Australian Football

Rye

Formed in 1946, Rye played only B grade football initially, capturing premierships at that level in both 1951 and 1954. The club’s first senior grade flag was attained in 1959, the inaugural season of the Nepean Football League, thanks to an 11.6 (72) to 7.10 (52) grand final defeat of Pearcedale. The Demons were a force during the 1960s and early 1970s claiming premierships in 1964, 1965 and 1972, and finishing second in 1966 and 1971.

During the 1980s Rye competed in the Mornington Peninsula Football League and contested consecutive grand finals in 1982 and 1983. The first of these, against Seaford, was won resoundingly by 65 points, but Mount Eliza got the better of the Demons a year later.

In 1987 Rye was a foundation member of the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League, formed when the NFL and MPFL merged. The Demons’ sole senior grade grand final appearance in this competition came in 2006 in the division known as the Nepean League (effectively the competition’s second tier). Opposed by Langwarrin, Rye won a tightly contested affair by 3 points, 16.9 (105) to 16.6 (106).

The Demons last contested the finals in 2014 when they advanced as far as the preliminary final before losing by a solitary behind to Crib Point. Subsequent seasons have brought sixth (2015), seventh (2016), tenth (2017) and ninth (2018) place finishes on what is a twelve team premiership ladder.