Overview

1914 - 1918

The first recorded match involving a team of old scholars was played 12 September 1914 against the school team. The old scholars were easily defeated by 70 points. Social matches were continued until 1919 with much success. Games were played against teams from the school, Woodbridge, Kingston, Sandfly, Claremont, St. Virgilians and Churinge. Captain throughout this time was Mervyn Stuart who played for Cananore in the TFL. Ken Kirby was Vice Captain.

1919 - 1924

Following the success of these social matches it was decided to form a Club to compete in a regular competition. The inaugural meeting was held on 26 March 1919, and the Club became the second OHA Sports Club. (The first club was the Swimming Club which was formed in February 1919). The Club affiliated with the Tasmanian Football Association and the first Captain was F. Smith, with Russell Willing as Vice Captain. The team was runner up for the premiership and "Dinah" Green won the Association's Best and Fairest Award. Other members of the original team were A. Dowding, G. Lucas, R. Green, G. Coombe, E. Poulson, J. Turner, R.Leitch, L. Hibbard, S. Williams, S. McKenzie, M. McNear and A. McDonald.  Despite the initial success, the Club was forced, following a lack of old players, to change it's name to Cananore Juniors and  go into recess. This team continued to be associated with the old scholars until the Club was reformed in 1925.

1925 - 1927

After an attempt to reform in 1924, which failed through lack of competition, the Club was reformed again in 1925. The Club competed in the Hobart Football Association with teams from University, West Hobart and Hobart High School. Funds for the new guernseys were raised following a picture evening at His Majesty's Theatre.  Under the Captaincy of C. Stennard, the Club won it's first premiership in 1927 defeating West Hobart in the Grand Final. Scores were OHA 3-9-27, West Hobart 1-2-8.

1932 - 1946

The club was reformed in 1932 and affiliated with the Queenborough Association. The affiliation with this association continued until 1946. During this time, the Club was most successful and won premierships under the Captaincy of Ken Munro in 1937 and 1938, M. Langworthy in 1944 and A. N. Johnson in 1945. In addition, the Club was runner up in 1932, 1935, 1939 and 1942.  Other teams competing in the Association were Hobart High School, Old Technical Collegians, University and Long Beach.

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1947 - 1965

In 1947, the Club joined the Tasmanian Amateur Football league (Southern Division) and won the premiership in 1948, Captain this year was C. A. Johnstone with W. A. Hill as Coach.  The Club did not make the Finals again until 1952 with John Hart as the Captain and W. A. Hill as Coach.  However, the team was defeated in the first semi final in 1953.  Captain and Coach for this year was Don Butterworth.  In following years, the Club experienced a lean time but began to pick up strength again in 1962 when Ray Heffernan was appointed Captain Coach.

 In 1963, the Club made the Finals but was defeated in the First Semi-final by Lindisfarne.  Captain in 1963 was Fred Westwood and David McGuire was Coach.  A reserve team was formed in 1964 but neither team represented the Club in the Finals.  The Club was stronger in 1965 and both teams finished in second position on the ladder.  Unfortunately the Senior team lost both Finals, but the Reserves were a little more successful to be runners up to Hobart High School in their Grand Final.

1966 - 1971

After 1966 the Club went through a most successful period winning three premierships under three different coaches.  In 1966 Ian Wade was appointed Coach and in that season the Senior team finished seventh and the Reserves were defeated in the Preliminary Final by OTOS.  With most of the 1966 team available, both teams made the Finals in 1967.  The Reserves were courageous runners up to Hobart Matriculation College, whilst the Seniors were successful in winning the Club's first pennant since 1948.  Competing in the  State Final pennant since 1948.  Competing in the State Final against Mowbray at the TCA the Club climaxed a great year by easily winning their first State Premiership.

 In 1968 the Club suffered an unfortunate spate of injuries and the Divisional team under Ian Wade and the Reserves team coached by Gabriel Haros were both defeated in the Preliminary Final.  1969, the Club's Golden Jubilee Year, proved the most successful.  At the helm were Robert Newton and Peter Robinson, playing coaches of the Divisional and Reserves teams respectively.  The Divisional side defeated University in the Grand Final by 49 points and Mowbray in the State Final by 39 points.  The Reserves completed the double by winning their Grand Final against OTOS by 3 points and crushing Old Launcestonians in the State Final by 40 points. 

1970 and 1971 saw both sides make the Finals but in these two years the Club did not win a Final game with both Divisional and Reserves losing Second Semi-final and Preliminary Final games.

 1971 was the end of an era for the Club with retirement of Robert Newton.  Bob joined the Club in 1963 and played 157 games.  Bob's personal record is Association Best and Fairest 1967, 1969 and 1971.  Club Best and Fairest 1964, 1967, 1970 and 1971.  Runner Up 1963, 1965 and 1969.  Bob also represented the State from 1963 - 1971 and from 1967 - 1971 was Captain and was named in 3 All Australian Amateur sides and as Captain in 1970.  Bob is to be commended on this excellent record which has certainly put our Club on the map.

