Scotch Old Collegians Football Club was formed in 1929. There have been around 225 different clubs that have participated in the South Australian Amateur Football League since its inception in 1911. Only Adelaide University (1911), Kenilworth (1914), Prince Alfred Old Collegians (1926) and St Peters Old Collegians (1928) have been in the S.A.A.F.L. longer than Scotch O.C.F.C.

Scotch OC was barely a social football club from 1929-1957, only fielding one team and only once, in 1948 playing in a (losing) Grand Final.

In 1958 a group of old scholars led by Bob Cottle, Bob Hall, Gay Mayfield and Bob Sharman all became seriously involved and the first of the club’s fifeteen premierships took place the very next year in Grade A4.

In 1961, the club fielded a B grade side for the first time. In the 60’s Scotch O.C.F.C. fluctuated between A2 and A3 with the best results being third in 1965 (A’s) and third in 1967 (B’s).

The B’s won successive Premierships in Grade A3 Reserve in 1970 and 1971. The B Grade’s next Premiership would come in 1986.

The A’s were promoted to A2 after losing the Grand Final to Prince Alfred OC in 1972 and have played in A1 or A2 ever since with the exception of 1995 and 1997 (both A3). No other old scholar football club comes close to this high ranking record over the last 35 years.

It took the A’s 30 years to win it’s second premiership in 1989, and in 1997 it finally evened up with Prince Alfred OC by beating them in the Grand Final, 25 years after the 1972 loss.

The B’s also won the 1997 Grand Final to make it a truly memorable day for the club.

The club fielded a third side for the first time in 1978. The C grade won two premierships in their first six years (1980 and 1983) but had to wait a further 19 years to win their next one (2002). This became the first of a unique hat trick with the C’s also finishing Premiers in 2003 and 2004 and then made it four out of five in 2006.

Scotch OCFC fielded a fourth side for five years only and yet in those five years, 1989 to 1993, we won successive premierships in 1991 and 1992.

The club has played a total of eight years in A1 since its first time in 1980. In 1991 the A’s were fourth going into the last round but lost to finish fifth, our best year in A1 (final five not introduced into SAAFL until 2000). With the SAAFL not being “amateur” since 1997 the chances of an old scholar club surviving in Division 1 has now become increasingly remote. In fact Scotch OCFC is the only old scholar club that has managed not to venture down to A3 or below since 1998.

Michael Weatherald (5 years) has been the club’s longest serving A Grade Coach and Nick Hodgson (6 years) the longest B grade coach. Michael Richter coached the C grade for eleven years after previously coaching the B grade for 5 years and the A grade one year for a remarkable total of 17 years of coaching at Scotch OCFC before retiring at the end of 2006 having coached one B grade and four C grade premiership teams.

Rob Coulls won the A Grade Best & Fairest five times and Todd Dunow and Adam Catford four times each. Don McArthur (1929-1933) and Ian Steel (1993-1997) are the longest serving A Grade captains.

The club has produced 22 SAAFL Medallists. Only two clubs Adelaide University (51) and Broadview (23) have won more SAAFL medals than Scotch OC. Ian Harrison is the club’s only A1 medalist. Dual winners are Angus Irwin (3), Ash Manna, Scott Measday and Ian Harrison (2).

The club’s goalkicking records are dominated by Shane Langley who topped the A grade goalkicking for an amazing ten successive years (1977-1986) including 117 in 1979. The club’s other two A grade century goal kickers have been Max Roberts (101 in 1948) and Clay Chaplin (116 in 1995). Clay also kicked 118 goals in the C’s 2002 premiership year, including a club match record of 20 against Unley.

Twenty five players have played over 200 games for Scotch OCFC, five of whom have played over 300. Mike Vadasz (351), Peter Brown (321), Matt Caudle (321), Gerry Allen (318) and Cameron Meek (306) are the club’s triple century players. There should have been a fifth player but Chris Codling’s total of 246 would have been over 300 if it wasn’t for the approximately 60 games he missed through being suspended 18 times!

Scotch OC is one of only 15 clubs in the 97 year history of the SAAFL to have kicked over 50 goals in a match. In 1992 the club’s C grade kicked 51-27 (333) and kept Sacred Heart OC scoreless.

Twenty five Scotch OCFC players have represented S.A. in SAAFL interstate matches. Easily the club’s most decorated player has been Ross Haslam. Ross played 11 state games (the all time SAAFL record is 16), was All-Australian three times (only one player in history has four), was Captain of SA in 1979 and 1980, Vice Captain of the All Australian side in 1979 and runner up in the Australian Amateur Carnival Medal in the same year.

Our only other All Australians are Ian Harrison (also one with Flinders University) and Peter Johnston.