After playing for many years in the Western District Football league, coupled with seasons in the Port Fairy and District and Western Border Football Leagues, the Koroit Football Netball Club was in need of change and were adamant that the club needed to move into a more prominent and viable league if it were to avoid becoming one of the growing number of clubs that were folding in the local area.

In 1960 the club put forward a submission to the Hampden Football League to join as the 10th club for the following 1961 season. The move was deemed imperative to the Koroit administration as they were unable to continue in the Western District Football League due to their inability to field reserves and under 19’s sides.

The H.F.N.L. were keen to have Coragulac join the 8 team league but not at the expense of having a bye each week. Koroit’s submission solved that dilemma and a 5/8ths majority vote at a League hearing saw Koroit given the green light to join the Hampden ranks.

Koroit adopted the red, white and black tri-stripe guernsey and quickly became known as the 'Saints' throughout the Hampden area.

For ten years the club laboured to achieve both administrative success and premiership glory at the top level.

In 1971 playing coach Les Cameron, led Koroit to its very first Hampden League premiership at the expense of arch- rival, Port Fairy in a monumental occasion in the club’s proud history. Two seasons later and history was repeated with Cameron’s brother Gary this time coaching the side to its second senior premiership against Colac.

With limited finals appearances throughout the rest of the 1970’s, the club went through an era of limited opportunities with very little success being tasted on the ground throughout the 1980’s and early 1990’s. The club had been through a very lean period and the club administration believed that a more professional approach to football and club operations would be needed if the club was to ever hold a premiership cup aloft again.

With the appointment of coaches such as Noel Mugavin and  Jason Mifsud the club began to turn around and in 2000 the club made its first grand final in 27 years. In 2003, playing coach Jason Mifsud not only took his side to the grand final but kicked 8 goals and brought Koroit back from a 42 point half time deficit to record the club’s third senior premiership. The euphoria around the district was amazing with many locals taking time off work and celebrating long and hard into the following weeks.

Since 2001 the senior football side has finished no lower than third place and has been brought through the 2000’s decade with an impeccable playing record. In 2007, Andrew Foster led the team to its fourth flag and two years later Joe McLaren coached Koroit to cup number five.

Co-ordinators and administrators such as Barb Daly, Kelli Keane and Tania Waterson along with coaches such as Gaye Batt, Kate Dobson, Kate Foster and Stacey O’Sullivan have worked tirelessly with countless club volunteers over the past 20 years to ensure that the club achieves success across all levels and age groups within the sport.

Some of the outstanding individual contributions that the club has produced would be Maskell Medallists, senior football league best and fairest winners, Anthony Mahony (1996), Jason Mifsud (1997), Joe McLaren (2005) and Simon O’Keefe (2007).  In the senior netball, the league best and fairest has been won by Kate Dobson three times in 2003, 2004 and 2009. Coincidently, the club senior games record is currently held by Damian Dobson (323 games), the husband of Kate and younger brother of club champion, and second highest games record holder, Brendan Dobson (302 games).

Along with the Keanes, the Dobson family have also made a lasting impression on the club with brothers Brendan, Phillip, Terry, Neale and Damian all contributing on the field.

Damian and Brendan both played in excess of 300 senior games each yet only Damian ever tasted premiership success at the club. The family was honoured in 2008 by having the grandstand at Victoria Park named in their honour.

Administratively, the club was lucky enough to have J.M. "Jack" Russell serve as club president from 1963 - 1975. Jack held many executive roles but his 12 year tenure in the president's job is still a record at Koroit. The club’s longest serving secretary, Tim McNally, is nearing his 20th season at Koroit.

The club has also had its share of players that have gone on to play football at VFL/AFL level. Ray Sault, Gerard Noonan, Gary Keane, Bruce Chambers, Mark Dwyer and Chris Stacey all played with the Fitzroy Football Club with Dwyer and Stacey both having further stints at St. Kilda and Brisbane respectively.

Premiership coach Joe McLaren played with St. Kilda early in his career before moving over to North Melbourne. He has since represented the Victorian Country Football League representative side 6 times, captaining it once in 2007. However Koroit’s most famous AFL export was Adrian Gleeson. He managed to play over 200 games with the Carlton Football Club, was a member of their 1987 premiership winning side and represented Victoria in State of Origin clashes.

Koroit now has a healthy future in front of it with junior football and netball ranks being filled out each week. A growing supporter base and more financial sponsorship on the back of recent premierships has ensured that the club will continue develop and succeed throughout the coming decade.

At the end of the day, winning premierships is the primary objective of the club however the fundamental principles of loyalty, respect and family still ring true at Koroit. Recent history shows that the Koroit Football Netball Club is a major force within the Hampden Football Netball League and will continue to be for quite a while to come.

2011