History of Masters Football

AFL Masters, Masters Australian Football, Superules, call it what you will. The game is as old as a number of its participants. In August 1980 John Hammer convened a meeting to discus what would become Superules, and barely a month later the first game was played as a curtain raiser to the Ballarat Grand Final. The City Oval drew it’s largest crowd in 7 years that day, I’m sure most were there to get a glimpse of the “Supers” stars. The published teams, representing Ballarat and Wimmera were slightly different to what were advertised (seems late changes for confusion go way back), and the correct teams are below

Two politicians (both former VFL players) in Brian Dixon MLA and Bill McGrath MLA, were joined by a number of VFL stars including Jack Clarke (Essendon), Ron Barassi (Melb, Carl, Nth Melb), Geoff Tunbridge (Melb), Brownlow Medalist Ross Smith (St Kilda) and Jim Gull (South Melb) took the field that day

Still today AFL Masters holds its own as a bonafide football competition, with AFL players still running around in our competition.

First Superules match introduces new concept for over 35 year-olds

          BALLARAT TEAM  (WHITE SHORTS)

      Back Pocket                  Full Back            Back Pocket     

(9) Leigh Williams (15) Col Woods   (3) Peter Leddick

     Wendouree                 Lexton                   Wendouree

(4) Frank Burke          (1) Mike O’Brien      (5) Geoff Ward

     East Ball                     Redan                      Redan

(6) Barry Lenaghan    (7) Jack Clarke        (8) Lindsay Irwin

    (Ballarat)                  (Essendon)                (Stawell)

(9) Don Bartlett     (22) Kev Polkinghorne  (23) Geoff Tunbridge

    (Clunes )                  (Nth Ballarat)                (Melbourne)

(11) Lindsay Tucker (12) Jim Gull              (25) Barry Orchard

     ( Ballarat)                (  Sth Melbourne)            ( Redan)

(20) Baden Annand   (31) Ron Barassi (c’ch) (13) Ross Smith

     ( St Kilda  )               (Nth Melbourne )        (St Kilda)

Res: Arno Van Berkel (Clunes) Barry Stevens (Golden Point) 

     WIMMERA TEAM    ( BLACK SHORTS)

 Back Pocket                 Full Back              Back Pocket

(3) Les Voight           (4) Eddie Spencer    (5) Ian Wheeler

   (Quantong)        (St Michaels Horsham)   (Netherby-Lorquon)

(6) Henry Randall     (7) Dale Petering       (8) Merv Fox

  ( Kaniva)                     (Minyip)                (Great Western)

(9) Brian Dixon         (10) Graham White   (11) Rodney Clarke

M.L.A (Melbourne)        (V.C Ararat )             ( Minyip)       

(18) Ian Bone       (13) Bill McGrath       (14) Kevin Jacobs

   ( Netherby)          ( M.L.A/ Cap. Minyip)      (Quantong)

(15) Maurie McCartney ( 27)Geoff Halpin (20) Ted Malone

      (Nhill)                        (Maryborough)       ( Quantong)

Rucks:                                                           Rover : 

(19) Percy Robinson (23) Garry Liersch  (17) John Hammer

     ( Gerang -Kiata)          (Minyip)                  (Netherby)                 Reserves:

(25) Dooley Pohlner ( Woomelang)  ( 29) Bill Tucker (Laharum)