Northern United Football Club – The September Specialists

The history of the Northern United Football club was released on 13 June at the 30 & 40 year Premiership reunions for 1975 and 1985. Over 100 players and supporters of this once great club attended with both playing coaches Teddy Aldridge (75) and Tony “Bluey” Southcombe (85) also in attendance with former Presidents Bob Considine and John Mulqueen.  The reunion also resulted in the launch of the book compiled by Trevor Ludeman (former player) and researched by Pat Murley. This 140 page book used the finals campaigns as a way of telling the story of this Club that originated in 1949 from the amalgamation of the small farming communities of Kamarooka, Neilborough and Raywood.

The September Specialists identifies that total games won and lost over 48 years was 1044 won and 1056 lost equating to 2100 games. While the history of the Club can be divided into two main eras being the Bendigo Football Association & Golden City Football League era (1949-1982) and post amalgamation of the Golden City and Bendigo Football leagues into a single competition in 1983.  Examination of these eras reveals: Bendigo Football Association & Golden City League:

• Seniors: won 377 games & lost 220, resulting in a win/loss ratio of 63%;
• Reserves: won 344 & lost 251, equating to a win/loss ratio of 58%;
• Thirds (1967): won 90 games and lost 121 equating to a win/loss ratio of 43%.

The Senior and Reserves playing in consecutive finals campaigns for 17 years in a row (1963 onwards) and Seniors playing 10 Grand finals in the 1970’s decade.

The Bendigo Football League era:

• Seniors: won 124 and lost 115 games equating to win/loss ratio of 52%;
• Reserves: won 67 and lost 172 games equating to win/loss ratio of 28%;
• Thirds: won 42 and lost 177 games equating to a win/loss ratio of 19%.

By comparison the golden era of the club would be represented by the Senior Premierships of the 1970’s and 1980’s.

• 1970’s:- 7 Senior Premierships:- 130 senior games won and 47 lost equating to 73% win/loss ratio with Reserves (123/56) also having a high win/loss ratio of 68%;
• 1983-89:- 4 Senior Premierships: – 101 senior games won and 28 lost equating to a 78% win/loss ratio.

Of note however was that a lack of depth with Reserves and Thirds teams during this period (1983-89) with Reserves wining only 38% of games and Thirds 8%.

Overall the achievements of the club throughout these 48 years were significant with 130 finals across all grades, comprising of :

• 24 First semi;
• 34 Preliminary;
• 32 Second semi;
• 5 Elimination;
• 2 Qualifying;
• 33 Grand Finals;
• 16 Premierships.

The Senior teams participated in 22 Grand Finals in 41 years for 12 Premierships, with “back to back” being achieved in 1972/73 – 1978/79.  There was the extraordinary achievement of four in a row in 1984-1987 and just missed out on the fifth premiership by 14 points in 1988!

At the Reserve grade, over an era from 1954 to 1980, the Club played in 10 Grand Finals for 3 Premierships, while the Thirds (est 1967) had to wait until 1978 for their first and only Premiership.  By 1989 the Junior Club also achieved this goal by winning its first Premiership. Indeed there would be few if any players at United that did not experience finals footy!