Australian Football

The Tigers have been competitive since their formation, but did not claim their inaugural premiership until 2009. The two merger partners which produced the Southern Flinders Football Club had endured indifferent fortunes for many years. Rocky River’s most recent premiership was won in 1974, when the club was known as Gladstone Combine. Laura Wirrabara, formed in 1972 by, as the name suggests, an amalgamation between the Laura and Wirrabara clubs never managed to achieve premiership success, although Laura claimed a total of five flags as a standalone club.

The 2007 season saw the Tigers comfortably qualify for the finals in third place only to fail to do themselves justice against Broughton Mundoora in the first semi final, which was lost by the disquieting margin of 83 points.

Twelve months later they made it through to the grand final, but after keeping pace with minor premier Crystal Brook for three quarters fell in a last term hole to go down by 44 points. Matt Woolford’s conclusive Mail Medal victory afforded some consolation. Centreman Woolford polled 22 votes, 9 clear of his nearest rivals.

The eagerly sought breakthrough finally arrived in 2009 when the Tigers captured the premiership in emphatic fashion with a 16.15 (111) to 7.8 (50) grand final defeat of Broughton Mundoora.

The 2010 season saw the Tigers going back to back thanks to an 11.18 (84) to 11.6 (72) grand final defeat of BMW. Another grand final appearance followed two years later but for Southern Flinders it was an afternoon of agony as opponents Crystal Brook won by 5 points with the winning goal being kicked after the final siren. The following season saw the Tigers going some way towards erasing the memory of the 2012 debacle when they comfortably accounted for Orroroo in the grand final with scores of 16.12 (108) to 8.6 (54). Since then they have consistently qualified for the finals without making it as far as the premiership decider.