Welcome to Park Orchards Senior Football Club
Some Background on our Junior Club (established 1969) & Senior Club (established 2011)
The original Park Orchards Junior Football Club was established in 1969 by the then Principal of the local Park Orchards Primary School, Peter McClinden who would later become President of Vermont Football Club. The first President of the Park Orchards Junior Football Club was Mr. J.O’Brien. The club was based at its current home ground of Domeney Reserve in Knees Road, Park Orchards which was also a popular picnic spot for new families who had moved into the Park Orchards neighbourhood.
The original club colours were a plain black jumper with club name and logo, and then later changed to black and white vertical stripes. The North Ringwood Parish Junior Football Club was established in 1984 and its first President was Father Kevin Mogg, the parish priest of Holy Spirit Parish in North Ringwood. The North Ringwood Parish JFC utilized Colman Park in South Warrandyte as its home venue and its colours were a red jumper with a black sash. In 1991 the Park Orchards Junior Football Club merged with the North Ringwood Parish Junior Football Club, to form the Park Orchards North Ringwood Parish Junior Football Club. The first president of the newly formed club was Michael Cahill, who was also the last president of the NRPJFC, and the new club adopted the black and white striped jumper worn by the Park Orchards club.
In 2000 the club colours were upgraded to incorporate red from the original North Ringwood Parish JFC jumper, and a new design featuring a circling shark was adopted. This new jumper design is now worn by the current day players-both junior and senior. The Sharks relinquished tenancy at Colman Park and for many seasons solely used Domeney Reserve and the wonderful new facilities that were built there as its home venue.
As it approached the new century, the Club identified that considerable benefits could be gained by having its own Auskick program, as these skilled-based clinics had proved to be successful player development pathways at several neighbouring clubs. In 2001, the Sharks Auskick was launched and based at Stintons Reserve, Park Orchards and in its 10 years of operation; Park Orchards Auskick has become an award winning Auskick in the Eastern Region.
The growth in teams and player numbers at the junior club as a result of the successful Auskick program required the use of a second home ground and in 2004 matches commenced being played at Stintons Reserve. In 2005, the Club took another significant step in securing its future with the installation of floodlighting at Stintons, providing the Sharks with 2 fully equipped training and playing venues. VFL/AFL players to have played with the junior football club include Dean Bailey (ex Essendon and Melbourne), Jason Cloke (Collingwood), Cameron Cloke (Collingwood and Carlton), Travis Cloke (Collingwood), Marcus Allan (Brisbane) and Nick Malceski (Sydney). While winning premierships is not given high importance at the junior club, in 2004 the Sharks won a League record of 5 premierships.
In 2013 the junior club fielded 18 teams with over 450 players with an additional 130 plus children participating in its Sharks Auskick program. For a number of years now, the Park Orchards North Ringwood Parish Junior Football Club had been the largest football club and the largest junior sporting club in the City of Manningham.
With this level of participation likely to continue long into the future, during 2010 the junior club Committee decided to explore the option of commencing a senior club. A sub-committee which included current Committee members was formed and a task force was established to investigate setting up a greenfield Park Orchards senior football club. This task force comprised 4 Life Members from the junior football club, as well as 2 former junior club Committee members.
In July 2010 the junior club Committee formally voted to establish a senior Park Orchards Football Club, and an application was submitted to join the Eastern Football League with approval being granted by a vote of the EFL clubs in October. Park Orchards Football Club commenced in Division 4 with an Under 18 team, and added senior and reserve teams in 2012. The Under 19 team won the Division 4 EFL Colts premiership in 2011 and 2013. John Brown was appointed Senior Coach in October 2013 and with Premiership experience at Templestowe, he is preparing his young Sharks players for their first tilt at finals football.
Watching over the progress of the new senior club are AFL locals Alan Richardson (POFC Number 1 member), Kevin Sheedy (POFC Club Patron) a long time Park Orchards resident and Tim Livingstone (Richmond head of coach development).
After more than 40 years of successful junior football, Park Orchards is well underway with its own senior community-based football club, and it’s time now to create history to WIN that first senior premiership.
WE ARE BUILDING FROM WITHIN THROUGH OUR YOUNG PLAYERS….