Australian Football

Rowville

Officially formed in October 1964, Rowville was admitted to the third division of the Eastern Districts Football League the following year. The Hawks showed steady improvement, finishing sixth on debut and reaching the finals in only their third season. The club’s first ever flag was won by the reserves in 1971. The seniors had to wait nine years before following suit, but they clearly enjoyed the experience because they repeated it the following year. The 1980 premiership came in Division Three with the 1981 triumph coming in Division Two. The 1981 season was probably the club’s finest up to that point as the reserves also went top. Since the turn of the century Rowville has shown steady improvement highlighted by grand final victories in Division Four in 2003, Division Three the following year and Division Two in 2012. Recent seasons have seen them competing in Division One. They reached the finals in 2016, ultimately finishing fourth, but found the going appreciably tougher the following year when they dropped to tenth place on the twelve team premiership ladder. This was followed by an improved showing over the course of a 2018 season which culminated in an elimination final loss to Blackburn.