Long before the reigning AFL premiers, the Brisbane Lions, and their predecessors made their mark with three premierships in a row, Tatong had already done it — not just once, not twice, but three times.
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While Brisbane's achievement has captured the attention of the football world, Tatong has its own proud three-in-a-row history, achieved on three separate occasions across the club's history, including one remarkable run by the reserves.
1960, 1961 and 1962 were three years of gruelling success for Tatong. What makes those consecutive premierships even more special to remember today is the three teammates who shared those victories and, more than 60 years later, would reunite at the very home ground where they once played.
The 2026 Tatong Football Netball Club Reunion had been in the making for months. Scheduled for the AFL grand final long weekend, it was game day on Friday at the Tatong Recreation Reserve.
From the moment you entered through the top gate, the scene was set for reflection and nostalgia.
For many, it was once a familiar Saturday morning ritual, coming through the gates, purchasing the weekly On the Ball, making your way towards the oval and looking out across the green playing field, before heading towards the netball court.
For some, it was a walk taken well over a hundred times, through years of football and netball seasons.
This time, though, it was a little different.
It was a walk back through history.
Over afternoon tea in the clubhouse, with home-made triangle sandwiches, slices and plenty of conversation, memories of past days began to come alive.
And there they were: Merv Smith, 89, John Mitchell, 88, and Geoff Green, 92.
Three teammates who had all played in those three consecutive premierships.
The trio sat together on the old steel-frame bench, a fitting place to reflect before gathering for the 1960s team photograph. The bench itself seemed to belong to another era, its weathered and rusty frame carrying a little piece of the 1960s with it.
They had once pulled on the black and white striped, collared woollen jumpers, battled it out on the same oval and celebrated premiership victories together.
Now, more than six decades later, they were sitting side by side once again.
The 1960s team photograph was followed by photographs from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and into the 2000s, each bringing another generation of players together, both football and netball.
The black and white jumper eventually made way for teal, but the faces, friendships and stories continued.
And it wasn’t just the players who brought those memories flooding back. There were the ladies who once sat on the Ladies Committee, rostered for canteen duty, washed jumpers, prepared afternoon teas and supported the club in countless ways, watching on from the verandah of the clubrooms as the games unfolded on the oval and netball court.
For many of those women and families, Saturday was more than just game day. It was a day of volunteering, catching up, cheering from the sidelines and being part of the club, a tradition passed on over time.
There were also the members who once sat on the General Committee, attended league meetings on the club’s behalf, marked the lines on the oval, were a welcome and familiar smile at the gate, and took on the many jobs behind the scenes that simply had to be done to keep the club going.
Older now — perhaps a little fairer with less hair here and there, and a few more rounded than in their playing days — but still recognisable faces.
And the humour?
That hadn't changed.
Neither had the banter between teammates.
As each photograph was taken, old faces became living memories again, and stories from years gone by were shared as though the final siren had only sounded yesterday.
The reserves side also enjoyed its own successful era, recording three premierships in a row in the mid-1980s. There were seasons that came agonisingly close as well, leaving plenty of room for those familiar football conversations about what might have been.
Then came another golden era for the club.
1994, 1995 and 1996 saw Tatong's senior side claim three consecutive premierships, another remarkable three-in-a-row achievement for the club.
With netball having been introduced to the league in 1993, the club was entering another important chapter. The women were achieving success on the court with premierships of their own, while football, netball, families and the wider Tatong community were becoming even more intertwined.
Anthony Putt would lead the senior side through those three premiership victories, and in his address to the reunion crowd, he took everyone back through the club’s history, back to its beginnings in 1908, and through the generations of families, players, supporters and volunteers who had helped shape Tatong Football Netball Club.
While it has now been 30 years since the senior side’s last premiership in 1996, there have been plenty of close contests and near misses over the years.
But through the highs and lows, the pride in the club has remained.
So too has the sense of family, gathering around the famous fire, sharing stories, having a laugh and continuing the traditions that have been passed down through generations.
With more than 100 years of history behind the club, it was fitting that the club’s centenary year in 2008 would bring another special grand final victory.
This time, it was the reserves who would add another premiership chapter to the club's history in such a significant year, 100 years after Tatong won its first premiership in its inaugural year, led by captain/coach Tom McCauley in 1908.
And then there was the reunion.
Success on the field was measured by the number of premiership flags hung around the oval fence, 30 football and netball premierships over the years.
But the success of the club was also measured by the attendance.
More than 170 past players, supporters, families and children came together for the day.
Kids kicked the footy on the oval. Old teammates caught up. Stories were shared. Memories were brought back to life.
For a few hours, the years between premierships, seasons and generations seemed to disappear.
As the afternoon moved into evening, everyone gathered in the clubrooms for dinner and the traditional club raffle, surrounded by the hanging team photographs, teammates from generations past and present, some still with us and others remembered through the photographs, stories and friendships they left behind.
As the crowd slowly dwindled into the evening, the circle around the fire became closer and warmer.
And, of course, there was time for one more can for old times’ sake.
For a club that has been part of the Tatong community since 1908, this was more than simply a reunion.
It was a celebration of the people.
The players who pulled on the jumper.
The netballers who took to the court.
The families who stood behind them.
The ladies who worked behind the scenes.
The committee members who kept things moving.
The volunteers who gave their time.
The supporters who turned up week after week.
And the friendships that have lasted long after the final siren.
Thank you to everyone who came along, travelled great distances and helped make the Tatong FNC Reunion such a memorable day.
A special thank you to all our volunteers and sponsors, whose time, effort and support helped bring the day together.
While the clubhouse may now sit dormant, the picture frames on its walls continue to hold the memories of teammates, families and generations gone by.
The late-night coals have faded and the oval and netball court may be quiet, but the stories remain.
And when the top gates open again, those memories will still be there.
May the traditions continue.