For 105 years, between the years 1908 and 2013, the small town of Tatong had a football team.
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In 1984, a reserves side was introduced, and finally in 1993, the club formed its inaugural netball squad.
One-hundred-and-five years strong and now nothing.
On Saturday, May 11, the Benalla Saints will host a reunion to celebrate the history of Tatong Football Netball Club during their round six home clash against Shepparton.
Former Tatong club president Barry Lewis said it was a great chance to get together and catch up with old friends.
‘‘We find as we are getting older, we only have reunions when we go to funerals,’’ Lewis said.
‘‘There are a few guys at the Benalla Saints who were connected to Tatong and they were keen to follow that up and work with us to put on a reunion.’’
For Lewis, his links to Tatong are generational.
‘‘A lot of people have been around the club a long time. It’s been a huge part of my life and my family’s life for well over 50 years,’’ he said.
‘‘My grandfather was president of the club, my father and brother both played. All our kids played.
‘‘And actually Joan, my wife, her grandfather was captain-coach of the 1908 premiership.
‘‘I was president when Anthony Putt coached in ’94, ’95, ’96. And in those three years, there were 13 premierships up for grabs and we won 11 of them.
‘‘It was a successful period in that time.’’
In its long history Tatong ultimately won 15 flags.
Lewis said the club was the most successful team in the Benalla District Football League before the league folded in 2009.
‘‘By success I mean success in terms of premierships. Now I think success is just to survive,’’ he said.
The club won an additional eight reserves premierships and a spate of netball premierships.
Notably in 1996, the seniors, reserves and A-grade netball all won flags, while B-grade netball came incredibly close too, losing in the final.
Reflecting on the club’s forced recess, Lewis said football had become more than just a game to him.
‘‘It’s about community and keeping those communities together,’’ he said.
‘‘I’ve really seen the change in Tatong, because we lost our school and now we’ve lost our football and netball club and it’s a different place.
‘‘The powers to be just don’t seem to want to promote country footy, especially at our grade.
‘‘You know, they talk about grassroots footy and we believe we were the seed. And they haven’t looked after the seed and it has declined.
‘‘In the ’90s we were trying to attract teams back into our league, teams that were struggling in higher leagues. We were down to a six-team comp.’’
But unable to get other clubs on board, Lewis said the league was doomed from then-on-out.
When the Benalla District league finally disbanded in 2009, Tatong applied to join the Ovens and King league along with Swanpool, Goorambat and Bonnie Doon.
However, the club lasted only three more years, when the league gave Tatong and Swanpool an ultimatum.
Following a less-than-successful period of their playing history Tatong was to merge with Goorambat — a no-go deal that would have given the Bats five home games to Tatong’s two.
Ultimately the club has been forced into recess since 2013.
Ahead of the reunion, Lewis encouraged all to attend if they were interested, saying this type of event may not happen often.
A ticket will get you into the game, where the Benalla Saints will play under Tatong’s traditional colours, as well as the night time activities (including a two-course meal).
There will be interviews with a select number of former coaches and players who had a huge impact on the club through the decades.
To secure a ticket, contact Geoff Hill, Barry Lewis, Jack Harrison, Dennis Scott, Anthony Putt, Dennis Hevey, Kellie McGill, Jessica Ritchie, Jade Kirk, The Early Bird Coffee Van (Caryn De Fazio), The Pink Shop or Aldous & Hill Accountants.
Sports journalist