History of South Yarra FC – the Lions or the Nomads
There were earlier South Yarra Football Clubs formed in the 1880’s which were later linked with VFL Clubs South Melbourne and St.Kilda however the latest version of the South Yarra Football Club was formed in 1967 initially as the South Yarra Presbyterian Football Club and played it’s first year of Competition in 1968 when the Club finished 5th in E Grade of the Eastern Suburban Churches Football Association. The Club won its first Premiership in its 4th season (1971) in addition to appearing in the finals in 1969 and 1970. The Club also won premierships in the ESCFA in 1988 and in the first year in the Southern Football League in 1993. (The Southern Football League was “born” out of a merger between the ESCFA and the South East Suburban Football League). Success also came in season 2008 with two premierships (3rd Division Seniors and 3rd Division Reserves). This was the first time that the Reserves had appeared in a Grand Final. The Club promoted to the SFL Second Division in 2009 for the first time ever but unfortunately lost both the Firsts and Reserves Grand Finals to Heatherton by 15 pts and 22 pts respectively. The Firsts finished 4th in 2010 winning the Elimination Final but losing the First Semi however during the year were boosted with the inclusion of former Adelaide Crows and North Melbourne player, Mark Stevens. In 2010, the Seniors won the Elimination Final but lost the 1st Semi whilst in 2011, the Reserves won the Elimination and 1st Semi Finals but lost the Preliminary Final. The Reserves repeated this effort in 2014 but also lost the Preliminary Final. In 2015, the Reserves finished on top of the ladder but went out in "straight sets" when they lost the second semi and the preliminary finals. The Supers team got to the Grand Final in 2014 but lost to De La Salle by 3 goals.
The home ground in the early days was at Fawkner Park – then in 1985, the Club moved “home grounds” to the Howard Dawson Reserve in Burke Road, South Camberwell to gain access to better training facilities even though the ground was a lot smaller and after 10 years, moved to the T.H.King Oval in High Street, Glen Iris at the start of the 1995 season. However, after 12 rounds of the 1996 season, the Club was forced into recess for the remainder of the season due to financial problems but bounced back in season 1997. Prior to the commencement of the 2006 season, the Club was forced to go into “recess” for the season with only 20 players on the list just three weeks out from the start of the season. However the new Committee worked extremely hard to resurrect the Club culminating in the fielding of our Firsts and Reserves once again in 2007 – this time at another new ground, the Fritsch Holzer Reserve in Camberwell Road, East Hawthorn (400 metres on the City side of Camberwell Junction). The Club continued its comeback by fielding a fourth side in 2008, a Club 18 which competed in the Colts competition of the Southern Football League and now in the Thirds competition. The Club also added another "oldies" team in 2010 in the Vic Metro Superules competition.
As well as changing grounds, the Club has changed its name several times over the years. Commencing as South Yarra Presbyterian FC in 1968, the first change was in 1972 when the Club became known as South Yarra Methodists FC. Then it was South Yarra Uniting FC and finally, South Yarra FC in 1982 and more recently with incorporation and the addition of Ladies Netball, the South Yarra Football Netball Club Inc.
In 2000, the Club fielded a Masters (Over 40) team for the first time in the Superules Competition. Because the facilities at Glen Iris were utilised by the Glen Iris Junior FC on a Sunday, the Masters team played their home matches in the early years at the Harry Trott Oval at Albert Park, playing matches every second weekend. In 2006, the Masters were based at the Heatherton Football Ground. The team has been operating for 16 years and also play their home matches at Hawthorn East. Since 2000, the Club has forged a close alliance with the Sacred Heart Mission in St.Kilda, Hawthorn Salvos and Reclink Australia. Reclink is an organisation that uses sport and the arts to enhance the lives of people experiencing disadvantage and targets some of the community’s most vulnerable and isolated people – those experiencing mental illness, disability, homelessness, substance abuse, addictions and social and economic hardship. This alliance has allowed in excess of 90 footballers a chance to get back into the mainstream of society by playing with a Suburban Football Club, South Yarra in either the Saturday or Sunday competition. This Association continues to develop with close alliance to the Reclink competition and in 2012, saw the Club support a fundraising effort – “Ruck and Roll concert for Reclink” with Paul Kelly and Tim Rogers.
The Club has in the past also supported two teams from 2000-2002 who played competition football in the FIDA competition (a competition for the intellectually and physically disabled).
South Yarra FNC introduced Auskick in 2014 and commenced Ladies Netball in 2015. In 2016, the Club maintained its AUSKICK squad for the third season, formed an Under 8 team in the YJFL as well as expanding to 3 Netball teams in the SNA. 2017 may see more Netball teams, another Junior team, maybe Under 9's and exploring a Women's Football team.
South Yarra FC can offer
We have a playing, membership and supporter base of well in excess of 350 people.
Playing in Division 3 of the Southern Football Netball League has allowed exposure of the South Yarra FNC considerably with a average weekly audience of around 300 – 500 people as well as exposure to the whole league which is made up of 3 Divisions .
The South Yarra FNC would be able to offer access to its member base for the possibility of promoting potential supporters of the Club.
