Since our inception in 1971, Donvale Football Club has strived to ensure it plays a major role in the local community by helping develop junior football in the area and establish one of the most successful senior teams in suburban football.
After a successful run of five consecutive premierships a move was sought from the Eastern Suburban Churches Football Association (ESCFA) to the Eastern Football League (EFL). In 1992, this move saw our entry into the EFL 3rd Division where our success continued posting yet another undefeated season.
Our success on the field continued culminating in a 1st Division EFL Premiership in 1996.
Other successes are listed below:
- EFL Division 3 Premiers in 1992
- EFL Division 2 Premiers in 1994 and 2001
- EFL Division 1 Runners up in 1995, 1998 & 2001
In May 2002 the Donvale Football Club "Team of the Century" was named as listed below:
B) Brian Collery, Mark Hamilton, Stephen Parsons
HB) Dennis Brick, Henry Plucinski, Paul Hamilton
C) Tim Finemore, Ray Lear, Grant Tweedie
HF) Roger Adderley, Glenn Coleman, Warren Thomas
F) Stephen Bodin, Simon Byrne, Denis Mathieson
R) Richard Parsons, Tony Weeks, Jason Wade
INT) Ray Barkla, Tony Brown, Brendan Cain, Paul Preston, Laurie Zarafa
Coach: Geoff Withers
Captain: Tony Weeks
Vice-Captain: Denis Mathieson
This was followed on our 40th Anniversary in 2011 with the naming of the teams of the decade for the 1970's, 1980's, 1990's and 2000's. The night was highlight in the history of the club. The teams are listed on the attached pdf.
After a hiatus in 2014, where a number of Donvale players played for Whitefriars in the VAFA, the club was reborn in 2015, with Angelo Lamanna as senior coach for the year. After a challenging season following the club’s rebirth in 2015, Matt Fife was appointed as the playing senior coach for the 2016 season. New coaches were also appointed for the reserves (Daniel Michelangeli) and the under 19’s (Sam D’Argenio). With the under 19’s claiming the division 4 premiership, and the reserves and seniors both making finals, the club showed remarkable improvement during the 2016 season. Moreover, James Rausa (under 19’s) and club legend Jason Wade (reserves) also took home the division 4 league best and fairest awards in their respective divisions, further highlighting the talent at the club, as well as the improvement of the club’s on-field performance.
We look forward to achieving success in the near future. Bleed Green!
