Australian Football

Stony Creek

The sport of Australian football had been informally played in Stony Creek for several years prior to the formal establishment of the club bearing that name on 11th March 1911, which perhaps helps explain its feat in going through its inaugural season undefeated to claim the premiership. Prior to the Great War the club competed in the Meeniyan District Football Association. In the early 1920s it crossed briefly to the South Gippsland Shire Football Association, before transferring to the Dumbalk Football Association in 1924. The following year saw Stony Creek enter into a temporary merger arrangement with Meeniyan which bore immediate fruit in the form of that year’s premiership. In 1929 Stony Creek reformed as a standalone club and joined the Korumburra Football Association where it won back to back flags in 1930 and 1931. 

After the war, the club moved over to the South Gippsland Football League where further premiership success was attained in 1945 and 1956. Following the 1956 flag, however, the club endured a prolonged sequence of ‘outs’, at least as far as the seniors, who did not again contest the finals until 1980, were concerned. By that time Stony Creek was a member of the Alberton Football League, where it still competes today. The Lions’ initial senior AlbFL premiership was procured in 1983 thanks to a 14.13 (97) to 7.6 (48) grand final defeat of Devon. There were also losing grand final appearances against Foster in 1980 and Fish Creek in 1985. Success permeated all levels of the club at this time, with the reserves going top in 1980-1-2-3-4, the thirds in 1981-2, and the fourths in 1983.

After the turn of the century The Lions’ form was generally unspectacular for a time, with mid-table finishes the norm, although they did get as far as the first semi final in 2004. Then, in 2009 they surged to their second senior grade AlbFL flag courtesy of a grand final defeat of reigning premier Wonthaggi Power which took many people by surprise. Final scores were Stony Creek 14.10 (94) defeated Wonthaggi 11.14 (80). However, those in the know could point to the previous meeting of the two sides back in May as evidence that the Lions may have had the wood on the Power. Stony Creek had won that match by a convincing 82 point margin, 16.16 (102) to 4.6 (30).

Since 2009 the Lions' fortunes have fluctuated. They qualified for the grand final in 2010, but lost by 24 points to Foster. Then between 2012 and 2014 they finished well out of contention in the bottom half of the ladder. The last four seasons (2015-16-17-18) have seen something of a recovery with the side qualifying for the finals every time.