The Rochester Football Netball Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football and netball club, formed at a meeting held on 8 June 1874 at Tidy's Restdown Hotel. The club was formed with the purpose of soon "playing and beating Echuca". An intense rivalry that has endured ever since regardless of which competition each was playing in. Rochester FNC is based in the town of Rochester, Victoria. Its teams currently play in the Goulburn Valley League, where Rochester played for the first time in 1913.
Rochester entered the Goulburn Valley FL for the 1913 season; they were eventually runner-up to Shepparton. The following year, they defeated Shepparton in the Grand Final. With the outbreak of World War I, the Goulburn Valley FL did not reform in 1915, so Rochester entered the Bendigo FL.
Bendigo FL to Goulburn Valley FL
By 1971, Rochester was being woo-ed by the Goulburn Valley FL, as it was keen to expand, but the Bendigo league refused a clearance. In 1971, Rochester made the 1stsemi final played against Echuca at the Queen Elizabeth Oval in the Heart of Bendigo but Rochester wanted the game at their home ground, but the BFL board disagreed, the game went ahead at the QEO and Rochester lost the game to Echuca. The club went into recess for the 1972 season. It commenced with the GVFL in 1973, changing from its red and black colours to black and yellow.
1990s
The 1990s was a successful period, culminating in six senior grand final berths. Both seniors and reserves made the grand final in 1990, but both teams lost. The seniors made the grand final in 1992, defeating Tatura by two points in wet conditions. They made the grand final again in 1993, but was defeated by Shepparton in controversial circumstances by a kick after the siren. Rochester participated in a night series Centenary celebration of the GVFL. Rochester won the preliminary games and then defeated Tatura in the final. Anthony McPhee kicked a goal from 40m near the siren to put Rochester 5 points ahead. In 2008 they beat Seymour for the premiership cup denying Seymour the chance of winning 4 cups in a row.
