Wimmera Football League

Australian Rules Football appears to of commenced in the Wimmera region in the early 1870's and a combined Wimmera team played a match against Carlton on the East Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of a couple of thousand people in June 1879.^[1]

A Wimmera Football Association was first formed in 1902, with teams from Ararat, Horsham and Stawell as the founding clubs.

When Ararat won the 1912 premiership, the winning team was presented with 20 combination sets of a jam spoon, bread fork and a butter knife.^[2]

Collingwood (11.10 - 76) defeated Wimmera DFA (8.13 - 61) at Stawell in August 1913.^[3]

The 1915 season commenced,^[4] but was abandoned in July due to player shortages from enlistments into the Australian Armed Forces.^[5]

In 1920 the Wimmera District Football League was reformed^[6] and played for the May Cup. The four clubs involved in 1920 were Ararat, Horsham, Murtoa, Stawell.^[7] Dimboola joined in 1923 and Nhill in 1925; Ararat spent six years in the Ballarat Football League from 1924 to 1929.

Many Wimmera FL club's actively sought the services of VFL players in the 1920's, who where offered way more money in country football than what they were earning from their VFL clubs, ^[8] such as Roy Cazaly who was captain-coach of Minyip in 1925.^[9]

In 1926, the Victorian Football League played the Wimmera Football League at Horsham, with the VFL side defeating Wimmera by three points in heavy conditions.^[10]

The Wimmera FL^[11] defeated the Gippsland FL in 1928 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, lead by captain-coach, Artie Wood.^[12]

In August 1929, Perth defeated the Wimmera FL in a match at Stawell.^[13]

In 1930, the Wimmera FL defeated Essendon in heavy conditions at Ararat^[14] with many former VFL players representing the Wimmera FL in the 1930's.^[15]

In June 1930, the Wimmera FL (19.17 - 131) defeated the Western District FA (19.10 - 124) at Hamilton, with Dimboola's Jimmy Lawson kicking ten goals.^[16]

In 1932, during the height of the Great Depression, the small town clubs were suffering from financial pressures, and tried to get the league to change the way the gate taking were distributed to the clubs. The larger town clubs, knowing that they would be disadvantaged, blocked the motion. Subsequently, Nhill and Dimboola both went into recess while Minyip and Murtoa replaced their junior sides in the Dunmunkle FL.

In 1931, Stawell's Horrie Hunt kicked 105 goals for the season.^[17]

The WDFL approached the Ballarat Football League to merge hoping that greater interest and better football would cause larger gate takings, so in January 1934 the Wimmera FL and the Ballarat FL merged to form the Ballarat Wimmera FL.^[18] After three years, in which the Wimmera clubs faced with greater costs and were constantly losing on the field, feelers were put out to the smaller clubs, now playing in the Mid Wimmera FL. A peace deal was settled in September 1936 and the Wimmera Football League was reformed in February 1937 at the Annual General Meeting with Mr. P J Toohey elected as President and a nine team competition was formed.^[19]

The Wimmera FL went into recess between 1941 and 1943 due to World War Two, but football in the Wimmera^[20] was revived in 1944 with a competition^[21] that involved six teams.

In 1945, Dimboola and Warracknabeal joined the Wimmera Football Association,^[22] which formed a six team competition.^[23]

In 1946 Rupanyup Football Club joined the Wimmera FL^[24] and that made it a ten team competition.^[25]

John Ledwidge was captain-coach of the Bendigo Football League representative team that won the 1962 VCFL Caltex Country Football Championships by defeating the Wimmera Football League at Horsham.^[26]

As a ten team competition the league remain stable until Rupanyip decided the level of football was too hard for them and they opted to drop to the local district competition in 1981. The numbers returned to ten when local district club Imperials-Wonwondah joined in 1983. After fifty fruitless years Jeparit Football Club decided to try their luck in the South Mallee FL from 1990.

St Michaels from the district competition joined in 1993. Founding clubs Minyip and Murtoa decided to merge in 1995.

2000 saw local Horsham clubs change their names, St Michaels became Horsham Saints and Imperials-Wonwondah became the Horsham Diggers.

