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BEAUFORTCurrent Affiliation: Central Highlands Football League (CHFL) since 1994 Colours: Navy blue, gold and red Emblem: Crows Senior Premierships: Learmonth District Football Association (LDFA) - 1930, 1934 (2 total); Lexton Football League (LFL) - 1964-5 (2 total); Ballarat Football League (BFL) - 1969 (1 total); CHFL - 1995-6 (2 total) A Beaufort football team was playing matches against combinations from neighbouring towns as long ago as the 1880s. Many of these matches could be described as semi-formal, with trophies, typically donated by local business men, often at stake. After the first world war Beaufort competed in several different competitions, and is known to have achieved premiership success on at least two occasions. The club joined the Lexton Football League in 1946 and, after a number of near misses, finally went top in that competition in 1964 thanks to a 23.14 (152) to 7.9 (51) grand final annihilation of Lexton. The 1965 season brought further success, although on this occasion Beaufort had to battle all the way to shrug off a determined opponent in Navarre. Final scores were Beaufort 12.13 (85); Navarre 12.9 (81). In 1966 Beaufort made what some viewed as an audacious application to join the powerful Ballarat Football League. After prolonged deliberation and debate on the part of the league authorities, the application was approved. Beaufort's first season in the BFL, while not a disaster, was nevertheless far from memorable, with the seniors managing just 3 wins from 18 games to finish last. In 1967, however, the side improved markedly, qualifying for the finals in third place with a 12-6 record before going down by 22 points to Golden Point in the first semi. After slumping to sixth (of eight) in 1968 the club enjoyed the most memorable season in its history in 1969 by claiming its first, and only, BFL flag. After finishing the home and away rounds in second place, the Cats (as Beaufort were known at the time) overcame the disappointment of a narrow second semi final loss against East Ballarat to trounce Maryborough in the preliminary final by 13 goals before turning the tables on the Bulldogs in the 'big one'. The 1969 grand final was one of the most dramatic in BFL history with the Cats hanging in there defiantly on the strength of straight kicking for three quarters before surging home with 3 last stanza goals to nil to clinch the premiership by 3 points. Final scores were Beaufort 10.7 (67); East Ballarat 8.16 (64). Over the remaining twenty-four seasons of their involvement in the BFL the Cats contested two further senior grand finals, losing to Ballarat by 8 goals in 1971, and North Ballarat two years later by 33 points. The late 1980s and early 1990s proved to be testing times for Beaufort, but after transferring to the rather less arduous Central Highlands Football League in 1994 the team swiftly rediscovered the winning habit, claiming successive flags in 1995 and 1996, both times at the expense of Dunnstown. Beaufort's form of late has been undistinguished, with the side running last in 2006 and second from last in 2007 before improving somewhat in 2008 to manage 7 wins and a couple of draws from 17 matches, good enough for eighth place on the fourteen team ladder. Where now? or |