Kew Football Club
Color 1
  1. 552309
Color 2white
Color 3solid gold
ClubnameKew Football Club
Upright0.7
FullnameKew Football Club[1]
NicknamesBears
Season2024
AfterfinalsVAFA: N/A
VAFAW: 4th
Home&awayVAFA: 6th
VAFAW: 3rd
TopgoalkickerVAFA: Ned Waters (42)
VAFAW: Dakota Villiva (19)
BestandfairestVAFA: Max Waters
VAFAW: Dakota Villiva
Founded1876 (age 150)
ColoursBrown Gold
LeagueVAFA: Division 1
VAFAW: Premier
CaptainVAFA: Max Waters
VAFAW: Rachel McDonough[2]
PremiershipsVAFA (9) 1950 · 1953 · 1962 · 1964 · 1966 · 1979 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015
GroundJ.J. Higgins Reserve
Pattern name 1Home
Pattern b 1_goldrightsash
Pattern so 1_hoops_brown
Body 1552309
Shorts 1552309
Socks 1552309

The Kew Football Club, nicknamed the Bears, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. As of 2025, the club's men's team competes in Division 1 of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), while the women's team is in the Premier Division of the VAFA Women's (VAFAW) competition.[3]

History

Early years

Kew was founded in 1876 and won its first premiership in 1880 in the second-rate ranks of the Hawthorn District Zone competition.[4] The club entered a first-rate league for the first time in 1889 when it joined the Victorian Junior Football Association (VJFA), finishing 20th with two wins and six draws.[5]

The club withdrew during the 1891 season after failing to win a game, and dropped down to the 2nd rate and 3rd rate ranks of the VJFA.[4][6] The club continued in the Association until 1896, when the VJFA mandated that all clubs must play on a fenced oval. As Victoria Park was unfenced, the club withdrew from the VJFA and "reluctantly" went into recess for two years.[4]

In 1899, Kew returned and entered the Suburban Junior Football Association (SJFA). However, in May of that year, Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA) club St Francis Xavier disbanded.[7][8][9] Kew was chosen to fill the vacancy, and it played in the MJFA for the remainder of the 1899 season.[10][11][12]

RDFA and VJFA return

Following the 1900 season, Kew left the MJFA and joined another competition, also known as the MJFA.[a] They joined the Reporter District Football Association (RDFA) in 1911, withdrawing mid-season in 1915 because of a loss of players due to World War I enlistments, but resumed when the RDFA returned after the war in 1919.[4]

Kew returned to the VJFA in 1920.[13][14] The club was winless in its return season, but eventually rose up the ladder and finished sixth with 10 wins in 1926.[4] Kew also applied for admittance into the Victorian Football Association (VFA) when Brunswick was temporarily excluded, but although VFA officials were "greatly impressed" with the club's home ground and surroundings, its application was unsuccessful and Brunswick remained in the VFA for the 1927 season.[15][16]

At the time, the VJFA was also transitioning to become a reserves competition for the VFA, and as Kew was not a VFA member, it left the VJFA.[4]

VFL Sub-Districts

For the 1927 season, Kew entered the Victorian Football League (VFL) Sub-Districts, and won the premiership in its first year in the competition.[4] Further premierships came in 1929, 1931, 1932, and 1934, and the club ultimately made finals in all but five of its 18 seasons in the Sub-Districts.[4] In 1935, Kew drew with Fairfield in the grand final.[17] The replay was won by Fairfield, with the game resulting in four players being suspended for fighting.[18][19]

Kew also had an autonomous reserves team, the Kew Junior Football Club, which was formed in 1922 and won a premiership in the Eastern Suburban Junior Football Association (ESJFA) in 1925.[20] The juniors entered the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA, formerly MJFA) in 1926 and was renamed to Kew District Football Club, before joining the VFL Sub-Districts in 1927 and winning premierships in 1928, 1929, and 1930.[4] Kew District joined the Eastern Suburban Football League (ESFL) in 1934 but folded in 1938 after an unsuccessful finals campaign in 1937.[20][21]

