Melbourne University Football Club - Return To Football

Return To Football

In the summer of 1919, after the War, Melbourne University began to rebuild its football involvement. Deciding not to reapply for a position in the VFL, they were instead requested by the VFL to supply two teams to the newly-formed VFL Reserves competition, or the Victorian Junior Football League. These two teams were initially called University A and B, but soon became known as "University Blues" and "University Blacks", respectively (the teams were only officially called the Blues and Blacks in 1930). The Blues contested the 1919 and 1920 VJFL Grand Finals, losing to Collingwood on both occasions; the Blacks moved to the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association in 1920, and the following season, were joined by the Blues. Both contested the 1921 MAFA Grand Final, with the Blacks winning what to date is the only grand final the two teams have contested in the MAFA or VAFA.

Melbourne University students and alumni continue to maintain their involvement in football through the Blues and Blacks. The Melbourne University Football Club is unique in that it only plays as "Melbourne University" in inter-university matches, and its regular weekly competition is provided through its component teams, University Blues and University Blacks. The Blues and Blacks play in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, and have been a perennial power in the highest division of a high-standard amateur competition.

Up until the 1950s, the Blacks were the leading University side as well as one of the dominant sides in the Amateur competition, winning 11 A Section premierships by 1949. However, in the later part of the century the Blues established themselves as the premier University side, and are currently the second longest serving club to play in the top division of the VAFA. Whilst the Blacks have won a total of 13 A section flags (the most in the VAFA) and the Blues three (with their most recent being in 2004), in the years since the 1980s it has been the Blues that have maintained the club's presence in A Section. Throughout their history, the Blues and Blacks have often played together in A section of the MAFA/VAFA, and with the Blacks return to A section in 2008 after a prolonged absence, the teams met again for the first time in 25 years. In head to head matches, the Blues lead the win tally with 43 wins to the Black's 36 and one draw. Regrettably, the Blacks were relegated to B section again at the end of 2008, but in 2012 have won promotion into A section to join the Blues for the 2013 season.

Both teams have consistently been a spawning ground for young players who go on to the AFL. To date 240 MUFC players have played in the VFL/AFL competition. Latest is Daniel Nicholson (Melbourne 2011)

From 1955 until 1996, an additional team was fielded by the club called "University Reds" which competed in the VAFA, with a firsts and reserves team and predominately in the lower sections (the Reds achieved the lofty heights of D Section in 1982, but otherwise played mainly in E or F Section). When the team was discontinued by the club, players and supporters of the team decided to keep the team operating and it continues to this day as Fitzroy Reds. The Fitzroy Reds merged with the Fitzroy Football Club in 2008.