A group of football-loving parents established the Marist Australian Football Club (MAFC) in 1973. The club grew steadily, playing in rugby jumpers in its early years, and picking up its first premierships in the under 12s in 1979 and the under 13s in 1980. 1980 was a big year for the club, with the First XVIII finishing runner-up in the under 17 Division 1 competition and Adrian Barich, who went on to play with the West Coast Eagles, winning the under 17s Best and Fairest.

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The early 1980s saw the introduction of the royal blue with sky blue sash jumper and the start of training at Lindwall Oval (initially little more than a mowed paddock). The club was increasingly successful on the field, winning the under 17 Division 2 premiership in 1981, under 13 Division 2 in 1984, under 17 Division 1 in 1986, under 14 Division 2 in 1987 and the under 16s in 1990 (who won the Grand Final by 117 points!).

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The MAFC continued to grow and prosper through the 1990s and 2000s, highlighted by the First XVIII – by then playing in the under 18s competition – winning six premierships in ten years, including a hat trick between 2008 and 2010. Lindwall Oval was extended in the early 1990s so that older age groups could play home games there.

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A copy of the history of the first 25 years of the MAFC written in 1998 is available by clicking here.

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The club continued to grow, with over 200 players by 2012, reaching around 230 players in 2018. The First XVIII won further premierships in 2015, 2017 and 2019, and the club also won premierships in the under 12, 13, 14 and 15 age groups in recent years. In 2018, our under 13s went through the season undefeated, taking the premiership in a close Grand Final against Eastlake and won a second premiership two years later in 2020.

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Several Marist players have gone on to play top-level football, including Adrian Barich (West Coast), Matthew Mahoney (Melbourne), Craig Bolton (Brisbane/Sydney), Brad Fuller (Collingwood), Aaron Hamill (Carlton/St Kilda), James Meiklejohn (Sydney), Phil Davis, current co-captain of the GWS Giants, Tom Green (GWS Giants) and Tom Highmore (St Kilda). Another notable former player is Patrick Mills, now playing basketball for San Antonio Spurs in the NBA.

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Over the years, the MAFC has developed a strong culture focused on participation and enjoyment for the boys; respect for teammates, opponents, coaches and umpires; a family feel around the club, especially on game day at Lindwall, Pearce, Mawson and Hughes.

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