Putney Magpies

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Putney Magpies" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Australian rules football club

Putney Magpies Aussie Rules Football Club, London

Names
Full name| Putney Magpies
Nickname(s)| Hot Pies
2015 season
Home-and-away season| 5th
Leading goalkicker| James Staples
Best and fairest| Shane Saunders
Club details
Founded| 2004
Colours|   Black and   White
Competition| AFL London Premiership
President| Mark Pitura
Coach| Nathan Buckley
Captain(s)| Andrew Lawson & Greg Chapman
Premierships| -
Ground(s)| Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields
Other information
Official website| [1]

The Putney Magpies is an Australian rules football club based in west London.[1] The club runs men's and women's teams, and includes many Australian expats.[1]

The club fields teams in each of the three AFL London divisions — Premiership (1sts), Conference (2nds)and Social (3rds). The associate netball club is called the Putney Blackbirds.

## History

[edit]

The London Gryphons were founded in 1999 by former West Coast Eagles, Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy Football Club player Mark Zanotti along with BARFL Admin Officer Donald Eastwood who originally played with the Earls Court Kangaroos, and have competed in the British Australian Rules Football League since that year. The club was originally made up of former rugby players and were predominantly British. After Zanotti's return to Australia after one year where the Gryphons made the finals, the Gryphons struggled both off-field and on-field, and eventually formed a partnership with the London Collingwood Supporters group, changing their name and colours to match those of the AFL's Collingwood Magpies.

The Putney Magpies were started in 2004 by Simon Thorp in his capacity as President of the London Collingwood Supporters Club, a phoenix rising from the ashes of the London Gryphons. Simon landed some good sponsorship, attracted some of the former Gryphons players (as well as some new blood), and with a bit of help from Eddie and the Collingwood Football Club, the Putney Magpies were born. Simon remained as President for the first two years.

The Putney Magpies Football Club made the 2004 Conference Grand Final in its first year as a club, a top four finish in 2005, developed five International players who represented their country in the 2005 British Bulldogs tour to Melbourne for the AFL International Cup, and boasted the 2005 Conference Best and Fairest winner and both the 2004 and 2005 Grand Final half time 'Dash for Cash' winners.

In seasons 2008 and 2010, the Putney Magpies competed in the London AFL Premiership Grand Final.

Committee Members

President| Mark Pitura
Vice President| Taryn Dawson & Brian O'Dea
Treasurer| Brad Busch

Putney now field three teams in the AFL London Competition with a side to suit all levels and abilities. The Premiership side must field 5 non-aussies and 4 British players on the field while the Conference side (known as the reserves) only has to field 2. The Social team is for anyone who wants to come down and try our great game for the first time.

The Premiership side is coached by former Richmond, Essendon and Collingwood player Mark Pitura who also played games for Sturt in the SANFL.

The Pies are now entering their 10th season in the AFL London competition and are now going from strength to strength in the number of participants involved in the club.

## Training and matches

[edit]

The club trains at Hurlingham Park every Sunday at 1pm from the first weekend of Feb during the pre-season, then switches to Tuesdays and Thursday evenings from 6.30pm in South Park, Parsons Green after Easter once the daylight becomes longer.

Home games are played on Wimbledon Common at the Richardson Evans memorial playing fields in Putney Vale every Saturday during the summer months from early May until late July. Away games are played all through London. Finals are played in the month of August.

## Honour board

[edit]

COMMITTEE

Year | President | Vice-President | Secretary | Treasurer | Captain

|
|
|
|
|

2004 | Simon Thorp |  | Matt Sime | Matt Sime |
2005 | Simon Thorp |  | Matt Sime | Viktor Zabori |
2006 | Ben Connolly |  | Matt Sime | Matt Sime |
2007 | Ben Connolly |  | Matt Sime | Matt Sime | Alex Thompson
2008 | Mick Mullins | Blair Riseborough |  | Graham Tuffin | Alex Thompson
2009 | Pete O'Neill | Brad McLeod |  | Charlie Craig | Brad McLeod
2010 | Mark Pitura | Aaron Williams | Phil McLeod | Steven Tindale | Aaron Williams/Paul Sosic
2011 | Mark Pitura | Paul Sosic | Jimmy Lloyd | Steven Tindale | Liam Flanagan/Paul Sosic
2012 | Mark Pitura |  |  | Steven Tindale | Greg Chapman/Andrew Slevison
2013 | Mark Pitura | Taryn Dawson | Rob Paterson | Brad Busch | Greg Chapman/Andrew Lawson

