North Western Football Association
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Current season, competition or edition: 2025 | |
 | |
| Sport | Australian rules football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1894 |
| Official website | nwfa.net.au |
The North Western Football Association is an Australian rules football competition based on the North West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.
The North Western Football Association was formed at a meeting at the Formby Hotel in 1894 and is the oldest continuously running football competition in the state of Tasmania. The first clubs were Devonport, Latrobe, Mersey and Ulverstone.
The NWFA was the senior football body on the coast until a break away group of teams formed the NWFU in 1910.
The NWFA was then looked upon as a junior competition feeding the NWFU and later the TFL Statewide League until their demise and later the NTFL teams.[1]
The competition has seen more than fifty teams participate in its history from all parts of the North West Coast indicating the rise and fall and changing fortunes of many towns throughout history. Clubs such as Burnie Tigers, Cooee, Penguin, Mole Creek, Wilmot, Barrington, Don, East Devonport, Moriarty, Sassafras, Melrose and Gowrie Park are among many to have played in the NWFA.
From mid-1938 until it went into recess during World War II, the NWFA played under VFA rules, a code of rules established by the Victorian Football Association as a rival to the national rules. This most notably meant that throwing the ball was legal during those years. The NWFA was one of the highest level competitions outside the VFA to play under those rules.[2] Upon its resumption after World War II, the NWFA returned to playing under the traditional rules.[3]
The Association currently operates as an eight club competition and the medal awarded to the Association's Best & Fairest player is the Les Hicks Medal.
Clubs
Locations
| Club locations - Devonport, Ulverstone and surrounds | Club locations - Rosebery-Toorak |
|---|---|
Current
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in NWFA | NWFA Premierships | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | |||||||
| East Ulverstone |  |
Crows | Haywoods Reserve, Ulverstone | – | 2000 | 2000- | 2 | 2002, 2025 |
| Forth |  |
Magpies | Forth Recreation Ground, Forth | NWFU, LFA | 1904 | 1905, 1907-1923, 1927, 1929, 1931-1932, 1934-1940, 1946-1953, ?-present day | 21 | 1922, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1948, 1950, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1965, 1972, 1974, 1980, 2005, 2007, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2022 |
| Motton Preston |  |
Demons | Preston Recreation Ground, Preston | LFA | 1967 | 1976- | 10 | 1985, 1986, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2021, 2023 |
| Rosebery-Toorak |  |
Hawks | Rosebery Park Oval, Rosebery | WTFA | 1987 | 1990- | 2 | 1998, 1999 |
| Sheffield |  |
Robins | Sheffield Football Ground, Sheffield | KFA | c.1910 | 1939, 1956- | 8 | 1964, 1973, 1987, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2003, 2024 |
| Spreyton |  |
Eagles | Maidstone Park, Spreyton | – | 1921 | 1921-1925, 1945- | 9 | 1954, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1984, 1990, 2001, 2011 |
| Turners Beach |  |
Seagulls | Turners Beach Football Ground, Turners Beach | LFA | 1971 | 1976- | 5 | 1981, 1982, 1983, 1994, 2014 |
| Wesley Vale |  |
Roos | Pipers Park, Wesley Vale | NWFU | 1903 | 1903-1906, 1908-1940, 1946-1949, 1951- | 21 | 1910, 1921, 1925, 1926, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1949, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1979, 1989, 1996, 1997, 2008, 2009, 2017, 2019 |
Former
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in NWFA | NWFA Premierships | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | ||||||||
| Aberdeen | – | 1936 | 1936-1937 | 0 | - | Folded after 1937 season | |||
