Australian Football

Jeparit-Rainbow Football Club was established in 1996 by means of a merger between erstwhile Southern Mallee Football League rivals Jeparit and Rainbow. Known as the Lakers, they were among the founder members the following year of the Mallee Football League, which was formed when the Northern and Southern Mallee competitions amalgamated. They promptly won a premiership in their very first season thanks to a 21.12 (138) to 11.10 (76) grand final thrashing of Beulah. However, since then they have endured modest fortunes, and this remains their only senior grade grand final appearance.

In 2015 the club, now boasting the nickname of The Storm, transferred to the Horsham District Football League, finishing fifth on debut, third in both 2016 and 2017, and fourth in 2018.

Prior to joining forces with Rainbow, Jeparit had been a feature of the southern Mallee football landscape since the first decade of the twentieth century. Over the ensuing nine decades the club participated in numerous competitions, claiming at least five senior grade premierships, but none of these came after the second world war. Rainbow’s history was just as long and diverse as Jeparit’s, with the club enjoying senior grade premiership success in 1920, 1933, 1959, 1963 and 1970.