The Birth Of Our Great Club
The Medindie Football Club came in to being in 1890 and at its Annual General Meeting in 1983 changed its name to the North Adelaide Football Club just prior to the start of that season.
Nothing else changed......the playing staff, the uniform, the colours, administration, all remained the same.
So, the birth of the North Adelaide Football Club occurred in 1893.
Below is an article forwarded by Club Historian, Nick Haines {from Melbourne} relating to the birth of the Medindie Football Club / the North Adelaide Football Club.
Hope you enjoy the read.
Medindie vs. Gawler 1890
Medindie had something of a rocky start in league football in South Australia. In the 5 seasons that the club competed as ‘The Dingoes" they played in 79 league games winning 10 of those, and not one of those wins was against an established club (Port, South or Norwood). In fifteen games in 1890 they kicked 38 goals but the amazing thing is they managed to kick 11 of those in the one game. This was to be the only time that Medindie managed 10 goals or more in a league match.
Medindie first played Gawler on the May 26th in the curtain raiser on Adelaide Oval, scoring a resounding 5-14 to 1-2 victory. The next scheduled match for Medindie and Gawler was for the 12th July on Kensington Oval. But things didn't go to plan.
Medindie vs. Gawler (Kensington Oval - 12th July 1890)
As the Gawler Bunyip reported:
"On Saturday the Gawlers journeyed to Kensington to fulfil their engagement with the Medindie club. The weather was wretchedly bad, and after the Gawlers had "stripped" and were in the field the Medindie captain refused to play, and appealed to the umpire, Mr McIntyre, who acquiesced, and would not sanction the game owing to the bad state of the weather and the grounds, notwithstanding the fact that the Gawlers had a fully representative team on the field practicing to keep themselves warm. When the result was made known to the Gawler players it was received with great dissention, and references were made to the Victorian Association, where engagements are kept whether playing in a lake or in a mud puddle."
One can only imagine how impressed Gawler were to travel all the way from Gawler to Kensington to be greeted with that. The next scheduled match between the two was the curtain raiser on the Holiday Monday on September 1st at Adelaide Oval. As The Advertiser reported:
Medindie vs. Gawler (Adelaide Oval - September 1st 1890 - Double Header)
"...The match was very late in starting, owing to the Gawlers being delayed. They had a fairly representative team on the ground, while the Medindies were minus the services of Fitzpatrick, Bannerman and Wilson. The play was very even during the first quarter, when Rout scored a goal for the Medindies. A couple of behinds were recorded in their favour, while The Gawlers secured three minors.
From this point to the finish, however the Medindies played by far the better football and had matters very much their own way. H .Brown, Rout, and Mole each scored goals for them, while The Gawlers only replied with a behind. At the interval the board showed that the scores were -
Medindie, 4 goals 8 Behinds to Gawler 4 behinds
The Medindies resumed aggressive tactics after the bounce, and the after scoring a couple of behinds A. Mole marked from the kick off and scored the "Dingoes" fifth goal. Directly afterwards Moule in a running shot for goal hit the post. The Gawlers then attacked and obtained three behinds, their shooting for goal being very erratic. The Medindies, however, were not to be denied, and getting the leather forward they marked to H. Brown, who safely piloted the ball through. Rout then put it through, but it was touched in its course. Three-quarter time was called shortly after, and the scores were - Medindies, 6 goals 12 behinds; Gawlers, 7 behinds.
The Gawlers led off in the last quarter, but the Medindies were not to be denied, and obtained a behind. Then Rout marked in front and kicked the seventh goal. From a scrimmage in from the same player kicked another goal a few minutes later. Rout then marked to H. Brown a few yards in front and he put on the ninth goal. After this the Gawlers had the better of matters, and a behind was credited to them. The Gawlers had all gone forward to force the game but the Medindies getting the leather forward Rout walked up and punted it through, causing the tenth goal to be scored.
A scrimmage took place soon after in front and out of this H.Brown added another goal to the Medindies' score. Play had only just been started when the final bell rang, the final scores being Medindie, 11 goals 17 behinds defeated Gawler, 8 behinds
The most prominent for the Medindies were (Herbert) Brown*,(Maurice) Rout, (Walter) Heirfield+,(Arthur) Daws, and (Arthur) Mole, while of the Gawlers Thomson, Ross, Sanderson, and C.Bischoff were the best. Mr Siebert made a satisfactory umpire."
( From The Advertiser - Tuesday 2/9/90)
To add a final chapter to the Medindie and Gawler clashes of 1890 a mere five days later Medindie travelled to the Gawler Recreation Ground to take on the home team. The weather was overcast and threatening and the wind heavy. Both teams battled on until halfway through the second quarter when the rain came down heavily and both teams took shelter in the pavilion. The scores at this stage were Gawler 3 behinds and Medindie 2 behinds. The rain continued for twenty fives minutes at the end of which time the umpire (F.Mehrtens) took the field again with the Gawler team, but Medindie declined to join them. They told Umpire Mehrtens they felt the ground was unsuitable to play on and refused to play. The game was declared a draw which Gawler immediately protested and asked that the umpire declare them winners. Umpire Mehrtens took the matter to the Association who up held his original ruling and the match was declared a draw.
One can't help but wonder just how heavy the rain was to have stopped play completely for twenty five minutes!
Medindie in 1890 finished fourth out of the five teams - Gawler finished fifth. Herbert's brother Arthur won the award for the club's best player and Maurice Rout was leading goalkicker with 10 goals for the season.
(* Herbert Brown was something of a star in early Medindie and North Adelaide teams starting with Medindie when they were still in the Adelaide and Suburban Association. He also spent part of the 1895 season in Western Australia joining the exodus to that state looking for work. Whilst there he played 16 matches with WAFL team The Rovers.)
(+ Walter Heirfield was Captain of Medindie in 1889 and 1890, and also played with them in their first year 1888.)