Ararat Football Club

Ararat Football / Netball Club
Names
Full nameArarat Football Netball Club
NicknameRats
2025 season
After finals1st
Home-and-away season1st
Pre-season1st
Leading goalkickerTom Williamson (71)
Olver Memorial MedalTom Williamson
Club details
Founded1871 (1871)
Colours   
CompetitionWimmera Football League
PresidentDavid Hosking
CoachTom Williamson
Premierships(22): 1903, 1904, 1905, 1908, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1920, 1949, 1951, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1971, 1975, 1986, 1999, 2001, 2023, 2024, 2025
GroundAlexandra Oval, Ararat (capacity: 8,000)
Uniforms
Home
Other information
Official websitehttps://araratfootballnetball.com.au/

The Ararat Football Club, nicknamed the Rats, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the city of Ararat, Victoria. The football team currently competes in the Wimmera Football League (WFL).[1]

History

Formed in 1871, Ararat won eight premierships in the Wimmera and District Football Association during the early 20th century.

When Ararat won the 1912 premiership, the winning team was presented with 20 combination sets of a jam spoon, bread fork and a butter knife.[2]

From 1924 to 1928, they played in the Ballarat Football League. They did not return to the Wimmera District Football League until 1930, as they were forced to sit out of the competition for a year as punishment for their earlier defection. From 1934 to 1936 they took part in Ballarat-Wimmera FL.

The Wimmera Football League was reformed in 1937 and Ararat have participated since the beginning. They are the second most successful club in the league in terms of premierships, behind Horsham.

Their greatest era came in the 1950s when they won four consecutive premierships, under former Essendon player Percy Bushby at the helm.[3]

Football Premierships

Seniors
Reserves
Thirds
  • Wimmera Football League (15)
    • 1978, 1982, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022,

Netball Premierships

A. Grade
  • 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997
B. Grade
  • 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1991
C. Grade
  • ?
C. Reserve
  • ?
17 & Under
  • 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989

League Best & Fairest

Senior Football
  • Wimmera Football League - Pat J Toohey Medal
    • 1956 - Jack Antonio
    • 1963 - Jim Bonner
    • 1971 - Leo Maloney
    • 1973 - Laurie Stephens
    • 1992 - Glen Antonio (son of Jack Antonio)
    • 2002 - Matt Jackson
    • 2003 - Dale Bligh
    • 2008 - Allen Batchelor
    • 2018 - Dale Mendes
    • 2023 - Jake Robinson
    • 2024 - Tom Williamson
    • 2025 - Ben Taylor
Reserves
Thirds
  • Wimmera Football League
    • 1980 - Dave Williams
    • 1982 - Murray McKinnis
    • 1996 - Shane Krings
    • 2003 - Alan Batchelor
    • 2012, 2013 - Alex Laidlaw
    • 2016 - Jack Antonio
    • 2017 - Corri Corrigan

League Goalkicking

Wimmera Football League

Seniors

VFL/AFL players

The following footballers played with Ararat FNC, prior to playing senior football in the VFL/AFL, and / or drafted, with the year indicating their VFL/AFL debut.

