REMEMBER WHEN? - ROUND 15
This week we look at some of the team and individual records across the league achieved by clubs and individuals in the OMFNL from 1893 to current.
The most premierships won in football is held by Albury with 22 – their first in 1902 and the most recent in 2018. Rutherglen are second with 16 flags, with the last being in 1954. Wangaratta and Wangaratta Rovers are both equal on 15 apiece. Wodonga has won the most Reserves flags with 19 and also the most in Thirds with 13.
Wodonga holds the record for the highest score in a grand final – booting 29-22-196 against Lavington 13-11-89 at a packed Albury Sportsground in 1987 under coach Jeff Gieschen. The next best was Corowa Rutherglen in 2000 when on the back of ten goals from Damian Houlihan, the Roos kicked 27-18-180 against North Albury 11-6-72. Houlihan bag of ten is the most by a player in a grand final, one ahead of Albury legend Doug Strang in 1939.
Photo Credit – Border Mail Sport
The lowest winning score was in 1897 when Beechworth defeated Rutherglen 3-4-22 to 1-7-13. The lowest score in the last 100 years was the Albury Tigers win over Wodonga in 1995, 5-13-43 to Wodonga 6-3-39 on a waterlogged Lavington Sportsground.
Goalkickers always fascinate fans, and the OMFL has had some amazing performers – the most career goals is Stan Sargeant from North Albury with 1096, and it was sad to hear of the recent passing of Wangaratta Rovers legend Steve Norman, who sits second on the list with 1016. Matt Fowler from Albury is third with 816.
The most in an individual game is Charles “Snowy” Osborne with 23 in 1928. Doug Strang (1939) and Chris Stuhldreier from Lavington (1997) both kicked 20 goals also. Both Strang and Stuhldreier share the season high record of 126 goals. Percy Jones from Hume Weir was the first player to kick a century back in 1928.
John “Rex” Hunt from Lavington is the games record holder with 420 senior games, with Matthew Allen (Wang Rovers/Cor-Ruth) on 416, third belongs to Rutherglen legend Jack King on 400. Of the current players, the Roos Kade Kuschert is unbeaten on 351 – just three behind both Matt Fowler and Kerry Bahr who played 354. Wangaratta Rovers have had seven players play 300 or more senior games and Corowa Rutherglen has five players.
Wangaratta Rovers Robbie Walker has won the most Morris Medals with 5, while the recently passed Jim Sandral from Corowa won three, and was an inaugural inductee into the OMFNL Hall of Fame in 2005, upgraded to Legend status in 2013.