1972 - 1973

The vacancy left by the transfer of Bob Newton to TFL ranks was most capably filled when the Club appointed 1965 Best and Fairest winner.  Tony Andrews as Coach.  His assistant was Ross Miller.  Both achieved the ultimate with their respective sides as the Club repeated its 1969 effort with another double State Premiership.  This was a great personal achievement for both coaches as it was their first year of coaching.  The Divisional team fell into the four to obtain fourth place in the last roster game but, after a three point victory in the First Semi-final, comfortable defeated Sorell in the preliminary Final by 53 points.  The Grand Final was also a comfortable victory against

Friends by 33 points.  The Reserves after being beaten by Claremont in the Second Semi-final reversed the result for a great Premiership win.  Both teams travelled North to bring home their respective State Premierships.

 1973 saw a large gap left in the Club as a result of players transferring in employment and also a number retiring.  The replacements were much younger and lacked experience but the Club spirit was still evident in all players.

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1974 - 1975

Guy Wynn was appointed to the Coaching position for season 1974.  Due to active recruiting the Club was able to field three teams.  Assistant Coaches were Noel Peters (Reserves) and Brian Riseley (Thirds).  The Senior side had a promising start to the Season but could only finish seventh.  Reserves were able to make the Finals, but were eliminated in the second round.  This year, the Club became affiliated with the Commercial Travellers Association.  Guy Wynn continued as Coach in 1975 with Michael Ratcliffe coaching the Reserves and Grant Herring the Thirds.  Both the Seniors and Reserves teams made the Finals but were eliminated early.

1976

In 1976 Bob Newton was encouraged to rejoin the Club as Coach with Jeremy Theissen and Geoff Pollard his assistants.  Despite heavy recruiting, the performance of all teams was not as expected and one of the three competed in the Finals matches.  This year saw the formation of a supporters group, the "Heemskirk Club".  Prime movers were former players John and Peter Robinson, Gabriel Haros and Ross Copping.  Home ground this year was the TCA.

1977 - 1978

Peter Ratcliffe took the helm as Captain/Coach for these two years with John Frazer (formerly Claremont, Friends and State Coach) as his Assistant.  Geilston Bay Oval again became our home ground.  Increased financial burdens forced the Club into a dollar crisis, however, with the formation of a strong management group under President David Mourant, it was able to correct.  These seasons were not successful on the Field, but hopes are high that the Club rooms project for Geilston Bay Oval will engender new confidence and enthusiasm in our players and aid in recruitment.

1979 - 1980

Bill Pearce was appointed as Club Coach in a non-playing capacity.  In 1979 the Seniors failed to make the Finals and the Reserves were knocked out by Lindisfarne in the Elimination Final.  Peter Bullock won the TAFL & Co-op Motors Best and Fairest Awards.  Ian Pook finally retired on 262 games, a Club record.  1980 was not so successful for the Seniors, however, the Reserves missed the Final 5 on percentage.  The professionalism of other clubs was making it difficult to compete for players. Bill Pearce's contribution won for him the Best Clubman Award.

1981 - 1982

Former Clarence player, Geoff Doyle was appointed playing coach with Doug Davey his deputy.  The TAFL, Southern Division, was split into two sections - Old Scholars & Districts.  The Seniors were unluckily beaten in the Preliminary Final by Hutchins, eventual premiers, by 5 points.  The Reserves were eliminated in the First Semi-final by DOSA.  Financial problems beset the Club.  Geoff Doyle was reappointed playing Coach with John Hall his assistant and Ian Carter playing Coach of the Reserves.  G. Doyle and Michael Hope played in the Amateur Carnival in Perth W.A. The Seniors defeated Hutchins by 40 points to win the Old Scholars Premiership but were defeated by Lindisfarne for the Southern Final.  Again the Reserves were defeated by DOSA, the eventual winners, in the First Semi-final.

1983 - 1984

1983 saw the appointment of former Hobart and State Player, Kelvyn Anderson as Coach with Michael Hope as his assistant and Geoff Pollard offering his services as Reserves Coach.  In a year where half of the 1982 Premiership team was missing the Seniors made the Grand Final only to be beaten by Hutchins by 35 points.  The Reserves played some 55 players in their quest for the Finals, however, they just missed a finals berth.  Off the field we saw a vast improvement in the financial aspect of the Club with the deficit of the previous two years all but eradicated.