  • 1929 - Tom Byrne - AFC 1927, 18 games > Carlton 1929, 4 games > Hawthorn 1935-39 61 games
  • 1930 - Henry Thomson - AFC 1925-28, 58 games > Carlton 1930, 1 game
  • 1930 - Jim Williamson - AFC 1928, 30-31 38 games > Carlton 1930, 1 game
  • 1962 - Henry Ogilvie - AFC 1958-61, 64, 55 games > Carlton 1962-63, 2 games
  • 2017 - Tom Williamson - AFC 2014-15, 12 games > Carlton 2017-, 18 games
  • 1954 - Alan Young - AFC 1952-53, 19 games > Collingwood 1954, 3 games
  • 1966 - Barry Price - AFC 20 games > Collingwood 1966-75, 79, 158 games
  • 1976 - Lex Pritchard - AFC 1971-74, 23 games > Collingwood 1976-77 3 games
  • 1982 - Neil Peart - AFC 1976, 80, 29 games > Collingwood 1982, 13 games > Richmond 1983-84, 86, 40 games > Footscray 1985, 9 games
  • 1982 - Chris Dalkin - AFC 1978-81, 86, 93, 61 games > Collingwood 1982-83, 85, 18 games
  • 1912 - Billy Harvey - AFC 1911 8 games > Essendon 1912, 3 games
  • 1969 - Doug Tassell - AFC 1967-69 84 games > Essendon 1969-70, 20 games
  • 1971 - Barry Grinter - AFC 1969 15 games > Essendon 1971-72, 74-76, 78 games > Richmond 1978, 6 games
  • 2013 - Lauchlan Dalgleish - AFC 2009-11, 12 games > Essendon 2013, 3 games
  • 1917 - Dave Crone - AFC 1913, 8 games > Fitzroy 3 games, Carlton 1917-20, 22 games
  • 1965 - Daryl Peoples - AFC 1962-65, 64 games > Fitzroy 1965-70, 77 games
  • 1965 - Terry Brady - AFC 1962-68, 115 games > Fitzroy 1965, 1 game
  • 1927 - Henry Power - AFC 1924, 1926–28, 22 games > Footscray 1927, 2 games
  • 1929 - Eugene Sullivan - AFC 1927-28, 35, 37, 33 games > Footscray 1929, 3 games
  • 1904 - William Burns - AFC 1904-06, 10 games > Geelong 1904 2 games
  • 1928 - Milton White - AFC 1922 4 games > Geelong 1928-29, 6 games
  • 1957 - Ian O'Halloran - AFC 1956-57, 18 games > Geelong 1957, 3 games
  • 1926 - Stuart Stewart - AFC 1924-25, 18 games > Hawthorn 1926-35 130 games
  • 1906 - Fred Sleeman - AFC 1905, 7 games > Melbourne 1906, 14 games
  • 1951 - William Smeaton - AFC 1948-50, 65-56 > Melbourne 1951-52, 17 games
  • 1951 - Jack Clark - AFC 1946-51, 55.56, 59, 113 games > Nth Melbourne 1951, 2 games
  • 1961 - Kevin Fitzgerald - AFC 1960, 13 games > Richmond 1961, 1 game
  • 1991 - Scott Turner - AFC 1987-88, 90, 06, 08-12, 59 games > Richmond 1991-00, 144 games
  • 1911 - Ted Brown - AFC 1911-13, 20 games > St. Kilda 1911 4 games > Carlton 1914-20, 95 games
  • 1935 - Joe Garbutt Jr. - AFC 1925-26, 22 games > St Kilda 1935, 7 games
  • 1904 - Harry 'Duxie' Gibson - AFC 1897-08, 10, 68 games > Sth Melbourne 1904-06, 41 games
  • 1958 - Gerald Brennan - AFC 1957-61, 67, 70 games > Sth Melbourne 1958, 60, 7 games

The following footballers played senior VFL / AFL football prior to playing and / or coaching with Ararat with the year indicating their first season at AFNC.


Killed in action during World War One.

References

  1. ^ "Official Club Website". Sportingpulse.
  2. ^ "1912 - Wimmera Football Premiership". The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954). 13 September 1912. p. 5. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  3. ^ "Ararat". Full Points Footy. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  4. ^ "1903 - Ararat Champions". The Ararat Advertiser and Chronicle for the Stawell and Wimmera Districts (Vic. : 1885 - 1918). 28 August 1903. p. 2. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  5. ^ "1904 - Country Football: Ararat". The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954). 9 September 1904. p. 8. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  6. ^ "1905 - Ararat wins the Wimmera Premiership". The Ararat Advertiser and Chronicle for the Stawell and Wimmera Districts (Vic. : 1885 - 1918). 8 September 1905. p. 3. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  7. ^ "1905 - Ararat Football Club". The Ararat Advertiser and Chronicle for the Stawell and Wimmera Districts (Vic. : 1885 - 1918). 22 September 1905. p. 3. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  8. ^ "1908 - COUNTRY FOOTBALL". The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954). 17 September 1908. p. 8. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  9. ^ "1911 - Ararat Football Club". The Ararat Advertiser and Chronicle for the Stawell and Wimmera Districts (Vic. : 1885 - 1918). 24 October 1911. p. 3. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  10. ^ "1912 - WIMMERA FOOTBALL: ARARAT PREMIERS". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957). 12 September 1912. p. 6. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  11. ^ "1912 - ARARAT FOOTBALLERS ENTERTAINED". The Ararat Advertiser and Chronicle for the Stawell and Wimmera Districts (Vic. : 1885 - 1918). 15 October 1912. p. 2. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  12. ^ "1914 - Wimmera Premiership: Won by Ararat". Dimboola Banner and Wimmera and Mallee Advertiser (Vic. : 1914 - 1918). 4 September 1914. p. 2. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  13. ^ "1920 - Won by Ararat". The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954). 14 September 1920. p. 4. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  14. ^ "1934 - Ballarat Semi-Final Dates & Medal Winner". The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic). 20 August 1934. p. 30. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  15. ^ "1946 - Leading Goal-kickers". The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954). 6 September 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  16. ^ "1950 - RECORDS GO AS STAWELL BEATS ARARAT FOR WIMMERA PENNANT". Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954). 20 September 1950. p. 75. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  17. ^ "1954 - Ararat FC loses valuable points". Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954). 4 August 1954. p. 90. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  18. ^ "1955 - Top of the Wimmera". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957). 20 June 1955. p. 13. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
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