In 1999 a handful of football-minded people from the Bay and Basin responded to a newspaper advertisement calling for interest in the formation of an Australian Rules football club in the local area.
The club nearly did not get off the ground but two parents of prospective young footballers, Peter East and Greg Cougle, put their hands up to fill the roles of president and vice-president and so a club was started. A constitution was drawn up and the club’s first season was held in 2000. The club emblem, the ‘Bombers’, was chosen because it avoided any conflict with the AFL team affiliations held by the original committee members and it naturally suited the Bay and Basin title.
Initially, training and home games were held at the Sanctuary Point Oval in a shared arrangement with the existing tenants, the Central Districts Cricket Club and the Sanctuary Point Little Athletics Club. The early days of the club were a hard slog for those involved. But with a dedicated committee, community assistance and parental involvement the essentials to run a football club were assembled.
After the first two seasons at the Sanctuary Point Oval, the Bombers moved to their permanent home at the Leisure Centre Oval in Vincentia (now known as ‘Bomber Oval’). The newly constructed ground was ideal for football but lacked changing facilities and a canteen, so the club’s tireless committee and helpers made do with a tent and trailer. In 2002 the Leisure Centre oval was filled with budding young footballers. At one end players as young as 6 and 7 participated in a modified rules intra-club competition. At the other end, older age groups competed against other clubs from the South Coast Junior AFL, including Nowra, Bomaderry and North Nowra. The Bombers also formed a senior team who played in the South Coast Football League at that time.
Between 2000 and 2004 the Bay and Basin Bombers Australian Football Club was administered under a single constitution, with a President, a Senior Vice President and a Junior Vice President. At the Annual General Meeting in November 2004 the constitution was amended to facilitate the junior component of the club as an independent entity, thereafter known as the Bay and Basin Junior Australian Football Club. This divided the incorporated body into separate Senior and Junior Clubs from 2005.
The Bombers soon became a competitive club with teams entered in several age groups and by 2006 were runners up in the Under 14’s. The following season produced premierships for both the Under 12’s and Under 14’s teams when the Bombers hosted the SCJAFL Grand Finals at the Leisure Centre Oval. The Under 16’s also made it to the grand final that season and were runners up. 2009 was another great season for the Bombers with the Under 12’s and Under 14.5 age groups winning premierships and the Under 17’s runners up.