| Albion | 1903 | 0 | - | Folded after 1903 season | |||||
| Barrington | |
Barrington Football Ground, Barrington | KFA | 1895 | 1895-1897, 1901, 1909, 1956-1962 | 2 | 1895, 1896 | Moved to Wilmot FA in 1921. Merged with Sheffield in 1963 | |
| Barrington Rovers |  |
Barrington Football Ground, Barrington | 1909 | 0 | - | Moved to Wilmot FA after 1909 season | |||
| Burnie (Emu Bay 1901) | West Park, Burnie | 1885 | 1901, 1907 | 0 | - | Moved to East Wellington FA in 1902 and 1908 | |||
| Devonport | .svg) |
Blues | Devonport Oval, Devonport | – | 1881 | 1894-1908 | 2 | 1894, 1898 | Formed NWFU in 1910 |
| Devonport Cadets | 1921-1923 | 0 | - | Folded after 1923 season | |||||
| Devonport Cobbers | 1945 | 0 | - | Moved to Devonport Junior FA in 1946 | |||||
| Devonport Juniors | 1906-1909, 1926-1928, 1930-1933 | 1 | 1933 | Left league | |||||
| Don | Tigers | Don Football Ground, Don | 1910 | 1902-1903, 1906, 1909, 1924-1925, 1927-1928, 1931-1936, 1939 | 0 | - | Folded after 1939 season | ||
| East Devonport | (1931-32)
(1933-40) |
1901 | 1931-1936, 1938-1940 | 0 | - | Moved to NWFU in 1945 | |||
| Elizabeth-Railton |  |
Eagles | Railton Recreation Reserve, Railton | EDFA | 1925 | 1986-1989 | 0 | - | Folded after 1989 season |
| Eugenana |  |
DJFA | 1950-1951 | 0 | - | Folded after 1951 season | |||
| Ex Servicemen |  |
– | 1950 | 1950-? | 3 | 1951, 1952, 1953 | Folded | ||
| Federal | 1903-1904 | 0 | - | Folded | |||||
| Gowrie Park | |
Saints | Gowrie Park Football Ground, Gowrie Park | – | 1960 | 1960-1970 | 4 | 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 | Folded after 1970 season due to the completion of the Mersey-Forth Hydro project |
| Harford | – | 1905 | 1905 | 0 | - | Moved to East Devon Junior FA in 1906 | |||
| High School | 1921-1931, 1936-1937 | 0 | - | Folded before end of 1937 season | |||||
| Kindred | LFA | 1910 | 1920 | 0 | - | Formed Wilmot FA in 1921 | |||
| Latrobe |  |
Diehards | Latrobe Football Ground, Latrobe | – | 1881 | 1894-1897, 1903-1908 | 1 | 1907 | Formed NWFU in 1910 |
| Latrobe Rovers | – | 1939 | 1939-1949 | 1 | 1945 | Became seconds team of Latrobe in 1950 | |||
| Latrobe YCW | – | 1938 | 1938 | 0 | - | Folded after 1938 season | |||
| Melrose | Dark with light stripes | Melrose Football Ground, Melrose | – | 1920 | 1907, 1920-1923, 1925-1926, 1929-1932 | 1 | 1920 | Folded after 1932 season | |
| Mersey |  |
Devonport Oval, Devonport | – | 1894 | 1894-1909, 1920-1940, 1948-1949 | 13 | 1898, 1899, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1905, 1908, 1909, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1932 | Formed NWFU in 1910, returned in 1919, recess in 1940, re-formed in 1948 and folded after 1949 season. | |
| Mole Creek | .svg) |
Bulldogs | Mole Creek Recreation Ground, Mole Creek | EDFA | 1920 | 1998-2003 | 0 | - | Moved to Leven FA after 2003 season |
| Moriarty | (1905) |
Henry Dawson's Paddock, Moriarty | EDJFA | 1904 | 1905, 1922-1923, 1945-1950 | 0 | - | Moved to East Devon Junior FA in 1906. Moved to Latrobe FA in 1951 | |
| North Devonport | 1904 | 0 | - | Folded | |||||
| Old Devonians | – | 1935 | 1935-1939 | 0 | - | Folded after 1939 season | |||
| Penguin |  |
Two Blues | Penguin Recreation Ground, Penguin | – | 1890 | 1907 | 0 | - | Formed NWFU in 1910 |
| Railton |  |
Tigers | Railton Recreation Reserve, Railton | 1891 | 1939-1940, 1946-1985 | 6 | 1933, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1961, 1966 | Merged with Elizabeth Town to form Elizabeth-Railton in 1986. Re-formed in Leven FA in 1990 | |
| Sassafras |   |
Sassafras Reserve, Sassafras | LFA | 1905 | 1905, 1946, 1948-1950 | 0 | - | Moved to East Devon Junior FA in 1906. Moved to Latrobe FA in 1951 | |
| Spreyton Shamrocks | Shamrocks | Medcraft's Paddock, Lower Barrington | – | 1906 | 1906 | 0 | - | Folded after 1906 season | |
| Sprent | |
Tigers | Sprent Recreation Ground, Sprent | DFA | 1908 | 1997-2000 | 0 | - | Merged with Ulverstone Districts to form East Ulverstone in 2000 |
