from the 1890s, social football was played at lew curtis's flat, hurstbridge. in 1914, the hurstbridge football club was founded and matches were played in the bourke evelyn football league. hurstbridge transferred to the heidelberg district football association for just the one season in 1921 before returning to the bourke-evelyn football league. the club moved activities to the newly developed memorial park (now known as the ben frilay oval) in 1922.