THERRY PENOLA OLD BOYS (Therry Corpus Christi Old Boys/Glenroy)
Current Affiliation: Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) since 1974
Home Ground: Oval 2, John Pascoe Fawkner Reserve, Oak Park
Formed: 1974 as Glenroy; changed name to Therry Corpus Christi Old Boys in 1978, and to Therry Penola Old Boys in 1997
Colours: Burgundy, navy blue and gold
Emblem: Lions
Senior VAFA Premierships: Section C - 2000 (1 total); D Section - 1984 (1 total)
Senior Competition Best and Fairest Awards: G.T. Moore Medal (B Section) - J.Reddick 1996 (1 total); LS Pepper Medal (D Section) - A.White 1983 (1 total); O.J. Meehan Medal (F Section) - B.Sullivan 1975; A.White 1981 (2 total)
Glenroy Amateur Football Club was formed in 1974, and commenced the same year in F Section of the VAFA. At the end of the 1977 season it aligned itself with Therry College, and adopted the name of Therry Corpus Christ Old Boys. Still in F Section, its progress under the new name was rapid and dramatic, fuelled by a reinforced sense of club identity, and a self-declared 'never say die' ethic.
Therry reached the F Grade finals for the first time in 1978, ultimately finishing 3rd. This was followed by 4th place in 1979, a temporary decline in 1980 when the finals were missed, and a first ever grand final appearance in 1981 against Banyule, another relatively new club which was on a similar upward spiral. Banyule achieved victory on this occasion, but both clubs gained promotion to E Section, where their continued fine form culminated in a second successive grand final encounter. This time it was Therry's turn to emerge triumphant, which it did with comparative comfort, winning 16.16 (112) to 14.10 (94).
The two clubs coincidental ascent came to a halt in 1983 as Banyule won the premiership of D Grade while Therry had to be satisfied with 3rd place. Ultimately it was Therry who enjoy the more prodigious rise, however, commencing in 1984 with a 19.19 (133) to 11.10 (76) D Section grand final trouncing of Thomastown. The following season brought a second consecutive grand final appearance, this time in C Grade against Fawkner, and although it was lost, the inevitable pain associated with defeat was tempered by an awareness that promotion to the vaunted heights of B Section had been achieved.
It took the Therry players a season to find their feet at the new level, but once they did it became clear that they were not going to be satisfied for long with B Grade football. In securing consecutive 3rd place finishes in 1987 and 1988 the side gained numerous admirers, but within the club there was only a sense of frustration over opportunities missed and potential unfulfilled. In 1989, under the determined coaching of Gary Connolly, Therry put things right in emphatic fashion by marching all the way to the B Section grand final against fellow Catholic College Old Boys, De La Salle. One step away from glory, however, Therry faltered, putting in arguably its worst display of the year to go down by the somewhat embarrassing margin of 79 points. Nevertheless, promotion to A Grade had been achieved, something that few followers of the amateur game would have believed possible when the club was scratching its way around the VAFA's nether sections less than two decades earlier.
Over the years, quite a few clubs have made accelerated passage through the VAFA's grades, but Therry's ascent ranks with the very best of them, and affords a shining example of what the VAFA system allows the most dedicated and hard working of its member clubs to achieve.
In 1994 Therry College ceased to exist in its own right, amalgamating with Sancta Sophia and Geoghegan Colleges to form Penola Catholic College. Two years later, in acknowledgement of this development, Therry Corpus Christi College Old Boys altered its name to Therry Penola Old Boys. At the same time, strong links were established with the new college, meaning that the change of name was much more than merely cosmetic.
Since 1996 the club has added one senior premiership to its tally, that of C Grade in 2000, which was won by virtue of a 12.13 (85) to 9.10 (64) grand final defeat of Beaumaris. Fortunes have declined slightly since then, however, and in 2007 Therry, coached by Garry Datson, finished bottom of D1 Section after managing just 1 win all year.
Where now?
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