| Ulverstone | |
Robins | Ulverstone Football Ground, Ulverstone | – | 1888 | 1894, 1900-1904, 1906-1908 | 3 | 1900, 1903, 1906 | Formed NWFU in 1910 |
| Ulverstone District | .svg) |
Rebels | Haywoods Reserve, Ulverstone | LFA | 1952 | 1971-1999 | 4 | 1971, 1991, 1992, 1993 | Merged with Sprent to form East Ulverstone in 2000 |
| West Ulverstone |  |
Lions | West Ulverstone Football Ground, West Ulverstone | DFA | 1973 | 2002-2023 | 0 | - | Entered recess following 2023 season |
| Wilmot | |
Robins | Wilmot Football Ground, Wilmot | KFA | 1896 | 1946, 1956-1974 | 0 | - | Moved to Kentish FA in 1947. Moved to Leven FA in 1975 |
Premiers
List of NWFA Seniors Premiership teams.[4]
- 1894 Devonport
- 1895 Barrington
- 1896 Barrington
- 1897 Devonport
- 1898 Mersey
- 1899 Mersey
- 1900 Ulverstone
- 1901 Mersey
- 1902 Mersey
- 1903 Ulverstone
- 1904 Mersey
- 1905 Mersey
- 1906 Ulverstone
- 1907 Latrobe
- 1908 Mersey
- 1909 Mersey
- 1910 Wesley Vale
- 1911 no details
- 1912 Don
- 1913 no details
- 1914 no details
- 1915 Competition in Recess Due to WWI
- 1916 Competition in Recess Due to WWI
- 1917 Competition in Recess Due to WWI
- 1918 Competition in Recess Due to WWI
- 1919 Competition suspended due to Influenza Epidemic[5]
- 1920 Melrose
- 1921 Wesley Vale
- 1922 Forth
- 1923 Mersey
- 1924 Mersey
- 1925 Wesley Vale
- 1926 Wesley Vale
- 1927 Mersey
- 1928 Mersey
- 1929 Wesley Vale
- 1930 Wesley Vale
- 1931 Wesley Vale
- 1932 Mersey
- 1933 Devonport Juniors
- 1934 Wesley Vale
- 1935 Forth
- 1936 Wesley Vale
- 1937 Forth
- 1938 Forth
- 1939 Forth
- 1940 Forth
- 1941 Competition in Recess Due to WWII
- 1942 Competition in Recess Due to WWII
- 1943 Competition in Recess Due to WWII
- 1944 Competition in Recess Due to WWII
- 1945 Latrobe Rovers
- 1946 Railton
- 1947 Railton
- 1948 Forth
- 1949 Wesley Vale
- 1950 Forth
- 1951 Ex Servicemen
- 1952 Ex Servicemen
- 1953 Ex Servicemen
- 1954 Spreyton
- 1955 Railton
- 1956 Forth
- 1957 Forth
- 1958 Forth
- 1959 Wesley Vale
- 1960 Wesley Vale
- 1961 Railton
- 1962 Sheffield
- 1963 Wesley Vale
- 1964 Sheffield
- 1965 Forth
- 1966 Railton
- 1967 Gowrie Park
- 1968 Gowrie Park
- 1969 Gowrie Park
- 1970 Gowrie Park
- 1971 Ulverstone District
- 1972 Forth
- 1973 Sheffield
- 1974 Forth
- 1975 Spreyton
- 1976 Spreyton
- 1977 Spreyton
- 1978 Spreyton
- 1979 Wesley Vale
- 1980 Forth
- 1981 Turners Beach
- 1982 Turners Beach
- 1983 Turners Beach
- 1984 Spreyton
- 1985 Motton Preston
- 1986 Motton Preston
- 1987 Sheffield
- 1988 Sheffield
- 1989 Wesley Vale
- 1990 Spreyton
- 1991 Ulverstone District
- 1992 Ulverstone District
- 1993 Ulverstone District
- 1994 Sheffield
- 1995 Turners Beach
- 1996 Wesley Vale
- 1997 Wesley Vale
- 1998 Rosebery Toorak
- 1999 Rosebery Toorak
- 2000 Sheffield
- 2001 Spreyton
- 2002 East Ulverstone
- 2003 Sheffield
- 2004 Motton Preston
- 2005 Forth
- 2006 Motton Preston
- 2007 Forth
- 2008 Wesley Vale
- 2009 Wesley Vale
- 2010 Motton Preston
- 2011 Spreyton
- 2012 Motton Preston
- 2013 Motton Preston
- 2014 Turners Beach
- 2015 Forth
- 2016 Forth
- 2017 Wesley Vale
- 2018 Forth
- 2019 Wesley Vale
- 2020 Motton Preston
- 2021 Motton Preston
- 2022 Forth
- 2023 Motton Preston
- 2024 Sheffield
- 2025 East Ulverstone
Records
NWFA Record Score
- Sheffield Seniors – 69.29 (443) vs Rosebery Toorak 0.0 in 2021. Rosebery-Toorak set an unfortunate new NWFA benchmark with an all-time low percentage in the 2021 season of 1.635% (68 points scored, 4160 points conceded in 15 games). 60% of their points were scored in one match against West Ulverstone, when they only lost by five goals. For the other 14 games, they kicked 1.0.6 four times, 0.1.1 three times, and went scoreless seven times. Their leading goalkicker was Nick McElwee with two goals, both against West Ulverstone. It was the only time he played for the club all year.[6]
- Forth Reserves – 66.24 (420) vs Spreyton 0.0 in 2013.
