The competition began in 1909 as the Challenge Cup, with the trophy purchased by Harry Dockerty. Dockerty had spearheaded the revival of competitive soccer in Melbourne leading up to that year by forming the Victorian Amateur British Football Association. Indeed he would even play in that first Final, his St Kilda side going down 2-1 to Carlton United. There were already some references that year to the "Dockerty Challenge Cup" and within a few years it soon simply became known as the Dockerty Cup.
In the fledgling local game, the Dockerty Cup Final became one of the two annual showpiece events for the code, alongside the "Local International" fixture of England v Scotland. These were the two days a year an enclosed ground would be sought to stage a grand day.
The Cup has been shared once, in 1914 when Melbourne Thistle and Northumberland and Durham United staged two goalless draws and the season was concluded without being able to hold another replay. The Final was also not contested in 1920, again with time running out in the season to stage the Albert Park v Northumberland and Durham United decider. In 1988 it was won by South Melbourne Hellas on protest, after a 4-3 defeat by Melbourne Croatia, who had brought on a substitute who had been suspended in a Youth League game.
After Carlton United won the first two editions, Melbourne Thistle later became the competition's most successful team, before they in turn were surpassed by Footscray Thistle. Brighton and Hakoah were then added to the list of dominant teams. The post war emergence of the new clubs formed by ethnic migrants saw the names J.U.S.T., Juventus, Wilhelmina, George Cross, Polonia and Slavia added to the honour roll before Croatia (now Melbourne Knights) and South Melbourne would rise to the head the list of most wins.
Between 1953 and 1956 Hakoah won the Cup four times in succession. This eclipses the three wins in a row by Nobels (1938-1940) and Juventus (1970-1972).
Wonthaggi Magpies became the first country team to win the Cup, triumphing in an epic 1931 contest that required two replays against Brunswick. In 1994 Morwell Falcons became the only other club to take the Cup away from Melbourne.
During the latter part of the Second World War, Hakoah and Moreland combined their teams due to player shortages, and were runner's-up twice before capturing the Cup in 1945.
Issues caused by the formation of the National Soccer League in 1977, compounded by it's move to a summer season in 1989-90, eventually saw the Dockerty Cup come to an end in 1996. Interest had waned as it became only a minor target for the NSL clubs, while the clubs in the tiers below had minimal chance of success against the NSL giants.
In 2004 telecommunications company Crazy John's staged the Crazy John's Cup, a statewide knock-out competition. The Dockerty Cup trophy was used for the Final, but after a drought and water restrictions caused difficulties in using grounds in pre-season, the Cup was once again shelved the following year. Another revival commenced in 2011, with the Mirabella Cup. Though that sponsorship was dropped after a year, the competition continued in the following years as the State Knock-Out Cup before the Dockerty Cup name was finally restored.
Owing to missing details/records, I have not attempted to work out which players have won the Dockerty Cup the most times. Hopefully when issues regarding 1910, 1913, 1919, 1920, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1973 and 1990 are resolved it will be possible to determine the records of winning and runner's-up players.
RECORDS
Dockerty Cup Wins
9 - Melbourne Knights (Formerly Croatia, Essendon Lions, Essendon Croatia & Melbourne Croatia)
8 - South Melbourne (Formerly South Melbourne Hellas)
7 - Hakoah
6 - Brunswick United Juventus (Formerly Juventus, later Melbourne Zebras, currently Moreland Zebras)
5 - Footscray Thistle, Brighton, Green Gully (Formerly Green Gully Ajax)
3 - Melbourne Thistle, Naval Depot, Nobels, Moreland, Footscray J.U.S.T. (Formerly J.U.S.T.),
George Cross (Later Sunshine George Cross, currently Caroline Springs George Cross), Port Melbourne Slavia (Formerly Slavia)
