Morwell RSL & Citizens Youth Club Junior Football Club was founded in 1957.
At the time under the leadership of the Morwell RSL President Don Forbes, the board of the Morwell RSL discussed the youth of Morwell had no activities outside school and formed various sub-committees to run boxing, judo, marching girls, athletics and football. It didn’t take long before these activities became popular and flourished.
Over the years, through dedication and hard work, the committees and appointed coaches provided direction to the youth of Morwell. The RSL board continued to provide support by allowing the junior football club to hold presentation nights in their function hall. The Ladies Committee supported the presentation events by providing 3 course dinners for attendees and guests.
1957 under 17’s were first age group to represent Morwell Youth Club
1961 under 15’s joined
1963 under 13’s joined
1966 an under 11’s was formed.
Over the years the structure of age groups has changed many times to suit the current volume of children playing or various league guidelines, currently we have under 10’s, under 12’s & under 14’s.
Since 2003 we have become part of the CGJFL (Central Gippsland Junior League) & part of the VCFL (Victorian Country Football League)
Previous to this the different age groups were part of 2 leagues, the younger were associated with the MJFC (Morwell Junior Football Club) & the older groups were associated with LVJFL (Latrobe Valley Junior Football League). In 1987 we were presented with a trophy for 30 years in league.
Both these leagues no longer exist.
Although Morwell RSL & Citizens Youth Club was founded in 1957 it wasn’t until 1971 that records of a committee where listed on an honour board.
As numbers flourished at Youth Club the committee at the time acquired an ex SEC building and with help from the Shire transported it down to our current site from the Ridge. Skilled parents donated time and effort to get the building bricked up and utilities operational. We now had a building to house social events and club activities, and it still serves us well today.
In 2010 the adjoining building which housed change rooms, storage & time keeper’s box was demolished & replaced by Latrobe City. The new building with shared canteen facilities, change rooms, toilets, time keeper’s box, umpire room & home of Morwell Tigers was built. It was at this time we began the task of upgrading our own building for the future generation of junior footballers & their families to enjoy and use. With years of fundraising the task of rewiring, plastering, painting recarpeting and reframing all the premiership photos began.
To date we have 30 premierships with all photos & flags hanging proudly in our club rooms.
Anzac Day Clash
In 2010 a friendly tradition was forged between the two remaining Morwell junior football clubs.
Morwell Youth Club would verse Morwell Tigers in an annual Anzac Day clash, with the best of 3 games to be awarded the perpetual cup to hold for the year.
This is a great day had by all with Great Spirit and Anzac traditions upheld with flag raising and ceremony hosted by a member of the RSL.
50 year reunion
In 2007 Morwell RSL & Citizens Youth Club celebrated 50 years. A reunion was held over a weekend. It took 2 years of research and planning.
Songs
Since 1994 Morwell Youth Club has adopted the Sydney Swans theme song as their own, previous to this they celebrated their wins with “The Red Triangle” song.
Jumpers
Since Youth Clubs inception they have worn red & white. The jumper being red with the white monogram, which is a “M”,”Y”&”C” morphed into our recognizable emblem. The exception to this was in our early days when some age groups entered two teams. The “whites” wore plain white t-shirts to begin with then went on to wear a white jumper with red “V.
Over the years a number of famous identities also supported the club and contributed by personally presenting trophies, some of these included
1963 Ron Barassi
1964 Ken Fraser
1965 Bob Skilton
1966 Darrel Baldock
1967 Ted Whitten
1968 Bob Rose & Ernie Hug
The following players went on to play VFL then in latter years AFL
Brian Quirk- 1965-1975 Carlton
Bruce Rohde-1971 Footscray
John Keast-1971-1973 Footscray
Carl Vesty-1972-1973 Footscray
Stan Davidson- 1980-1983 Footscray
Paul Abbott-1984-1993 Hawthorn & Fitzroy
Robert Handley-1985-1989 Hawthorn & St Kilda
Denis Junker-
Wayne Peters-1988-1989 Richmond
Ashley Bond- Hawthorn
Brett Szabo-Hawthorn
Cameron James 1990 drafted to Carlton, 1991-1992 played reserves