The 1988 ACTAFL Competition consisted of six teams, Ainslie, Belconnen, Eastlake, Manuka Weston, Queanbeyan and Tuggeranong.

Ainslie were minor Premiers after the home and away winning 16 games and losing 4. Ainslie’s three top teams, First Grade, Second Grade and U19s, all reached the Grand Final. Disappointingly however no team won the Premiership.

Ainslie First Grade were defeated in the Second Semi-Final by Queanbeyan. With Queanbeyan leading by 1 point at the last break the lead changed six times in the last quarter with Queanbeyan ahead by 4 points when the final siren sounded.

  • Final score: Ainslie 15.14-104 def by Queanbeyan 16.12-108
  • Goal kickers for Ainslie: Smith 4, Walters 2, Griffin 2, Zochling 2, Rogers 1, Wingate 1, Durnan 1, Porta 1, C Smith 1
  • Best: Muir, Durnan, A Bishop, S Smith, Hannam, Porta, Walters

Ainslie defeated Eastlake in the Preliminary Final to set up a rematch with Queanbeyan in the Grand Final.

  • Final score: Ainslie 15.13-103 def Eastlake 9.10-64
  • Goal kickers for Ainslie: S Smith 4, A Bishop 3, Wingate 2, Baxter 1, Rogers 1, Sinclair 1, Zochling 1, Richardson 1, C Smith 1
  • Best: A Bishop, Richardson, Wingate, Muir, Porta, McTaggart

Ainslie played Queanbeyan in the Grand Final. It was Ainslie’s 10th appearance in a Grand Final in the last 11 years, winning 6. However Ainslie could not reverse the Semi-Final result and went down to Queanbeyan by 19 points.

  • Final score: Ainslie 10.15-75 def by Queanbeyan 14.10-94
  • Goal kickers for Ainslie: Smith 3, Wingate 2, Rogers 1, Richardson 1, C Smith 1, Telford 1, Bishop 1
  • Best: Porta, C Smith, Muir, Durnan, Hannam, Richardson

The Ainslie Grand Final team was chosen from:

Brent Walters, Robbie Baxter, Wayne Rogers, Mark Sinclair, Gerard Zochling, Maurice Wingate, Brett Hannam, Stephen Smith, Mark Killer, Russel Durnan, Peter Brown, Michael Richardson, Michael Porta, Ian Muir, Craig Smith, Peter Telford, Robert McTaggart, Shaun Wornes, Greg Bishop, Andrew Bishop, Shane Griffin

Ainslie President David Lalor accepts the C W Chandler Trophy as the Best Performed Club from ACTAFL President Bill Mahoney

Steve Smith was the Club’s leading goal kicker with 71 goals.

Ainslie won the C W Chandler Club Championship as the Best Performed Club.

Ainslie had seven players selected in the ACT Representative team that played in the Bi-Centennial Carnival in Adelaide. They were R Durnan, A Bishop, B Hannam, M Killer, W Rogers, M Richardson and A Tutt.

1988-Ainslie Second Grade Team

Ainslie Second Grade finished the home and away games in top position on the ladder with 15 wins and 4 losses.

Ainslie had a good win over Manuka-Weston in the Second Semi-Final.

  • Final Score: Ainslie 20.12-132 def Manuka-Weston 9.12-66
  • Goal kickers for Ainslie: Kelty 6, Michael Conway 2, Mohrwinkel 2, Scholes 2, Trebilcock 2, Tutt 2, Adams 1, Collins 1, Finkelde 1, Lond 1
  • Best: Mohrwinkel, Finkelde, Matt Conway, Scholes, Tutt

Ainslie met Manuka-Weston in the Grand Final and after being defeated by 11 goals in the Semi-Final Manuka-Weston reversed the result and defeated Ainslie.

