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Mount Albert Lions
Club information
Full nameMount Albert Rugby League
Founded1928 [1]
Current details
Ground(s)
CoachJohn Ackland
CompetitionAuckland Rugby League
Records
Premierships1939, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1968, 1969, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012
Minor premierships1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1970, 1981, 1983, 1992, 2006, 2012
Bartercard Cup2002, 2004, 2005
National Club Champions1984
Stormont Shield1939, 1947, 1948, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1993
Sharman Cup1980

The Mount Albert Lions are a rugby league club based in Mount Albert, New Zealand. The Lions home ground is at Fowlds Park. Their patron is the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark. In 2008 and 2009 the Lions won the Fox Memorial.

As of 2019 the team is coached by John Ackland.[2]

History

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Mt Albert kick off in the 2010 grand final

The club was founded in 1928, after a meeting was held in April of that year.[3] They fielded teams in the 3rd and 4th grades. In the early 1930s the club moved to its current location at Fowlds Park in Morningside. In their initial seasons they had trained on Springleigh Avenue at what is now Phyllis Street Reserve. Up until 1934 the club had played in mauve colours but in April of that year they applied to the junior management committee to change their club colours to blue and gold.[4] They gained senior status from the Auckland Rugby League in 1935.

The club has won the Fox Memorial trophy fifteen times; in 1939, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1968, 1969, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009. In 1984 the Lions won the National Club Competition and in 2002, 2004 and 2005 they won the Bartercard Cup.

In 2006 they defended the Roope Rooster Challenge trophy in all eleven of their games and went on to win the Fox Memorial. In early 2007 they lost the trophy to the Te Atatu Roosters.

Notable players

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Kiwis

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Australians

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Other NZ representatives

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Players who represented New Zealand before or after playing for Mt Albert.

Auckland Representatives (1935-1945)

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  • Des Herring (1935-1939)
  • Robert Morrissey (1936)
  • J Peterson (1936)
  • Joseph Gunning (1937-1939)
  • Bert Leatherbarrow (1937)
  • William McCallum (1937)
  • Clarry McNeil (1938)
  • Richard Shadbolt (1938-1945)
  • Walter Cameron (1939)
  • Bruce Donaldson (1939)
  • W Walker (1939)
  • Jack Tristram (1941)
  • Les Clement (1944-1945)
  • Ivan Sumich (1944)
  • Bob Borich (1945)
  • Alan Wiles (1945)
  • Selwyn Thomassen (1945)

Bartercard Cup

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Between 2000 and 2005 the Lions competed in the national Bartercard Cup competition. Under the guidance of Brian McClennan they were the most successful club in the competition's history, being champions three times and twice winning the minor premiership. However the club had a slow start to the competition, not making the playoffs in the first two years. Their place in the Bartercard Cup was taken over by the Auckland Lions, an entity which represented Mount Albert as well as other neighbouring clubs. In 2007 the Auckland Lions also competed in the NSWRL Premier League but they were replaced in 2008 by the Auckland Vulcans.

Season Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Position (Teams) Finals
2000 22 12 1 9 593 584 9 25 Sixth (Twelve) N/A
2001 21 8 0 13 414 630 -216 18* Tenth (Twelve) N/A
2002 16 15 0 1 620 270 350 30 Minor Premiers (Twelve) Champions
2003 16 13 0 3 530 328 202 26 Second (Twelve) Defeated in Preliminary Final
2004 16 12 0 4 522 378 144 24 Third (Twelve) Champions
2005 16 12 0 4 570 326 244 24 Minor Premiers (Twelve) Champions

*Two points for a Bye as the Ngongotaha Chiefs withdrew from the competition

Mount Albert Senior Team Records (1928-1944) & (2022-24)

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The season record for the most senior men’s team in the club.

