NYORA
Current Affiliation: Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL) since 1967
Formed: 1880s
Colours: Black, red and white
Emblem: Saints
Senior Premierships: Bass Valley Football Association/League (BVFA/L) - 1911, 1913, 1920, 1925, 1930, 1938, 1946, 1953 (8 total); EDFL - 1993, 2006-7 (3 total)
EDFL Club Championships: 1993 (1 total)
Senior EDFL Best and Fairest Player Awards: Geoff Campbell 1978; Scott Wightman 1982, 1983, 1984 & 1987; Jack Heylan 1986; Paul Alger 1991, 1992 & 1993; Dean Hislop 2003; Rory Gilliatte 2006 (6 Winners/11 Wins)
The small railway town of Nyora first boasted a football club in the 1880s, but it was not until the first decade of the twentieth century, when the club joined the Bass Valley Football Association, that regular, competitive fixtures were engaged in. Nyora's first premiership was won in 1911, with a second following two years later. The 1920s and '30s then yielded two flags apiece as the club consolidated its position as one of the stalwarts of the competition.
When football resumed after World War Two Nyora was quick to add another BVFL premiership in 1946 before embarking, two years later, on a brief, unsuccessful stint in the somewhat stronger West Gippsland Football League. The 1950 season found the club back in the BVFL where it added its eighth and final flag in 1953.
In 1955 the BVFL merged with the Wonthaggi and District Football League to form the Bass Valley-Wonthaggi and District Football League, and Nyora was one of thirteen founder member clubs. After just two seasons in the competition, however, the club was forced to disband because it was unable to field a reserves team, and as of 1957 this became a condition of membership. Nyora remained in mothballs until 1964, and most of the club's time since has been spent in the EDFL, where it has three times succeeded in claiming the ultimate prize of the senior premiership. The second of these, in 2006, was won in truly emphatic fashion: after topping the ladder with a 17-1 record the Saints trounced Longwarry in the 2nd semi final by 91 points, before proving too strong for Bunyip in a hard fought grand final. Nyora's 16.18 (114) to 15.13 (103) went some way towards erasing the memories of a 2005 season that would have to go down in the ledger as the quintessential 'one that got away'. After comfortably heading the ladder going into the finals the side duly made it through to the decisive match of the year, only to slump to a 21 point loss at the hands of Catani.
The Saints' third EDFL flag in 2007 could scarcely have been achieved in more convincing fashion as they overwhelmed Catani in the grand final by the amazing margin 138 points. Final scores were Nyora 39.21 (255) defeated Catani 18.9 (117).
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