Establishment
An advertisement in the Yea Telegraph of 27.3.1890 asks those willing to form a football club to attend a meeting, but documentary evidence confirms that nothing came of it, although a match was played against Tallarook shortly after. Locally, a competition started in 1893 after a meeting was held at the Royal Mail Hotel Yea, on Wednesday April 18th 1893 to form the Yea Football Club. This was four years before the formation of the Victorian Football League in 1897.
As of 1895, Yea played against other locally formed sides for two years, before being formally accepted into the North East Association of Football in 1895, playing their first match in June of that year against Broadford. Yea have fielded football sides (in differing leagues) since this date, with very few years where no sides were fielded, namely during the two world wars.
1919 Premiers
Premierships
1896, 1902, 1912, 1919, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1960, 1968, 1976, 1982, 1984
1986 (under 17’s), 1987 (under 17’s), 1988 (under 17’s), 1990 (under 17’s)
1992 (under 17’s), 1993 (under 17’s), 1995, 2004, 2005.
* In 1950, John McLeish returned from Essendon Football Club in the VFL, to coach Yea voluntarily, after current coach George Hopgood broke his leg. John McLeish had played with both the firsts and seconds at Essendon that year and both teams, plus Yea were premiers.
VFL/AFL players (name, club)
Glenn Elliott – St Kilda & Melbourne 155 games / 82 goals
Robert Elliott - St Kilda & Melbourne 103 games / 23 goals
Bruce Elliott – Melbourne 5 games (Coached Yea)
W L Billett – Fitzroy & South Melb 15 games (Coached Yea)
Ted Brown – Carlton 94 games (Coached Yea)
Dr Frank Costigan – Fitzroy 26 games (Coached Yea)
Lindsay McClure – Footscray 4 games (Coached Yea)
John McLeish – Essendon 10 games (Coached Yea)
Derek Symonds – Melbourne 1 game (Coached Yea)
Eddie Jackson – Melbourne 84 games (Coached Yea)
Garry Rasmussen – Hawthorn 7 games (Coached Yea)
Peter Dolling – Sth Melb 23 games (Coached Yea)
Gavan McCarthy – Nth Melb 1 game (Coached Yea)
Richard Ivey – Nth Melb 1 game (Coached Yea)
Bernie McCarthy – Nth Melb 148 games / 80 goals
Shane McCarthy – Geelong 3 games
Bill Purcell – North Melbourne 10 games
Jack Parker – North Melbourne 1 game
Laurie Morgan – Fitzroy 34 games / 14 goals
Allan Rogers – Footscray 22 games
Harry Verdon - St Kilda 2 games / 3 goals Fitzroy 1 game
David Murray – Melbourne 6 games
Maurice Mcleish – St Kilda 1 game
Les Reed – Geelong 25 games
Alan Anderson - Fitzroy 4 games
Jeff Hopgood – North Melbourne 42 games
Vin Brown – Carlton 117 games
Robbie Fox – Essendon 52 games / 34 goals
George Dykes – North Melbourne 8 games
Bob Lockhart – Richmond 13 games / 7 goals
H Townly – Hawthorn 1
Alex McGregor – Geelong 32 games/ 7 goals
Stephen Bloomer Carlton, North & Essendomn – 10 games
Mick Warren – Collingwood – 3games
Matthew Dundas – Fitzroy & Richmond 100 games
Brad Hall (1994 Melbourne List)
A TIGER LEGEND…
Larry Finch
Larry Finch (1944-1998) was overwhelmingly a favourite son and local legend of the game for the Yea Tigers. A life member, Larry played 520 senior games for the club, and contributed greatly to the clubs proud history.
Larry played for Yea in many premiership sides (some as vice captain), taking out grand finals in 1960, 1968, 1976.
Regularly amongst the best players, Larry won the club Best and Fairest Award in 1962, Most Consistent in 1961, 1970, 1974; Most improved in 1966, and Best Club Person in 1966, and Citizenship Award in 1966.
As a tribute to Larry, a memorial shield in his honour was introduced this year to be played for at the meeting of Yea and Kinglake in the first round clash of each season.
Larry, his immediate and extended family contributed to the club over many years, with his son Mathew coaching and playing Football for Yea, (including premiership sides) and daughter Rochelle playing netball over many years. Larry was overwhelmingly a favourite son and local legend of the game for the Yea Tigers.