  • Final score: Ainslie 6.8-44 def by Manuka Weston 9.11-65
  • Goal kickers for Ainslie: Finkelde 3, Collins 1, Scholes 1, Tutt 1
  • Best: Seymour, Hincksman, Finkelde, Scholes, Birch, Van Dijk

Wayne Kelty was the leading goal kicker for the Club in Second Grade with 77 goals.

Dale Seymour played his 100th Second Grade game during the season.

1988-Ainslie Under 19 Team

Ainslie under 19s finished the home and away games in fourth position with 9 wins and 10 losses.

Ainslie won the First Semi-Final against Belconnen by 4 points.

  • Final score: Ainslie 8.11-59 def Belconnen 8.7-55
  • Goal kickers for Ainslie: Mohrwinkel 3, Smith 2, Burgess 1, Conway 1, Woodland 1
  • Best: Mohrwinkel, Thompson, Trebilcock, Palmer

In the Preliminary Final they defeated Manuka-Weston by 23 points.

  • Final score: Ainslie 11.10-76 def Manuka Weston 5.8-38
  • Goal kickers for Ainslie: C Smith 3, M Conway 2, Trebilcock 2, Berry 1, Mohrwinkel 1, Palmer 1, Schmidt 1
  • Best: Mohrwinkel, Thompson, Conway, Smith, Trebilcock

The Ainslie U19s were defeated by Eastlake in the Grand Final.

  • Final score: Ainslie 5.4-34 def by Eastlake 11.14-80
  • Goal kickers for Ainslie: Smeaton 3, Woodland 1, Mohrwinkel 1
  • Best: Mohrwinkel, Busfield, Conway, Gibson, Smeaton

Matthew Conway won the League’s Best & Fairest award for the U19s, the T A Wharton Trophy.

  • Coach: Robert Anderson

1988-Ainslie Monaro Team

The Ainslie Monaro team lost the Fist Semi-Final to CCAE to finish in fourth place.

  • Coach: Stephen Vickers

1988-Ainslie Under 17 Team

Ainslie Under 17s finished in fifth place, missing out on the finals.

  • Coach: Geoff Pight

Club Awards

First Grade

  • Best & Fairest: Russel Durnan
  • Runner Up B&F: Andrew Bishop
  • Most Consistent: Michael Porta
  • Most Improved: Gerard Zochling
  • Coach’s Award: Ian Muir

Second Grade

  • Best & Fairest: Malcolm Scholes
  • Runner Up B&F: Paul Finkelde
  • Most Consistent: Ross Hincksman
  • Most Improved: Michael Collins
  • Coach’s Award: Dale Seymour
  • Manager’s Award: Aaron Adams

Under 19

  • Best & Fairest: Matthew Conway
  • Runner Up B&F: Shane Trebilcock
  • Most Consistent: Scott Gibson
  • Most Improved: Paul Thompson
  • Courage Award: Mark Devenish
  • Coach’s Award: Richard Baumhammer

Under 17

  • Best & Fairest: Jeffrey Kaye
  • Runner Up B&F: Stephen Busfield
  • Most Consistent: Christian Roberts
  • Most Improved: Stephen Barr

Monaro

  • Best & Fairest: Paul Birzenieks
  • Runner Up B&F: Mark Jeffcott
  • Most Consistent: Peter Gibbs
  • Most Improved: Trent Bourne
  • Goal Kicking Award: Paul Birzenieks
  • Most Prominent Clubman: John Williams
  • Jaws Award: Mark Killer
  • Richard Fleming Memorial Award: Robbie Baxter
  • Baitz Liquor Award for Best First Year Player: Robert McTaggart

Club Officials

  • President: David Lalor
  • Senior Vice-President: Don Andrews
  • Secretary: Noel McCormack
  • Ass. Secretary: Andrew McGrath
  • Treasurer: Karl Blundell
  • Committee: S Richardson, K Stone, K Duncan, B Garrett, B Glossop, John Rebcca, Ian Kirkpatrick, R Smith, K Grace, J Miller, M Smith, G Croser, D Eddowes, Billy Bishop, Brian Palmer