The Kyneton Football Netball Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the town of Kyneton, Victoria. Kyneton teams currently compete in the Riddell District Football League. The club transferred there after the 2023 season.

History It has been said that Kyneton was the Victorian town where the first organised regional football match was contested, although the first recorded country football match was on the Camp Reserve, Castlemaine was in September 1855 between a team of Army soldiers and a team of goldminers.

The first match in Kyneton was held in the early 1860s, with 84 players (42 by side) on the field. The match was played at the Showgrounds Oval.

Kyneton FC is recorded as playing two matches against Redesdale, one in October 1868 and the return match was played in November 1868, but Kyneton did not play in a formal local competition until 1891, even though they were registered with the Victorian Football Association from 1877 to 1885 and played against Hawthorn, Essendon and Carlton a number of times in the late 1870s and early 1880s.

Formal rural football competitions commenced in Ballarat starting in 1869 and Castlemaine's in 1871, being the first competitions in the region until the Victorian Football Association was founded in 1877.History of the club on Kyneton website

In 1887, the club played 17 matches, the most since the club was formed, but no formal competition.

The club played against the touring British footballers in 1888.

In 1895 at the annual meeting of the Kyneton United Football Club it was resolved to reform the club and change the name to the Kyneton Football Club.

In 1898, Kyneton Junior FC and Kyneton Senior FC merged to form the Kyneton Football Club and adopting the club colours of blue and white.

In 1899, the Kyneton District Football Club was formed and the club colours were red, white and blue.

After World War Two, Kyneton participated in the Castlemaine District Football League in 1945 and 1946, prior to re-joining the Bendigo Football League in 1947.

The club went into recess in 2013 citing a player shortage, but returned to the competition in 2014. At the end of 2023 the club decided to transfer from the Bendigo Football League to the Riddell District Football League.

Football Timeline 1877 - 1885: Victorian Football Association 1891 - 1894: Kyneton Football Association 1895 - Woodend District Football Association 1896 - Kyneton District Football Association 1897 - 1898: Club active, but no official competition. 1899 - Kyneton Football Association 1900 - Club active, but no official competition. 1901 - 1911: Kyneton District Football Association 1912 - Woodend District Football Association 1913 - 1915:Castlemaine District Football Association 1916 - 1918: Club in recess due to World War One. 1919 - 1920: Kyneton District Football Association 1921 - Castlemaine District Football Association 1922 - Trentham Football Association 1923 - 1925: Castlemaine District Football Association 1926 - 1930: Kyneton Football League 1931 - Midland Football League 1932 - 1940: Bendigo Football League 1941 - 1944: Club in recess due to World War Two. 1945 - 1946: Castlemaine District Football Association 1947 - 2012: Bendigo Football League 2013 - Club in recess 2014 - 2019: Bendigo Football League 2020 - Club in recess due to COVID-19 lockdown 2021 - 2023: Bendigo Football League 2024 - 2025: Riddell District Football League

Premierships Senior Football Kyneton District Football Association 1891 - 1st: Kyneton, 1892 - 1st: Kyneton, 2nd: Woodend, 1893 - 1st: Kyneton 1902 - Kyneton: 4.4 - 28 d East Trentham: 2.6 - 18 1903 - 1st: Kyneton, 2nd: Kyneton Collegians 1904 - Kyneton: 5.5 - 35 d Malmsbury: 1.4 - 10 1906 - 1st: Kyneton, 2nd: Kyneton Collegians 1908 - Kyneton: ? d Trentham: ? Kyneton Football League 1928 - Kyneton: 4.9 - 33 d Kyneton Collegians: 4.3 - 27 Midland Football League 1931 - Kyneton: 9.7 - 61 d Castlemaine Foundry: 5.11 - 41 Bendigo Football League (6): 1936 - Kyneton: 12.9 - 81 d Sandhurst: 10.8 - 68 1960 - Kyneton: 9.8 - 62 d Rochester: 8.11 - 59 1961 - Kyneton: 12.13 - 85 d Rochester: 9.6 - 80 1966 - Kyneton:15.6 - 96 d Golden Square: 12.12 - 84 1995 - Kyneton: 18.13 - 121 d South Bendigo: 11.10 - 76 1997 - Kyneton: 18.15 - 123 d Golden Square: 7.14 - 56 Castlemaine District Football League (1945 & 1946) 1945

Reserves Bendigo Football League 1975 - Kyneton: 9.14 - 68 drew with Sandhurst: 10.8 - 68 (Drawn Grand Final) 1975 - Kyneton: ? d Sandhurst: ? (Grand Final Replay) Thirds Bendigo Football League 1997 - Kyneton: 10.4 - 64 d Eaglehawk: 4.13 - 37

Runners Up Seniors Bendigo Football League 1957, 1959, 1963, 1976, 1996,

VFL / AFL Players The following footballers played with Kyneton prior to playing senior VFL / AFL football, with the year indicating their VFL debut.