VAFA return

In 1949, amid "unruly behaviour" from a majority of other Sub-Districts clubs, Kew left and returned to the MJFA/MAFA, which had been renamed to the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) in 1933.[22] The club was ranked very highly by the VAFA Executive, and was admitted into C Section instead of the lower D Section for its return season.[4]

Kew won the 1949 minor premiership and was set to be automatically promoted to B Section, but after a round 18 victory over East Caulfield, an anonymous caller to VAFA headquarters stated Kew was fielding an ineligible player who had fought as a professional boxer during his army service in World War II. Kew was stripped of the eight games he played in, along with their place in the finals series, and remained in C Section for the 1950 season.[4]

In 1950, Kew were undefeated and won the premiership, earning a promotion to B Section for 1951. The B Section grand final was won in 1953, and Kew entered A Section for the first time in 1954.[6][23]

Further premierships followed in 1962, 1964 (C Section) and 1966 (B Section). However, with the exception of the 1979 (C Section), Kew was unable to find further premiership success.[24] By the 1990s, the club had fallen to D Section for the first time in its history, and fell all the way down to Division 4 (F Section) in 2004.[24]

21st century

In 2007, the North Kew Football Club amalgamated with Kew.[25] North Kew was formed in 1932 and had been competing in the Southern Football League (SFL) prior to the merger.[26]

Former footballer Ian Aitken was appointed Kew senior coach in 2011.[27] He led the club to a three-peat in 2013, 2014 and 2015, before leaving at the end of the 2016 season. Aitken returned in 2019 and remained in the role until the end of the 2023 season.[28]

Kew entered two women's in the Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL) in 2014. Dwindling squad numbers meant one of the sides withdrew after round 7, while the other able to continue and ended up as runners-up in the grand final.[6] 2015 saw another successful year on the field, with the Women’s team Runners-Up again in the VWFL.  In 2016, the Kew Women went one better and won the club’s first women’s premiership in Division 1 of the VWFL. The women's sides entered the Northern Football League (NFL) in 2017, then the VAFA Women's (VAFAW) in 2018, where it continues to compete in the Premier Division.[4]

Former Collingwood footballer and longtime local football coach Bryan 'Jack' Cole was appointed as Kew's men's senior coach for the 2024 season, and continues to serve in the role as of 2025.[29]

Seasons

Source:[30]

PremiersGrand FinalistMinor premiersFinals appearanceWooden spoonDivision leading goalkickerDivision best and fairest

