Australian Football

The Hoppers have an excellent overall record, with nineteen senior grade premierships to their name, but the last of these was won almost a quarter of a century ago, and in recent years the club has struggled.

Formed in 1903, Walla Walla initially engaged only in informal scratch matches against teams from neighbouring towns. The club’s formal competitive history got underway in 1910, and it won its first premiership in 1919. That triumph came in the Walla and District Football Association, and it was repeated the following year. In 1921 Walla Walla crossed to the Hume Football Association and promptly claimed another flag to make it three in succession.

Premierships continued to come the Hoppers’ way at the rate of two per decade in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, but the greatest phase in the club’s history spanned the 1970s and 1980s. During these two decades Walla Walla’s seniors contested sixteen out of a possible twenty finals series, and reached the grand final no fewer than eleven times. In 1970 against Walbundrie, 1973 by a solitary point against Burrumbuttock, 1974 and 1987 against Jindera, 1976, 1980 and 1983 against Brocklesby, and 1981 at the expense of Osborne they emerged triumphant. Their only senior grade grand final appearance since 1987 came in 1996, and resulted in defeat at the hands of Henty.

After the 2015 season it was announced that Walla Walla would be merging with Rand Walbundrie Tigers.