The early part of 1960's decade had proved a disappointing era for St Kevin's A.A.C partly as a result of the College's poor performance in the A.P.S athletics carnivals. The school had found the jump in standard from the A.C.C to the A.P.S formidable and the struggle at the bottom of the Public Schools Competition did nothing to promote the sport. In 1963 Jim Noonan came to the College as a teacher and his knowledge and enthusiasm for athletics led to a gradual improvement in the sport over his six years at St Kevin's. There were rewards for the Club with J.D's involvement as an athlete, a junior team manger, a committeeman, and the recruitment of his College athletics graduates. These rewards would become apparent with improved Club performances in the later half of the 1960's.

Administratively, the Club was particularly stable with Jack Baker, Barry J.Jones, and Bill Abbott holding the position of President, Secretary and Treasurer during these five seasons. Also Geoff Westcott (1969-70) and Keith Lodge (1969-70) would hold the important positions of Secretary and President of the A.P.S.O.C respectively.

The B Grade team was 5th in season 1965-66, finished top of the ladder in 1966-67, but lost to Old Scotch in the venue Grand Final. Ray Mooney would win the first Sydney V. James Trophy in 1966-67. Donated by Jack Baker to memorialise Syd's contribution to the Club, it would eventually become the Club's most coveted award. Club championship trophies had been awarded in the past but on an irregular basis and not under consistent awarding criteria. Club membership had fallen to twenty, the lowest since 1949-50.

The highlight of 1966 come in the Winter exploits of Frank Devlin. He finished 15th in the State Marathon Championship. His 2 hours 44 minutes 48.1 seconds for the Marathon at Tyabb was an inspiration to Club members that witnessed his run . The next few years would see a Marathon explosion at St Kevin's as many sought to emulate Frank's feats. The 1966 A.P.S.O.C season was the Club's best to date with 2nd placing's in the Jamieson 5 km Race and the Cooke-McClelland Shield and 3rd placings in the Dyson and MacDougall Relays. Michael Willis would win the 10 mile Handicap in 1966 and be fastest in the 1968 Quarter Marathon at Bundoora.

In 1967-68 the Club's number one senior team finished 5th in its newly promoted A Reserve grade at the venue. The junior teams were respectable performers being 6th in both U-17 and U-15 competitions. Record breakers were Frank Devlin - 3 mile (15:00.1), Maurie Lynch -3000m Steeplechase ( 9:36.0), and Ray Mooney - Javelin (53.36m) . Frank Devlin would win the Syd James Trophy this season to be the only ever distance runner to win the award. Top juniors of the season were Andrew Rimington, John Cox, Rim Rodrodiguez, Peter Grey, Luig Tarquino, Wayne Lackett, and David Deveney.

It was back to B Grade in 1968-69, finishing 4th . The U.15 team was 2nd and the U.17's 6th. Bill Abbott was the season Track and Field Champion for the Club. Predominantly a sprinter, Hurdles, and occasional middle-distance runner, his Syd James win was a popular one given his support of St Kevin's A.A.C athletically and administratively during some particularly difficult years in the decade. He was Club Treasurer for eight seasons and Secretary for one and was a consistent and regular competitor in Summer and Winter. A student at C.B.C. St Kilda until 1959 he was unable to make his school's athletics team for the A.C.C sports but his years with St Kevin's A.A.C showed him to be possessed of considerable athletic talent.

1969 was a breakthrough year for St Kevin's in A.P.S.O.C competition with our first ever teams victory in the Cooke-McClelland Shield. The team of Frank Devlin, Keith Lodge, Barry J-Jones, Tony Lapsley, Jim Noonan, and Bill Abbott won the race over Old Scotch by a narrow 2 points. Frank had earlier in 1969 been fastest around the Tan Track in the Dyson Relay. The significance of the Cooke-McClelland Shield win in 1969 was to become apparent with the passage of time. It would stand alone as the Club's only A.P.S.O.C teams success for another sixteen seasons as Old Scotch and Old Xaverians would win every team event between 1970 and 1985.

The last season of the 1960's,1969-70, would also be the last using imperial distance. As of 1970-71 metric events and metric measurements would be used in Australian and Victorian Athletics.

A reorganisation of competition at the venue found our top team in C Grade where we won only four of the eleven rounds to finish 6th of eight teams. A typical team for that season included:

Sprints: Jim Noonan, Tom Kearney, Bill Abbott, David Deveney

Middle Distance: Keith Lodge, Tony Lapsley, Graham Stockdale, John Higham

Distance: Frank Devlin, Barry J. Jones, Keith Lodge

Discus/Hammer: Jim Noonan

Walks: Ian Jack

Hurdles: Bill Abbott, Barry J. Jones, Mick Willis, John Chapman

Long Jump: David Deveney

High Jump: Joe Scully, Peter Grey

Triple Jump: Tom Kearney

Javelin: Michael Petritch

The Walks, Javelin, Pole Vault and Shot Putt proved a continuing difficulty and many of the losses that season were by only a handful of points given up in those four events.

