Australian Football

Rosedale

The Blues were founder members in 1955 of the Sale Cowwarr Football League, precursor of today’s North Gippsland Football League and the majority of their success to date was attained in the competition’s early years. They reached their first grand final in 1958 when they scored a nail-biting 1 point victory over Newry. Further grand final triumphs followed in 1961 against Cowwarr, and both 1962 and 1965 at the expense of Maryvale. The club’s first grand final reversal came in 1967 at the hands of Glengarry, and after that there followed a prolonged period in the doldrums. They finally broke through for their fifth senior grade premiership in 2001 when they comfortably accounted for the grand final challenge of Traralgon Tyers United, winning 15.9 (99) to 5.3 (33). Another grand final appearance followed five years later, but Cowwarr proved to have the men in Blues’ measure. Further losing grand finals followed in 2010 against Sale City and 2012 against Heyfield before the Blues managed to reverse the trend with a 12.22 (94) to 5.6 (36) grand final defeat of Heyfield in 2015. This gave them six senior grade flags, a tally exceeded only by Glengarry (eleven) and Heyfield (nine).

After finishing sixth (2016) and ninth (2017) on the ten team premiership ladder the Blues enjoyed a better time in 2018 when they qualified for the finals and ended up finishing fifth.

Rodedale's other grades have fared less well than the seniors. The reserves have yet to win a flag while the thirds have claimed five.