St Bernards Old Collegians Football Club, located in Essendon West, is a proud and well-established AFL football club. With a strong emphasis on family, diversity, and professionalism, St Bernards provides a welcoming and inclusive environment for all players, ensuring that each individual reaches their full potential.
The club's vision is to create a destination club that values and respects its members, allowing them to play, participate, and celebrate together. St Bernards aims to provide as many children as possible with the opportunity to participate in Australian Rules Football, fostering their skills and coordination in a family-friendly atmosphere. The club promotes self-confidence while prioritising the safety, welfare, and well-being of all players at all times.
Established in 1961 as a small school with less than 300 students, St Bernards quickly became a formidable force in the football community. Today, the club boasts over 700 registered players from their Auskick programme to seniors, making it one of the largest football clubs in the State. Widely respected throughout the broader football community, St Bernards has achieved success in VAFA ranks.
In 1963, the club was co-founded by Peter Nathan and Jim Overman under the presidency of the late Kevin Tobin, with the coaching of the late Jack Kent. In its inaugural year, St Bernards became the first-ever club in VAFA history to win both senior and reserve premierships. The opening of a new campus in West Essendon in 1963 further solidified the club's growth and has since remained a source of support and recruitment.
Continuing its success, St Bernards secured consecutive senior flags in 1964, winning the D Grade grand final against Old Brighton Grammarians. In 1968, the club reached the leadingship decider in C Section after consecutive preliminary final defeats in 1966 and 1967. Although disappointed with the loss in the grand final against Footscray Technical College Old Boys, St Bernards' rise continued when they were promoted to B Grade for the 1969 season.
In addition to their senior success, the club entered a team into the Under 19 Division (2) competition in 1969 under the guidance of first-time coach Gus Mitchell. The Under 19s experienced immediate success, winning a hard-fought Grand Final against St Kilda CBC Old Boys by six points. Gus Mitchell's success with the Under 19s led to his appointment as the Senior coach in 1970, taking the team to the 1970 Grand Final and securing promotion into A Grade for the first time.
In 1971, St Bernards faced Old Scotch in their first game in A Grade. Dominating the match, St Bernards emerged victorious, becoming the only two teams in VAFA history to have reached A Grade and never dropped back below B Grade.
Throughout the seventies, St Bernards continued to achieve great success, contesting three A Grade grand finals. Although losing the first to Ormond, a VAFA powerhouse at the time, the club remains a major force in VAFA ranks and is highly regarded within the football community.
With a rich history and a commitment to fostering a strong community, St Bernards Old Collegians Football Club stands as a pillar of Australian Rules Football in Essendon West.