Our club is dedicated to creating a fun and supportive environment where players of all ages can flourish. 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 the Under 15 age groups which c
atered for the boys in the area. The competition was strong and the demand for positions in the teams was high with very few sporting options available for boys. By the late 1950s, the Bentleigh Tigers were very strong in numbers and the excess of players in the area brought about 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 the last few years we have seen two former BJFC players Josh Worrell & Luke Nankervis drafted to the Adelaide Crows, and we look forward to watching their careers develop. When the Bentleigh Bulldogs and the Bentleigh Tigers merged in 1984, other Clubs in the area followed suit. 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 merging 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 which was the colours that were decided upon by the players. In 1998, the Bentleigh Junior Football Club changed its’ colours to the Melbourne strip as part of the alignment with the Bentleigh Senior Football Club. The Bentleigh Junior Football Club has fielded between one and fifteen teams from Under 8 to Under 17 throughout its’ history. In recent years, the number of teams has been on the increase with 15 teams being fielded in 2019. The number of players coming through the Auskick and the Under 8 and 9 age groups should see the Club continue to thrive in the upcoming years. The Bentleigh Junior Football Club is a member of the Southern Metro Junior Football League.