2 - Carlton United, St Kilda, Yarraville (Formerly Williamstown-Yarraville), Northumberland and Durham United, Royal Caledonians, Prahran City, Park Rangers, Bentleigh Greens
1 - Albert Park, Wonthaggi Magpies, Moreland-Hakoah, South Yarra, Wilhelmina (Currently
Ringwood City), Polonia (Currently Western Eagles), Fawkner, Preston Makedonia (Currently Preston Lions), Morwell Falcons, Northcote City, Dandenong Thunder, Heidelberg United
Most Times Runner's-Up
7 - Brunswick United Juventus (Formerly Juventus, later Melbourne Zebras, currently Moreland Zebras)
6 - Melbourne Knights (Formerly Croatia, Essendon Lions, Essendon Croatia & Melbourne Croatia)
5 - St Kilda, Hakoah
4 - Prahran City, Polonia (Currently Western Eagles), South Melbourne (Formerly South Melbourne Hellas),
Heidelberg United (Formerly Alexander, Fitzroy United Alexander, Heidelberg United Alexander)
3 - South Yarra, Box Hill, Brighton, George Cross (Later Sunshine George Cross, currently Caroline Springs George Cross)
Most Finals Refereed (Referees not noted for 1947, 1948, 1953, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1972. 1973, 1978 & 1983)
3 - Palmer, J.Hadlington (also one replay)
2 - G.Clark, J.Fraser, Jock Parker, Tommy Burns, C.Rodgers, C.Armstrong, Bill Curran (also one replay), David Maitland, Geoff Harrison, Jim Fearn, Chris Bambridge,
Nestor Zacharidis, Patrick Chaplin, Chris Hope
Venues
57 - Olympic Park (also four replays)
7 - Middle Park (also two replays)
6 - Fitzroy Cricket Ground/Brunswick Street Oval (also one replay)
5 - Motordrome (also one replay)
4 - Lakeside Stadium
2 - Exhibition Oval, Toorak Park, The Showgrounds (also one replay), Knights Stadium,
ABD Stadium
1 - East Melbourne Cricket Ground, Richmond City Reserve, Coburg City Oval (also one
replay), AAMI Park, Jack Edwards Reserve
1 replay only - Spotswood, Wonthaggi Oval
Most Replayed Final
2 replays - Wonthaggi Magpies v Brunswick - 1931
Most Goals In A Final
8 - Royal Caledonians 4 Hakoah 4 - 1934
Hakoah 7 Footscray City 1 - 1954
South Melbourne 6 Heidelberg United 2 - 1993
Most Goals By A Player In A Final
4 - Wells (Moreland-Hakoah) - 1945
Joe Gottesman (Hakoah) - 1954
DOCKERTY CUP FINALS
1909 Carlton United 2 (J.Cumming 2) St Kilda 1 (Brown)
1910 Carlton United 1 (Hall) Prahran City 0
1911 St Kilda 4 (Wardrop, Gorrie, Hopgood, Vass) Williamstown 2 (Gardiner, Dowker)
1912 Williamstown-Yarraville 3 (Gardiner, Clark, Dowker) Wonthaggi
1913 Yarraville 4 (Hatch 3, Dowker) St Kilda 3 (Kendall 2, Burrows)
1914 Melbourne Thistle 0 Northumberland and Durham United 0
Melbourne Thistle 0 Northumberland and Durham United 0
Cup shared
1915 Melbourne Thistle 1 (Brown) Albert Park 1 (Finch)
Melbourne Thistle 2 (Harris, Benn) Albert Park 0
1919 Footscray Thistle 2 Windsor 0
1920 Albert Park v Northumberland and Durham United
Abandoned due to season being ended
1921 Northumberland and Durham United 1 (Miller) Submarine Depot 1 (Stafford)
Northumberland and Durham United 2 Submarine Depot 0
1922 Albert Park 3 (Hamilton, J.Anderson, Gardner) Windsor 2 (Maxwell, O.G.)
1923 St Kilda 1 (Parker) Preston 0
1924 Naval Depot 1 (Crowe) Footscray Thistle 0
1925 Melbourne Thistle 3 (Johnstone 2, Parker) Preston 1 (Eccles)
1926 Naval Depot 4 (Lewis, Wilson, Baker 2) St Kilda 3 (Sheufelberger, Young 2)
1927 Footscray Thistle 5 (Clarke, R.Lyons, Woodburn 2, Calderwood)
Naval Depot 2 (Lewis, Thorpe)
After extra-time. 2-2 at full-time
1928 Naval Depot 6 (Lewis 3, Crowe, Souter, Thorpe) Wonthaggi Magpies 0
1929 Footscray Thistle 3 (Crowe, Orr, Ballantyne) St Kilda 2 (Winter, Doncaster)
1930 Footscray Thistle 3 (J.Lyons, Wilson 2) Caledonians 2 (R.Gray 2)
1931 Wonthaggi Magpies 0 Brunswick 0
Wonthaggi Magpies 0 Brunswick 0
Wonthaggi Magpies 1 (Mackey) Brunswick 0
1932 Footscray Thistle 2 (Wilson 2) Melbourne Thistle 2 (Craig, Fraser)
Footscray Thistle 2 (Wilson, J.Lyons) Melbourne Thistle 1 (Mayne)
1933 Brighton 4 (McDougall, Wright 2, Grant) St Kilda 3 (Ford 3)
1934 Royal Caledonians 4 (R.Gray, B.Gray, Ireland, G.Weir)
Hakoah 4 (C.Yaffe. McIver 2, O.G.)
