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CYMS Football Association

Sport	Australian rules football
Founded	1910s
Ceased	1976; 48 years ago (1976)
Country	Australia

The CYMS Football Association (CYMSFA), also known as the CYMS Football League (CYMSFL), was an Australian rules football competition played in the state of Victoria. The competition was managed by the Catholic Young Men's Society of Victoria (CYMS).

History

The Victorian CYMS was founded in 1892, but it would not be until the 1910s that the CYMSFA was established. While the exact date of the competition's founding is unclear, it is known that the competition was active by 1912. Various CYMS-affiliated teams, including the Williamstown CYMS Football Club (founded in 1886), played in competitions prior to 1912.

The CYMSFA grew significantly throughout the 1930s, with a record 32 teams participating in the 1930 season. By 1933, a total of 468 CYMS members played for football clubs across the competition.

From its early years, the competition was split into two divisions, "A Grade" and "B Grade". "C Grade" was established in 1951, with all three divisions split into "North" and "South" sections throughout the 1950s.

Beginning in the 1960s, the CYMSFA's playing numbers began to decline. This continued when Williamstown CYMS moved to the Footscray District Football League (FDFL) at the end of 1964, although the club returned to the CYMSFA in 1969 after struggling to compete with FDFL clubs who were paying money to players.

In 1976, the CYMS Football Association officially disbanded. Williamstown CYMS life member Peter Buckley later recalled:

"The CYMS comp folded as a result of a fight which occurred between South Melbourne and Kensington at Debney's Paddock. The police were called and fired a gun, and basically read the Riot Act. Those two sides were suspended, and we (Williamstown CYMS) were elevated into the final four. We were knocked out in the first semi, but the competition itself soon folded as a result of turbulence and falling away in numbers. It was an old comp, but no longer had significant administration. We had to find another competition. At the time, I wanted us to join the Amateurs, but it was felt that the travel would be a disincentive to the players, so we joined the West Suburban League (WSFL)."

The competition's various clubs have since folded, merged or renamed, and as of 2024, Williamstown CYMS is the only club from the CYMSFA to still include "CYMS" in its name while competing in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA).

Clubs

Club	Colours	Nickname	Former league	Est.	Seasons	Premierships		Fate
						Total	Final
Murrumbeena					1941−1954
South Caulfield CYMS				1890s	1940s−1956			Merged with Camden in 1957 to form South Caulfield
St Kevin's Ormond					19??−19??			Moved to ESCFA, later merged with St Andrews Gardenvale in 1993 to form Caulfield
Thornbury CYMS		Bears		1930s	19??−19??			Moved to VAFA, later merged with Reservoir Rovers in 1988 to form Thornbury Rovers
West Preston		Roosters	−	1948	1948−1963			Moved to YCWFL, later merged with Reservoir-Lakeside to form West Preston Lakeside in 1998
Williamstown CYMS		CYs	−	1886	1912−1964	8	1973	Moved to WSFL in 1977 and VAFA in 1983
FDFL		1969−1976

References

1. "FOOTBALL". Advocate. 3 March 1921. p. 23. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
2. "1963 ORMOND LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP CYMS FOOTBALL ASSN". ebay.com.au. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
3. ^ "Australian Catholic perspectives: 1880-1929". The Campion Society. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
4. "Heatherton Football Club: The Involvement of Mentone CYMS". Kingston Local History. 1 July 2014. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
5. "C.Y.M.S. ASSOCIATION". Advocate. 6 April 1912. p. 35. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
6. "FOOTBALL". Advocate. 3 May 1913. p. 23. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
7. ^ "History of Williamstown CYMS" (PDF). Williamstown CYMS Football Club. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
8. "C.Y.M.S." Port Melbourne Standard. 23 September 1916. p. 3. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
9. "C.Y.M.S. Football Entries". The Sun News-Pictorial. 31 March 1931. p. 13. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
10. "CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN'S SOCIETY FOOTBALL COMPETITION". Advocate. 29 April 1920. p. 26. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
11. "C.Y.M.S. MEDAL". The Argus. 9 September 1936. p. 17. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
12. "CYMS Football League (Vic)". Footypedia. Archived from the original on 25 November 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
13. "A Celebration of Oakleigh Football" (PDF). Oakleigh Amateur Football Club. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
14. Dawson, Darren (11 May 2018). "Williamstown CYMS AFC: Into The Ammos!". The Footy Almanac. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
15. Chadwick, Vince (6 July 2013). "Club strives to be moral touchstone". The Age. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
16. "Williamstown CYMS Football Club". Victorian Amateur Football Association. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
17. "History". GameDay. Murrumbeena Football Netball Club. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
18. "Club History". GameDay. Caulfield Football Club. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
19. Leydon, David (26 August 2020). "Vale Bill Stephen – Legend of the Fitzroy FC". The Footy Almanac. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
20. "Thornbury Football Club / Thornbury CYMS Football Club (Vic)". Footypedia. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.

• Defunct Australian rules football competitions in Victoria (state)
• Sports leagues established in the 1910s
• 1910s establishments in Australia
• Sports leagues disestablished in 1976
• 1976 disestablishments in Australia
• Catholicism in Australia