1952-Ainslie Championship Team

There were six teams in the Canberra AFL competition in 1952, Ainslie, Eastlake, Manuka, Queanbeyan-Acton, RMC and Turner.

Ainslie Finished undefeated on top of the table at the end of the home and away games.

Ainslie played Queanbeyan-Acton at Manuka Oval in the Second Semi-Final.

• Final score: Ainslie 17.7-109 def Queanbeyan 11.9-75
• Goal kickers for Ainslie: A Hawke 4, N Cleary 2, A Stevens 2, J Trembearth 2, Don Ross 2, P Platt2,  J B McCabe 2, L James 1

Ainslie defeated Queanbeyan-Acton by 14 points in the 1952 Grand Final in front of 4000 spectators at Manuka Oval.

In doing so Ainslie completed an undefeated season of 17 successive wins to repeat the Championship year it had in 1936.

• Final Score:  Ainslie 13.20-98 defeated Queanbeyan Acton 12.12-84
• Goals: Platt 5, Ross 3, Trembearth 2, Backen, Griffith, N Cleary
• Best: McCabe, Boorn, Platt, N Cleary, Backen, J. Cleary

The Grand Final Team was:

• Backs: John Cleary, Alan Ray, Bob Bloomfield
• Half Backs: Don Robertson, Bob Boorn, William Keogh
• Centres: Max Griffiths, Barry McCabe, Lionel James
• Half Forwards: J Trembearth, Phillip Platt, Alan Stevens (V.Capt.)
• Forwards: W Griffiths, Don Ross, Allan Hawke
• Rucks: Bruce Whatman (Capt.), Jim Backen, Neville Cleary
• 19th: Bernard McCabe, 20th Jim Keegan
• Note: Barry Browning and Bryan Birch were injured.

37 players played First Grade and the other players in the team during the season were;

Tom Moore, J Juraszek, Colin Crouch, Don Robertson, T Brady, R McCullock, Kevin Crisp, G Farrer, F Curtis, T Boyd, B Langmaid, R Peach, D Deakin, P Lawson, K O’Brien

The results of the Home and Away games:

• Rd.1 Ainslie 18.19-127 def Queanbeyan-Acton 6.6-42
• Rd 2. Ainslie 19.19-133 def Eastlake 4.12-36
• Rd 3. Ainslie 5.16-46 def Manuka 3.3-21
• Rd 4. Ainslie 10.16-76 def Turner 7.7-49
• Rd 5. Ainslie 11.15-81 def RMC 10.8-68
• Rd 6 Ainslie 5.13-43 def Queanbeyan-Acton 4.14-38
• Rd 7. Ainslie 17.15-117 def Eastlake 9.11-65
• Rd 8 Ainslie 7.10-52 def Manuka 2.12-24
• Rd 9 Ainslie 10.15-75 def Turner 9.8-62
• Rd 10. Ainslie 15.18-108 def RMC 4.5-29
• Rd 11. Ainslie 16.14-110 def Queanbeyan-Acton 6.7-43
• Rd 12. Ainslie 11.16-82 def Eastlake 4.4-28
• Rd 13. Ainslie 11.14-80 def Manuka 2.9-21
• Rd 14. Ainslie 7.16-58 def Turner 6.4-40
• Rd 15. Ainslie 16.16-112 def RMC 7.9-51

Barry McCabe, Ainslie’s centre man, tied with Ern Hurtig of Eastlake in the Mulrooney Trophy. Each player was presented with a trophy.

Don Ross topped the Club’s goal kicking with 46 goals.

• Coach: Alan “Ginty” Stevens
• Captain: Bruce Whatman
• Manager: Stan Ray

The New Ainslie Clubrooms at Ainslie Oval were officially opened by Harry Gaylard on Saturday 13 December.

With the cessation of the Intermediate Grade, Ainslie had two teams in the Second Grade competition.

The B1 Team was beaten in the Grand Final by Eastlake. The B2 team consisted of those players that normally would have played in the Intermediate Grade. The B2 team were competitive but struggled to win games.

• The Juniors finished second after the home and away but were defeated by Eastlake in the Preliminary Final.
• The Sub-Juniors won the Premiership.
• The Midgets finished second in the home and away games but were defeated by Westridge in the Preliminary Final to finish third.
• The Atoms team finished in third place.

• Best & Fairest: Bob Boorn, Neville Cleary, Lionel James (three way tie)

• B1 – Kevin Crisp
• B2 – Bill Gale

• Best & Fairest: Ray Hincksman

• Best & Fairest: M Hereward

• Best& Fairest: D Reid

• Best & Fairest: B Kelly, N Elvin, J Davies

• President: Ralph Lewis