Burnie Dockers Football Club
Encyclopedia
Burnie Football Club is an Australian rules football
club located in Burnie, Tasmania
, Australia.
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 fledgling by the early 1990s and were struggling financially.
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
, 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
. 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 saved them. The Dockers participated in the Tasmanian Football League
until 2000 when it announced it would be pulling out of the fledgling competition, the League therefore folding and the Dockers rejoined the NTFL 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 2001–2005. 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.
From 2009, the Burnie Dockers have participated in the Tasmanian State League
(TSL) competition.
Affiliations – Cooee Bulldogs/Burnie Hawks:
Affiliations – Burnie Dockers:
Home ground:
Formed:
Colours:
Emblem:
Premierships – Burnie Tigers:
Tasmanian State Premierships:
Premierships – Cooee Bulldogs:
Tasmanian State Premierships:
Premierships – Burnie Dockers:
Cheel Medallists:
S.L Alford Medallists:
Wander Medallists:
Baldock Medallists:
All-Australians:
NWFU leading goalkickers:
NTFL leading goalkickers:
TFL Statewide League leading goalkickers:
Highest scores:
Most games:
Record finals attendance:
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
club located in Burnie, Tasmania
Burnie, Tasmania
- Sport :Australian rules football is popular in Burnie. The city's team is the Burnie Dockers Football Club in the Tasmanian State League.Rugby union is also played in Burnie. The local club is the Burnie Rugby Union Club. They are the current Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide Division Two Premiers...
, Australia.
Club history
The Burnie Dockers were formed as a result of a merger between former TFL Statewide LeagueTasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
club Burnie Hawks
Burnie Hawks Football Club
The Burnie Hawks Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia from 1987 to 1994.The club was founded in 1987 after former NWFU club Cooee Bulldogs closed down its operation in order to wipe out its large debts and rebrand itself with a more...
(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 fledgling by the early 1990s and were struggling financially.
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
Peter German is a former Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the AFL. He played 185 games with the club, mostly in the midfield....
, 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 Football Club
The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
. 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 saved them. The Dockers participated in the Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
until 2000 when it announced it would be pulling out of the fledgling competition, the League therefore folding and the Dockers rejoined the NTFL 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 2001–2005. 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
Launceston Football Club
The Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club, located in the West Tamar suburb of Riverside, seven kilometres north of the Launceston CBD and currently play in the Tasmanian State League in Tasmania, Australia.-History:...
, but fell short by 13 points in front of 5,274 fans at Latrobe.
From 2009, the Burnie Dockers have participated in the Tasmanian State League
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
(TSL) competition.
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 UnionNorth West Football UnionThe North West Football Union 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 Association representing the rest of the state...
- 1945 – Burnie Football League
- 1946–1986 – North West Football UnionNorth West Football UnionThe North West Football Union 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 Association representing the rest of the state...
- 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–present – Tasmanian State League
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
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
Cheel Medallists:
- 1928 – Charlie Hallam – {Burnie Tigers}
S.L Alford Medallists:
- 1937 – Clem Riggs – {Burnie Tigers}
Wander Medallists:
- 1949 – Len Hayes – {Cooee Bulldogs}
- 1950 – Lou Redman – {Cooee Bulldogs}
- 1954 – Ray StokesRay StokesRaymond Gordon Stokes is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the Victorian Football League ....
– {Burnie Tigers} - 1973 – Graeme ShephardGraeme ShephardGraeme Shephard is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood in the Victorian Football League during the 1970s....
– {Cooee Bulldogs} - 1979 – Tom Lee – {Cooee Bulldogs}
Baldock Medallists:
- 2003 – Nick Probert – {Burnie Dockers}
- 2008 – Kade Munday – {Burnie Dockers}
All-Australians:
NWFU leading goalkickers:
- 1947 – G. GoninonGeorge GoninonGeorge Goninon is a former Australian rules footballer in the Tasmanian North West Football Union and Victorian Football League ....
{Burnie Tigers} – 67 - 1948 – B. Quirk {Burnie Tigers} – 52
- 1961 – M. Morse {Burnie Tigers} – 60
- 1971 – D. Hodgetts {Burnie Tigers} – 79
- 1972 – D. Hodgetts {Burnie Tigers} – 73
- 1979 – L. Barnes {Burnie Tigers} – 82
- 1952 – D. Anderson {Cooee Bulldogs} – 89
- 1957 – L. Hayes {Cooee Bulldogs} – 51
- 1972 – S. Beaumont {Cooee Bulldogs} – 73
- 1973 – A. Hodgetts {Cooee Bulldogs} – 73
- 1975 – D. Shepherd {Cooee Bulldogs} – 60
- 1976 – D. Shepherd {Cooee Bulldogs} – 102
- 1978 – S. Beaumont {Cooee Bulldogs} – 94
- 1984 – S. Beaumont {Cooee Bulldogs} – 143
NTFL leading goalkickers:
- 1991 – C. Reynolds {Burnie Tigers} – 76
- 1992 – C. Reynolds {Burnie Tigers} – 96
- 2001 – A. Hering {Burnie Dockers} – 102
TFL Statewide League leading goalkickers:
- 1996 – Justin PlappJustin PlappJustin Plapp is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Richmond and St Kilda in the Australian Football League ....
{Burnie Dockers} – 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 – {Burnie Tigers}
- 263 – Harold 'Tiger' Dowling – {Cooee Bulldogs}
Record finals attendance:
- Burnie Tigers: 13,223 v Hobart – 1959 State Grand Final at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a 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 convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- Burnie Dockers: 12,352 v Clarence – 1996 TFL Grand Final at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a 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 convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...