Australian Football

Clayton

Clayton celebrated its centenary in 2008, but information about the club’s early years is limited. Just prior to and for more than a decade after world war one the club competed in the Berwick District Football Association before transferring during the 1930s to the Dandenong District Football Association. After the second world war the Magpies as they were known at the time continued their involvement in the DDFA until 1953, claiming a senior grade premiership in 1950 besides reaching a grand final in their last season, which they lost to Noble Park.

Between 1954 and 1981 Clayton was a member of the Federal Football League, with the seniors enjoying premiership success in their final two seasons. A highly successful three season stint in the South East Suburban Football League followed during which the Magpies went top twice.

From 1985 until 1998 Clayton competed in the Eastern District Football League, contesting consecutive Division Two grand finals in 1992 and 1993, the latter of which was won.

Since commencing in the Southern Football League in 1999 the Clays as they are nowadays known have been a force to be reckoned with. In 2001 they overcame St Kilda City in the Division One senior grade grand final by 20 points, 13.8 (86) to 9.12 (66). A second Division One senior flag, achieved at the expense of St. Paul’s Bentleigh, followed five years later. Between 2001 and 2008 Clayton’s senior side qualified for every finals series bar one, but the 2009 season surprisingly brought relegation to Division Two. Somewhat less surprisingly the Clays' stay in Division Two lasted just one season as they claimed the 2010 premiership. The next seven seasons saw Clayton competing at the level to which they no doubt believe - with more than adequate justification - they belong, Division One. After struggling in their first season back in the top flight the Clays improved to the point where they qualified for the 2016 finals, ultimately finishing fifth. Somewhat surprisingly, they then floundered badly in 2017, losing all 18 games contested to sink to the wooden spoon and succumb to relegation to Division Two. Even worse was to follow as in 2018 the Clays again failed to record a single win thereby earning a second successive wooden spoon and with it relegation to Division Thee.

The 2019 season saw the Clays bouncing back to reach the Division Three grand final. However, the match proved to be little short of a disaster as opponents Hampton Park won at a canter, 9.11 (65) to 1.5 (11).