Wantirna South Football Club
Full name | Wantirna South Football Club |
---|---|
Nickname | Devils |
Strip | Green & White |
Founded | 1952 |
League | Eastern Football League |
Ground | Walker Reserve, Wantirna South |
Premierships | 5 |
Premiership Years | 1958, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2014 |
Wantirna South Football Club nicknamed the Devils, and wear a bottle-green jumper with two white stripes is an Australian rules football club located 26 km south east of Melbourne in the suburb of Wantirna.
Established in 1952 and situated at Walker Reserve Tyner Road in Wantirna South.
Known as South Wantirna Football Club until 1997 when club merged with Wantirna Junior Football Club.
Timeline of the Wantirna South Football Club
1952-1956
Croydon-Ferntree Gully Football League B Grade.
Tragedy struck the Walker family in 1953 with the accidental drowning of Jim Walker and his daughter Lorraine at Phillip Island. The community got together and erected the entrance gates and plaque in their memory and from that day the three parcels of land is known as Walker Reserve.The club had minimal success in this league.
1957-1964
1957, affiliated with the Mountain District Football League Second Division, and were Runners up in its first season.
1958, The Devils win clubs first senior premiership defeating Silvan with promotion to First Division.
1959, struggled in the top Grade and eventually were wooden spooners in 1960 and 1961.
1965- affiliates with Eastern Districts Football League Second Division and manage one win in first two seasons, and demoted to Third Division in 1966.
1967-1985 Third Division
Club fails to make finals at any stage, with demotion at end of 1985 to the newly established Fourth Division.
1986-1996 Fourth Division
The 1986 season saw the League bring in a Fourth Division and the club was a founding member of this new lower Grade. In 1988 the club played Finals for the first time since its premiership season of 1958. The Devils lost both finals to Lilydale and Nunawading respectively.
The clubs next Finals were in 1994, but again were unsuccessful. 1995 saw the club reform the Under 18's side, and had one of its most successful seasons with all 3 senior sides reaching the Grand Final with only the Reserves winning the premiership.The seniors losing to Fairpark by four points.
1996 season was the club's most successful with both senior and reserve sides being premier and champions. The clubs first premiership in Eastern Football League, defeating Waverley in the Grand Final by 25 points.
1997-2002 Third Division
Newly promoted to Third Division the club spent most of its time around the middle of the ladder.
In 2002 the club won its second Eastern Football League, premiership against Doncaster East by three points. It was also the Devils Golden Jubilee year, providing an opportunity to remember club men and women who contributed to the club.
2003-2004 Second Division
Promoted to Second Division for the first time since 1966, the club had an immediate impact just failing to reach the finals.
2004 Wantirna South the club won its third Eastern Football League premiership defeating Montrose in the Grand Final by two points.
2005 First Division
Entering the top Grade for the first time, won only two games for the season and was relegated back to Second Division.
2006-2008 Second Division.
2006, the Devils spent most of the season around the top of the ladder but lost both Finals matches.
2007, the club finished fifth.
2008, finished top of the table after home and away, and won its fourth Eastern Football League premiership defeating Mulgrave by 98 points and promotion to First Division for 2009 season.
2009, club finished 12th (last) demoted to second division for 2010 season
2011, club finished last demoted to division 3 for 2012 season
2014, club finished in the top 2 and won the 2014 division 3 premiership, promoted to division 2.
2015 season, the club started the year well but dropped off due to a mounting injury list finishing outside the top 4 in Division 2, the reserves as usual were in 1st place most of the year but unluckily going down in the grand final. the club will compete again in division 2 for the 2016 season hoping to add another premiership flag to its collection.
Senior Premierships (5)
- Mountain District Football League Second Division
- 1958
- 1996, Fourth Division
- 2002, Third Division
- 2004, Second Division
- 2008, Second Division
- 2014, Third Division
AFL Players
- Rayden Tallis Hawthorn
- Kieran McGuinness - Western Bulldogs.
- Aaron Young - Port Adelaide
- Ayden Kennedy - North Melbourne