 The 1984 year saw the reappointment of Kelvyn Anderson as Senior Coach and the appointment of Michael Seymour to the position of Reserves Coach.  Fortunately the Club only lost a small number of players and were able to recruit several experienced players to fill the vacant positions.  High expectations were held for both teams, however a number of injuries at the beginning of the season and mid way through the year resulted in the Senior Team winning only a small number of games during the year.  The Reserves Team ensured it was a Premiership year for OHA by winning their first Premiership in ten years by defeating OTOS in a nail biting last quarter at Abbotsfield Park.  Ian Carter, Captain of the Reserves, completed a great year by winning the TAFL Reserves Best and Fairest.

1985 - 1986

In 1985 the Club appointed former Hobart and Tasmanian player Murray Dickson as Senior Coach.  The Senior Team improved considerably over last year reaching the Preliminary Final which was a creditable performance taking into consideration the injuries we incurred.  The Reserves reached the Semi Finals.  Peter Bullock topped off a great year by winning the Howard Medal, awarded to the Best and Fairest in the Old Scholars Division.  In addition our assistant coach Craig Fraser represented the State in Melbourne.

 Murray Dickson was again appointed to the position of Senior Coach in 1986.  Despite the acquisition of several talented players the Club lost a number of players from the previous year which left a gap in our senior ranks.  The Seniors failed to reach the finals.  The Reserves Team keep our hopes alive for a Premiership by reaching the Grand Final.  Unfortunately they were defeated by New Town.  From a financial point of view the Club completed a successful year and finished in the black.

1987

The Club regained the services of a former player Bill Lyons as the Senior Coach.  Following an impressive start to the season both teams failed to reach the finals in what proved to be a disappointing year.

1988-89

The Club bounced back with a vengeance in '88 with both teams reaching the Grand Final.  The Senior team coached by Peter Murray lost only two roster matches during the year and ultimately won the Grand Final with an 80 point win over Friends.  The Reserves lost their Grand Final to a much stronger New Town combination which contained a number of senior players.

 1989 saw the reappointment of Peter Murray as our Senior Coach with Ricky McCulloch accepting the challenge as Reserves Coach.  Unfortunately the club lost some 20 players from the 1988 grand final sides.  This took its toll on the club as both sides failed to make the finals.

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1990

Steve Sutton was appointed Senior Coach with Ray Harwood his assistant and Michael O'Halloran as skills Coach.  The reserves position was filled by Greg Allanby and Steve Haines his assistant. 

The Seniors started disastrously losing the first three games but came back to be finals contenders winning the next six.  The reserve side played consistent football all year and were never out of the finals race.  Unfortunately both sides were beaten in the first semi but apart from that it was a successful year.  Ricky McCulloch capped a fine year by winning the Club and Association Best and Fairest.  Neil Harper and Rod Edwards were the Association's leading goal kickers in the Seniors and Reserves respectfully.

1991

The year on the field was not as good as we might have expected, with the calibre of new recruits and players retained from the previous year, high hopes were held for a successful season.  However a run of serious injuries and vast majority of the first round and a half games being played away from home saw both teams struggle.  The OHA Football Club became Incorporated in preparation for new clubrooms at Geilston Bay hopefully to be erected prior to season 1992.

1992

Peter Murray was appointed Senior Coach after a break of two years and Greg Allanby once again accepted the duties as Reserve Coach. The Seniors unfortunately missed the finals. The Reserves competed in the finals but were eliminated in the First-Semi Final.  The 1992 year saw the commencement of the clubrooms at Geilston Bay Oval. After hard work from a number of people the clubrooms will be completed for 1993 season.  Greg Allanby won the Association Reserves Best & Fairest .

1993-94

OHA Football Club finally opened their clubrooms after much hard work from a number of people. One of the highlights of the opening day was the superb win by the seniors over Hutchins.  Former State and Clarence Premiership player Chris Rogers was appointed Senior Coach along with Rick Gaffney as Reserves Coach.

 Chris Rogers was re-appointed in 1994 as Senior Coach and Tim Cater was appointed as Reserve Coach. The season promised so much but delivered so little. The Seniors only winning one game and ending up on the bottom. While the Reserves after playing well throughout the season was knocked out in the Preliminary Final by Hutchins. The bright spot for the year was the winning of the Association's Senior Best & Fairest by Paul Sheen.

1995

After a disastrous season the previous year it was hard to imagine that 1995 was going to be any different. But it was. With the appointment of Paul Loveluck as Senior Coach and the re-appointment of Tim Carter as Reserves Coach things certainly did change.  The Seniors after controlling a spot in the top two for most of the season eventually finishing third after being eliminated in the Preliminary Final by the eventual Premiers DOSA. While the Reserves after holding a spot in the four for most of the season only to lose it after the final game to finish fifth.

