Bannockburn has been a major force in the Geelong and District Football League for more than a decade as its tallies of three senior, three reserves and four under eighteen premierships since 1997 make clear. In 2008 the Tigers seniors enjoyed an excellent home and away season only to put in a below par finals campaign that culminated in preliminary final defeat at the hands of Bell Post Hill.
Bannockburn’s flag-winning pedigree extends back more than eight decades. Between 1919 and 1923 the team competed in the Leigh District Football Association, contesting the grand final in the last of those seasons, but going down to Inverleigh by a goal. Crossing to the Mathieson Cup competition in 1924 Bannockburn was immediately successful in reaching another premiership decider, this time against Elaine, but this match too was lost. The club’s breakthrough premiership came in 1925 via a 7.12 (54) to 6.4 (40) grand final defeat of Anakie. Between 1926 and the start of the second world war Bannockburn contested another three grand finals, but only emerged triumphant once.
After the war the club participated in the Elliot Cup competition for a time before transferring to its current home, the G&DFL, in 1953. The 1950s proved to be a trying decade for the club which was even forced to merge with Lethridge for a time.
Most of the Tigers’ first four decades in the G&DFL were spent in the competition’s second division, from which they finally emerged in 1990 thanks to a 22.15 (147) to 14.11 (95) grand final victory over Thomson. Relegation back to division two followed a couple of seasons later, but since the mid-1990s Bannockburn has firmly established itself as one of the leading lights in a league which, since 1996, has comprised a single division.
Information provided by Australian Football.com http://australianfootball.com/clubs/info/Bannockburn/1857
