It is interesting to note that is was way back in 1920 that Inverloch's first jumper actually comprised of a white singlet which was worn over a blue v-necked jumper, and the costing to play in that year was a single shilling.
Opposing sides hated traveling to Inverloch as there were no Clubrooms and the serenity of the bush was the toilet. As far as a shower was concerned, the nearby dam was the only means of ridding themselves of mud before the long trip home! This improved when the Esplanade Hotel allowed the use of two showers in their yard building. At that time the Inverloch players changed in the Mechanic's Institute supper room, with the visitors using main Hall. Fundraising efforts were as simple as passing a hat around the crowd.
It was during World War II that the club went into recession, but was then reformed in 1945. The then secretary, Jim Wyeth, appealed to the entire population of Inverloch to donate their spare Clothing Ration Tickets so the club could buy jumpers. Pine Lodge Guest House was being used as a Naval Hospital at the time, and of the 27 staff, seven played football for the club! The League supplied a football for each game, which was returned after the final siren. Times have certainley changed. In the same year when Inverloch played East Wonthaggi, the football deflated during the third quarter, and beacuse there was only one ball per game, and percentage points were important, both teams decided to play on! Deflated ball and all.
The Ladies Committee used a wood stove under a Hessian covered frame to heat up soup and hot dogs. President at the time, Mrs Alice Jacobson, ably assisted by Mrs Isobel Treadwell and Mrs Dorothy Metherall used the profits to purchase our first change rooms, now currently the Scout Hall!
In 1952 Inverloch gained the services of ex-Leongatha coach Les Baker, who became the first professional, paid Coach in the district. He brought along a few of his Leongatha playing mates, which was the start of a golden era for the club, with Inverloch becoming premiers in 1953, runners up to Dalyston in '54 and were premiers again in 1955-56! In 1957, owing to a lack of officials, Inverloch merged with Kongwak just so they could make up the committee numbers, hence the beginning of Inverloch-Kongwak!
Though Kongwak had more members, they insisted the club be called Inverloch-Kongwak Combined Football Club, and from 1957 to 2007 the Combined club have won 24 Premierships in all grades, 6 of these being Senior. In 1998 Inverloch Netball Club officially joined ranks and so the club's name now stands: INVERLOCH-KONGWAK FOOTBALL & NETBALL CLUB (IKF&NC)!
