The Preston Football Club was formed in 1882. The club claimed three premierships in a row between 1900 and 1902 in the Victorian Junior Football Association and was admitted into the VFA in 1903. However, after being unable to find success on its own, the club merged with neighboring Northcote. While Northcote carried on in the VFA, Preston’s identity returned to the junior level with the Preston Districts Football Club.

 

After another 14 years in the juniors, Preston returned to the VFA in 1926. The “Bullants” name was adopted in the 1930s because of the team’s ‘swarming’ playing style. After close to four decades back in the VFA, Preston’s first senior premiership was in Division 2 in 1963, followed by a second in 1965. After being promoted to Division 1, the Ants claimed back-to-back premierships in 1968 and 1969. The club’s success continued in the following years, with further Division 1 premierships in 1983 and 1984.

 

The 1990s created a tumultuous time for the Bullants and the VFA − the club became the Preston Knights in 1996 (the same year that the VFA became the VFL) in partnership with the under-18s Northern Knights. When AFL reserves sides were added to the competition in 2000, the Preston Knights became the Northern Bullants.

 

In 2002, an affiliation with the Carlton Blues was formed. This mutually-beneficial affiliation saw the Bullants achieve multiple successful football seasons, including two consecutive grand final appearances. In 2012, the Northern Bullants became the Northern Blues to strengthen the alignment with Carlton.

 

After the affiliation was terminated amid the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the Bullants were reborn as a standalone club once again and returned to the expanded VFL competition. From 2026, the club will once again compete on-field as the Preston Football Club.

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