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Putney Magpies

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Putney Magpies Aussie Rules Football Club, London
Names
Full namePutney Magpies
Nickname(s)Hot Pies
2015 season
Home-and-away season5th
Leading goalkickerJames Staples
Best and fairestShane Saunders
Club details
Founded2004
Colours  Black and   White
CompetitionAFL London Premiership
PresidentMark Pitura
CoachNathan 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

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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 The club was originally made up of former rugby players and were predominantly British.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
PresidentMark Pitura
Vice PresidentTaryn Dawson & Brian O'Dea
TreasurerBrad 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

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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

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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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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References

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