Men's

Seniors

YearLeagueDivisionFinishWLDCoachCaptainTerry Hayes Medal
(Best and fairest)		Leading goalkickerRef
1876[31]
1877
1878
1879
1880HDZ2nd rate
1881
1882
1883
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889VJFA1st rate20th2611[32]
1890VJFA1st rate23rd3124[33]
1891VJFA1st rate24th−−−[34]
1892VJFA
1893VJFA
1894VJFA
1895VJFA
1896VJFA
1897N/Acolspan="11"; align="center" | (In recess)
1898N/Acolspan="11"; align="center" | (In recess)
1899MJFA
1900MJFA7th2140[35]
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911RDFA
1912RDFAA Section2nd820
1913RDFAA Grade4th1341
1914RDFAA Grade2nd1040
1915RDFAA Grade6th650
1916RDFAcolspan="11"; align="center" | (No season due to World War I)
1917RDFAcolspan="11"; align="center" | (No season due to World War I)
1918RDFAcolspan="11"; align="center" | (No season due to World War I)
1919RDFAA Grade2nd1059
1920VJFA
1921VJFA9th3131[36]
1922VJFA8th4140[37]
1923VJFA9th6130[38]
1924VJFADivision 15th790[39]
1925VJFA
1926VJFA
1927VFLSDDivision 1
1928VFLSDDivision 1
1929VFLSDDivision 1
1930VFLSDDivision 1
1931VFLSDDivision 11st[40]
1932VFLSDDivision 1
1933VFLSDDivision 1
1934VFLSDDivision 1
1935VFLSDDivision 1
1936VFLSD
1937VFLSD
1938VFLSD
1939VFLSD
1940VFLSD
1941VFLSD
1942VFLSD
1943VFLSD
1944VFLSD
1945VFLSD
1946VFLSD
1947VFLSD
1948VFLSD
1949VAFA
1950VAFA
1951VAFA
1952VAFA
1953VAFA
1954VAFA
1955VAFA
1956VAFA
1957VAFA
1958VAFA
1959VAFA
1960VAFA
1961VAFA
1962VAFA
1963VAFA
1964VAFA
1965VAFA
1966VAFA
1967VAFA
1968VAFA
1969VAFA
1970VAFAB Section6th
1971VAFAB Section
1972VAFAB Section6th
1973VAFAB Section
1974VAFAB Section
1975VAFAB Section10th
1976VAFAC Section8th
1977VAFAC Section7th
1978VAFAC Section8th
1979VAFAC Section
1980VAFAB Section
1981VAFAB Section
1982VAFAB Section
1983VAFAB Section3rd
1984VAFAA Section10th
1985VAFAB Section
1986VAFAC Section6th
1987VAFAC Section1st1710Matthew Cavanagh72[41]
1988VAFAB Section1st
1989VAFAA Section10th
1990VAFAB Section
1991VAFAB Section10th
1992VAFAC Section
1993VAFAC Section
1994VAFA
1995VAFA
1996VAFAD Section
1997VAFAE East3rd
1998VAFAE White3rd
1999VAFA
2000VAFADivision 2
2001VAFADivision 26th
2002VAFADivision 210th
2003VAFADivision 3
2004VAFADivision 42nd
2005VAFADivision 36th
2006VAFADivision 37th
2007VAFADivision 310th
2008VAFADivision 4
2009VAFADivision 4
2010VAFADivision 3
2011VAFADivision 38thIan Aitken
2012VAFADivision 3Ian Aitken
2013VAFADivision 31stIan Aitken
2014VAFADivision 21stIan AitkenAndrew Brazzale[42]
2015VAFADivision 12ndIan Aitken
2016VAFAPremier C5th7110Ian Aitken[43]
2017VAFAPremier C10th3150Peter Callinan[44]
2018VAFADivision 18th6120Michael Shmerling[45][46]
2019VAFADivision 13rd1251Ian AitkenJack Delbridge[47]
2020VAFADivision 1(No season)Ian Aitken(No season)
2021VAFADivision 13rd[b]920Ian AitkenMax Waters[48][49]
2022VAFADivision 12ndIan AitkenMax Waters[50][51]
2023VAFADivision 17th8100Ian AitkenMax Waters[52]Max Waters[53]Lachlan James[54][55]21
2024VAFADivision 16th891Jack Cole[56]Max Waters[57]Max Waters[58]Ned Waters[59]42[60]

Notes

  1. ^ In 1900, the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA, now VAFA) decided on a change of name to the Metropolitan Football Association (MFA). MJFA president Lawrence Adamson brokered a deal that the existing MFA (of 1899) became the MJFA, giving his MJFA (of 1892) the "Metropolitan Football Association" name.[4][61] Despite this, various newspaper reports from 1900 until 1912 still use the MJFA name when referring to Adamson's competition, most consensus is that "MJFA" in this time period refers to the now-VAFA, and the VAFA's official history continues to use the MJFA name until 1912.[7][62]
  2. ^ Although Kew finished third in 2021, no finals series was held as the season was curtailed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[63]

