Mid South Eastern

The Mid South East Football association was formed in 1936 with the foundation members being Kalangadoo, Tantanoola, Glencoe and two Millicent based teams – Centrals and Rovers.

The 1937 grand final was played between Rovers and Centrals who had quickly built up a competitive rivalry. The game was decided when Centrals forward, Doug Mathews kicked a behind as the bell was rung. It was said that the Centrals players were fed large spoonful’s of honey before the game and during half time in the match to aid in their stamina. A Victorian team had used the strategy a few weeks prior and the Centrals players declared they had more energy later in the game than their previous matches.

Football was in a dire predicament in Mount Gambier in 1938 when the three city clubs, South, West and East Gambier joined Mid South East. The SANFL were very keen for the Mount Gambier teams to enter Mid South Eastern as they saw that any alternative could possibly see the Mount Gambier clubs joining Victorian associations.

Football continued through to 1941 but was abandoned early in the season due to rising enlistments. The grand final was played in July with South Gambier winning the premiership from Glencoe. Glencoe protested that South Gambier had played an ineligible player and the result was overturned. South Gambier appealed that decision but a tribunal could not be called as several of the interested parties had either enlisted or were in training camps around Australia. It was therefore decided to abandon the original result of the grand final and declare it a no match.

1961 was not a season for the faint hearted supporter, no fewer than five draws were played out during the season. Reigning premiers Mount Burr played in four of the draws and as a result missed making the finals. Bottom side Kongorong played in two, Tarpeena two, with Glencoe and Kalangadoo playing in one each.

February 16th 1983 saw the Ash Wednesday bushfires ravage the South East with the loss of nine lives. One of the victims was Kalangadoo B grade player Gavin Rogers who had played in a premiership the year before. Gavin was awarded a posthumous Humane Society bravery award when he sacrificed his life in a heroic attempt to save his neighbour’s wife and four children who also perished.

1200 people escaped the fires that engulfed the township of Tarpeena by assembling on the local oval. They quite possibly owed their lives to Peter Mansell and Brian Reed who had regularly watered the oval and kept it green throughout the summer. The fire burned right up to the fence but the greenness of the oval kept it from burning.