For its first two seasons of playing in the SAAFL, the club applied to join the South Australian National Football League.

The club was admitted to the newly formed SA National Junior Football Association before moving back to the SAAFL in 1937.

The Lions rose to Division 1 and contested the finals three consecutive seasons while the club was also fielding teams in the Sturt District Association.

The Lions remained there until 1986 when it combined with the Kenilworth Football Club to form Kenilworth-Colonel Light and thus going back to the SAAFL.

In 1995 it was forced to share its home ground, Mortlock Park,[1] with the Goodwood Indians Baseball Club who had their own facilities on the site, with the Mitcham Council ultimately ceasing the club's uses with the clubrooms for events due to complaints from local residents.