Australian Football

Healesville

Football has been an important part of community life in Healesville for more than a century. As far as on-field achievements go, the town’s football club has been especially successful since world war two, winning a total of fourteen senior grade premierships, plus numerous others at reserves and under eighteens or colts levels.

In 1966, Healesville was among twelve founder members of the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League, which was established by means of a merger between the Yarra Valley Football Association and the Mountain District Football League. Having just won back to back YVFA premierships the Bloods were, not surprisingly, among the pace setters in the new competition’s inaugural season. Indeed, they ultimately secured the minor premiership, but could not overcome former MDFL side Upwey Tecoma in either the second semi final or the grand final, and had to be satisfied with second place.

After failing to qualify for the finals in 1967 the Bloods recovered well the following year to top the ladder once more heading into the finals before downing Upwey Tecoma in the second semi final and Woori Yallock in the grand final to clinch their first YVMDFL flag. In 1969 they repeated their success in emphatic style thanks to "straight sets" finals thrashings of Upwey Tecoma.

Healesville maintained its position as one of the competition’s leading clubs for most of the next two decades, which were highlighted by triumphant grand final appearances in 1972, 1977, 1985 and 1988.  In 2006 they got as far as the preliminary final before losing to eventual premiers Monbulk by 44 points. Two years later they did so again, with Upwey Tecoma applying the coup de grace on that occasion.

A temporary decline in fortunes paradoxically led to the Bloods' next premiership in 2013. After a 2012 season which produced just 5 wins and a draw they were relegated to Division Two where their stay was gratifyingly brief. Top of the ladder with a 17-1 record Healesville cruised to the Division Two flag on the strength of a 101 point second semi final trouncing of Yarra Glen and, in the grand final, victory over Seville by a 46 point margin, 18.18 (126) to 12.8 (80).

The Bloods spent the 2014 season consolidating their Division One status before making a concerted bid for premiership honours. In 2015 they got as far as the grand final, in which they started as favourites, but lost by 64 points to Wandin. A year later, however, they made no mistake, overturning Olinda Ferny Creek, their conquerors in the second semi final a fortnight earlier, by 21 points, 8.6 (54) to 4.9 (33). Their bid for back to back flags in 2017 was halted at the preliminary final stage by Olinda Ferny Creek while a year later it ended at the same point at the hands of Woori Yallock.

Before commencing life in the YVMDFL Healesville was a prominent member of the YVFA for many years, enjoying premiership success on half a dozen occasions between 1945 and 1965.