HISTORY - 1891-1970
1891-1923
Although various reports suggested we formed in 1893, we found out early in 2012 that the club actually formed on May the 9th, 1891, and played their inaugural game against Whittlesea as the South Yan Yean Football Club - a result that ended up being a victory by a couple of goals, according to reports that circulated in the days afterwards. The original colours - that stood for about 70 years - was maroon and white. Our opening seasons were played in the Northern Football Clubs Association, with premierships won in 1891 and 1892. Reports in 1893 suggested that there were questions surrounding our 1892 premiership - things stand to this current day.
Between 1895 and 1903, there is a gap in northern suburbs’ football reporting, but a new league was formed in 1904, called the Whittlesea and District Football Association. Clubs such as Epping, Diamond Creek, Kangaroo Ground, Hazel Glen and Whittlesea competed alongside us. This league lasted two seasons before another league was formed - the Bourke-Evelyn Football Association.
It was in the Bourke-Evelyn that South Yan Yean found great success, winning four premierships in succession between 1909 and 1912. Prior to World War 1, our name would be changed from South Yan Yean to the Mernda Football Club we know and love today. South Yan Yean was renamed Mernda the previous year, derived from a Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) word meaning ‘earth’.
Mernda won the final premiership before football was suspended due to the war. When the club returned to competition in 1919, the club took no time returning to the top of the football tree, winning the premiership in 1920.
Currently, the club is investigating recent reports which suggested that the 1923 premiership was won by the club. With the club losing most of its history in a 1977 house fire, we are continually seeking to find pieces of information to help rewrite our history books. A recent article suggested that we were recipients of the 1923 premiership, after defeating Whittlesea in the Grand Final.
1924-1953
After competing without success from 1924 to 1926, Mernda amalgamated for a one-off season with South Morang in 1927, before withdrawing from the competition entirely in 1928. The Bourke-Evelyn Association disbanded in 1932, which meant the club was set to find a new home. Coupled with a name change to Plenty Rovers, we were accepted into the Panton Hill Football League in 1933.
Although there was a reasonable level of success, with many third-place finishes, Rovers were unable to break through for a flag, and ‘won’ the wooden spoon in 1941 before football was suspended again due to the Second World War.
Upon resumption, Rovers won another spoon in 1946, but were able to bounce back spectacularly, winning four of the next five premierships - the exception being a nine-point loss to Hurstbridge in the 1948 Grand Final.
1954-1970
Throughout this period, Bernie Bourke was the dominant force in the competition, winning three League Best and Fairests in 1958, ‘60, and ‘62. In 1962, we returned to the Grand Final scene, but lost narrowly to Donnybrook by two goals, before finishing runner-up again in 1963.
Our final year as Plenty Rovers saw us defeat Whittlesea in 1964 to claim another premiership, before reverting to the Mernda Football Club name, with a new home at Schotters Road. We continued to wear a maroon jumper with a white M on the front. Continuing to compete up the top, Mernda came close, but could not find premiership success from 1966 to 1970.
Although various reports suggested we formed in 1893, we found out early in 2012 that the club actually formed on May the 9th, 1891, and played their inaugural game against Whittlesea as the South Yan Yean Football Club - a result that ended up being a victory by a couple of goals, according to reports that circulated in the days afterwards. The original colours - that stood for about 70 years - was maroon and white. Our opening seasons were played in the Northern Football Clubs Association, with premierships won in 1891 and 1892. Reports in 1893 suggested that there were questions surrounding our 1892 premiership - things stand to this current day.
Between 1895 and 1903, there is a gap in northern suburbs’ football reporting, but a new league was formed in 1904, called the Whittlesea and District Football Association. Clubs such as Epping, Diamond Creek, Kangaroo Ground, Hazel Glen and Whittlesea competed alongside us. This league lasted two seasons before another league was formed - the Bourke-Evelyn Football Association.
It was in the Bourke-Evelyn that South Yan Yean found great success, winning four premierships in succession between 1909 and 1912. Prior to World War 1, our name would be changed from South Yan Yean to the Mernda Football Club we know and love today. South Yan Yean was renamed Mernda the previous year, derived from a Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) word meaning ‘earth’.
Mernda won the final premiership before football was suspended due to the war. When the club returned to competition in 1919, the club took no time returning to the top of the football tree, winning the premiership in 1920.
Currently, the club is investigating recent reports which suggested that the 1923 premiership was won by the club. With the club losing most of its history in a 1977 house fire, we are continually seeking to find pieces of information to help rewrite our history books. A recent article suggested that we were recipients of the 1923 premiership, after defeating Whittlesea in the Grand Final.
1924-1953
After competing without success from 1924 to 1926, Mernda amalgamated for a one-off season with South Morang in 1927, before withdrawing from the competition entirely in 1928. The Bourke-Evelyn Association disbanded in 1932, which meant the club was set to find a new home. Coupled with a name change to Plenty Rovers, we were accepted into the Panton Hill Football League in 1933.
Although there was a reasonable level of success, with many third-place finishes, Rovers were unable to break through for a flag, and ‘won’ the wooden spoon in 1941 before football was suspended again due to the Second World War.
Upon resumption, Rovers won another spoon in 1946, but were able to bounce back spectacularly, winning four of the next five premierships - the exception being a nine-point loss to Hurstbridge in the 1948 Grand Final.
1954-1970
Throughout this period, Bernie Bourke was the dominant force in the competition, winning three League Best and Fairests in 1958, ‘60, and ‘62. In 1962, we returned to the Grand Final scene, but lost narrowly to Donnybrook by two goals, before finishing runner-up again in 1963.
Our final year as Plenty Rovers saw us defeat Whittlesea in 1964 to claim another premiership, before reverting to the Mernda Football Club name, with a new home at Schotters Road. We continued to wear a maroon jumper with a white M on the front. Continuing to compete up the top, Mernda came close, but could not find premiership success from 1966 to 1970.