Horsham Diggers later merged with Natimuk FNC under the banner Natimuk United at the start of 2014; following an exodus of players in the 2008 pre-season, the Diggers had struggled on and off-field, and had won three matches in the previous four seasons. The merged club plays home games at Natimuk and City Oval.

Southern Mallee transferred from the Horsham District Football League in 2018 after dominating the competition.

Following the 2023 season Southern Mallee merged with Jeparit Rainbow from the Horsham District Football League to form the Southern Mallee Thunder.

The best on ground award in the Wimmera FNL senior football grand final receives the Greg Binns Memorial Award, which was first awarded in 1990. Greg passed away in 1987 from a rare blood disease, aged 27 years old. Greg and the Binns family have had a very long association with football in the Wimmera and the Binns family were associated with the Jeparit FNC.

Wimmera District FL - Seniors

Wimmera Football League - RESERVES

• In 2010 and 2016, the Wimmera FNL did not enter any Reserves finals scores, teams, goalkickers & best players on the Gameday website.

Wimmera Football League - UNDER 16's

Wimmera Football League - UNDER 14's

Wimmera Football League - Best & Fairest Award

The Hugh Cameron Medal was first awarded and donated by Wimmera FL President and Life Member, Hugh Cameron in 1927 for the leading goalkicker, it then became the best and fairest award in 1928.^[126] The Wimmera FNL senior football best and fairest award was initially named the Les Schneider Medal in 1948, after former Dimboola footballer and 1931 John McNeill medallist, Les Schneider donated money for the initial award in 1948.^[127]

The Pat J Toohey Trophy was named in 1949 to perpetuate the name of former Wimmera FL President and Warracknabeal barrister and solicitor, Mr. Pat J Toohey, who commenced on the Wimmera FL committee in 1930, was President when the Wimmera FL was reformed in 1937 and was President from 1937 to 1941. Mr Toohey died in 1943, aged 56.^[128]

When Ararat's Glen Antonio won the Toohey Medal in 1992, he became part of the first father and son combination to win this prestigious award, as his father, Jack won the award in 1956.

Ararat's Alan Batchelor has remarkably won Wimmera FL best and fairest awards in all three grades.

Senior Football - Most best and fairest wins

• 5 - Tony Beck: Stawell
• 4 - Wes Warrick: Nhill
• 3 - Jim Rice: Murtoa
• 3 - Arnie McIntyre: Murtoa
• 3 - Peter Morrison: Murtoa & Horsham
• 3 - Kieran Delahunty: Minyip-Murtoa

Senior Football - Century Goalkickers

• 2023 - Tom Williamson (Ararat) polled the most votes, but was ineligible due to a suspension.

Reserves Football

Best & Fairest

The Wimmera FNL Reserves football best and fairest award has been called the A.E. "Hank" Neil Medal since? Neil was a former secretary of the Wimmera FNL from 1951 to 1976.^[198]

Thirds Football

Best and Fairest

Click on the Wikipedia club page links below to view a complete list of VFL / AFL from Wimmera FNL clubs, with the year indicating their VFL or Wimmera FNL debut.

• Ararat FNC
• Dimboola FNC
• Horsham Demons FNC
• Horsham Saints FNC
• Nhill FNC
• Stawell FNC

Horsham United

• 1996 - Brad Cassidy – Fremantle, Fitzroy, Collingwood

From Jeparit

• 1908 - Alby Landt - St Kilda
• 1939 - Les Griggs - Essendon
• 1945 - Dan Beauvais - Carlton
• 1954 - Ian Ridley - Melbourne
• 1956 - Ken Hedt - Collingwood
• 1958 - Errol Hutchesson - Collingwood
• 1967 - Peter Chilton - Hawthorn

Came to Jeparit

• 1939 - Don Hooper - St Kilda
• 1948 - Tom Roulent - South Melbourne
• 1956 - Ted Jarrard - North Melbourne

