History Series

Historians and researchers believe Paddy Gilchrist’s achievements make him one of the best sportspersons of all time, coming out of the Eastern region of Melbourne. Certainly, Paddy was one of the best to represent the Mitcham Football and Cricket Clubs. A Collingwood 1910 Premiership player, Paddy was also an ANZAC and WW1 Veteran.

If you talk about the formation of the Mitcham Football Club, you must first talk about Mitcham’s rural Community and its founding father – William ‘John’ McGlone. Like many Irishmen of the time John McGlone (1829-1892) fled the ravages of the Great Irish Famine and at 25 arrived in a largely unknown land in 1854, to carve out a better life in the British Colony of Victoria

Mitcham FC has had a long history and a special association with the Surrey Hills FC. Both Clubs were established in 1888 and met in round two that year at Surrey, alas Mitcham losing 2.11 v 1.3.

Mitcham’s first decade endured a merry-go-round of events. Hit by depression, an inter-club merger, the club reformed as the Mitcham Football Club, went into a temporary recess and re-emerged as the 1902 ‘Champions of the District’ … effectively the Premiers

The Church name is one of the many great families that shaped not only the Club but the Mitcham community itself. Neil was one of four bothers all playing for Mitcham: Howard, Neil, Ken and Ray. However, the four Church brothers played in only the one game all together, but this remains a Club record. Younger brother Ken was selected in Mitcham`s Team of the Century – half back flank