Season Grade Name Play W D L PF PA PD Pts Finishing position & notes
1928 3rd Grade Mount Albert United 15 11 1 3 148 31 117 23 2nd of 14
1929 2nd Grade Mount Albert United 12 10 0 2 141 37 +104 20 2nd of 7
1930 B Grade Mount Albert United 11 4 1 6 82 101 -19 2 3rd of 7
1931 2nd Grade Mount Albert United 15 11 0 4 128 26 102 22 2nd of 8
1932 2nd Grade Mount Albert United 16 8 1 5 96 52 44 17 4th of 9, lost Ko final 15-18 to Māngere United
1933 2nd Grade Mount Albert United 12 4 1 7 56 105 -49 9 5th of 7
1934 2nd Grade Mount Albert United 14 6 1 7 81 96 -15 13 3rd of 6, lost semi final of KO competition 5-13 to Papakura
1935 1st Grade (Fox) Mount Albert United 13 8 3 2 184 148 36 19 2nd of 7 (lost Phelan Shield final 8-11 v Ponsonby)
1936 1st Grade (Fox) Mount Albert United 13 7 1 5 155 149 6 15 4th of 8
1937 1st Grade (Fox) Mount Albert United 14 10 0 4 219 124 95 20 2nd of 8 (lost Phelan Shield final 18-22 v North Shore)
1938 1st Grade (Fox) Mount Albert United 16 11 0 5 277 205 72 22 2nd of 9
1939 1st Grade (Fox) Mount Albert United 16 13 1 2 284 165 119 27 1st of 9 (lost Roope Rooster final 11-13 v Marist, won Stormont Shield 21-9 v Marist)
1940 1st Grade (Fox) Mount Albert United 16 10 0 6 285 206 79 20 3rd of 9 (lost Phelan Shield final 14-20 v Manukau)
1941 1st Grade (Fox) Mount Albert United 15 5 0 10 187 238 -51 10 8th of 9
1942 1st Grade (Fox) Newton-Mount Albert 15 6 0 9 160 208 -48 12 4th of 6 (combined side with Newton due to WW2 weakening senior playing numbers)
1943 1st Grade (Fox) Mount Albert United 16 9 0 7 209 162 47 18 5th of 9
1944 1st Grade (Fox) Mount Albert United 19 11 4 4 190 158 32 26 2nd of 10 (lost championship final to City 7-17, won v Otahuhu in RR R1, lost v Ponsonby 2-17 in RR SF.
1945 Fox Memorial Mount Albert United 14 9 0 5 175 139 36 18 4th of 10
Roope Rooster Mount Albert United 3 2 0 1 49 45 4 W v Manukau 18-15, W v Ponsonby 19-13, L v North Shore 12-17 in SF
Phelan Shield Mount Albert United 1 0 0 1 5 25 -20 L v City 5-25 in SF
2022 1st Grade (Fox) Mt Albert Lions 8 5 0 3 274 170 104 10 3rd of 9 in section 1
Playoffs 1 1 0 1 58 62 -4 W v Otara 36-18 in PF, L v Pt Chevalier 40-22 in QF
2023 Fox Qualifiers Mt Albert Lions 3 1 0 2 36 90 -54 2 3rd of 4 Pool B
Fox Memorial 11 4 1 6 219 260 -41 9 7th of 12
2024 Fox Qualifiers Mt Albert Lions 3 3 0 0 96 20 +76 6 1st of 4 Pool B
Fox Memorial 11 5 1 5 302 280 +22 11 6th of 12
Playoffs 1 0 0 1 10 22 -12 11 L v Te Atatu 10-22 in SF
1928-44 + 2022-2024 TOTAL 414 217 21 174 6646 5989 +657 447

All time top point scorers (1935-1945)

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The point scoring lists are compiled from matches played in matches for the first grade side. The matches and point scorers includes the combined Newton-Mount Albert side of 1942.

Top point scorers
No Player Start End Games Tries Con Pen DG Mark Pts
1 Basil Cranch 1935 1945 - 44 73 69 0 0 416
2 Bert Leatherbarrow 1937 1943 - 42 29 4 0 0 192
3 Des Herring 1934 1940 94 34 24 10 0 0 170
4 Les Clement 1940 1945 - 36 19 5 0 0 156
5= Bruce Donaldson 1939 - - 7 28 20 0 0 117
5= Robert Morrissey 1935 1940 - 5 26 25 0 0 117
7 Joseph Gunning 1936 1940 - 32 3 1 0 0 104
8 Richard Shadbolt 1935 1945 - 26 1 0 0 0 80
9 Bob Banham 1939 1940 32 3 20 14 0 0 77
10 Arthur McInnarney 1938 1941 - 22 2 0 0 0 70
11= C Cowley 1939 1943 - 21 2 1 0 0 69
11= Jack Tristram 1937 1941 - 23 0 0 0 0 69
13 Cliff Satherley 1937 - 16 22 9 0 0 0 67
14 Clarry McNeil 1935 1939 34 19 0 0 0 0 57
15 Roy Niwa 1942 - - 2 11 11 0 0 50
16= Roy Hardgrave 1938 1939 26 15 0 0 0 0 45
16= McCallum 1937 - - 15 0 0 0 0 45

References

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  1. ^ "Club Formed at Mt Albert". Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 80. 4 April 1928. p. 14. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  2. ^ "John Ackland returns to lead our Premiers".
  3. ^ "Club Formed at Mt Albert". Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 80. 4 April 1928. p. 14. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Board of Control Affairs/Unemployed Concession Retained". Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 97. 26 April 1934. p. 18. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
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