1996

The Club appointed Gary Williamson as Senior Coach, Denis Brereton Assistant Coach and Sean Williams Reserves Coach. But unfortunately Hobart FC recruited Gary Williamson early in the season leaving Greg Allanby at the helm until Michael Hunnibell replace him as Senior Coach.

 Along with the coaching core the Club also recruited well in gaining the services of players with TFL experience along with a number of enthusiastic young players. With this blend of experience and youth the Club recorded one of it's most successful seasons. The Seniors unfortunately losing the Grand Final to St Virgils but the Reserves  by defeating Hutchins won the Club's fourth Reserves Premiership. Jason Fitzgerald also won the Associations Senior Best and Fairest Award, while Dale Cleary became the Clubs new Games Record Holder.

 On the negative side the Club will be losing it's long standing President, Wayne Steele. During his leadership, over the previous seven years, the Club has built Clubrooms and won one Reserves Premiership, while just missing out on a couple of others. All due in no small way to the hard work and effort by him.

1997

Sean Williams was appointed Senior Coach, Paul Sheen Assistant Coach and Peter Holloway Reserves Coach.  Sean Williams added another Association Award for the Club by winning the Seniors Best and Fairest Award.  The Seniors finished fourth and played off in the First Semi Final losing to St Virgils. The Reserves were unable to cover the loss of players and missed out of the finals finishing fifth

1998

Shaun Williams was re-appointed Senior Coach with Paul Sheen his assistant. The Reserves position was filled by Brian Synnott and David Wellington his assistant.  The Seniors, after defeating Hutchins in the first semi the seniors, were knocked out by eventual premiers St Virgils in the preliminary final.  The reserves were up and down all year, with some outstanding wins and a few disastrous results. However they made the finals in fourth spot but were beaten in the first semi by DOSA.  Tim Undy won the Associations Reserves Best and Fairest.  Neil Harper was the Association's Reserves leading goal kicker.

1999

Andrew Johnstone was appointed Senior Coach with Damian Bugg his assistant. Unfortunately the Club lost Damian early into the season when he moved to Sydney for work commitments. Sean Williams and Paul Sheen shared the role of assistant coach. The Reserves position was filled by Tim Carter and Greg Turner his assistant. Tim Undy again won the Associations Reserves Best and Fairest.  Neil Harper was the Association's Reserves leading goal kicker for a second year.

2000-2002

Under the guidance of ex Glenorchy and Adelaide Crows player, John Klug (Seniors), his assistant for the three years, Andrew Johnstone, and Peter Holloway and Scott Direen at the helm of the reserves the club re-establish itself as a force in the Old Scholars.  Both teams showed continual improvement over the 3 years to such an extent that the reserves appeared on a grand final followed by a preliminary final and the seniors have improved to finish 4-3-2 over the three year period.  We were also fortunate to have several palyers representing the OSFA in a representative game against the NTFL in 2001 and perform with pride.  Tim Scott also was awarded the Association Best & Fairest medal in 2001.

2003-2004

2003 saw the appointment of Tasmanian Player Kier Wilson as coach, with Andrew Johnstone and Jason Fitzgerald as his assistants.  After a slow start the seniors finished the home and away season in fourth spot and won the 1st semi and preliminary finals to gain a rematch against Hutchins in the grand final. Unfortunately the cards did not fall our way again but this was not as a result of lack of commitment.  Craig Grace was appointed coach of the reserves and discovered that a severe player drain was not beneficial.  When strong, the reserves were competitive against all but injuries and departures mede these occasions rare.  Malcolm Smith (309) joined Peter Holloway (308) and Peter Mansfield (325) as 300 game players.  The following year, Kier again had the assistance of Andrew Johnstone who was joined by Clarence speedster Heath Jamieson in the Assistants role.  Sean Williams was talked into returning to the Club as Reserves Coach.  After an up and down season, the Seniors finished strongly to contest the finals, only to fall short at the Preliminary to DOSA. Many milestones were reached, notably Craig Grace becoming a Life Member and Nigel Oliver joining the 300 club.  Dan Ryan capped off a great year with his first Senior Best and Fairest award at the club.

2005

Hopes were high at the start of 2005, with club legend Tim Carter taking on the coaching role, supported by Craig Grace and Heath Jamieson as his Assistants.  The Seniors performed at times during the season, but eventually finished outside of the top four, missing out on finals.  Matthew Phillips was guiding the Reserves side, which also failed to take part in September, largely due to lack of numbers.  Mid-season, Tim stepped away from the top job, handing the reigns to “Cocko” (Heath), who led the club admirably.  In what was seen from the outside as a year to forget, many internally knew that with games under their belt, the young players of 2005 would benefit from the experience in the future.  Sean Williams, Andrew Johnstone and Martyn Kroon were awarded Life Memberships, while Dan Ryan won his second Senior Best and Fairest and stalwart Darren Eyles took out the Reserves award.