References

  1. ^ "Current details for ABN 96 904 678 947". ABN Lookup. Archived 27 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  2. ^ Atkinson, Lauren (14 August 2024). "St Kevin's triumph in a commanding win". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived 15 August 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 September 2024. Highlights up forward included the efforts of Asha Price and Kew captain Rachel McDonough, who finished with three goals apiece.
  3. ^ "Rob Harding on what lays ahead for Kew in season 2024". Herald Sun. 2 April 2024. Archived 27 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  4. ^ "CLUB HISTORY". Kew Football Club. Archived 19 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  5. ^ "1889 – Victorian Junior Football Association". Sportsman. 9 October 1889. p. 2. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Kew Football Club (Vic)". Footypedia. Archived 27 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  7. ^ "A BRIEF HISTORY". Victorian Amateur Football Association. 9 April 2009. Archived 19 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  8. ^ "METROPOLITAN JUNIOR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION". The Age. 22 August 1899. Retrieved 25 July 2024. South St. Kilda, Leopold disbanded.
  9. ^ "FOOTBALL". The Age. 23 August 1899. In today's issue the position of clubs reads that South St. Kilda and Leopold clubs have disbanded. This should read, 'South St. Kilda and St. Francis Xaviers disbanded.' You will notice that Leopold is third on the list of clubs.
  10. ^ "CLUB HISTORY". Kew Football Club. Archived 19 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 July 2024. Resuming in 1899 in the Suburban Junior Football Association the club quickly changed competitions after Round 4 when a vacancy occurred in the more senior Metropolitan Junior Football Association (now VAFA) replacing the St Francis Xavier (now Xavier College) club.
  11. ^ "Football". The Argus. 11 July 1899. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Football". The Age. 2 August 1899. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  13. ^ "VICTORIAN JUNIOR ASSOCIATION". The Argus. 30 August 1920. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  14. ^ "JUNIOR ASSOCIATION". The Argus. 6 September 1920. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Four Clubs Seek Admittance". The Argus. 7 September 1926. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  16. ^ "CLAIMS OF YARRAVILLE AND KEW CLUBS". The Age. 24 August 1926. p. 15. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Fairfield and Kew Draw". The Argus. 16 September 1935. p. 15. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  18. ^ "Fairfield Wins Premiership". The Argus. 23 September 1935. p. 5. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  19. ^ "FIGHTS IN GRAND FINAL". The Age. 21 September 1935. p. 19. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  20. ^ "Kew Juniors Football Club / Kew District Football Club (Vic)". Footypedia. Archived 27 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  21. ^ "Kew District Reunion". Sporting Globe. 29 September 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  22. ^ Amateur Association: Change of Name Adopted The Age 25 October 1932 page 10
  23. ^ "Premier Section Finals Series". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived 25 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  24. ^ "Kew Football Club". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived 27 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  25. ^ "WHERE IS NORTH KEW?". Kew Historical Society. June 2022. p. 6. Archived 7 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  26. ^ "North Kew Bears". Local Footy Stats. Archived 27 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  27. ^ Prime, Toby. "VAFA 2018: Kew premiership coach Ian Aitken returns to the Bears". Herald Sun. Progress Leader. Archived 28 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  28. ^ May, Brayden. "Kew appoints Rob Harding as director of men’s footy". Herald Sun. Archived 28 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  29. ^ Cook, Kate (2023-10-20). "Kew FC Finds Man In Bryan 'Jack' Cole". Kew Football Club. Archived 21 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  30. ^ "Kew". Local Footy Stats. Archived 27 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  31. ^ "Football". The Argus. 17 July 1876. p. 7. Retrieved 28 May 2025. Kew v. Toorak, won by the former by one goal to nil
