The Tyntynder Football Netball Club has a long and proud history as a successful sporting club.
The football club was formed in 1919 by a group of men who decided that there was enough support around the Tyntynder Flats to form a football team. The family names that were associated with the club back then were Cadd, Mathieson, McInnes and Rust. To date (2012) there have been 4 generations of these families to be involved in the club.
The first Tyntynder team apparently played a practice match against Woorinen in 1919. This match was played in a cow paddock behind the Cadd family dairy. The result of this match is unknown.
In 1920 a football league was formed comprising of Tyntynder, Goschen, Woorinen, Lake Boga, Faugh-a-Ballaghs, Tresco and Fire Brigade teams. Tyntynder's home ground was a paddock on the Tyntynder Flats loaned by C.E.Beurle. The following year, William Hastings, a great uncle of club life member the late Lloyd Jones, donated the recreation ground at Tyntynder South and this was the club's home ground for a couple of years.
Tyntynder did not field a team in 1923, but between that year and 1926 apparently combined with Woorinen Football Club, wearing Tyntynder jumpers and playing games on Woorinen's grounds.
Tyntynder Football Club re-formed in 1927 and played in the local competition until 1931 when the Northern District League was formed. Teams travelled by train to matches with the league extending as far south as Kerang. Tyntynder was forced to share the Swan Hill Recreation Reserve with Swan Hill. Tyntynder won consecutive premierships in 1935, 1936 and 1937. The competition was disbanded in 1939 with the onset of World War II.
Mid Murray Football League was formed in 1946 and Tyntynder again re-formed and was part of the league. The club appointed its first professional coach in 1947 - Len Mathieson - who coached the side to premiers in his first season.
In around 1949 brick change rooms were built on the Swan Hill oval and these rooms were shared by both Tyntynder and Swan Hill clubs. When the showground’s were redeveloped in 1949 it is believed that Tyntynder used the grounds over the Murray River. Lloyd Jones once suggested that this was not an overwhelming success as he was called upon numerous times to extract players from the Federal Hotel for training. During the early 1950's Swan Hill built new change rooms and Tyntynder remained in the brick building.
Tyntynder won three premierships in the 1950's - 1955, 1958 and 1959.
The club moved from the brick building to the space beneath the grand stand in the early 1960's.
The 1960's did not prove successful on the football field, but due to the late Joe Crowe, who was president during this period, the club established its own clubrooms on the Alan Garden Memorial Reserve. These were ready for the 1968 season.
The bar and the kitchen were extended in the 1970's and then, in the 1980's, change rooms were added to cater for the home club and the opposition.
A major upgrade of the club's home base occurred in the 1990's. A magnificent effort by dedicated club supporters over a long period resulted in the current club facilities with all works financed by the club itself. A special mention should be given to the women's committee and Allen & Shirley Looney and their helpers for their contribution.
Tyntynder played in one grand final in the 1970's and it was during this time that a suggestion arose that the club should change its name (perhaps Swan Hill United), as new players and supporters did not understand the connection. The suggestion was never a consideration.
Tyntynder played in nine grand finals in the 1980's, winning five premierships.
The 1990's have seen the club achieve something which will be difficult to match - being back-to-back -to- back champions - Premiers 1997, 1998 & 1999.
NOTE: The club history is still incomplete with the both the Junior Football & Netball history to be added to this page. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.
