Australian Football

Tyrendarra

Prior to becoming a founder member of the Portland Port Fairy Football League in 1970, Tyrendarra had been involved in several different competitions dating back to pre-world war one days. As the name suggests, the PPFFL was formed by means of an amalgamation between the Portland and Port Fairy competitions.

The Darras had been unsuccessful participants in the Portland and District Football League between 1955 and 1969, but they soon enjoyed premiership success in the new competition, claiming back to back premierships in 1971-2, and adding a third in 1975. Only one senior grade flag was won in the 1980s, but it was a highly noteworthy one as the side went through the entire 1986 season without defeat. The club also won its first reserves premiership during this decade.

Since the turn of the century, Tyrendarra has been very much the team to beat in the South West District Football League, as the PPFFL became known in 1981. Grand final wins in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006 have given the club an unsurpassed overall tally of nine senior premierships in the competition. The reserves have been even more successful, claiming a total of eleven flags to date.

In 2007, Tyrendarra seemed comfortably on course for yet another senior grade flag after topping the ladder with a 16-2 record and cruising straight into the grand final on the strength of an emphatic second semi final win against Sandford. However, in the grand final unfancied opponents Coleraine produced one of the biggest boilovers in league history to snatch victory, and the premiership, by a single point margin. The 2008 season brought a second successive grand final clash with Coleraine, but on this occasion there could be no doubting the Maroons’ superiority as they eased home in a low scoring encounter by 25 points.

Tyrendarra continued to perform consistently strongly as evidenced by losing grand final appearances in 2011 against Dartmoor and 2015 versus Heywood. Then in 2016 came probably the greatest achievement in the Darras' history as their 8.11 (59) to 7.9 (51) grand final defeat of Coleraine completed an unblemished season featuring 18 wins from 18 matches. Moreover, the victory gave Tyrendarra their ninth senior grade flag, which as noted previously is a competition record.

Somewhat surprisingly, the 2017 season brought a sharp decline in fortunes as the 'Darras plummeted down the eight team premiership ladder to sixth place, albeit that they faiied to qualify for the finals only on percentage. A year later they precisely duplicated this return.