Eastern Eyre Peninsula FA

The Eastern Eyre Peninsula Football Association was formed in 1925 with the original teams being Tumby Bay, Lipson, Butler, Carrow, Yallunda Flat, Moody Ramblers and White’s River Combine. White’s River were based at Point Bolingbroke and were made up of workers who were building the Tod Reservoir. Matches had been played since 1920 in a semi organised association but records are scarce. Tumby Bay have claimed premierships from that period for 1920, 1922 and 1923. White’s River Combine may have also won a premiership during that time as well.

In 1928, the ‘Port Lincoln Times’ ran a competition in Eastern Eyre Peninsula to find the association’s most popular player. Fred Kschenka of Tumby Bay was voted the most popular, claiming almost two thirds of the 825 votes. M J Drake and H L Davie both of Tumby Bay were second and third respectively. Up until 1936 all finals matches were played at Lipson, it was then decided to make all finals venues neutral.

Eastern Eyre Peninsula won the 1939 Mortlock Shield defeating Whyalla by 78 points in their first match and Port Lincoln No. 1 by one point in their second. They were superbly led by Lipson player Howard Brougham, Fred Errey of Port Neill was chosen as best and fairest for the carnival. Errey was a former South Adelaide player and the father of Port Adelaide and state half back Dennis Errey.

In 1939 the competition was so productive that an unofficial B grade association was formed with Port Neill, Tumby Bay and Ungarra playing curtain raiser matches.

Once Tumby Bay moved to Port Lincoln in 1961 the remaining four teams began working on contingency plans to ensure their playing futures. Port Neill moved to the Cleve Cowell association in 1962. Lipson, Ungarra and Butler formed the Eyre United Football Club and moved to Port Lincoln.