BONNIE Doon Football Netball Club has a very long and proud history.

First formed in 1889 in Woolf’s ‘pub by the creek’ when Australian Rules was still in its infancy.

Bonnie Doon’s first matches were played against Mansfield, Mt Battery (it had its own football club) and Tolmie.

This was the formal founding of Bonnie Doon Football Club following early challenge matches against other clubs which started from as early as 1885.

A first class ground was prepared on the property of Mr J Maxwell at a considerable cost.

The football grounds were then moved to where they are today with the Recreation Reserve being gazetted in 1901.

With a range of players coming from across the district, and finding fields that were not subject to flooding in the first 10 years, was indeed a challenge.

It was later that the paddock half way up Jones Street was offered as a recreation ground which when played ran north south and had a very steep slope towards the north and tiny clubrooms in the north-east corner.

The oval (playing field) was finally levelled out in 2008/09 when major earthworks and renovations were carried out making play much more evenly matched for all teams.

As the Aussie rules game progressed from the mid 1880's so did ‘The Doon’ as it was affectionately called in the very early days and in 1901 took out its first premiership flag.

There were many more flags taken home since that time, in fact some 18-19 seasons for the football teams – both seniors and reserves.

And of course the netballers, who came onto the scene in the early 1990s have also taken out numerous premierships.

In 1987 the Reserves team were ‘champions’ and went through the whole season undefeated making history for the club.

Bonnie Doon had played under various leagues in its history and it was not until 2010 when the Benalla League was disbanded that Doon joined the Ovens & King League.

Although the football teams have not won a grand final in this league in the 13 years since joining, they have come very close several times.

The last premiership won was in 2009 when they played as the Bulldogs and Dave Darby was coach – convincingly taking that win over Swanpool – the final scores being 122 to 33 points.

When the boys hopefully return home this weekend with the flag it will break that 14 year premiership drought.

Since joining the O&K League though the netballers have done extremely well bring home flags in the under 17 (2017 & 2018) and last year - 2022 - the under 15 and B-Reserves also brought home the cups.

Netballers back in 2009 also took out two premierships for Grades 1 & 2 (A & B grades back then) in 1999 and after a 10-year break in 2009.