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THE HISTORY OF ST DAMIANS JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB The 1998 season was the Club’s 20th year of competition. As we embark on our second 20 years in 1999, we reflect on the Club’s history and that of the league in which we play and highlight some of our Club and League history that players and parents should be proud of. |
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20 YEARS OF SUCCESS The St Damians Junior Football Club was established in 1979 as a non-denominational football club with 85 players providing a supportive and social family environment and a facility to play junior football, to acquire athletic skills and to develop sportsmanship.
Player numbers rose steadily from 1979 (including our first girl in 1985). By 1986, the Club had a record 322 registered players, the highest number of players of any other club in the Doncaster and Districts Junior Football League which at that time was the largest junior football league in Australia. By the Club’s 10th anniversary in 1988, player numbers were still over 280. Despite rises and falls in these numbers over subsequent years, the Club is proud to have claimed player registrations of over 260 in 1998. The Club moved from its initial 1979 home ground of Yulong Reserve to Greensborough Park in 1981 before establishing permanent residence at Binnak Park in 1982. Past parents started a $70,000 building program in 1986 and successfully completed the present Rooms at Binnak Park in 1987, involving hours of voluntary assistance and the borrowing of over $20,000 which was fully repaid by 1989. The Club has also had success on the field winning 30 Premierships over the last 20 years, including 3 Premiership wins in each of the 4 years leading up to 1998. In fact, our 3 Premiership wins in 1997 was only equalled by one other club. Our players have also won 21 League Best and Fairest Awards in 20 years. An impressive record indeed! |
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OUR PLACE IN THE LEAGUE An interesting turn in the Club’s history at league level occurred in 1981 when we transferred from the Preston District Junior Football Association to the Doncaster and Districts Junior Football League (DDJFL).
The DDJFL was established in 1968 and has always been a strong league - in 1985/86 it was the largest junior football league in Australia. Over the 29 years of its existence, the DDJFL aimed to be a quality junior Australian football league dedicated to providing opportunities for all approved participants to maximise their sporting and personal potential in an enjoyable, educational and vibrant competitive environment. In 1996, six clubs from the Hawthorn JFL fielded a total of nine sides as part of the existing 115 DDJFL teams as a prelude to a full amalgamation of both leagues. In the following year (1997), another six clubs joined to form a combined Yarra JFL. This was designed to increase the viability of junior football in the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne which was evidenced by a 30% increase in player numbers from 1996 and a 50% increase in teams taking the field each week. The Yarra JFL now has over 200 teams with St Marys, Beverley Hills, Ivanhoe, MacLeod, and St Damians (interestingly all former DDJFL clubs) fielding the highest number of teams. The DDJFL fielded as low as 104 teams in 1995 prior to the amalgamation. From a declining 1995 base of 2,500 players in the DDJFL, there are now over 5,000 participants playing with the Yarra JFL. St Marys, Park Orchards, Beverley Hills, Ivanhoe, MacLeod and St Damians have the highest number of registered players. With the support of players, parents and Club officials, we hope that the Yarra JFL continues to grow and provide opportunities for our youth to improve their skills on and off the football field. |
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