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Bentleigh Junior Football Club is a member of the Southern Metro Junior Football League, located in the suburb of Bentleigh, in the city of Melbourne, Australia.

History

Junior football in the local area began in 1956 when the Bentleigh Tigers (King George VI Reserve) played the McKinnon Demons (Bailey Reserve) in the inaugural game. The Bentleigh McKinnon Youth Centre then organised a competition for the Under 11, Under 13, and Under 15 age groups, which catered for boys in the area. The competition was strong, and the demand for positions was high, especially considering the limited sporting options available to boys at the time. By the late 1950s, the Bentleigh Tigers were very strong in numbers, and the excess of players in the area led to the formation of the Bentleigh Bulldogs in the early 1960s. Players who went on to play VFL football from the Bentleigh Tigers included Greg Wells, Gary Hardeman, Trevor Barker, and Geoff Raines.

In 1984, the Bentleigh Bulldogs and the Bentleigh Tigers merged, and other clubs in the area followed suit. St. Catherines joined Rowans Rd to form Moorabbin United (now Highett), St. Pauls joined the Demons to form St. Pauls Demons, and Glen Orme joined Ormond Blues to form Ormond. The merger of the Bentleigh Bulldogs and the Bentleigh Tigers formed the Bentleigh Junior Football Club.

From 1985 until 1997, the Bentleigh Junior Football Club wore the North Melbourne strip, the colours decided upon by the players. In 1998, the club changed its colours to the Melbourne strip as part of its alignment with the Bentleigh Senior Football Club.

The Bentleigh Junior Football Club has fielded between one and nine teams, ranging from Under 8 to Under 17 throughout its history.

2021 & Beyond

A highlight in 2021 was the drafting of Luke Nankervis, who played over 100 games with the club before being drafted to the Adelaide Crows. Other players who were drafted recently after playing at Bentleigh include Josh Worrell (Adelaide Crows), Joel Amartey (Sydney Swans), and Luke Trainor (Richmond).

In recent years, premierships were secured, with 3 in 2022, 5 in 2023, and 2 in 2024.

==References==