OLD MENTONIANS
Current Affiliation: Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) since 1968
Home Ground: Mentone Grammar Playing Fields, Keysborough
Formed: 1968
Colours: Royal and sky blue, black and gold
Logo: Panthers
Senior VAFA Premierships: C Section - 1990 (1 total)
Senior Competition Best and Fairest Awards: L.S. Pepper Medal (D/D1 Section) - Garry Norton 1987; Gareth Snow 2007 (2 total); J. Fullerton Medal (E Section) - Garry Norton 1979-80 (1 Medallist/2 Medals); O.J. Meehan Medal (F Section) - Robin Wood 1972 (1 total)
Formed in 1968, Old Mentonians Amateur Football Club was admitted to the VAFA's E Grade the same year. The club owed its existence to, and in a sense derived from, the Mentone Grammar School, which had been established in the 1920s.
The new club took a few years to find its feet, even having to endure a temporary demotion to F Section, which the VAFA reintroduced after a six season hiatus in 1971. It took Old Mentonians four years to contrive an escape, and when they did so it was via the somewhat less than perfect means of a grand final loss to West Brunswick. Thankfully, however, the escape proved to be permanent, and indeed for the ensuing couple of decades the side experienced few major relegation concerns, although its upward progress could scarcely be described as spectacular. Promotion to D Grade was eventually achieved in 1984, once again by means of a losing grand final, and Old Mentonians then endured four unsuccessful finals campaigns in a row before clambering into C Section on Thomastown's coat tails in 1989.
The Old Mentonians side which fronted up in C Grade in 1990 was arguably the finest in the club's history to date. Coached by Bert Calvert, and captained for the thirteenth straight season by club, and indeed VAFA, legend Garry Norton, the team boasted fine players on every line, including defenders Stuart Farrow, Nick Macquire and Mark Barrett, forwards Adam Acreman and Drew Solley, and on-ballers Andy Newman and John Sly. It duly became the first, and so far only, senior premiership side in the club's history, accounting for University Blacks in the grand final by 16 points.
Three years later Old Mentonians qualified for the B Grade finals for the only time to date, ultimately finishing 4th.
In 2006, the senior team endured a somewhat inconsistent season, winning 7 and drawing 1 of its 18 matches to run 6th in Section D1. Newly appointed coach Ben McGee arrived at the club having steered St John's to a flag in E Section in 2005, and been on the coaching staff at A Section premiers Old Haileyburians in 2006. His first season at the helm was promising as the side ultimately finished 3rd after qualifying for the finals in 2nd place with a 13-5 record..
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