City United was immediately competitive, winning the reserves grand final in its first year in the Goulburn Valley Football League.

In 1962, thanks to a little help from played Thomas Jock Spencer – who would later be named in North Melbourne Team of the Century, former Shinboner John Brady was coaxed into coaching the club.

In the early 1980s, the club did not take long to recover from a deep financial crisis and went on to play in the 1984, 1985 and 1986 grand finals, only to lose and then broke through for three consecutive wins in 1987, 1988 and 1989.

Three United players have topped the league's goal-kicking on two occasions, with John Dainton in 1958 and 1959 (78 goals both years), Jock Spencer in 1963 (71) and 1965 (61) and Trevor Eddy in 1973 (125) and 1974 (114).

Chris Kennedy became a dominant footballer in the 1990s and early 2000s, with a record five Alan McCluskey Medals and playing in losing grand finals in 1999 and 2000.

In more than five decades the club has produced many champions, including Tom Carey who played at North Melbourne, before returning to become a star of the competition after suffering a serious knee injury.

He played 273 games including three consecutive premierships (2001, 2002, 2003) and won a Norm Smith Medal for the best player on the ground in the club's 2001 win against Essendon.