The U-15's of that season included Peter Campbell, Tim Scally, Paul Davis, Peter Kehoe, Peter Griffin and Tony Hollamby. For the first time an U-13 team was fielded and included Bruno Kiernan, Ray Bové, Ross Fraser, Neil Arthurson, Andrew Tsindos and Guy Beale.

Of all the significant occurrences of the 1970's was the publication of the first ever edition of the Club's newsletter 'New Focus' in January 1970. It was not the first ever newsletter or newsheet of the Club; 'Heyington Highlights' had been regularly published in the 1950's and early 1960's. However, it dissapeared as a regular production after several poor seasons in this period. The first editor of 'New Focus' was Jim Noonan and the quality of production for its time was excellent. His Editorial in the first edition read:-

"You are now reading the first copy of a magazine that we hope to print regularly. The purpose of the magazine is to keep you informed of what is going on in the club, and also to provide you with a forum in which you can participate in the exchange of ideas that is necessary for a healthy organisation."

During the 1970's the Editor's job was held by Jim till 1976, Wil Williamson 1977-78, Gavan Bennett 1979 and Andrew Rimington 1979-81. One cannot underestimate the important role of New Focus in the subsequent years in stimulating Club members. The title 'New Focus' sounded more like a photographic club publication but its title said more about the Club and its aims of the period than anything else. After a period of mediocrity in Track and Field there was a renewed enthusiasm, optimism and energy for an improved performance by St Kevin's A.A.C . The reinstitution of junior teams in 1967-68 and the efforts of Jim Noonan to manage and coach, and therefore give young athletes a positive and meaningful athletic experience, was beginning to bear fruit in the early 1970's. There was a different focus, a new focus, a positive focus, a focus of a Club on the move. It was more than a title, it was a statement of intent.

Basil Higham, a former athlete from the 1940's, was elected President in 1970-71 and he would hold this post till 1975-76. In the same period he managed the senior Track and Field teams. His son John would make a huge impact on the Club during the first half of the 1970's by setting standards of performance not witnessed at St Kevin's since the 1950's.

The U-17 team won the University venue premiership in 1970-71 but did not contest the Intervenue Final as a result of poor communication from the V.A.A . Tom Kearney was the Syd James Trophy recipient for the season.

Success had eluded our senior Track and Field teams since season 1954-55 but the C Grade Venue premiership in 1971-72 broke the drought. The Club beat M.U.A.C , Old Scotch and Old Melburnians to take the pennant but narrowly lost the Intervenue Final to Old Carey. The U-14's were beaten in the semifinals as our only other team to make the finals.

John Higham was the outstanding athlete of the season; breaking Club records in the 100m (10.7), 400m (49.6) , 800m (1:50.6) and 1500m (4:00.3); winning the Syd James Trophy; and winning the bronze medal in the Victorian 800m titles. Joe Scully won the U-19 Victorian High Jump title equalling the Club record to make 1971-72 St Kevin's best in a decade.

V.A.A registrations in 1972-73 were 69, the Club finished 3rd in B Grade, Joe Scully was 3rd in both the Victorian and Australian High Jump titles, Terry Burke was the third Christian Brother in four years to win the Club's Syd James trophy, the D Grade team finished first but lost its semi-final to Old Scotch and all junior teams were also finalists. To the team of 1970-71 had been added Ross Fraser, Wil Williamson, David Reynolds, Bill Liston and John Cox (sprints); Peter Campbell, Damian Quirk, Len Johnson (middle distance); John Allan (Shot Putt); and Don O'Halloran (walks) to give the Club a formidable line up.

1973-74 saw every team finalists again for the second consecutive season. The B Grade team lost to Footscray by 15 points in the semi-final, C Grade lost to Footscray in the Grand Final as did the U-15 team. The U-14's lost to Williamstown by 1 point in the semi-finals and the U-13's were comprehensively beaten at the same level. Peter Griffin won the Syd James trophy for the first of his four wins of this award. It was a good season for Peter with placings in the Victorian U-19 titles; 400m Hurdles -3rd (57.1), Long Jump -2nd (7.04m Club Record) and Triple Jump -3rd (13.36m). At the Australian titles his performances were Long Jump -5th (6.92m) and 110m Hurdles -6th (15.6). Peter would dominate the activities of the Club on and off the track for the next ten years. Peter was Captain of Athletics at the College in 1973 and won the A.P.S Open Long Jump in his PB for the event of 7.10m. He was a handy sprinter and his performances in Horizontal Jumps and Hurdles belied his genuine lack of speed. He overcame this with dedication, perseverance and technically perfect hurdling and jumping techniques.

In the Senior Championships John Higham was 2nd in the 800m and 3rd in the 400m at the Victorian titles and 3rd in the 400m at the National titles. Making a return for the Club for the first time since 1967 was Ray Mooney who finished 10th in the National Decathlon title.

During the Winter, St Kevin's had performed unremarkably with Ian Nicholls winning the 1972 Orchard Handicap, Rob Downes winning the 1973 10 mile Handicap and Frank Devlin being fastest time in the 1971 Hare and Hounds race.