Australian Football

Lobethal Football Club was formed in 1901, the same year that the Australian nation came into being, and apart from the wartime years of 1916-17 and 1941-2 the club has maintained a continuous existence ever since. That existence has spawned numerous premierships, and seen the club develop a healthy and constructive community role that embraces both genders and all age groups, and greatly transcends the mere playing of sport.

During world war one Lobethal decided it would be politically judicious to dispense with its Germanic name, and both town and football club were renamed Tweedvale. As Tweedvale, the club won its first ever senior grade premiership in 1923 when it overcame Birdwood in the grand final by 3 points. It was around this time that the team first donned the black and yellow playing uniforms that are still in vogue today. Previously, the club’s colours had been chocolate and light brown. After securing its breakthrough flag the club remained a force for the next decade, winning further premierships in 1924, 1927, 1929 and 1934.

The club’s first premiership as Lobethal was claimed in 1950, and as with the 1923 flag this proved to be a prelude to a concerted period of success. With players like six time club best and fairest award winner Brian Zilm, Reg Karutz, Tom Plummer, Brian Keys and Stan McPhee to the fore, the Tigers were a major force in the Torrens Valley competition throughout the 1950s. Success continued into the 1960s under a fresh generation of players, but when football in the Hills area was reorganised in 1967 with the launch of a new, two-tiered competition, the Hills Football League, Lobethal’s fortunes went into temporary decline. After a fifteen year premiership drought, former Bridgewater Mail Medallist Frank Lampard coached the Tigers to a 6.6 (42) to 3.12 (30) grand final triumph over Onkaparinga Valley, on a day when conditions were more suited to water polo than football. Since 1981, the club has added three further A Grade flags, most recently in 2002 under the coaching of Darren Sziller, a former player and best and fairest award winner with the club.

Recent seasons have seen the Tigers experiencing mixed fortunes with the highlights being finals participation in 2013, 2014 and 2015. On the converse side of the ledger they endured the indignity of consecutive winless wooden spoons in 2008-9 and 2017-18.