The following players were selected in the TAC Cup / NAB Cup / Coates Talent League Under 18 team of the year side.

All Australian Team Selection

The following former Murray Bushrangers FC players were selected in various All Australian sides below.

;AFL - All Australian Side

;Under 18 - All Australian Side

;Under 17 - All Australian Side

;Underage Australian National Championships: Best Player Awards

AFL Rising Star Nominations

The following former Murray Bushrangers players were nominated as an AFL Rising Star.

AFL Club Best & Fairest Award

The following former MBFC players have won an AFL club best and fairest award.

AFL Premiership Players

The following former MBFC players have played in an AFL Premiership team

* - *Premiership Captain

100 plus AFL Games

The following former MBFC players have played 100 plus senior AFL games.
As of 2024, there are -

*2 x 300 plus game players
*20 x 200 plus game players
*37 x 100 plus game players

* - * Current player

MCFC Leading Goalkicker

The following MB players were the club's leading goal kickers.

* - * Also won the TAC Cup goalkicking

Murray Bushrangers FC Best Team, 1993 to 2012

The Murray Bushrangers FC celebrated their first twenty years in the pre-eminent under 18 boys football competition in Australia, the TAC Cup by announcing their best ever football side in July 2012.

;Murray Bushrangers FC Best Team - 1993 to 2012
*Backline: Ben Mathews (), Ben Reid (), Ryan Houlihan ()
*Half Backline: Joel Smith (/), Jarrad Waite (), David Mundy ()
*Centreline: Steele Sidebottom (), Brett Deledio (), Adam Yze ()
*Half Forwardline: Steve Johnson (), Barry Hall (//), Shannon Byrnes ()
*Forwardline: Josh Fraser (/), Fraser Gehrig (/), Justin Koschitzke ()
*Followers: Steven King (/, Daniel Cross (), Tom Rockliff ()
*Interchange: Robert Campbell (), David Teague (/), Rory Hilton (/), Hamish McIntosh (/), Alipate Carlile (), Jarrod Harbrow (/)

Club Honourboard

* 1st*: Minor premiers
* 1st: Bold - Major premiers

Talent League Girls

*Premierships (0): Nil
*Runners-up (1): 2017

Notes/References

*

External links

MBFC websiteMBFC Facebook pageMBFC Twitter account
* AFL Rookie List
Official NAB Cup websiteAFL PLayers AssociationMurray Bushrangers Draftees
via Draft Guru
Murray Bushrangers Club Profile
via Australian Football
Rookie Me
via Rookie Me Central
2008 - Under 18 All Australian Team team photoMBFC All Time Best Side
via Zero Hanger
MBFC action photos
via Getty Images

{{TAC Cup

Talent League clubs
1993 establishments in Australia

Australian rules football clubs in Victoria (state)
Talent League Girls clubs
Sport in Wangaratta
Australian rules football clubs established in 1993
Murray Bushrangers players
Australian Football League draft