Central Blues

{{Short description|Amateur Australian football club located in downtown Toronto, Canada}}

{{Infobox sport club

| name = Central Blues

| logo = Central Blues AFC logo.png

| full name = Central Blues Australian Football Club

| nickname = Blues

| strip = Navy blue and white CFC logo with red maple leaf (based on the Carlton Blues)

| founded = 2005

| first_season = 2006

| sport = Australian rules football

| league = AFL Ontario

| ground = Humber College South (matches); Coronation Park and Cherry Beach (training sessions)

| president = Ewan Williams

| coach = James Boyd and Ewan Williams (men's), Vera Santillana (women's)

| captain = Sam Tyrrell & Ewan Williams (2023)

| song = "We are the Navy Blues"

}}

The Toronto Central Blues are an Australian rules football club based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

History

The club was founded in 2005 by former Guelph Gargoyles players Bruce Parker and Rob Chapman.{{cite web|url=http://bluesafc.ca/about-the-club/|title=Central Blues AFC - About the Club|work=Central Blues AFC|accessdate=5 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121130317/http://bluesafc.ca/about-the-club/|archive-date=21 January 2016|url-status=dead}} The club is well-supported, and enjoys an active alumni network.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqgDqFhdxqA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/mqgDqFhdxqA |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Central Blues Australian Rules Football Club 2006|date=2 October 2006|publisher=|accessdate=5 February 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

In 2008 the Blues finished 5th and qualified for finals for the first time in the club's brief history. The Blues would go on to defeat the Guelph Gargoyles in Round 1, but experienced defeat in the Preliminary Final at the hand of the Broadview Hawks.

2009 saw the club finish 6th at the end of the regular season to make it into the Finals for the 2nd consecutive season. The club managed to once again surprise their opponent (Toronto Dingos) to easily win their first Final, only to lose to the Etobicoke Kangaroos in the Preliminary Final to end up 4th overall.

= Grand Finals =

In 2010 the Central Blues won their first OAFL Premiership versus their downtown Toronto rivals the Toronto Dingos.

In 2014 the Central Blues overcame a 7–5 season to advance to the Grand Final, narrowly losing to the Broadview Hawks.{{cite web|url=http://bluesafc.ca/central-blues-make-the-grand-final/|title=Central Blues make the Grand Final|work=Central Blues AFC|accessdate=5 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423115930/http://bluesafc.ca/central-blues-make-the-grand-final/|archive-date=23 April 2016|url-status=dead}}

= Women's team =

In 2009 the Central Blues expanded to include Ontario's first organized women's Australian football team. The women's team was started by Bruce Parker and Sherrelle Kelly-Witt.

References

External links

{{Official website|http://bluesafc.ca/}}

Category:Ontario Australian Football League clubs

Category:Australian rules football clubs in Toronto

Category:Australian rules football clubs in Canada

Category:2005 establishments in Ontario

Category:Australian rules football clubs established in 2005