NWFA Individual Goalkicking Record (Match)
- Ben Holland – (36) – Wesley Vale v Rosebery Toorak in 2024.
- Note: This is a current Tasmanian state record.[7]
Leading Goal Kickers
| Year | Player | H&A goals | Finals goals | Total Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Ron Mansfield (Spreyton) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | Royce Miles (Spreyton) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | Royce Miles (Spreyton) | 76 | 0 | 76 |
| 1978 | G Smith | 66 | 0 | 66 |
| 1979 | B Johnson | 65 | 0 | 65 |
| 1980 | Lloyd Dixon (Turners Beach) | 110 | 0 | 110 |
| 1981 | Brian Cole (Spreyton) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | Brian Hickey (Turners Beach) | 122 | 0 | 122 |
| 1983 | Brian Eade (Ulverstone District) | 86 | 0 | 86 |
| 1984 | Chris Reynolds (Spreyton) | 72 | 0 | 72 |
| 1985 | Brian Eade (Ulverstone District) | 102 | 0 | 102 |
| 1986 | David Frenshaw (Sheffield) | 88 | 0 | 88 |
| 1987 | Mike Brocksopp (Turners Beach) | 102 | 0 | 102 |
| 1988 | Shane Harris (Ulverstone District) | 77 | 0 | 77 |
| 1989 | Les Davidson (Spreyton) | 49 | 0 | 49 |
| 1990 | Michael Bramich (Spreyton) | 58 | 0 | 58 |
| 1991 | Les Davidson (Spreyton) | 55 | 0 | 55 |
| 1992 | Robert Cole (Forth) | 60 | 0 | 60 |
| 1993 | Robert Cole (Forth) | 83 | 10 | 93 |
| 1994 | Tom Honner (Rosebery Toorak) | 66 | 3 | 69 |
| 1995 | Iaon Drake (Rosebery Toorak) | 80 | 0 | 80 |
| 1996 | Iaon Drake (Rosebery Toorak) | 110 | 11 | 121 |
| 1997 | Paul Hampton (Sheffield) | 100 | 0 | 100 |
| 1998 | Paul Hampton (Sheffield) | 81 | 3 | 84 |
| 1999 | Jason Fellows (Rosebery Toorak) | 75 | 15 | 90 |
| 2000 | Craig Muir (Wesley Vale) | 111 | 0 | 111 |
| 2001 | Andrew Stretton (Sheffield) | 57 | 0 | 57 |
| 2002 | Jason Foley (East Ulverstone) | 81 | 0 | 81 |
| 2003 | Andrew Stretton (Sheffield) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | Jamie Auton (East Ulverstone) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | Jamie Auton (East Ulverstone) | 96 | 2 | 98 |
| 2006 | Jamie Auton (East Ulverstone) | 127 | 4 | 131 |
| 2007 | Paul Hampton (Spreyton) | 101 | 0 | 101 |
| 2008 | Todd Bryan (Spreyton) | 120 | 0 | 120 |
| 2009 | Jamie Auton (West Ulverstone) | 79 | 0 | 79 |
| 2010 | Jamie Auton (West Ulverstone) | 101 | 0 | 101 |
| 2011 | Mathew Smedley (Motton Preston) | 70 | 0 | 70 |
| 2012 | Shannon Mulvey (Sheffield) | 104 | 0 | 104 |
| 2013 | Claye Sculthorpe (Motton Preston) | 137 | 0 | 137 |
| 2014 | Nick Milbourne (Forth) | 138 | 8 | 146 |
| 2015 | Nick Milbourne (Forth) | 108 | 0 | 108 |
| 2016 | Brodie Dennis (Rosebery Toorak)) | 113 | 0 | 113 |
| 2017 | Nick Veal (Forth) | 79 | 2 | 81 |
| 2018 | Tristan Weeks (Wesley Vale) | 112 | 8 | 120 |