North Shore Bombers
Encyclopedia
North Shore Football Club , known informally as the North Shore Bombers is an Australian rules football
club competing in the Sydney AFL
league and based out of the Sydney suburb of St Leonards, New South Wales
. Formed in 1903 it remains one of only three foundation clubs still in existence and generally recognised as one of the more successful clubs of Sydney AFL. The club's current home ground is Gore Hill Oval in St. Leonards, next to the Royal North Shore Hospital
.
Previously nicknamed the Bears, the club has the same playing strip and now logo as the Essendon Football Club
in the AFL
. The 2010 Senior Coach at North Shore is Rohan Graham, the captains are Adam Lord and Ron Wason and the club's President is Grant Strudwick.
In 2008, after a slow start to the season, the Bombers finished strongly to qualify for the final 5, but were eliminated in the first finals match.
With strong junior numbers coming through the ranks, from 2006 to 2008 North Shore fielded two teams in the Under 18s Premier Cup, Sydney AFL's strongest under-18s competition. One of their teams, the Bombers, took out the premiership in 2006 and 2008; while their other team, the Wildcats, took out the 2007 title undefeated. In 2008, the Wildcats changed their name to the Bears. However, the introduction of a divisional structure in the Sydney AFL competition, with a limit of one team per club in each division, saw North Shore only field one under 18s team in 2009 and 2010.
Senior premierships: 1904, 1910, 1921, 1952, 1961, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007.
Reserve premierships: 1912, 1913, 1950, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004
U19/U18 premierships: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 2006 (Bombers), 2007 (Wildcats)-Undefeated Premiers, 2008 (Bombers), 2009.
, Russell Morris
, Lewis Roberts-Thomson
, Henry Playfair
, Phil Bradmore
, Andrew Bomford
, Simon Davies and Michael Byrne.
Tennis champion Pat Rafter has played a number of games for the reserves.
The club has had a number of players admitted onto senior club rookie lists with Ed Clarke, Tom Hill and Mark Livy listed with the Swans. Ryan Davis has also been rookie listed with the West Coast Eagles following a strong 2007 season and winning the Rod Podbury Medal for best on ground in the 2007 Grand Final win.
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 competing in the Sydney AFL
Sydney AFL
The "AFL Sydney" is an Australian rules football League, based in metropolitan Sydney, Australia.The AFL Sydney competition comprises 21 clubs playing across 5 senior divisions with 2 under 18 competitions.-History:...
league and based out of the Sydney suburb of St Leonards, New South Wales
St Leonards, New South Wales
St Leonards is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. St Leonards is located 5 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of Municipality of Lane Cove, North Sydney Council and the City of...
. Formed in 1903 it remains one of only three foundation clubs still in existence and generally recognised as one of the more successful clubs of Sydney AFL. The club's current home ground is Gore Hill Oval in St. Leonards, next to the Royal North Shore Hospital
Royal North Shore Hospital
The Royal North Shore Hospital is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located in St Leonards. It serves as a teaching hospital for Sydney Medical School at the University of Sydney and has approximately 740 beds. It is the referral hospital for Northern Sydney and the Central...
.
Previously nicknamed the Bears, the club has the same playing strip and now logo as the Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. The 2010 Senior Coach at North Shore is Rohan Graham, the captains are Adam Lord and Ron Wason and the club's President is Grant Strudwick.
History
The club formed in 1903, one of only three remaining foundation clubs, and since then has won thirteen senior premierships. The Bombers competed in 6 Grand Finals in a row from 2000–2005, winning premierships in 2001, 2004 & 2005. Although the Bombers failed to qualify for the finals in 2006, they bounced back in 2007 to take their 13th premiership.In 2008, after a slow start to the season, the Bombers finished strongly to qualify for the final 5, but were eliminated in the first finals match.
With strong junior numbers coming through the ranks, from 2006 to 2008 North Shore fielded two teams in the Under 18s Premier Cup, Sydney AFL's strongest under-18s competition. One of their teams, the Bombers, took out the premiership in 2006 and 2008; while their other team, the Wildcats, took out the 2007 title undefeated. In 2008, the Wildcats changed their name to the Bears. However, the introduction of a divisional structure in the Sydney AFL competition, with a limit of one team per club in each division, saw North Shore only field one under 18s team in 2009 and 2010.
Senior premierships: 1904, 1910, 1921, 1952, 1961, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007.
Reserve premierships: 1912, 1913, 1950, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004
U19/U18 premierships: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 2006 (Bombers), 2007 (Wildcats)-Undefeated Premiers, 2008 (Bombers), 2009.
Past Players
The club has produced AFL players such as Ryan DavisRyan Davis (Australian rules footballer)
Ryan Davis is an Australian Rules footballer with the West Coast Eagles.-Biography:He started his senior football career at the North Shore Bombers before catching the eye of West Coast Eagle talent scouts. Signing a scholarship with the club in 2007, Davis had an outstanding year playing first...
, Russell Morris
Russell Morris (footballer)
Russell Morris is a former Australian rules footballer.Morris was recruited from the North Shore Bombers in New South Wales. As a child he grew up supporting the Richmond Football Club in the VFL....
, Lewis Roberts-Thomson
Lewis Roberts-Thomson
Lewis Roberts-Thomson is an Australian rules football player with the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League.He was drafted by the Swans from the NSW-ACT U18s with the 29th selection in the 2001 AFL Draft...
, Henry Playfair
Henry Playfair
Henry Playfair is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. Playfair grew up and around the town of Holbrook in the Riverina region of New South Wales.-Career:...
, Phil Bradmore
Phil Bradmore
Phil Bradmore is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Footscray in the Victorian Football League .Bradmore was recruited to the VFL from Sydney club North Shore and spent most of his time in the Footscray reserves. A key position player, he played at West Perth for the rest of the...
, Andrew Bomford
Andrew Bomford
Andrew Bomford is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon and the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League ....
, Simon Davies and Michael Byrne.
Tennis champion Pat Rafter has played a number of games for the reserves.
The club has had a number of players admitted onto senior club rookie lists with Ed Clarke, Tom Hill and Mark Livy listed with the Swans. Ryan Davis has also been rookie listed with the West Coast Eagles following a strong 2007 season and winning the Rod Podbury Medal for best on ground in the 2007 Grand Final win.