By Tara Murray
Melton Football Netball Club will celebrate the club’s 140th anniversary in style.
In a massive milestone, the club will host a dinner on Saturday, July 20, with past players from across Australia in attendance.
Mick Williams, who has been involved with the club for more than 50 years, said the night would be a big one in the club’s history, with the highs and lows of the past to be discussed and teams of the decades to be named.
“The club has stood up well over the years and we’ve made sure that we represent the club well,” Williams said.
“If you didn’t play for Melton in the 1970s, you were no one.
“Our forbearers have set the standard and we’ve maintained that.”
The Bloods were formed in 1879, with records showing they played in the Bacchus Marsh Football League from at least the early 1900s.
The club started in Melton South and called the Melton Recreation Reserve home for many years, before moving to MacPherson Park in 1976.
It captured seven straight premierships between 1913 and 1919 and all up 12 senior premierships between 1913 and when the Bacchus Marsh Football League folded in 1972.
The club moved to the Riddell District Football League.
“The Bacchus Marsh league folded and we had nowhere to go,” Williams said. “On the death knock … at the last minute, we got the nod to go to the Riddell league.”
The club won five senior premierships in the RDFL before moving to the Ballarat Football League in 1997. Since then, it’s won another three premierships and played in last year’s grand final.
“Last year we were runners-up in the grand final and 99 per cent of the committee and players were locals,” Williams said.
Williams, after who the club’s senior football best and fairest is named, said family connections were important at the club, with many of former players well known in the
town.
“You will find a lot of the names of the town streets are named after players,” he said. “We’ve had more than a fair share of involvement in the town.”
Having started with one side, the club currently has three senior teams, juniors and netball – and this year added a women’s football side. In 1973, when the club had too many players, it formed a second club – cross-town rival Melton South.
Melton has had several VFL/AFL players play for it, including current Greater Western Sydney player Adam Kennedy and former Western Bulldogs captain Mark Hunter.
Williams said anyone who was interested in attending the event would be welcomed.
Players from as far back as the 1960s will be among those attending.
They club is interested in tracking down club memorabilia. It has a shield from 1912 with gold leaves on it and photos of early premiership sides.
Details: Mick on 0418 537 317 or Brian on 0418 536 489.
