Wodonga Saints Football Club

The Wodonga Saints Football Netball Club is an Australian rules football and netball club playing their home games at Martin Park in Wodonga, Victoria, Australia.

Wodonga Saints
Names
Full nameWodonga Saints Football Netball Club
Nickname(s)Saints
Motto"Our Strength is within"
Club song"Oh When The Saints Go Marching In"
Club details
Founded1907 (1907)
Colours     
CompetitionTallangatta & District Football League
Premierships1913, 1929
Ground(s)Martin Park, Wodonga & Bethanga Park
Uniforms
Home
Other information
Official websitewodongasaints.com.au

Originally established as the Bethanga Football Club in 1907, with the club was based at the Bethanga Park Recreation Reserve, Bethanga, Victoria, Australia up until 2001.

Following the 1999 Victorian Country Football League report that stated a number of clubs, including Bethanga, were on the verge of collapsing if some kind of action was not taken. After playing a handful of matches at Wodonga's Martin Park to see if there would be enough local support to support the club moving there, the club made the decision in 2002 and Bethanga FC relocated fully to Martin Park, Wodonga & were renamed as the Wodonga Saints Football Club.

History

Bethanga Football Club

The Bethanga Football Club was established in 1907 and initially played in the Mitta Mitta Football League (Tallangatta Football Association) with its first match against Tallangatta Football Club at home at Bethanga Park in the black and red (Essendon) colors.[1]

Local brothers, Arthur Mills and Albert Mills played for Bethanga in the 1926 and 1927 Kiewa & District Football Association grand finals, before the family moved to Oxley,[2] near Wangaratta, playing with Wangaratta Football Club in 1929, then both brothers made their debuts for the Hawthorn Football Club in 1930.

In 1928, Bethanga FC wore the colours of red, white and blue.

In 1958, Granya FC (who folded in 1954) and Bethanga FC merged to become the Granya / Bethanga Bombers and were coached by Norm Benstead, who happened to kick 100 plus goals in 1958. In 1959, the merged club changed its name to the Murray United Football Club and was coached by Alf Deane. Unfortunately for the local community the new club folded after the 1959 season, after winning only one game and forfeiting two. Granya FC would never reform and the Bethanga FC would not reform until the 1976 Tallangatta & District Football League season.[3]

Football Competitions Timeline

Bethanga Football Club have played in the following football competitions.

Senior Football - Premierships
  • Mitta Mitta Valley Football League
    • 1913: Bethanga defeated Granya by one point.[37] Granya claimed that this match was a draw and refused to hand over the premiership trophy.[38] Bethanga were compelled to take legal action against Granya Football Club to obtain possession of the premiership trophy. The case was to be heard at the Bethanga Police Court on the Wednesday 8 October 1913.[39] This premiership trophy is now on display at the Bethanga Hotel.
  • Yackandandah Football Association
    • 1929 - Bethanga: 5.15 - 45 defeated Yackandandah: 4.7 - 31 [40]
Senior Football - Runners Up
  • Tallangatta & District Football Association
    • 1922 - Tallangatta:9.8 - 62 defeated Bethanga: 3.5 - 23 [41]
  • Kiewa & District Football Association
    • 1926 - Bethanga: 7.11 - 53 defeated Granya: 5.10 - 40.[42] Bethanga won the first grand final, but Granya as minor premiers had the right to challenge Bethanga to a "Challenge Grand Final".[43]
    • 1926 - Granya: 4.18 - 42 defeated Bethanga: 5.8 - 38 [44] Granya won the 1926 premiership.
    • 1927 - Granya: 8.12 - 60 defeated Bethanga: 3.1 - 19 [45]
  • Yackandandah Football Association
    • 1930 - Kergunyah: 11.6 - 72 defeated Bethanga: 6.16 - 52 [46]
    • 1931 - Talgarno: 8.6 - 54 drew with Bethanga: 8.6 - 54. Drawn grand final.[47]
    • 1931 - Talgarno: 11.14 - 80 defeated Bethanga: 10.8 - 68. Grand final replay.[48]
  • Hume Football League
  • Tallangatta & District Football League
    • 1991 - Holbrook: defeated Bethanga:
Bethanga FC footballers who played senior VFL football.

Wodonga Saints Football Netball Club

In 2002, the club decided to relocate to Martin Park, Wodonga in order to save the club from possibly folding.

Football Season Senior Ladder Position Reserves Ladder Position Thirds / U/17's Ladder Position Fourths / U/14's Ladder Position
2002 5
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009 11 10 1st 12
2010 12 12 10 11
2011 12 9 7 7
2012 12 9 12 11
2013 10 9 12 12
2014 9 10 12 10
2015 12 12 12 12
2016 12 10 12 12
2017 11 11 12 12
2018 12 9 12 11
2019 11 7 12 11
2020 COVID-19 COVID-19 COVID-19 COVID-19
2021 12 9 No team No team

Back To Bethanga

Since 2009 the Wodonga Saints have moved one home match back to the old Bethanga Football Ground on four occasions. The move has been widely welcomed by both the football club & greater Bethanga community.

Year G B Pts Home G B Pts Away Report
2009 11 7 73 Wodonga Saints 16 11 107 Mitta United Report (Saturday April 18)
2010 No match played
2011 No match played
2012 No match played
2013 17 12 114 Wodonga Saints 10 11 71 Tallangatta Report (Saturday May 4)
2014 11 7 73 Wodonga Saints 11 12 78 Tallangatta Report (Saturday April 12)
2015 2 5 17 Wodonga Saints 49 23 317 Tallangatta Report (Saturday May 30)
2016 No match scheduled
2017 No match scheduled
2018 No match scheduled
2019 No match scheduled
2020 No match scheduled. Season abandoned due to COVID-19.

References
  1. "1907 - Bethanga Football Club". Trove Newspapers. Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic). 25 May 1907. p. 8. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  2. "1929 - Mills move to Oxley". Trove Newspapers. Wodonga & Towong Senitel. 15 February 1929. p. 3. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  3. "Bethanga FC - history". Wodonga Saints FNC. Danny "Ditch" Steel. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  4. "1907 - Tallangatta FA - Grand Final match review". Trove Newspapers. The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express (NSW). 30 August 1907. p. 23. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  5. "1909 - Twomey Stewart FA - Draw". Trove Newspapers. Wodonga and Towong Sentinel (Vic). 11 June 1909. p. 3. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  6. "1914 - Wodonga & DFA - Ladder". Trove Newspapers. Wodonga and Towong Sentinel (Vic). 10 July 1914. p. 5. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  7. "1920 - Kiewa FA Semi Final scores". Trove Newspapers. Wodonga and Towong Sentinel (Vic). 13 August 1920. p. 2. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  8. "1921 - Kiewa & DFA - Semi Final match reviews". Trove Newspapers. The Yackandandah Times (Vic). 19 August 1921. p. 4. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  9. "1923 - Tallangatta & District FA - Final Ladder". Trove Newspapers. The Yackandandah Times (Vic). 3 August 1923. p. 1. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  10. "1925 - Kiewa & DFA - Draw". Trove Newspapers. The Yackandandah Times (Vic). 19 June 1925. p. 1. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
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