History

SUMMARY

Nickname: The Wineflies
Colours: Black & White
A Grade Premierships: 1969, 1975, 1977, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2022, 2024 (8 total)
Women Premierships: 2023
SFL Best & Fairest: SFL B&F
AFL Players: AFL Listed Wineflies
Honour Board: RFC Honour Board
Club Song: Club Song

 

The Reynella Football Club was formally established on 18 April 1896 at a meeting at the Crown Hotel making it one of the oldest Football Clubs in Australia. The first playing ground was secured behind the Crown Hotel ‘within an hour and a half’s drive from the city‘.

 

Reynella Football Club – 1905 (behind the Crown Hotel)

In these early days there was no organised competition with players travelling long distances to battle with other clubs – just for fun. In 1909, Reynella Football Club temporarily joined a competition run by the Marion/Sturt Football Clubs before joining the Mid Southern Competition in 1913 to play against other teams ‘down the hill’. In 1913, the club also relocated it’s oval from behind the Crown Hotel to it’s current position on Oval Road.

The club played in the Mid Southern Competition until 1927 other than one year in 1919 when they briefly played in the Southern Football Association, an earlier incarnation of the current Southern Football League.

In 1928, Reynella Football Club combined with current day arch rivals Morphett Vale and joined the Southern Football Association. They reformed again in their own right in 1930 and became ‘Black and Red’ as most players already had their jumpers from their days playing with Morphett Vale. Reynella rejoined the Glenelg-South Adelaide Football Association until 1947 when they finally returned to the Southern Football Leauge for the last time.

The Reynella Football Club has been a stalwart member of the SFA/L for the last six decades. The club has also been evocatively known as The Wineflies since the early 1940’s, largely due to the presence of vineyards in the area at the time.

Upon entering the SFL in 1947, the club again changed their colours – this time to Brown & Gold to avoid clashing with Morphett Vale. They played in these colours until 1968 when they changed to Black & White and have remained these colours ever since.

Having contested two losing grand finals in the 1950s the Wineflies finally broke through for a premiership in 1969, beating Christies Beach in the grand final by 16 points, 11.3 (69) to 7.11 (53).  The victory might, and perhaps ought to, have been a springboard to even greater things as the side went on to contest seven of the next eight grand finals.  However, only twice, in 1975 and 1977, was the premiership attained. In 1975 they defeated McLaren Flat by 20 points 14.15 (99) to 11.13 (79) and in 1977 they defeated Port Noarlunga by 15 points 15.9 (99) to 12.12 (84).

After another losing grand final to Port Noarlunga in 1985, the late 1980’s and early 1990’s were lean times for the club. Finishing outside of the finals in many of these years, it wasn’t until 1998 that they made another Grand Final but unfortunately lost to Happy Valley by 1 point. Over the next few years despite the club’s growing strength, The Wineflies players and supporters continued to taste heartache by losing another 4 grand finals in the first decade of the 21st century. Despite this lack of success at the most senior level, the club has seen 14 premierships at Reserves Level over its existence.

In 2010, the premiership drought was finally broken after an eternal 33 years. An emphatic victory over Brighton by 30 points 13.11 (89) to 9.5 (59) finally saw reward for years of effort from players and supporters alike. Many of the clubs long term stawarts were moved to tears after so many years between drinks.

In 2013, the return of much loved Winefly product Michael Doughty helped steer the club to a premiership defeating Morphettville Park (12.11 83 v 8.10 58).

The 2015 season produced the most successful season by the club resulting in 4 premierships – A: 18.7 115 def Brighton 8.8 56, B: 10.5 65 def Brighton 5.5 35, U16 undefeated Sat, and U16 Sun teams. The results were due to much hard work by our players, coaching staff and support staff and the club was recognised as the most successful club down South. 

In 2018, the Reynella Football Club formed our first A-Grade Women’s team that played in the SFL competition coached by Brayden Talbot. To date the A-Grade Women’s team have played in 3 Grand Final games and have encouraged young girls to join the club. We now have a strong talented all girls junior squad filling in for our U13, U14 & U17 all girls team.

In 2022, we had 11 teams play in a premiership season. 4 senior teams and 7 junior teams. We had 6 teams finishing as 2022 Minor premiers finishing on top of the ladder, A-Grade Men’s, A-Grade Women’s, B-Grade Men’s, U15 SFL Boys, U14 SFL Girls & U14 SANFL Boys and 10 teams played in the final series. 6 teams play in a Grand Final game and our U14 Girls, U14 Boys SANFL and A-Grade Men’s won the Flag and became 2022 Premiers. 

In 2023,  Reynella Football club won its first ever Women’s Premiership. We had 6 teams play in the grand finals, winning 5 – U13 Boys, U14 Girls, U15 Boys (lost), U15 Sunday, C Grade and Women’s. While our A and B made it to the preliminary final. 

Season 2024 saw the club claim three premierships A Grade Men, U17.5 Boys and U14 girls. The club hopes the success of our juniors will lead to sustained success in seniors football. 

Leading into the 2025 season the club has invested in upgrading the oval with new led lights and digital scoreboard. 

The club hopes in future years our successful juniors will translate into senior success. While this recent taste of success is sweet, it has led many to the realisation that there is much, much more to come for this great club.