Australian Football

After emerging out of the union of Northern United and Calivil in 1997 the Demons were, for a time, the Loddon Valley Football League’s most successful club. They reached the grand final in their debut season, losing to YCW, before breaking through for their first flag the following year courtesy of a 7.10 (52) to 6.9 (45) defeat of their 1997 conquerors. Further losing grand finals followed in 1999 and 2002 but between 2003 and 2008 Calivil United enjoyed unrivalled dominance of the competition, claiming an astonishing six successive senior grade premierships. In both 2004 and 2005 the Bulldogs enjoyed unbeaten seasons but they have not invariably been the top side during the home and away rounds, reserving their best form for when it matters most during the finals. (Although the club's 2017 premiership would be a noteworthy exception to the norm.)

Calivil United again contested grand finals in 2009 and 2010, but lost to Mitiamo in the former year and Bridgewater in the latter. The club's fortunes then declined somewhat until 2016 when there was something of an improvement with the Demons getting as far as the preliminary final. A year later they comfortably topped the ladder ahead of the finals and went on to procure their eighth senior grade premiership courtesy of a 13.16 (94) to 8.12 (60) grand final defeat of a Bridgewater team that was trying to finish top for the fourth successive time. After that the 2018 season was enormously disappointing as the Bulldogs finished one place adrift of finals qualification, before again making the cut in 2019, when they finished fifth.

Prior to the merger Northern United had been members of the Bendigo Football League since 1983, enjoying premiership success on four straight occasions between 1984 and 1987. Calivil had been in existence since 1890 and was a mainstay of the LVFL since 1956. In addition to capturing half a dozen senior grade LVFL flags the club had triumphed on several occasions in other competitions.