Australian Football

Whorouly

Whorouly first entered the Ovens and King Football Association in 1904, which was the competition’s second season. In its first match it was pitted against Rainbows, the team that had won the inaugural premiership, and immediately served notice that it was not merely there to make up the numbers by winning by the comfortable margin for the times of 18 points. Whorouly ended up winning 6 of its 9 matches for the year, a highly creditable first up effort which was good enough to secure third place in the six team competition.

Despite this solid start, the club failed to progress, and on some occasions there was difficulty even finding sufficient players to field a team. In 1908, Whorouly dropped out of the competition altogether, but it was back with a vengeance in 1909, kicking a number of very high scores including a competition record 19.19 (133) when trouncing Myrtleford in round eight by 121 points. Nevertheless, it was still not quite good enough to claim the premiership, that honour falling to Moyhu.

Whorouly again went into temporary recess in 1914, and on reforming for the abbreviated 1915 season abandoned its politically untenable colours of black, white and red in favour of a maroon still worn today. After the war, the OKFA recommenced operations in 1919, but Whorouly waited another twelve months before resuming. The 1920s would see the club gradually emerging as a power for the first time, with finals appearances in 1923 and 1924 being followed by consecutive premierships in 1925 and 1926.

The side continued to perform strongly over the remainder of the 1920s, and the 1930s brought two losing grand final appearances, but it was not until the 1950s that Whorouly again tasted premiership success. That success arrived in 1952, and came after two successive grand final losses against Beechworth. Grand final opponents Wangaratta had beaten Whorouly in the second semi final by 11 points, thanks in part to some poor kicking for goal by the men in maroon. For much of the grand final it appeared that events were going to follow a similar course, but in the end Whorouly’s waywardness affected only the margin of victory, not the result. Final scores were Whorouly 11.19 (85) to Wangaratta 12.11 (83).

The Lions’ late 1970s combinations were not only probably the strongest in the club’s history, they were arguably among the greatest ever fielded in the OKFL. Coached by former Hawthorn premiership player Norm Bussell, Whorouly at times seemed capable of reaching another level than most opponents. In 1977 the side won all 18 home and away matches, most by substantial margins, and then cruised straight into the grand final on the strength of a 17.23 (125) to 8.12 (60) second semi final demolition of Milawa. The grand final clash with North Wangaratta provided the Lions with perhaps their toughest assignment of the year, but that is not meant to imply that they ever seemed in real danger of losing. Nevertheless, their final victory margin of 14 points was by some measure their smallest of the season.

For much of the following season Whorouly did not exude quite the same air of impregnability, and the side’s two losses for the year, against King Valley in round ten, and Beechworth four rounds later, were by sizeable margins. However, once the finals arrived, the Lions noticeably lifted both their intensity and their all round level of performance, to the extent that Beechworth, their opponents in both finals, seemed wholly out of their depth. Whorouly won the second semi final by 64 points, and the grand final by a league record 120 points, 25.25 (175) to Beechworth’s 8.7 (55). Full forward Alan Sewell registered 104 goals for the year to add to his OKFL record of 126 amassed the previous year.

Whorouly’s 1989 flag success was a classic ‘rags to riches’ affair as the side had finished last in 1988. The grand final against Beechworth was close and tight, but the Lions always seemed to have the edge, and might have won by more had their kicking for goal been better. Final scores were Whorouly 13.16 (94); Beechworth 13.7 (85).

During the first decade of the current century the Lions gradually improved, reaching the preliminary final in 2004 and the grand final in 2005 and 2006, only to lose twice to Moyhu. In 2007, however, they finally broke their long premiership drought by downing Bright in the grand final by 19 points, 14.13 (97) to 12.8 (80), avenging an earlier defeat by the same side in the second semi final. It was a day of celebration all round for Whorouly as both the reserves and under eighteens also went top.

Whorouly reached another grand final in 2012 but went down by 47 points to North Wangaratta. Fortunes since have been predominantly modest although the Lions did manage a rare finals appearance in 2014 when they finished sixth. Subsequent seasons brought seventh (2015), ninth (2016), eleventh (2017) and eighth (2018) place finishes on the twelve team premiership.