Australian Football

St. Bede's/Mentone Tigers

St. Bede's/Mentone Tigers came into existence in 1993 via what was technically a three way merger involving VAFA club St. Bede's Old Collegians, Mentone from the Southern Football League, and Mentone Junior Football Club, which fielded teams in the Moorabbin Saints Junior Football League. The newly created senior club competed in the VAFA, taking up St Bede’s OC’s place in D Section. It was immediately successful, beating Old Geelong by 2 points, 9.13 (67) to 10.5 (65) in the 1993 grand final.

Prior to the merger, St. Bede’s OC had competed in the YCW Football League between 1963 and 1971, winning senior premierships in 1968 and 1970, and thereafter in the VAFA from 1972. The club contested senior grand finals in F Section in 1973 (lost to Fawkner by 49 points) and 1977 (defeated Bulleen United by 2 points).

Mentone Football Club had a much longer history. Originally established in 1904, the club was a founder member in 1909 of the Federal Football Association (later known as the Federal Football League) where it enjoyed sporadic success, winning a total of six senior grade flags in just under seventy years. From the early 1980s the club participated in the South East Suburban Football League, which in 1992 was renamed the Southern Football League.

Following the merger, St. Bede's/Mentone Tigers made slow but steady progress through the grades until reaching B Section after a 2002 C Section grand final loss to Whitefriars Old Collegians. In 2004, the side reached the B Section finals, ultimately finishing fourth, but the next year brought relegation back to C Section.

The 2006 season saw the seniors topping the C Section ladder without losing a match, only to go under in a thriller against AJAX in the second semi final. The side recovered to beat Parkdale in the following week’s preliminary final, and then, after one of the most sensational VAFA grand finals on record, emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins, 21.12 (138) to AJAX 21.11 (137). The victors were coached by former Melbourne, Footscray and Saint Kilda player Luke Beveridge and skippered by Luke Wintle. Capping a season that will live long in the memories of everyone associated with the club, there were also premierships for the reserves, under nineteens, and three of the club’s half a dozen junior teams.

Twelve months later, the Tigers enjoyed another superb season, topping the B Section ladder with a 16-2 record before claiming their second straight premiership thanks to a resounding 29.18 (192) to 17.7 (109) second semi final win over Old Essendon followed by a hard fought 13 point grand final defeat of University Blacks. The reserves also did well to reach the grand final, only to lose to St. Kevin’s Old Boys. In 2008 the St. Bede's/Mentone players achieved the dream of every Victorian amateur football when they steered the club to the VAFA’s ultimate prize, the premiership of A Section, downing Collegians in the grand final by 5 goals, 10.17 (77) to 5.17 (47).

Since 2008 the Tigers have competed mainly in Premier section, getting as far as the grand final in both 2011 and 2013 only to lose on both occasions. The 2014 season brought relegation back to Premier B but two years later promotion was received on the back of a losing grand final clash with Beaumaris. The Tigers were the better side until half time, at which stage they led by 10 points, but Beaumaris dominated the second half, adding 15 goals to 7 to win by 42 points, 20.18 (138) to 14.12 (96). In 2017 they narrowly avoided relegation back to Premier B when they finished in eighth place on the ten team Premier section premiership ladder. This proved to be only a temporary reprieve, however, as the following season saw them finish with the wooden spoon after winning just 4 of their 18 home and away matches.