Australian Football

A Devenish team was recorded as engaging in matches against combinations from nearby towns as early as 1884. The club was particularly strong during the 1920s when it claimed two Benalla-Yarrawonga Line Football Association flags as well as going near to a number of others.

The 2000s saw the Barbers enjoy the richest pickings in their long history, followed almost immediately by the leanest. Premiers of the BDFL in both 2003 and 2005, just one year later they found themselves crippled by player shortages, and were forced to disband at the conclusion of the 2006 season. The club had experienced similar problems before, and survived. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, when playing stocks were limited, it entered into a temporary merger with the St James Football Club before resuming as a single entity in 1963.

Their plight in 2006 was, however, a bridge too far. While the club was sitting pretty financially, it could simply not attract players for various reasons including travel, retirement and changing demographics. In its final weeks, the Barbers struggled to find the required 15 players to field a senior team, and forfeited their reserves matches on numerous occasions.