The Lakers compete in the National Touch Rugby Association of Victoria and play their home games at Fawkner Park. The Lakers are one of the most successful pub teams in the history of the association and have won 5 Touch Championships, their last being in 2024. As of 2025, the Lakers are the most valuable franchise in the Metropolitan Pub Arena on Wednesday Nights as per Forbes, having an estimate
d spend of over $235,00.00 through the past 18 years at various Melbourne Pubs, primarily being The Gunn Island Inn, The Arcadia (current watering hole) and The Clyde. The franchise began in 2007 when a group of men and women came together in the Melbourne Winter to form the original Albert Park Lakers that was conceived by the Victorian Touch Football Association when numerous single players needed to play on Wednesday Night to fill their sporting needs but to also socially interact with others had a need for an alcoholic beverage. The team began playing in Albert Park in Aughtie Drive on the hallowed surrounds of the Albert Park Grand Prix Track, calling themselves the Albert Park Lakers in honour of the Albert Park Lake located in the heart of Melbourne City.
2007 Albert Park Lakers where led by its original members including of Matt Dowlan, Bruce Haack, Anna Geoghegan, Nick Mooney and David Strachan to semifinal appearance in its first two seasons, but lost each series to their original rivals Bitemark. In the early 2008, some great trading and drafting of experience players, such as Ash Shipham, Jesse Hoffman(now McClean) and Ben McClean which started their long and storied careers. Over the next few years players were acquired and traded out, keeping the Lakers set in semifinal action, though no immediate success followed. It was only in 2010, when the Lakers moved to the Fawkner Park field in South Yarra, where success became evident, building on the strong times in the team, we acquired some great players of Paul Clemence, Lisa Gatenby, Mark Shine, Natalie Ritter, Michael Ramsay and Margi White where it lead the Lakers to their first Grand Final appearance and first Championships. The following year the Lakers had to move back to Albert Park as their home ground was being renovated, this encapsulated a strong history with the current rivals of the Brewski’s, where in 2011 a grand final grudge match was played out and a successful Lakers outfit prevailed. The Lakers then moved back to Fawkner Park in South Yarra where they continue to play, numerous players have come and gone over the journey due to family commitments, injuries and lifestyles choices, though always continued the great enjoyment of the Lakers a new following of teammates which inculpated with the winning of a Third Championship in 2014 with players of James Hutton, Jonnie Williams, Sam Mutimer, Jonathan Broomhall and others. The Lakers have continued to play out through the Melbournian season and hold the record for the longest playing members and longest serving pub nights. The team's colors are blue, gold and white, The Lakers logo consists of the team name, "Lakers" written in blue on top of a gold rugby ball. The team over the years has had various captains and team mangers and one coach. Matt Dowlan 2007 – 2014 Captain / Team Manger
Lisa Gatenby 2013 – 2015 Captain / Team Manger
Bruce Haack 2007 – Current Coach
The Lakers has 3 original and active team members who all represented the team in it original season in 2007 and who hold the record of most games played, having played every season. They are:
Anna Geoghegan
Nick Mooney
Bruce Haack
All have competed in the 35 Lakers seasons so far and have amassed approximately 450 games each for the Lakers.
