EMMAUS ST LEO'S OLD COLLEGIANS
Current Affiliation: Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) since 1992
Home Ground: Bennettswood Sports Ground, Holland Avenue, Burwood
Formed: 1971 as Wattle Park; changed name to Our Lady's Wattle Park in 1972, to St Leo's Wattle Park United in 1978, and to Emmaus St Leo's Old Collegians in 2004
Colours: Navy blue and light blue
Senior VAFA Premierships: D1 Section - 2002 (1 total); E East Section - 1995 (1 total); F Section - 1992 (1 total)
Senior Competition Best and Fairest Awards: L.S. Zachariah Medal (C Section) - S.Buckle 1999 (1 total); J. Fullerton Medal (D2 Section) - P.Baranello 2008 (1 total)
Formed in 1971, the club was originally known as Wattle Park, under which name it won that season's premiership of the Christian Young Men's Society Football Association. Two season's later, by which time the club was called St Leo's Wattle Park, it crossed to the Eastern Suburban Churches Football Association (ESCFA), commencing its involvement in E Grade.
The club, which underwent another name change in 1978 to St Leo's Wattle Park United, remained in the ESCFA until 1991, by which time it had progressed to A Grade, winning a total of five senior premierships in the process. Its final ESCFA flag, and its only one in A Grade, came in 1987.
Since moving to the VAFA in 1992 the club has performed solidly. In its debut season it not only won the premiership of F Section, thanks to a resounding 9.17 (71) to 3.7 (25) grand final defeat of Old Essendon Grammarians, it did so unbeaten, thus earning the title of 'champions'.
The side's upward progress continued in 1993 when, having reached the E Grade grand final, it was promoted to D Section, despite losing the match to Old Camberwell Grammarians by 33 points. The temporary setback of relegation followed in 1994, but recovery was swift and emphatic, as St Leo's bounced straight back to D Section in 1995 thanks to an impressive 15.7 (97) to 6.12 (48) win over Aquinas Old Collegians in the E East Section grand final.
The club's third and most recent VAFA premiership was achieved in 2002 in D1 Section when it defeated Mentone Amateurs in the grand final by 17 points, 17.6 (108) to 13.13 (91). The following year saw it finish 3rd in C Section, the highest position it has so far managed.
In 2006, St Leo's fared badly, winning just 4 and drawing 1 of its 18 matches to finish second from last in D1 Grade. As a result, the team, under the guidance of new coach Ben Pilley, lined up in D2 Section in 2007 where it finished with a 9-9 record to qualify for the finals in 4th place, ahead of Banyule on percentage. In the 1st semi final against Werribee St Leo's battled hard, but ultimately fell short by 38 points. The 2008 season saw the club regaining its D1 Grade status by means of the slightly less than ideal route of a losing grand final against Werribee. The match was fairly closely contested until half time but in the third term the Tigers rattled on six unanswered goals and ultimately won with some comfort by 62 points, 22.17 (149) to 13.9 (87).
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