  32. ^ "1889 – Victorian Junior Football Association". Sportsman. 9 October 1889. p. 2. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  33. ^ "1890 – Victorian Junior FA – Ladder". The Australasian. 4 October 1890. p. 18. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  34. ^ "1891 – Victorian Junior FA – Final Ladder". Sportsman. 22 September 1891. p. 6. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  35. ^ "FOOTBALL". Standard. 29 September 1900. p. 4. Archived 13 August 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  36. ^ "ASSOCIATION". The Age. 29 August 1921. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  37. ^ "Junior Association". Labor Call. 7 September 1922. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  38. ^ "Association". The Age. 10 September 1923. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  39. ^ "ASSOCIATION". The Age. 25 August 1924. p. 15. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  40. ^ "South Districts Defeated". Record. 12 September 1931. p. 3. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  41. ^ "The Amateur Footballer Week 23 1987". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived 8 June 2024 at the Wayback Machine.
  42. ^ "ON THIS DAY 6 years ago at Casey Fields, our Men’s Senior side claimed back to back premierships for first time since The Great Depression, when Kew won the 1931 and 1932 flags". Facebook. Kew Football Club. 13 September 2020. Archived 28 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  43. ^ "2016 Premier C". GameDay. VAFA Results Archive. Archived 28 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  44. ^ "Callinan claims Kew’s senior coaching role". Victorian Amateur Football Association. 26 October 2016. Archived 29 November 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  45. ^ Armistead, Nick (2 October 2018). "Aitken returns to Bear Cave". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived 11 April 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 July 2024. The Kew Football Club sincerely thanks Michael Shmerling for his dedication and service in coaching the senior men’s side in season 2018.
  46. ^ "2018 VAFA Men's Premiership Season Division 1". Australian Football. Archived 28 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  47. ^ "Enormous achievement this year as Bears superstar, Jack Delbridge won his FOURTH Terry Hayes medal". Facebook. Kew Football Club. 2 October 2019. Archived 28 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  48. ^ "The skipper has done it again!". Facebook. Kew Football Club. 27 December 2021. Archived 28 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  49. ^ "2021 Division 1 Men's". GameDay. VAFA Results Archive. Archived 28 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  50. ^ Galea, Nicholas (9 August 2022). "Ryan boots five to keep dream alive". Inner East Review. Archived 28 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 September 2024. Kew Football Club president Michael Cochrane said it was important to get the win on what was a special day - co-captain Max Waters' 150th game for the club.
  51. ^ "2022 Division 1 Men's". GameDay. VAFA Results Archive. Archived 28 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  52. ^ Miller, Susan (2 August 2023). "Prahran keep their winning streak going". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived 28 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 September 2024. A fifty-metre penalty to captain Max Waters, who was able to convert a crucial goal, saw the Bears build momentum.
  53. ^ "RE-COMMITTED". Facebook. Kew Football Club. 26 November 2023. Archived 19 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 November 2024. MAX WATERS, the senior skipper, reigning Terry Hayes Medallist, and Ian Job Players’ Player winner will lead the side for the 5th straight year, in his 12th season at Kew
  54. ^ "2023 Division 1 Men's Scoring Summary". GameDay. VAFA Results Archive. Archived 22 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  55. ^ "Lachlan James". GameDay. Kew Football Club. Archived 22 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  56. ^ Cook, Kate (20 October 2023). "Kew FC finds man in Bryan 'Jack' Cole". Kew Football Club. Archived 21 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine.
  57. ^ "150 IN A ROW". Facebook. Kew Football Club. 10 August 2024. Archived 28 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 September 2024. Our fearless men's skipper, the one and only Max Waters is stringing together his 150th CONSECUTIVE match!
  58. ^ "Friday night saw us put a bow on season 2024 with our Presentation Night at the glorious Medallion Club at Marvel Stadium". Facebook. Kew Football Club. 6 October 2024. Archived 22 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  59. ^ "Division 1 Men's 2024 Statistics". PlayHQ. Archived 28 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  60. ^ "Division 1 Men's 2024". PlayHQ. Archived 20 September 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  61. ^ "METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION". The Herald. 17 August 1906. p. 5. Retrieved 13 August 2024. Tomorrow's MFA matches
  62. ^ "Metropolitan Junior Football Association (Vic)". Footypedia. Archived 10 August 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  63. ^ "VAFA, Joint League Statement: 2021 Season Cancelled". Victorian Amateur Football Association. 2 September 2021. Archived 25 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine.