ST BEDE'S-MENTONE TIGERS
Current Affiliation: Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) since 1993; prior to that, St Bede's Old Collegians had been affiliated with the VAFA since 1972
Home Ground: Mentone Reserve
Formed: 1993, following a merger between St Bede's Old Collegians and Southern Football League club Mentone
Colours: Navy blue, red, gold and royal blue
Emblem: Tigers
Senior VAFA Premierships: A Section - 2008 (1 total); B Section - 2007 (1 total); C Section - 2006 (1 total); D Section - 1993 (1 total) [St Bede's Old Collegians won the 1977 F Section premiership.]
Senior Competition Best and Fairest Awards: L.S. Zachariah Medal (C Section) - A.Thompson 1995; A.Macgeorge 1997 (2 total) [St Bede's Old Collegians: L.S. Pepper Medal (D Section) - T.Beasley 1990-1 (1 Medallist/2 Medals)]
| MINI-BIOGRAPHIES: | Barry Breen |
St Bede's-Mentone Tigers came into existence in 1993 via what was technically a three way merger involving VAFA club St Bede's Old Collegians, Mentone from the Southern Football League, and Mentone Junior Football Club, which fielded teams in the Moorabbin Saints Junior Football League. The newly created senior club competed in the VAFA, taking up St Bede's OC's place in D Section. It was immediately successful, beating Old Geelong by 2 points, 9.13 (67) to 10.5 (65) in the 1993 grand final.
Prior to the merger, St Bede's OC had competed in the YCW Football League between 1963 and 1971, winning senior premierships in 1968 and 1970, and in the VAFA from 1972. The club contested senior grand finals in F Grade in 1973 (lost to Fawkner by 49 points) and 1977 (defeated Bulleen United by 2 points).
Mentone Football Club had a much longer history. Originally established in 1904, the club was a founder member in 1909 of the Federal Football Association (later known as the Federal Football League) where it enjoyed sporadic success, winning a total of six senior flags in just under seventy years. From the early 1980s participated in the South-East Suburban Football League, which in 1992 was renamed the Southern Football League.
Following the merger, St Bede's-Mentone Tigers made slow but steady progress through the grades until reaching B Section after a 2002 C Grade grand final loss to Whitefriars Old Collegians. In 2004, the side reached the B Grade finals, ultimately finishing 4th, but the next year brought relegation back to C Section.
The 2006 season saw the seniors topping the ladder without losing a match, only to go under in a thriller against A.J.A.X. in the 2nd semi final. The side recovered to beat Parkdale in the following week's preliminary final, and then, after one of the most sensational VAFA grand finals on record, emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins, 21.12 (138) to A.J.A.X. 21.11 (137). The victors were coached by former Melbourne, Footscray and St Kilda player Luke Beveridge and skippered by Luke Wintle. Capping a season that will live long in the memories of everyone associated with the club, there were also premierships for the reserves, under nineteens, and three of the club's half a dozen junior teams.
Twelve months later, the Tigers enjoyed another superb season, topping the B Section ladder with a 16-2 record before claiming their second straight premiership thanks to a resounding 29.18 (192) to 17.7 (109) 2nd semi final win over Old Essendon followed by a hard fought 13 point grand final defeat of University Blacks. The reserves also did well to reach the grand final, only to lose to St Kevin's Old Boys.
In 2008 the St Bede's Mentone players achieved the dream of every Victorian amateur football when they steered the club to the VAFA's ultimate prize, the premiership of A Section, downing Collegians in the grand final by 5 goals, 10.17 (77) to 5.17 (47).
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