East Keilor

After five seasons as a purely junior club East Keilor fielded a senior team for the first time in 1971. That same season saw the club relocate from the diminutive Quinn Grove Oval to its present home ground of the Overland Reserve.

The club’s first senior premiership was won in 1979, in B Grade. A second B Grade flag arrived in 1992, and this was a prelude to a brief but noteworthy spell of success which included a losing A Grade grand final in 1993 followed the very next year by the club’s only A Grade premiership to date. The victorious side was coached by former Footscray player Peter Baxter.

Quite a number of V/AFL footballers either commenced their careers at East Keilor, or spent some time with the club before progressing to the game’s elite level. Among the most noteworthy of these have been the Essendon duo of Mark Harvey and Gary Young, Carlton’s Rohan Welsh, David Calthorpe (Essendon and Brisbane), Matthew Hogg (Footscray and Carlton), and Glen Manton (Essendon and Carlton).

East Keilor endured a woeful time in 2006, with the seniors losing all 18 A Grade matches contested, and the reserves faring only slightly better, managing just 1 win. Needless to say, both teams finished with the wooden spoon.

The 2007 season brought marked improvement, with the seniors climbing to tenth place (out of 14) with a 5-11 record, and the reserves also finishing tenth with 6 wins. Highlight of the year for the Cougars was Cameron Munro’s success in claiming the B Grade best and fairest award. It was a similar story in 2008 with Daniel Bonnici’s Hutchison Medal win the highlight of an otherwise unmemorable year.