ILLABAROOK

Current Affiliation:  Central Highlands Football League (CHFL) since 2011

Formed:  1925

Colours:  Royal blue and white

Emblem:  Bulldogs

Senior Premierships:  Rokewood and Cape Clear District Football Association (RCCDFA)/Cape Clear-Carngham DFA (CCCDFA)/Linton-Carngham DFA (LCDFA) - 1929-30-1-2-3-4-5-6 (8 total); Western Plains Football League (WPFL) - 1938, 1946, 1988, 1991 (4 total)

Ross Smith Memorial Medallists:  Nil

Illabarook's formation in 1925 coincided with the establishment of the Rokewood and Cape Clear District Football Association, which was where the club would spend its formative years (see footnote 1).  Between 1929 and 1936 it won an astonishing eight successive premierships.

The 1937 season saw Illabarook on the move, seeking sterner challenges.  Affiliating with the somewhat stronger Western Plains Football League the club reached the preliminary final in its debut season, and the following year won a flag in unusual circumstances at the expense of a Beeac team which actually won the grand final on the scoreboard, 9.5 (59) to 6.10 (46).  However, it later emerged that Beeac had been guilty of fielding an ineligible player, whereupon the league ruled that the premiership be awarded to Illabarook.

The WPFL went into recess owing to the war from 1941 to 1945, and when it resumed Illabarook promptly added another flag to its haul.  As with the 1938 premiership this one was won in unusual fashion via a grand final replay after the initial clash between Illabarook and Rokewood-Corindhap was drawn.  The Bulldogs won the replay by 26 points, 8.9 (57) to 4.7 (31).  Two years later, they once again qualified for the grand final, only to lose heavily to Lismore.

After a prolonged period of under-achievement Illabarook entered a brief halcyon phase during the late 1980s.  Between 1987 and 1991 the seniors contested every grand final, for wins in 1988 against Cressy, and 1991 at the expense of Carngham Linton.

When the Lexton Football League and WPFL merged to form the Lexton Plains Football League in 1999 the Bulldogs were one of the new competition's eleven inaugural members and have enjoyed unbroken participation ever since. In 2008 they qualified for the finals in fifth place and proceeded to down Navarre in the elimination final before going down by 52 points to Skipton in the first semi.

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Footnotes

1.  The RCCDFA underwent a couple of name changes during this time.  In 1935 it was re-named the Cape Clear-Carngham DFA, and the following year it became known as the Linton-Carngham DFA.  Return to Main Text