The Club
South Melbourne and Districts – Our Colourful Club
We service the community of the City of Port Phillip and beyond and offer a wide range of sports throughout the year to suit all ages from kinder to seniors. Our aim is to encourage everyone in the local area to take an active role in sport and their community, by joining us either as players, coaches, volunteers, supporters – or even as spectators.
Founded in 1912, South Melbourne District Sports Club has always been closely associated with the AFL side Sydney Swans (formerly South Melbourne Swans). Many Districts' players went on to play for the Swans at Lakeside Oval, and in the late 1920s, South Districts donated 40 Guineas to South Melbourne FC to stop them from folding. Players at the time often had to survive on very low incomes and, again, the ‘Districts often provided assistance payments where they were needed.
In 2000 the senior football club made the decision to transfer to the Amateurs and have since won three premierships.
The club has had a long and proud association with football and while footy’s still a strong focus, we’re now fully committed to our cricket and athletics programs, which are both expanding rapidly. This has taken the club from its football foundations in 1912 to a fully rounded sorting club embracing all members of the local community.
SMDSC Today
Today, South Melbourne District Sports Club is the largest community based club in the Albert Park Reserve and is very proud of our colourful history, contribution to local sport and of the selfless input of our many volunteers, without which we could not provide the challenging and supportive environment for the area’s children and young men and women.
The Club also encourages and supports many older volunteers, whose work is much appreciated and for whom the Club is a wonderful source of social interaction and involvement.
There are approximately 440 active players and over 180 volunteer workers involved in the Club – from the budding stars of the future in our thriving Auskick program through to our Junior teams in the Moorabbin Saints Junior Football League (U9 -U15), and our Seniors, Reserves and Under 19’s in the VAFA competition.
Off football season, our younger players take to the cricket field for the Club, again catering for all levels from the successful Milo ‘Have-a-Go’ program, through Juniors (U12,14,16) and with many of our U19/Senior players playing in the VACA through our affiliation with Middle Park Cricket Club.
While the Club has a rich and proud history, it has never been one to sit on its laurels, and has constantly sought new and innovative ways to encourage players and supporters alike.
One example of this was the initiation by the Club of a liaison with the developing code of AFL in New Zealand. In 1999, South District sent an Under 16 team to participate in the national underage championships in Auckland, as well as to playing ‘exhibition’ games with local clubs throughout the country. The success of this tour, led to formation of, and return trip by, a national Kiwi Team, to compete in the Australian U18 Championships.