Formed: 1923; in recess from 1926 to 1933; reformed 1934

Website: www.laharumfc.vcfl.com.au/

Colours: Navy blue and red

Emblem: Demons

Senior Grade Premierships: Horsham South Football Association (HSFA) - 1925 (1 total); HDFL - 1958-9, 1962-3-4, 1987, 1995 (7 total)

A football team representing Laharum took part in scratch matches against rival teams from nearby towns as early as the first decade of the twentieth century. However, a football club was not formally established until 1923, when it affiliated with the Horsham South Football Association. The new club claimed a premiership in its third season thanks to a grand final defeat of East Wonwondah, but then went into recess, along with the Association, which never reformed. Laharum did, however, but not until the mid-1930s when it began competing in the Horsham District Football League, where it continues to this day.

Prior to world war two Laharum reached a couple of grand finals, but lost them both. After the war Laharum struggled initially and did not qualify for another grand final until 1953, when it kicked itself out of contention in losing by 9 points to Wonwondah with final scores of 5.17 (47) to 8.8 (56). The Demons’ first HDFL flag did not arrive until 1958, when they comfortably overcame their grand final nemesis of five years earlier, winning by 38 points. The following season brought a second straight premiership after a much harder fought 9 point grand final victory over Quantong.

The status of the late 1950s and early 1960s as a golden era in Laharum’s history was reinforced when the sided won three straight senior grade grand finals between 1962 and 1964, a feat that only Kalkee had previously accomplished in HDFL history. This hat trick of triumphs was achieved at the expense of Homers by 3 goals and Quantong by margins of 5 and 18 points.

The remainder of the 1960s and the majority of the 1970s saw the Demons struggling somewhat, and even when they finally reached another grand final, in 1978, they suffered the ignominy of a humiliating 102 point defeat at the hands of Kalkee.

The 1980s brought two senior grade grand final appearances for Laharum. The first of these, in 1985 against Rupanyup, was lost, but the Demons atoned in impressive fashion the following year when they accounted for the grand final challenge of Homers by 46 points.

Laharum’s most recent senior grade flag was won ‘against the head’ in 1995. After claiming the minor premiership the side lost to Natimuk in the second semi final before recovering superbly to win both the preliminary final against Rupanyup and the grand final re-match with Natimuk comfortably.

Despite not having won any senior grade premierships for more than a decade the Demons have been frequent finalists, and in 2008 got as far as the grand final before losing by 27 points to Kalkee. A year later they bowed out of the flag race at the preliminary final stage against Harrow Balmoral.

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