Formed in 1963 by a group of British ex-pats The Eastern Lions have a long proud history on the Victorian football landscape.
Formerly known as Waverley City the club has gone through a number of changes over the years. In 1997 a merger took place with Old Scotch FC and Old Scotch Waverley was born before the decision was made to take the club in an exciting new direction under The Eastern Lions brand in 2003.
Despite these changes success on the field has never been far away. In 1964 just a year after first kicking a ball in anger Waverley City FC were crowned, Metropolitan, Fourth Division Champions. By 1968 they had finished their ascent through the league tables and were now competing against the best that the state had to offer.
These early years were a whirlwind of success for the club, but it was the positive atmosphere created in the dressing room that became the club’s mantra and the backbone on which a successful future would be built. “If there’s any romance in arriving in Australia as immigrants, it was those first five or six weeks at the club,” said Eastern Lions veteran, John Milway.
There was short barren spell in the trophy room before a State One title in 1975, a Winfield Cup in 1977, Harry Armstrong Cup in 1987. Then came our blistering decade: 2010-20 has arguably been our most successful in footballing terms. Three championship seasons have brought us to the pinnacle of Victoria’s, and Australia, football pyramid: The National Premier League One (NPL1). Under the guidance of longstanding senior coach, Jimmy Williams, the Senior squad arrived at the summit in 2020.
Behind the long-term success of the senior squad is an ever-present ethos. From those earliest days when the likes of Brian Trevenna and John John Wren got together to play the beautiful game, Eastern Lions have prided themselves on bringing people together. This ideal still unites the club from the board members to the coaches, players, juniors, fans and parents. It is this idea of unity and mateship that is the envy of many clubs in the area and one that will carry this club on to an exciting future.