South Yarra Football Club

The club was established in 1967

The Club has changed its name several times over the years.

• 1968 - South Yarra Presbyterian FC
• 1972 - South Yarra Methodists FC.
• 1977 - South Yarra Uniting FC.
• 1982 - South Yarra FC in 1982.

• Eastern Suburban Churches Football Association.
  • 1971 (E grade), 1988 (E grade)
• Southern Football League
  • 1993 (Division 4), 2008 (Division 3)

The original South Yarra Football Club

A South Yarra Football Club was formed in Melbourne in 1858, and played its first game on Saturday, 25 September 1858, on the Richmond Paddock, with 26 gentlemen residents of South Yarra facing an equal number of men from the Melbourne Club, who beat them.[1][2] The club had men familiar with football, mainly old Winchester and Rugby.[3]

This South Yarra is notable as one of the earliest Australian rules football clubs. The club, along with the original St Kilda, was influential in 1859 and 1860 in assisting the Melbourne Football Club create codified rules, which developed into the game of today.

The club was also considered the least rough at the time, and there was far less player and fan trouble at their games as opposed to those involving Melbourne, Geelong and Carlton. From early on, they pushed for the game to be less rough, as these were men from the top end of town who would need to look the part on Monday at work; some of their suggestions were approved, with the push in the back taking several years to come in.

The club was strong through the 1860s, and won the Athletic Sports Committee Challenge Cup in 1866.

Sadly, their captain and committee member George O'Mullane died in an accident at the end of the season. O'Mullane had played in the first organised games of football in 1858 while studying at Church of England Grammar, and was a Victorian who only experiences were with Victorian football and had tried to make the game Victorian. The club never recovered from his death, and was much weaker by the end of the 1860s, their last win coming in 1868.

Problems with the Committee ensued, with veteran and experienced players leaving in large numbers. They played in Fawkner Park, which was known to get muddy, and their other home venue, the Junction Oval, was often flooded. In the early 1870s, a number of junior clubs formed in the district, such as Southern and Fawkner, meaning South Yarra lost a lot of its catchment area.

In 1873, the club was bought to its knees after almost all of their players defected to University (founded 1859) or the newly formed St. Kilda. South Yarra played a match against Williamstown on Saturday, 31 May, 1873, and lost two goals to nil. While they had scheduled a match against Albert Park for 14 June, the match was cancelled, despite the "Football Chatter" advising St Kilda to take on the mantle of the "Old South Yarra".[4]

On 7 June, University had played its first game of the season with several of the players in the squad originally from South Yarra, including Henry Jennings as their captain.

St. Kilda held a general meeting on 11 June, and at this meeting, South Yarra transferred their equipment and remaining funds to St. Kilda before the clubs merged (under the St. Kilda banner) or South Yarra folded. St. Kilda still exist today in the Australian Football League.

It could be said that, by lineage, South Yarra still lives on with the St. Kilda Football Club.

In 1875, two years after South Yarra's demise, St. Kilda merged with University for the season due to a lack of players, but the combined team, known as St. Kilda cum University, finished last with a record of six losses and two draws.

After the merger, St. Kilda and University would play against each other in the VFA in 1886 and 1888 and in the VFL in 1908-1914. In the sixteen matches between the clubs (two in the VFA and 14 in the VFL), St. Kilda won ten (both in the VFA and eight in the VFL) and University won six.

South Yarra Standard Football Club

This club formed in 1874-75, two years after the original South Yarra folded. It was formed by old South Yarra players and supporters, including Judge Thomas Howard Fellows. In 1881, they got permission from the council to play on the East side of Albert Park. Despite this, they would never return to senior status as players from their districts were playing in other districts. The club was dissolved to form a new stronger club.[5]

In April 1882, they gave their funds and equipment to the Southern Club, who they wanted to be a strong district team.

South Yarra Football Club (2nd)

Another South Yarra Football Club existed in 1879 as a junior team. They disbanded before the start of the 1885 season.

South Yarra Football Club (3rd)

In 1887, a junior club formed, and 1896 they finished third in the Suburban Juniors Football Association.

In 1897, the club decided to leave the Suburban Association for the Metropolitan Association. This meant the club colours had to change to a blue jersey with a yellow band and yellow and blue stockings.

It was still playing as Christ Church South Yarra in 1951, as a social football club.

South Yarra Baptist Football Club

This club was formed as a social club in 1907.

South Yarra Junior Football Club

There have also been a few South Yarra Junior teams: one formed in 1899 and was still running in 1901.

South Yarra Star Football Club

In 1895 this team wore the colours of red and white with a blue sash.

Southern Football Club

Southern was a district team of the neighbouring suburbs of South Yarra and Prahran. They played in Fawkner Park and their games were well supported by the community. After they lost strength with members moving out of the area, the club folded in 1899 after Prahran Football Club joined the VFA.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Yarra Football Club.

• Official Facebook
• St Kilda/South Yarra merger mention