PREMIERSHIP

Year | Position | Coach | Best & Fairest | Leading Goalkicker | Best EU/Non Aussie

|
|
|
|
|

2004 |  | Remon Gazal | Gareth Edwards/Remon Gazal | Steve Connolly | Phil Holby
2005 |  | Ben Connolly | Tommy Langford | Joe Cordwell | Chris Dickson
2006 |  | Andrew Tweedie | Pete O'Neill | Joe Cordwell | Chris Dickson
2007 | 4th | Andrew Tweedie | Alex Thompson | Rick Talbot | Andy Ruinoff
2008 | 2nd | Mark Pitura | Alex Thompson/Pete O'Neill | Justin Hunter | Andy Ruinoff
2009 | 3rd | Mark Pitura | Aaron Williams | Joe Pedler | Christian Maine
2010 | 2nd | Mark Pitura | Greg Hesse | Pete McGettigan | Paul Harris/Andy Ruinoff
2011 | 4th | Mark Pitura | Josh Cutten | Andrew Slevison (31) | John Scott
2012 | 3rd | Alex Gunn | Clayton Fitzgerald | Andrew Slevison (54) | James O'Connor
2013 |  |  |  |  |

CONFERENCE

Year | Position | Coach | Best & Fairest | Leading Goalkicker

|
|
|
|

2004 |  | Remon Gazal | Lauchlan MacKinnon | Nick Dallimore
2005 |  | Jeremy Cogdon | Dave Van Horne | Nick Dallimore
2006 |  | Remon Gazal | Scott Richmond | Nick Dallimore/Matt Sime
2007 | 4th | Mark Pitura | Blair Robertson | Steve Connolly
2008 | 3rd | Blair Riseborough | Chris Connolly | Nick Salter
2009 | 3rd | Mark Pitura | Matt Best | Mark Pitura/Ryan Batt
2010 | 5th | Mark Pitura | Brad Pozzi | Nick Maddock
2011 | 5th | Mark Pitura | Luke Howard | Luke Howard
2012 | 4th | Pat Mahon | Jarred Jones | Pat Mahon
2013 |  |  |  |
Year | Great Britain Representatives

|

2004 | N/A
2005 | Phil Holby, Simon Jones, Chris Dickson, Jon Dickson, Chris Glen, Paul Harris
2006 | Chris Dickson, Jon Dickson, Nick Stevens, Paul Manley, Chris Glen, Paul Harris
2007 | Andy Ruinoff, Chris Dickson, Amerigo Holthouse, Paul Harris, Paul Manley
2008 | Andy Ruinoff, Amerigo Holthouse, Paul Harris, Graham Tuffin, Christian Lloyd, Aiden Dillane
2009 | Rob Harmeston, Christian Lloyd, Christian Maine, Paul Harris, Andy Ruinoff
2010 | Rob Harmeston, Paul Harris, Andy Ruinoff, Adam Street, Martyn Hinchey
2011 | Paul Harris (Capt), Tom Mercer, Mark Todd
2012 | N/A
2013 | Paul Harris, Mark Todd, Will Murrells, Eliott Rich, Rob Harmeston

## International matches

[edit]

* 2008 The Brussels Saints, Brussels, Belgium
* 2009 The Flying Dutchmen, Amsterdam, Netherlands
* 2010 The Flying Dutchmen, Amsterdam, Netherlands
* 2011 The Flying Dutchmen, Amsterdam, Netherlands
* 2012 Port Malmo Maulers, Malmo, Sweden
* 2013 Berlin Crocodiles, Berlin, Germany

## Footy trips

[edit]

* 2007 Riga, Latvia
* 2008 Newcastle, England
* 2009 Newcastle, England
* 2010 Nottingham, England
* 2011 Lagos, Portugal
* 2012 Magaluf, Spain
* 2013 Lagos, Portugal
* 2014 Magaluf, Spain
* 2015 Fulham, England
* 2016 Sunny Beach, Bulgaria

## See also

[edit]

* Sports portal
* Australia portal

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Murad, Ahmed (3 October 2017). "From kabaddi to kendo: foreign sports in London". FT.com. ProQuest 1959018075. Retrieved 18 February 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Putney Magpies

* v
* t
* e

Australian rules football in England

Governing body|

* AFL England
* Former: AFL Britain

National team|

* Men: Great Britain Bulldogs
* Women: Great Britain Swans

Leagues|

* AFL London
* Aussie Rules UK

Grounds|

* The Oval
* Motspur Park
* Peckham Rye
* Battersea Park

Clubs|

* Birmingham Bears
* Bristol Dockers
* Cambridge University
* Clapham Demons
* Guildford Crows
* Huddersfield Rams
* London Swans
* North London Lions
* Oxford University
* Putney Magpies
* Reading Kangaroos
* Shepherds Bush Raiders
* South East London Giants
* Wandsworth Demons
* West London Wildcats
* Wimbledon Hawks

Former Clubs|

* Earls Court Kangaroos
* Lea Valley Saints
* Liverpool Blues
* London Hawks
* Northwestern Miners
* Swindon Devils

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template