Australian Football

West Preston Lakeside

Prior to its merger with Reservoir Lakeside in 1998 West Preston, which had been formed in 1948, had enjoyed senior grade premiership success in the Diamond Valley Football League three times, all in Division Two. Reservoir Lakeside meanwhile, which had been established a year earlier than West Preston, had fared even better, having claimed senior grade Division One premierships in 1965, 1975 and 1977.

The newly merged club did not take long to impose itself, reaching a Division One grand final in only its third season. Northcote Park proved to have the Roosters’ measure on that occasion, but three years later West Preston Lakeside claimed its first premiership with a 13.9 (87) to 9.9 (63) Division One grand final defeat of Montmorency. The club’s under nineteens won flags in 2006 and 2008, both times at the expense of Bundoora. Then, in 2010 the club's senior grade side snared a second Division One flag, upsetting the highly fancied Heidelberg, who were chasing a record fifth consecutive premiership. The Roosters or Lakies as they are interchangeably known won with something to spare, 13.9 (87) to 9.12 (78).

West Preston Lakeside have continued in Division One since winning the 2010 flag. They qualified for the finals in 2011, finishing third, and 2012 (fifth), but then struggled a little, by comparison, over the next four seasons. The 2017 season brought a return to finals action as the Roosters ran fifth before a stunning return to the winners' rostrum in 2018. Second after the home and aways, the Roosters overcame the setback of a qualifying final loss to North Heidelberg to end up qualifying for a grand final clash with minor premiers Macleod. It proved to be a closely fought affair with the lead repeatedly changing hands and the Roosters keeping their cool during a frenetic closing term to emerge triumphant by 9 points, 11.12 (78) to 9.15 (69).