1983-Ainslie First Grade Premiership Team

There were seven teams in the 1983 ACTAFL Competition, Ainslie, Belconnen, Eastlake, Manuka, Queanbeyan, Tuggeranong and West Canberra.

Going into the last home and away round Ainslie and Manuka were level on games but Manuka defeated Ainslie by 4 points to gain top spot and Ainslie finished second with 14 wins and 4 losses.

Ainslie played Manuka in the Second Semi-Final at Football Park, Phillip winning by 29 points.

• Final score: Ainslie 16.16-112 def Manuka 12.11-85
• Goal kickers for Ainslie: Neale 5, Miller 4, Bellchambers 2, Cox 2, Baxter 2, Conlon 1
• Best: Ielasi, Scholes, Baxter, Miller, Stone, Hamilton, Smith

Ainslie met Eastlake in the Grand Final at Football Park, Phillip before a large crowd of 8,000.

Ainslie won all three grades repeating the history making season of 1982 when it was the first club to win all three grades.

Under Kevin Neale’s coaching Ainslie this was the sixth successive Grand Final and fourth Premiership. Neale kicked 5 goals even though recovering from a knee injury.

• Final score: Ainslie 18.13-121 def Eastlake 13.11-89
• Goal kickers for Ainslie: Neale 5, McCormick 3, Bellchambers 2, Heystraten 2, Nolan 2, Miller 1, Mooney 1, Conlan 1, Cross
• Best: Marshall, Heystraten, Bellchamers, Ielasi, Hamilton, Mooney

The Grand Final team, was:

• Backs: Tony Ielasi, Alan Smith, Gordon Marshall
• Half Backs: Peter Hamilton, Brett Hannam, Craig Smith
• Centres: Reece Conlon, Terry Mooney, Ron Davey
• Half Forwards: Ken Stone, John Miller, Tony Cross
• Forwards: Garry Cox, Kevin Neale, David Bellchambers
• Rucks: Hans Heystraten, Stephen Nolan, Jack McCormick
• Interchange from: Andrew Birzenieks, Phil Gerrans, Malcolm Scholes

Gordon Marshall was awarded the Alex Jesaulenko Medal for Best on the Ground in the Grand Final.

Hans Heystraten was Runner-up in the Mulrooney Medal 1 vote behind Tony Wynd of Queanbeyan.

At the end of the year Coach Kevin Neale left Ainslie to coach Central Districts in the SANFL. Kevin Neale played 98 games with Ainslie but only 4 in 1983 due to the knee injury and operation. The League named the “leading goalkicker award the Kevin Neale Goalkicking Award in honour of Neale. He kicked over 100 goals three season straight, a record 149 in 1980, 139 in 1981 and 125 in 1982.

Ainslie Second Grade finished in third position after the home and away games.

Ainslie Second Grade defeated Queanbeyan in the First Semi-Final.

• Final score: Ainslie 12.12-84 def Queanbeyan 11.9-75

Ainslie defeated Minor Premiers Manuka in the Preliminary Final by 14 points.

• Final score: Ainslie 11.10-76 def Manuka 8.14-62

Ainslie Second Grade trailed by 32 points at quarter time in the Grand Final against Eastlake but a strong third quarter closed the gap to 5 points at three quarter time. A six goal to 2 last quarter sealed the win by 23 points.

• Final score: Ainslie 13.11-89 def Eastlake 10.6-66

Graham Read won the J McNamara Medal for the League’s Best & Fairest Player in Second Grade.

Ainslie Under 19s finished on top of the ladder after the home and away games.

Ainslie lost to Manuka in the Second Semi-Final.

• Final score: Ainslie 7.11-53 def by Manuka 8.18-72

In the Preliminary Final Ainslie defeated Queanbeyan to go through to the Grand Final.

• Final score: Ainslie 12.13-85 def Queanbeyan 8.10-58

Ainslie played Manuka in the Grand Final. Manuka held a 3 point lead at the last change but Ainslie stormed home to win by 30 points.

• Final score: Ainslie 16.12-108 def Manuka 12.6-78

The Ainslie Monaro Team playing in Division 2 won 18 of 19 games.

The Monaro Team played RMC in the Second Semi-Fianl and won by 10 points to go through to the Grand Final.

• Final score: Ainslie 15.12-102 def RMC 13.14-92

Ainslie played RMC again in the Grand Final and defeated them by 16 points to win the Premiership.

• Final score: Ainslie 12.12-84 def RMC 10.8-68

Gary Hincksman kicked 76 goals in season 1983.

• Coach: Robert Anderson

• Best & Fairest: Ron Davey
• Runner-up B&F: Robbie Baxter
• Most Consistent: David Bellchambers
• Most Improved: Anthony Cross
• Richard Fleming Memorial Trophy: Gordon Marshall
• Best First Year Player: Malcolm Scholes
• Most Valuable Player in the Finals: Kevin Neale
• Manager’s Award: Andrew Birzenieks

• Best & Fairest: Graham Read
• Runner-up B&F: Graham Kemp
• Most Consistent: Phil Wilson
• Most Improved: Anthony Maher
• Manager’s Award: Craig Ellis

• Best & Fairest: Paul Edwards
• Runner-up B&F: Wayne Rogers
• Most Consistent: Trevor Lond
• Most Improved: Michael Richardson

• Best & Fairest: Ross Hincksman
• Runner-up B&F: Scott Marlin
• Most Consistent: Peter Curtis
• Most Improved: Andrew Hogan

• Best & Fairest: Michael Searle
• Runner-up B&F: Andrew Bishop
• Most Consistent: Michael Porta
• Most Improved: Mark Vardy

• President: Bruce Glossop
• Senior Vice President: Garry Marshall
• Vice Presidents: John Bravo, Robert McCorry, G Ryan
• Secretary: Arthur G Bennett
• Ass. Secretary: I Mulholland
• Treasurer: Karl Blundell
• Committee: Don Andrews, D Cowie, R Hancock, Bill Harvey, G Harwood, Andrew McGrath, Jack McGrath, Brett Muir, Larry Rawson, G Rogers, K Slattery, Les Smith
• Patrons: Harry Gaylard, Senator D Jessop, Senator M Townley