Debut Player's Name VFL / AFL Club Notes / References 1903John McCashney 1907Harry Rigby 1914Alexander FraserFederal & State Politician1925Jack Armstrong 1935Frank Halloran & 1937 Ted Buckley 1939Hughie McPherson & 1939Clarrie Riordan 1953John Thomas McCashney1957Frank Hanrahan 1958Bill Arch 1958Brian Bowe 1959Peter Barker 1959Cliff Deacon 1959Norm McKenzie 1967Ian Thompson 1975Danny Halloran 1976Jim Buckley 1979, 81 & 82 VFL Premierships1983Tony Kelly 1998Nathan Thompson 1999Peter Welsh 2009Rhys Magin 2012Jack Redpath

The following footballers played senior VFL / AFL football, prior to playing / coaching with Kyneton, with the year indicating their first season at Kyneton.

1928 - Gerry Beare - 1933 - Leo Wescott - Collingwood 1934 - Horrie Mason - St Kilda 1936 - Eric Little - 1936 - Bill Spurling - 1936 - Colin Strang - 1936 - Doug Strang - 1947 - Albert Collier - & 1951 - Wally Culpitt - 1953 - Harry Equid - 1954 - Brian Gilmore - & 1954 - Bill Nolan - 1954 - Fred Payne - 1957 - Clive Philp - 1959 - Ian Burt - 1959 - Bob Suter - 1960 - Kevin Parks - 1961 - Ken Peucker - 1962 - Greg Sewell - 1965 - Barry Matthews - 1966 - Les Kaine - 2003 - Phil Carman - 2005 - Brett Cook - & 2009 - Lance Picioane -

Kyneton District Football Association 1891 to 1896 - Kyneton District Football Association 1897 to 1900 - KDFA in recess 1901 to 1911 - Kyneton District Football Association 1912 to 1918 - KDFA in recess 1919 to 1920 - Kyneton District Football Association 1921 to 1925 - KDFA in recess 1926 to 1930 - Kyneton District Football League

Premiers

1891 - Kyneton 1892 - 1st: Kyneton 1893 - Kyneton 1894 - 1st: Malmsbury, 2nd: Carlsruhe 1895 - Woodend: 3.1 - 19 d Kyneton: 0.6 - 6 1896 - Woodend 1897 - 1900: KDFA in recess. 1901 - Lauriston: 3.5 - 23 d Kyneton: 1.12 - 18 1902 - 1st: Kyneton 1903 - 1st: Kyneton 1904 - Kyneton 1905 - Malmsbury 1906 - 1st: Kyneton 1907 - Trentham*: 7.10 - 52 d Kyneton Collegians: 3.6 - 24 1908 - Kyneton: ? d Trentham: ? 1909 - ?. Semi Final: Kyneton d Macedon 1910 - Trentham: 5.8 - 38 d Macedon: 4.10 - 34 1911 - Daylesford: 1.17 - 23 d Trentham: 2.9 - 21 1912 - 1918: KDFA in recess. 1919 - Kyneton Collegians: 8.8 - 56 d Malmsbury: 3.8 - 26 1920 - Malmsbury: 5.16 - 46 d Trentham: 3.6 - 25 1921 - 1925: In recess? 1926 - Kyneton Collegians: 10.8 - 68 d Daylesford: 5.9 - 39 1927 - Daylesford 4.8 - 32 d Kyneton Collegians: 4.4 - 28 1928 - Kyneton 4.9 - 33 d Kyneton Collegians: 4.4 28 1929 - Kyneton Collegians 8.11 - 59 d Kyneton 5.14 - 44 1930 - Trentham: 5.9 - 39 d Malmsbury: 5.5 - 35

Bibliography History of Football in the Bendigo District - John Stoward -

Notes

References

External links

Official website 1919 - Kyneton DFA Premiers: Kyneton Collegians FC team photo 1928 - Kyneton FL Premiers: Kyneton FC team photo 1931 - Kyneton FC & Castlemaine FC team photos 1932 - Kyneton FC & Echuca FC team photos 1933 - Kyneton FC & Castlemaine FC team photos 1934 - Kyneton FC & South Bendigo FC team photos 1937 - Kyneton FC & Eaglehawk FC team photos 1937 - Kyneton FC & South Bendigo FC team photos 1938 - Kyneton FC & Sandhurst FC team photos 1949 - Kyneton FC team photo