ELTHAM OLD COLLEGIANS
Current Affiliation: Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) since 1986
Home Ground: Eltham College, Main Road, Research
Formed: 1986
Colours: Green and gold
Emblem: Turtles
Senior VAFA Premierships: H Section - 1987 (1 total); Club XVIII North - 1993 (1 total)
Senior Competition Best and Fairest Awards: Nil
Memorably nicknamed the Turtles, Eltham Old Collegians debuted in the VAFA's newly formed G Section in 1986. The next season saw the club becoming a founder member, and inaugural premier, of H Section, winning the grand final by two straight kicks from Bulleen-Templestowe. A second H Grade grand final appearance came three years later, but Boronia Park proved too strong on that occasion.
Because they were unable to field both senior and reserves sides, the Turtles were stalwart members of the VAFA's Club XVIII competition for many years, winning a premiership at that level in 1993.
Eltham Old Collegians' seniors reached the 2007 D4 Grade grand final, losing to UHSOB-VU by 33 points, thereby earning promotion to D3 Grade. After qualifying for the 2008 D3 finals in fourth place the side performed heroically to reach a second straight grand final and even though this ended in defeat at the hands of Williamstown CYMS there can be no doubt that the Turtles have, in recent years, transformed themselves into one of the VAFA's most upwardly mobile clubs. The fact that this improvement permeates the whole club has been clearly evidenced by the reserve grade team's excellent recent performances which have yielded D4 Grade flags in 2005 and 2007 and a losing D3 Grade grand final appearance in 2008.
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