The Melton Football Netball Club, nicknamed The Bloods, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the Victorian town of Melton.[1]
The football team currently plays in the Ballarat Football League.
Melton Football Club was formed in 1879 when it was known as the Bloods, initially playing in the Bacchus Marsh District Football Association where the club was successful winning ten premierships between 1913 and 1972.
Ballan, Darley and Melton FC's were active in 1928, but did not have an association to play in when Bacchus Marsh and Rockbank joined the Werribee Football Association,[2] which resulted in the abandonment of the Bacchus Marsh Football Association in 1928.
Melton pulled out of the Bacchus Marsh District Football Association in March 1941, due to World War Two player enlistment into the Army.[3]
Melton moved into the Riddell District Football League in 1973 and upon entering the Riddell District Football League, Melton won the 1973 senior football premiership in its first year.
With the depth of football standard in the RDFL on the decline, together with considerable opposition from former second division clubs on the formation of one division, the club voted to make the move to the highly rated Ballarat Football League with Sunbury, Darley and Melton South clubs for the commencement of the 1997 playing season.
The club has won five BFL senior football premierships since 1997.[4]