Australian Football

Foster

When Foster was a foundation member in 1946 of the Alberton Football League the club had already been in existence for in excess of half a century. It quickly established itself in the new competition, winning a premiership in its debut season, and finishing runner-up in its second. After that, however, it endured three decades of mediocre performances during which a handful of preliminary final appearances were the closest it came to procuring another flag.

The Tigers re-emerged as a force during the late 1970s, and in the seven seasons between 1978 and 1984 they contested every grand final except one, for wins in 1978, 1980, 1982 and 1984. The late 1980s and early 1990s produced a similar sequence of grand final appearances (five in a row on this occasion) for a 2-3 record overall. Foster’s seventh senior grade premiership was claimed in 1993 at the expense of Won Wron Woodside.

For much of the first decade of the twenty-first century the Tigers tended to struggle somewhat, although they did manage to qualify for the finals in 2006 when they finished fourth. The 2007 season produced a disappointing 6-11-1 record which consigned them to twelfth place on the fourteen team premiership ladder, while 2008 was even worse as the Tigers only managed a couple of wins for the year to slump to second from last. There was then considerable improvement during a 2009 season which produced 9 wins from 18 matches and saw them finish just one place adrift of finals qualification. Hardly anyone could have predicted what happened next: in 2010 the Tigers won all but 1 of their home and away matches before overcoming the setback of a second semi final loss to Stony Creek to reverse the result a fortnight later in the grand final. Foster's eighth AlbFL premiership was claimed on the strength of a 13.20 (98) to 11.8 (74) victory.

In the seasons since their 2010 flag success the Tigers have experienced mixed fortunes. They qualified for another grand final in 2011, but lost to Kilcunda Bass by 24 points. By contrast the 2014 season saw them manage just two wins from 16 matches to slump to the wooden spoon. Further contrast was afforded by a 2016 season which produced finals qualification for an eventual finishing position of fourth. Then, in 2017, the Tigers dropped back among the chasing pack as their tally of just four wins from 18 matches consigned them to sixth place on the seven team premiership ladder. Subsequently, after finishing the 2018 home and away series in third place, they made it as far as a losing grand final clash with Fish Creek, before breaking through for a ninth senior grade AlbFL flag the following year. Opposed in the grand final by Stony Creek they won a low scoring encounter by seven points.

After spending the 2020 season in recess Foster will resume in 2021 in the new surroundings of the Mid Gippsland Football League.