From Minyip

• 1913 - Cyril Suares - Collingwood
• 1926 - Roy Cazaly – South Melbourne, St Kilda
• 1927 - Jack Evans - Geelong
• 1930 - Eric Zschech - Richmond
• 1950 - Frank Drum - Richmond
• 1959 - Bill McGrath - South Melbourne
• 1959 - Hedley Wills - South Melbourne
• 1962 - Bob Johnstone - Collingwood
• 1986 - Stuart Cameron – Fitzroy, Melbourne
• 1988 - Leigh Funcke - Fitzroy (Pick No. 101)
• 1996 - Ross Funcke – Richmond, Melbourne

Came to Minyip

• 1922 - Gladstone Power - South Melbourne
• 1934 - Billy Schmidt - Richmond
• 1937 - Bill Hearn - Richmond
• 1947 - Des Martin - Richmond
• 1949 - Wally Culpitt - Hawthorn
• 1952 - Ken Roberts - Richmond
• 1956 - Laurie Icke - North Melbourne
• 1958 - Vic Bodsworth - Footscray
• 1991 - Ronnie Wearmouth - Collingwood

From Murtoa

• 1901 - Charlie Mullany - St Kilda
• 1914 - Stan Brady - St Kilda
• 1932 - Don Stewart - St Kilda
• 1933 - Rowley Fischer – Melbourne
• 1938 - Alan Killigrew – St Kilda
• 1942 - Vic Castles - South Melbourne
• 1948 - George Caris - South Melbourne
• 1953 - Bob Constable - Melbourne
• 1955 - Ron McDonald – Richmond
• 1971 - Hugh Delahunty– Essendon
• 1971 - Mike Delahunty – Collingwood

Came to Murtoa

• 1928 - Harry Pollock - Richmond
• 1937 - Leo Opray - Carlton
• 1947 - Bill Wells - St Kilda
• 1949 - Jim Hovey - Geelong
• 1967 - Milne McCooke - St Kilda

Minyip-Murtoa

• 2005 - Clinton Young – Hawthorn

From Rupanyap

• 1926 - Ivan Corry - Hawthorn
• 1929 - John Sampson - Footscray
• 1935 - Alf Sampson - Footscray
• 1944 - Dick Wearmouth - Footscray
• 1960 - Robert Dunlop - Essendon
• 1966 - John Sudholz – South Melbourne
• 1973 - Trevor Tyler – Essendon
• 1975 - Greg Bell – Essendon

Came to Rupanyup

• 1920 - Norm McIntosh - Richmond
• 1947 - Keith Shea - Hawthorn
• 1951 - Jim Gull - South Melbourne
• 1953 - Arthur Fox Jr. - South Melbourne
• 1957 - Mick Sibun - South Melbourne
• 1960 - Kevin Northcote - Hawthorn

From Warracknabeal / Warrack Eagles

• 1929 - Charlie Parsons - Carlton
• 1929 - Alan Scott - St Kilda
• 1955 - Ken Smale - Collingwood
• 1960 - Russell Crow – Fitzroy
• 1961 - John Hayes - Fitzroy
• 1961 - Basil Moloney - Richmond
• 1962 - Graeme Clyne - Fitzroy
• 1971 - Andy Wilson - Essendon
• 1971 - Graeme Schultz – - Essendon
• 1975 - Graeme Hatcher - Essendon
• 2003 - Jeremy Clayton – North Melbourne
• 2005 - Matt Rosa – West Coast, Gold Coast
• 2008 - Kyle Cheney – Melbourne, Hawthorn, Adelaide

Came to Warracknabeal

• 1919 - Billy Schmidt - St Kilda
• 1938 - Gordon Ogden - Melbourne
• 1947 - Tom Arklay - Geelong
• 1950's - Hugh Morris - Essendon
• 1979 - Geoff Burdett - Essendon

The Wimmera Basketball (Netball) Association was commenced in the mid 1950's and when the name of women's basketball became netball in 1971, the Wimmera Netball competition was established in 1971 with A. Grade and B. Grade competitions.

The Under 16's commenced in 1977, before becoming an Under 17 competition in 1987, then Under 18 in 1991, then 17 and Under in 1993.

The 15 and Under competition commenced in 1995.

Unfortunately there are no records of past netball premierships in all grades on the WFNL website between 1971 and 2022.

Wimmera Netball Association: Premiership Table

• Dimboola stripped of 12 points for player payment breaches in 2021