About Football

Barwon Heads Football Club was established in 1922 and played in the Freshwater Creek District Football Association.

After the Second World War the club amalgamated with the Ocean Grove Football Club and joined the Geelong District Football Association. The Barwon Heads/Ocean Grove team won their first senior premiership in 1957.

The clubs separated in the early 1960’s and a fierce rivalry developed. The matches played between these two clubs are well known as ‘The Battle of the Bridge’ and a trophy named after Barwon Heads newsagent, George Talbert was created in 1965 from a bed pan and a shower head. This rivalry has continued to build over the years with huge crowds attending these matches.

Barwon Heads was a driving force in the formation of the Bellarine football League and became a founding member after initiating meetings in 1968 with Ocean Grove, Drysdale, Modewarre, Angelsea, Queenscliff, Portarlington, Leopold, Torquay and Winchelsea.

After many meetings with officials from the Victorian Country Football Leage, the VFL and the Hampden Football League, the matter was finally resolved and the first season was played in 1971.

Barwon Heads stamped an early authority taking out triple titles in 1972, 73 & 74.  In 1993 saw both Senior & Reserve’s winning premierships and it took until 2019 to break a 26 year drought and bring home a flag when the seniors defeated Torquay @ Torquay.  2020 & 2021 saw a pandemic wreak havoc on our football seasons but in 2022 we secured back to back flags by once again defeating Torquay by 55 points.

With the new clubrooms completed in 2006, it is arguably the most picturesque football ground in Victoria.

Gallery

Senior Premierships

1957 Grand Final:
Barwon Heads/Ocean Grove 7-15-57 d. Torquay 4-6-30
Best (Barwon Heads): Max Sutcliffe, Max Wall, Norm Goddard, Howard Harmer, Reg Pearce, Milner
Goals (Barwon Heads): Max Sutcliffe 3, Howard Harmer 2, Ian Batson, Fred Willmore

1972 Grand Final:
Barwon Heads 18-20-128 d. Ocean Grove 15-9-99
Best (Barwon Heads): Garry Hamer, Brian Marshman, R. Walsh, Dennis Johnson, Peter Lindsay
Goals (Barwon Heads): Stephen Piec 5, Garry Hamer 4, Gordon Watson 2, P. Dealy 2, B. Parsons, D. Watson

1973 Grand Final:
Barwon Heads 19-11-125 d. Winchelsea 11-9-75
Best (Barwon Heads): Brian Marshman, Dennis Johnson, Stephen Piec, G. Doveal, Peter Lindsay
Goals (Barwon Heads): Stephen Piec 6, Dennis Johnson 4, Geoff Fry 3, Peter Lindsay 3, J. Dunne, Charlie Di Demenico, Gordon Watson, G. Karle

1974 Grand Final:
Barwon Heads 13-14-92 d. Ocean Grove 11-13-79
Best (Barwon Heads): Geoff Fry, Dennis Johnson, Gordon Watson, Peter Lindsay, John Fry
Goals (Barwon Heads): Gordon Watson 5, Stephen Piec 4, Geoff Fry 2, Milton Sceney 2

1993 Grand Final:
Barwon Heads 19-7-131 d. Ocean Grove 10-16-76
Best (Barwon Heads): Greg Caldow, Antony Callan, Mark Henderson, Michael Di Demenico, Adam Fry, Anthony Greely, Geoff Miles, Troy Renfrey, Tim Machar, Paul Kelly
Goals (Barwon Heads): Paul Kelly 4, Geoff Miles 3, Troy Renfrey 3, Antony Callan 2, Michael Di Demenico 2, Anthony Greely 2, Greg Caldow, Dean Roderick, Warren Michell

2019 Grand Final:
Barwon Heads 13-7-85 d. Torquay 10-11-71
Best (Barwon Heads): Zach Walter, Ryan Harvey, Mitchell Herbison, Mitch Phelps, Otto Opperman, Kyle Polley
Goals (Barwon Heads): Mitch Phelps 3, Brad Harvey 2, Mitchell Herbison 1, Otto Opperman 1, Brock Close 1, Ned Aulsebrook 1, Braeden Eddy 1, Chris Martin 1, Michael Philp 1, Jaydan McLauchlan 1

2022 Grand Final:
Barwon Heads 12-12-84 d. Torquay 3-11-29
Best (Barwon Heads): Kyle Polley, Charlie Brauer, Sammy Baker, Ryan Harvey, Braeden Eddy, Kyle Maher
Goals (Barwon Heads): Lachlan Wilson 3, Nick Avery 2, Sammy Baker 2, Brock Close 2, Mitch Herbison 1, Oliver Wiltshire 1, Ryan Harvey 1

Reserve Premierships

1987 Grand Final:
Barwon Heads 16-5-121 d. Queenscliff 11-9-75
Best (Barwon Heads): Not Recorded
Goals (Barwon Heads): Robert Petto 3, Ken McClelland 2, Alan Fry, Max Schaller, Gary Irvine, Wayne Lockyer, John Starr, Hamish Gubbins, Michael Powell, David Gubbins, Daryl Fisher, Frank Whiteley

1993 Grand Final:
Barwon Heads 11-10-76 d. Ocean Grove 10-14-74
Best (Barwon Heads): Zoran Vidovic, David Gubbins, Matthew Dunell
Goals (Barwon Heads): Zoran Vidovic 5, Eric Wilson 3, Gary Caldow, Andrew Svikulas, Russell Hyland

U18's Premiership

2005 Grand Final:
Barwon Heads 8-6-54 d. Torquay 8-4-52
Best (Barwon Heads): Kyle Webb, Bobby Wallace, Ande Santilli, Zach Gubbins, Mark Pelham
Goals (Barwon Heads): Ande Santilli 3, Jason Sutas, Che Turner, Aaron Bird, Jacob Fahey, Mitchell Herbison