Australian Football

Yarrawonga

Yarrawonga joined the Ovens and Murray Football League in 1929 and qualified for its first grand final nine years later. Opposed by Albury, the Pigeons were not disgraced, but the result of the match was never really in doubt, the Tigers triumphing in the end by 46 points, 16.13 (109) to 9.9 (63). Yarrawonga’s next two grand final appearances, against Wangaratta in 1938 and Albury in 1940, also ended in defeat.

After world war two the Pigeons struggled for many years but the spectacular breakthrough, when it came, would have lived long in the memory of all who saw it. The 1959 grand final pitted Yarrawonga against Wangaratta Rovers and the two sides staged a high scoring thriller, widely regarded at the time as the greatest OMFL grand final ever up to that point. When the final siren sounded it showed the Pigeons holding an 8 point advantage, 17.10 (112) to 16.8 (104).

There then followed a three decade long barren period which was finally broken with a 17.11 (113) to 14.13 (97) defeat of Wodonga in the 1989 grand final. Yarrawonga’s third senior grade flag was attained in 2006 thanks to a 15.11 (101) to 10.8 (68) grand final triumph over Myrtleford. The Pigeons again qualified for the grand final in 2009, but they were comprehensively outplayed by Albury. Final scores were Albury 22.13 (145) defeated Yarrawonga 9.14 (68). This proved to be the first of an eventual six successive grand final appearances for the Pigeons, but only those of 2012 and 2013, both against Albury, resulted in victories. In 2016 the Pigeons reached the preliminary final but went down by 12 points to Lavington and the 2017 season ended at the same stage, this time at the hands of Wangaratta by a margin of 11 points. A year later the Pigeons qualified for the grand final but opponents Albury proved just that bit stronger and they edged home by 7 points.