Royal Caledonians 3 (Robb, R.Gray 2) Hakoah 2 (Forrest 2)
1935 Hakoah 4 (Forrest 2, McIver, Lewis)
Royal Caledonians 3 (Johnstone, P.Young, Gray)
1936 Caledonians 5 (J.Gray 2, P.Young, R.Gray, G.Weir)
Footscray Thistle 2 (Baxter, Owens)
1937 Brighton 3 (Fitzgerald, S.Fraser, Peters) Prahran City 1 (Baxter)
1938 Nobels 2 (Lyons 2) Hakoah 2 (Forrest 2)
Nobels 3 (Lyons, Campbell, Robb) Hakoah 2 (Forrest, Yaffe)
1939 Nobels 6 (Lyons 3, Johnstone, P.Young, Campbell) Prahran 1 (T.McCluskey)
1940 Nobels 5 (Douglas 2, Johnstone, Campbell, P.Young) South Yarra 1 (Flintham)
1941 Moreland 1 (Mackey) Prahran City 0
1942 Prahran City A 3 (Glasson 2, H.Gray) Moreland-Hakoah 0
1943 Brighton 2 (Sierakowski, Sharp) Moreland-Hakoah 2 (McIver 2)
Brighton 3 (Sierakowski 2, Sharp) Moreland-Hakoah 2 (Higgins, McIver)
1944 Brighton 3 (Pritchard 3) R.A.A.F. Laverton 0
1945 Moreland-Hakoah 6 (Wells 4, Kellet, Mackie) Box Hill 1 (Bergner)
1946 Prahran City 3 (Baxter 2, Honey) Moreland 2 (Gray 2)
1947 South Yarra 2 (Hayden, Johnson) Park Rangers 1 (Cottrell)
1948 Park Rangers 4 (Wilson 2, Forrest, Cotterill)
South Yarra 3 (Hawkes, Sharman, Stoddardt)
1949 Park Rangers 2 (Gillies, Mulcahy) South Yarra 1 (Sharman)
1950 Moreland 2 (Sharp, Greenslades) Box Hill 0
1951 J.U.S.T. 1 (Roubel) Brighton 0
1952 Brighton 5 (Barr, Wilson, McKenzie 2, Devlin) Juventus 0
1953 Hakoah 2 (Kodak, Kurzwell) Brighton 1 (McKenzie)
1954 Hakoah 7 (Gottesman 4, Rice, Thomas, Sutherland) Footscray City 1 (Glennie)
1955 Hakoah 1 (Sutherland) Polonia 1 (Schipperheyn)
Hakoah 2 (Gottesman, Piercey) Polonia 0
1956 Hakoah 2 (Sutherland, Pynt) Brighton 0
1957 Moreland 2 (Hodgson, Loughran) Juventus 1 (Aranyi)
1958 Wilhelmina 2 (Mathyssen, de Bruyckere) Juventus 2 (Bottari 2)
Wilhelmina 3 (Yntema, Keuken, Luyten) Juventus 0
1959 George Cross 2 (T.Vella, Copeland) Hakoah 2 (Artner 2)
George Cross 3 (McVean 2, Georgoussis) Hakoah 1 (Petersen)
1960 Juventus 3 (Bottari, Barbazza 2) Hakoah 1 (McInroy)
1961 Polonia 4 (Jurecki 2, Gross, Marusziewicz) George Cross 2 (Copeland)
1962 George Cross 3 (Gibb 2, Abela) Hakoah 0
1963 J.U.S.T. 4 (Pikl 2, Stankovic, Pejovic) Polonia 2 (Jurecki, Jankowski)
1964 Slavia 1 (Harper) J.U.S.T. 0
1965 Slavia 1 (Laraman) Croatia 0
1966 Hakoah 4 (Fry, Purdie, Monan, O.G.) Slavia 2 (Reid, Shepherd)
1967 Port Melbourne Slavia 4 (Goodwin, Reid, Jurecki, Livingstone)
South Melbourne Hellas 0
1968 Croatia 1 (Mackay) South Melbourne Hellas 1 (Gorrie) After extra-time
Croatia 1 (McIntyre) South Melbourne Hellas 0
1969 Croatia 3 (Mackay 2, Vojtek) Juventus 1 (De Marchi)
1970 Juventus 2 (Irvine, Thomson) South Melbourne Hellas 0
1971 Juventus 2 (De Marchi, Thomson) Footscray J.U.S.T. 0 After extra-time
1972 Juventus 0 George Cross 0
Juventus 2 (De Marchi 2) George Cross 1 (Gardiner)
1973 Hakoah-St Kilda 1 (Micevski) Fitzroy United Alexander 0
