ECHUCA East Football Club may not be an official team anymore but its rich history will always stay strong.
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That’s helped by memorabilia displayed at the Taras Hotel in Echuca.
Draped on the wall is a collection of different items, including team photos, uniforms and honour boards.
If you ever visit the premises at the right time, it’s very likely you’ll run into some of the famous faces who once played for the club.
Echuca East was formed in 1890 and was eventually disbanded in 1994 when it merged with arch-rivals Echuca South to become known as Echuca United.
In 2019, United celebrated its 25th anniversary since the merger.
But Echuca East's history goes a lot further back than that. The club’s inception came following a meeting on Friday, May 2, 1890.
However, it wasn’t smooth sailing as the club looked to establish itself.
“All of those interested in the formation of the Echuca East Football Club, please attend the meeting at Swanell’s Hotel tonight at 8 o’clock,” an advertisement in the Riverine Herald said on the day.
Just a day later, the Riv published an article to say a new team had been formed.
“At a meeting held last night at Swanell’s hotel for the formation of the Echuca East Football Club, a large number of prominent footballers put in an appearance it was decided to establish the above-named club,” the story read.
Mr. M. O’Bryan would be named as the club’s inaugural present with several other people helping to fill out the committee.
Originally it was decided the club would don the colours of black and white.
But after some debate within the community the club would eventually settle on green and white.
One reader was clearly not happy with the decision when they wrote to the Riv.
“Sir, I heard that it was the intention of the Echuca East Football Club to change its colours, notwithstanding the confirmation of the black and white at their first meeting,” the letter said.
“This I think is a wrong, for many joined the club thinking that the colours decided upon were to be adopted, and on this account have thrown in their lot to work under those colours and those only.
“The only reason that can be assigned for rejecting the black and white is that they are the colours of the Echuca East Rowing Club, and that many of the Echuca East football players are Echuca men.
“Ridiculous nonsense to reject the colours on such trumpery reasons.”
Soon after, Echuca East would find themselves out on the field for one of their first games in June 1890.
After communication with Rochester, it was decided East would travel by train to face their opponents.
The team selected, as printed in the Riverine Herald read: Dickson (captain), Bevis, Sutton, Edrwards, Russell, Hansen, Rofe, Wilkinson, Grimwood, Wallis, E.Reilly, Turner, Henderson, Teschner, Moran, O’Rourke, McPherson, Miller, Peterson, Manger, Hicks, Blackburn, D. Reilly, Weir, Dawson, McCarty and H.King.
In its first season, Echuca East found itself playing in an official competition – the Aitken trophy – which included Echuca who eventually won the 1890 trophy.
East went down in the final game of the season against their cross-town rivals at Park Oval by 18 points.
The Riv attended the match on Wednesday, July 30 and provided a depiction of what can only be described as horrendous conditions.
“The East team singularly, have had bad weather accompanying them in all their matches and what was thought would be a fine day, judging from the previous day (Tuesday) was just reversed – showers of rain falling without cessation,” the report said
“The oval was consequently nothing but a swamp, in some places the water being several inches deep.
“The game was a splendid one, despite the state of the ground, the East club showing considerable improvement since their last appearance.”
The two clubs would play their final game of the season in September against one another.
Echuca would again prevail this time, winning the Hewitt trophy.
And the news travelled far and wide with the stories published in the Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser.
Stephen Morgan's memories
STEPHEN Morgan can remember growing up at the Echuca East Football Club like it was yesterday.
If he wanted to reminisce on some of his great memories, all he would need to do is walk into the Taras Hotel.
There he would find team photos from when he and his thirds teammates won back-to-back premierships in 1982-83.
Morgan – like so many of his teammates – would then go onto play senior football for the club they desperately loved.
“A lot of those guys went on to do some wonderful things in their careers,” he said.
“We were very fortunate to win two premierships in a row at junior level because they become a lot harder to win the older you get.
“I still speak to a lot of my teammates today and we will have the odd chat about the good old days.
“You treasure the friendships you make at football clubs for a long time.”
Morgan also remembers just how strong the family feel used to be at the club.
“Everything we did was family oriented,” he said.
“I think that was one of the strongest factors in having people keep coming back to the club.
“There was a lot of club stalwarts and you always knew you could go to them if you wanted to learn something about Echuca East’s history.”
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