The club was offered entry to the VFA in 1961, after its first Federal League premiership, but the club turned down the offer, seeking to consolidate its strength in the Federal League, and worried that the proximity of Oakleigh and Dandenong could stifle its competitiveness.

In December 1986, Springvale was earmarked for exclusion under the Association's controversial Football Organisation Review Team (FORT) recommendations, which sought to rationalise the Association to a stronger twelve-club competition in a single division, but which were never formally enacted after being rejected by the clubs.

[10] Less than a year later, after recruiting Phil Maylin and three other former League players in the pre-season,[11] Springvale proved the FORT wrong by rising to the finals for the first time and winning the 1987 Division 1 premiership.

Aside from the rundown condition of the facilities, the surrounding area of Springvale had developed a bad reputation as a drugs hotspot, which was keeping people away.

The club continued to train and play some of its games at Newcomen Road, but played most home games nomadically at a variety of south-eastern suburban grounds for the next few years, initially at Waverley Park in 2000, and then in 2001 and 2002 at venues including Moorabbin Oval and Shepley Oval.

[20] Since 2009, it has been affiliated with the Melbourne Football Club, which also maintains a training base at Casey Fields.

The club will adopt Melbourne's traditional guernsey design from 2017, retaining the navy blue and red colours common to both teams.