Australian Football

Mitcham

The Tigers were founder members in 1962 of the Eastern Districts Football League, and although they recently spent nearly a decade competing in Division Three they have spent the overwhelming majority of their time as a Division One club. Between 1978 and 1984 they contested six out of seven possible senior grade grand finals in what was undoubtedly the most noteworthy era in the club’s one hundred and twenty year history. In 1978 they lost the grand final to Ringwood before proceeding to win the next three in succession at the expense of Scoresby, Vermont and East Burwood. The grand finals of 1982 against Vermont and 1984 against East Ringwood were lost. Mitcham’s all round strength as a club during this six year phase was reinforced by the reserves’ feat in also claiming three premierships.

Prior to their halcyon phase the seniors had contested three Division One grand finals, triumphing over Scoresby in 1970, going down to Vermont the following year, and downing Blackburn in 1975. In 2015 they broke a three and a half decade long premiership drought when they accounted for The Basin in the Division Three grand final by 44 points. Promoted to Division Two as a consequence of this triumph the Tigers struggled somewhat but still managed to avoid relegation in both 2016 and 2017 before succumbing to it in 2018 when they managed just 3 wins and a draw from their 18 matches.

Mitcham’s competitive history dates back to the early years of the twentieth century when the club was a successful member of the Box Hill Reporter District Football League. It experienced less success during the inter war years and, after enjoying an Eastern District Football League premiership triumph over Box Hill in 1947, performed modestly for most of the ensuing quarter of a century.