Fitzroy Stars Football Club facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fitzroy Stars Football Club |
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| Names | ||
| Full name | Fitzroy Stars Football & Netball Club | |
| Nickname(s) | Stars | |
| 2024 season | ||
| After finals | NFNL: 2nd NFNLW: 4th |
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| Home-and-away season | NFNL: 1st NFNLW: 3rd |
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| Leading goalkicker | NFNL: Patrick Farrant (59) NFNLW: Nartarsha Bamblett (14) |
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| Best and fairest | NFNL: Allan Norris NFNLW: Nartarsha Bamblett |
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| Club details | ||
| Founded | 1973 | |
| Colours | Red Yellow Black | |
| Competition | NFNL: Division 3 NFNLW: Division 2 |
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| Coach | NFNL: Neville Jetta | |
| Premierships | VACSAL Carnival (16)
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| Uniforms | ||
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| Other information | ||
| Official website | fitzroystars.com.au (archived) | |
The Fitzroy Stars Football Club is a special Australian rules football team. It is based in Thornbury, a suburb of Melbourne. This club is unique because it is the only football club in Melbourne run by Indigenous Australians.
As of 2024, the men's team plays in Division 3 of the Northern Football Netball League (NFNL). The women's team competes in Division 2 of the NFNL Women's competition. The club also takes part in the yearly VACSAL Football Netball Carnival. They have won the George Atkinson State Championship 16 times at this carnival.
History
How the Club Started
The Fitzroy Stars football club began in 1973. They joined the C Grade of the Metropolitan Football League (MFL) that same year. Their home games were played at Brunswick Street Oval. The team quickly became very good. In 1974, they won the A Grade grand final. They beat the Dallas Stars by 32 points.
However, the MFL league stopped existing at the end of 1974. A new league, the Northern Metropolitan Football League (NMFL), started in 1975. The Stars joined this new league. From 1976 to 1980, the club wore the same uniform as the Fitzroy Football Club.
Finding a League
The NMFL also stopped playing after 1980. This left the Stars without a league for a few years. In 1984, they joined the YCW Football League (YCWFL). They lost the B Grade grand final to the BYC Football Club. But in 1986, they won the Division 1 premiership.
When the YCWFL also stopped in 1986, the Stars tried to join 36 other local leagues. But every single one said no. So, the club president, Jock Austin, decided to create a new league. He formed the Melbourne North Football League (MNFL) in 1989. The Stars won the grand final that year. They also won MNFL premierships in 1990 and 1992. They lost two grand finals in a row to Heidelberg Colts in 1993 and 1994. The MNFL then stopped after the 1994 season. This meant the Stars only played in football carnivals for a while.
Joining the NFNL
After 12 years of only playing in carnivals, the Stars wanted to join a bigger league. In 2006, they tried to join the Northern Football League (NFL). This league later became known as the NFNL. Troy Austin, Jock's son and the club president, led this effort. Famous Australian footballer Kevin Sheedy supported them in 2007. He became their main supporter.
Before they were officially accepted, the Stars started training. They trained at W.R. Ruthven Reserve in Preston. In 2008, they were accepted into the NFL. They joined Division 2. They almost made it to the finals, winning 10 out of 18 games. During 2008, the club used Crispe Park, Bill Lawry Oval, and Preston City Oval as their home grounds.
In 2012, Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval was rebuilt. This was a ground where the Stars had played until 1994. The Darebin City Council helped pay for the rebuild. The Stars played their first NFL game at this rebuilt ground in June 2013.
The Stars started junior teams again in 2018. They also planned to have a women's team for the first time in 2020. However, the season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The women's team finally joined the NFNL in 2021.
In October 2024, Neville Jetta was announced as the senior men's coach for the 2025 season. He played 159 games for Melbourne in the Australian Football League (AFL). He took over from former Richmond player Lionel Proctor.
See also
- Brunswick Power Football Club