1974 South Melbourne Hellas 4 (Marshall, Armstrong, Nechvoglod, Bourne)
Ringwood City Wilhelmina 1 (Lynn)
1975 South Melbourne Hellas 2 (Mackay, Armstrong) Sunshine City 1 (Piotrowski)
1976 Footscray J.U.S.T. 2 (Palinkas, Buljevic) Polonia 0
1977 Juventus 0 Essendon Lions 0
Juventus won 5-4 on penalties
1978 George Cross 3 (Reed 2, Cullen) Ringwood City 2 (O'Callaghan, Garthwaite)
1979 Essendon Croatia 2 (Batinovic 2) Frankston City 1 (Mitten) After extra-time
1980 Essendon Croatia 7 (Gardiner, Mitten 3, Tront, Gilder 2) Brunswick Juventus 0
1981 Green Gully 2 (Peter Lewis, Paul Lewis) Sunshine City 0
1982 Green Gully 3 (Paul Lewis 3) Melbourne Croatia 1 (Biskic)
1983 Melbourne Croatia 4 (Parton 2, Cumming, Latif) Box Hill 0
1984 Fawkner 3 (Garvey, Boyle, Macleod) Maribyrnong Polonia 2 (O.G., McCluskey)
After extra-time
1985 Melbourne Croatia 2 (Ward 2) Preston Makedonia 0
1986 Green Gully 2 (Theodosopoulos, Ward) Preston Makedonia 1 (Cole)
1987 Brunswick Juventus 3 (Cullen, Zinni, Brown) Heidelberg United 1 (McKinna)
1988 South Melbourne Hellas 3 (Trimboli, Foster 2)
Melbourne Croatia 4 (Skenderovic, Milosevic 2, Caleta)
South Melbourne Hellas awarded the Cup on protest after Melbourne Croatia
fielded an ineligible player
1989 South Melbourne Hellas 1 (Trimboli) Altona Gate 0
1990 Melbourne Croatia 3 (Selemidis 2, Awaratefe)
Brunswick United Juventus 1 (De Amicis)
1991 South Melbourne Hellas 3 (Wade 2, Tsolakis)
Sunshine George Cross 2 (Fabrizio, Waddell)
1992 Preston Makedonia 1 (Trajanovski) South Melbourne Hellas 1 (Boutsianis)
Preston Makedonia won 4-2 on penalties
1993 South Melbourne 6 (Boutsianis 3' Goutzioulis 9' 17' 21' Kiratzoglu 26' Tasios 51')
Heidelberg United 2 (Vlahos 27' Tikikakis 77')
1994 Morwell Falcons 2 (Bothwell 45' Waddell 64')
Melbourne Zebras 1 (Karkaletsis 36')
1995 South Melbourne 3 (Trimboli 36 Coveny 60' O.G. 67')
Melbourne Knights 1 (Pondeljak 54')
1996 Melbourne Knights 4 (Spiteri 35' 84' Lapsansky 40' Tiatto 51')
Altona Magic 2 (Georgopoulos 9' Petrevski 17')
2004 Green Gully 1 (Nastevski 83') Fawkner 0
2011 Northcote City 2 (G.Trifiro 40' Curtis 71') Melbourne Knights 0
2012 Dandenong Thunder 0 Port Melbourne 0
Dandenong Thunder won 5-4 on penalties
2013 Green Gully 3 (A.Vargas 39' Hayne 57' 83') Dandenong Thunder 1 (Foster 78')
2014 Melbourne Knights 1 (Uskok 120+1') South Springvale 0 After extra-time
2015 South Melbourne 3 (Lujic 2, Minopoulos) Oakleigh Cannons 0
2016 Bentleigh Greens 1 (Paczkowski 92') Green Gully 0 After extra-time
2017 Heidelberg United 1 (Athiu 75') Bentleigh Greens 1 (Hatzimouratis 51')
Heidelberg United won 5-4 on penalties
2018 Bentleigh Greens 2 (O.G. 12' Xydias 90+1') Heidelberg United 0
Dockerty Cup competition is being ruined the way it is run these days.
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