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HOPE VALLEY (Hope Valley and Highbury United/Hope Valley United)Current Affiliation: South Australian Amateur Football League (SAAFL) since 1987 Home Ground: Hope Valley Oval Formed: 1906 Website: http://www.hopevalleyfc.com/ Colours: Royal blue and red Emblem: Demons Senior Grade Premierships: North Eastern Hills Football Association (NEHFA) - 1930-1-2 (3 total); Torrens Valley Football League (TVFL) - 1945 (1 total); SAAFL Division Four - 1994 (1 total) Hope Valley’s greatest era in the 1930s coincided to a large extent with a temporary merger with the club’s arch rival, Highbury. The merger took place in 1931, after Hope Valley had won the 1930 North Eastern Hills Football Association premiership ‘flying solo’. The merged club, known as Hope Valley and Highbury United, then proceeded to add further flags in 1931 and 1932. During world war two, with playing stocks depleted, Hope Valley forged a partnership with Tea Tree Gully, and in 1945 the alliance was joined by players from the Houghton and Paracombe Football Clubs. Competing in the Torrens Valley Football League this combination proved too strong for all its rivals as it cruised to the 1945 premiership. The Demons commenced in the South Australian Amateur Football League in 1987. Competing in A6 Grade they claimed a premiership at the first time of asking, thereby earning promotion to A5 Grade. A second successive promotion followed in 1988, but this time the Demons had to be satisfied with finishing runners-up to Adelaide Lutheran. The ensuing half a dozen seasons saw the club’s seniors regularly contesting the finals and in 1994 they achieved promotion as premiers, defeating Old Ignatians in the grand final by 19 points, 14.11 (95) to 11.10 (76). The 2008 season saw the Demons in division six, and performing strongly at both senior and reserves level. Both grades ultimately played off for the premiership, with the reserves capping their unbeaten season with a 13.9 (87) to 7.8 (50) defeat of Hectorville and the seniors falling short by a single straight kick against Westminster Old Scholars. Where now? or
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