| First meeting | 7 June 1926 (Preston 69-112 Coburg) |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | 13 May 2023 (Coburg 80-87 Northern) |
| Next meeting | 2024 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 159 |
| All-time series ( VFL only) | Northern 81 wins Coburg 75 wins Drawn 3 times |
The Battle of Bell Street is an Australian rules football rivalry, contested by the Coburg Football Club [a] and the Northern Bullants. [b] It is one of the oldest rivalries in the Victorian Football League (VFL), which was known as the Victorian Football Association (VFA) until 1996. [3]
The clubs have met 159 times as of 2023, with the Bullants winning 81 times since the first clash in 1926. [4]
History
Coburg and the Bullants are closely located, with their respective home grounds of Coburg City Oval and Preston City Oval divided by Bell Street in Preston (hence the name of the rivalry). [5]
The first clash was on 7 June 1926, with Coburg defeating Preston by 43 points. Preston's first win was a 29-point victory on 6 July 1929. [4] [6]
No match between the clubs occurred in the cancelled 2020 season, nor in the 2022 season. [7]
Senior matches
| Year | Date | Rd | Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Ground | Winner | Margin |
| 1926 | 5/6 | 6 | Preston | 10.9 (69) | Coburg | 16.16 (112) | Preston City Oval | Coburg | 43 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/8 | 15 | Coburg | 17.18 (120) | Preston | 7.9 (51) | Coburg City Oval | Coburg | 69 | |
| 1999 | 13/6 | 10 | Preston | 9.14 (68) | Coburg-Fitzroy | 14.2 (86) | Preston City Oval | Coburg-Fitzroy | 18 |
| 2000 | 26/3 | 2 | Northern Bullants | 7.12 (54) | Coburg-Fitzroy | 23.21 (159) | Preston City Oval | Coburg-Fitzroy | 105 |
| 2015 | 8/6 | 8 | Coburg | 10.5 (65) | Preston | 9.9 (63) | Coburg City Oval | Coburg | 2 |
| 2016 | 22/5 | 7 | Northern Blues | 16.10 (106) | Coburg | 14.11 (95) | Preston City Oval | Northern Blues | 11 |
| 2017 | 30/4 | 3 | Coburg | 11.13 (79) | Northern Blues | 21.15 (141) | Coburg City Oval | Northern Blues | 62 |
| 10/6 | 8 | Northern Blues | 14.16 (100) | Coburg | 13.13 (91) | Preston City Oval | Northern Blues | 9 | |
| 2018 | 11/8 | 19 | Northern Blues | 15.6 (96) | Coburg | 12.8 (80) | Preston City Oval | Northern Blues | 16 |
| 2019 | 9/6 | 13 | Northern Blues | 14.15 (99) | Coburg | 13.4 (82) | Preston City Oval | Northern Blues | 17 |
| 2021 | 11/7 | 13 | Coburg | 12.10 (82) | Northern Bullants | 12.11 (83) | Piranha Park | Northern Bullants | 1 |
| 2023 | 13/5 | 8 | Coburg | 12.8 (80) | Northern Bullants | 12.15 (87) | Piranha Park | Northern Bullants | 7 |
See also
Notes
- ^ Competed as Coburg-Fitzroy from 1999−2000; affiliated with the Richmond Football Club from 2001−2013. [1]
- ^ Competed as the Preston Football Club until 2000; affiliated with the Carlton Football Club from 2003−2020; known as the Northern Blues from 2012−2020. [2]
References
- ^ "Tigers to endanger Coburg's survival". The Age. 13 February 2011.
- ^ "Carlton and Northern Blues forced to cease alignment". Carlton Football Club. 26 March 2020.
- ^ "Historic VFA rivalry between Coburg and Preston returns to Piranha Park". Herald Sun.
- ^ a b "Old foes set for Battle of Bell Street". afl.com.au. 11 May 2023.
- ^ McCormick, Michael (8 June 2015). "Blues fall short in Battle of Bell Street". Carlton Football Club.
- ^ "1926 VFA Premiership Season". Australian Football.
- ^ "2022 VFL fixture: Round one locked in, remaining match-ups confirmed". afl.com.au. 22 February 2022.