The Western Region Football League is an
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
semi-professional
Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a consid ...
league, based in the western suburbs of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, for both seniors and juniors.
History
The league was formed in 1931 as the "Footscray District Football League".
During the 1950s, the VFL club
Footscray was financially backing the competition, so they decided to bar clubs that were inside the zone. This resulted in six clubs leaving. More changes occurred in 1952 as the league decided that clubs had to provide an under-18 competition; this action reduced the club numbers down to twelve. The next initiative was the introduction of an under-16 competition in 1954.
In 1988, the league absorbed clubs from the West Suburban Football League; and, in 2000, to reflect the fact that the league had expanded across the western suburbs, it changed its name to the Western Region Football League. The league's headquarters are at
Whitten Oval
Whitten Oval (also known as Victoria University Whitten Oval under a naming rights agreement) is a stadium in the inner-western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in Barkly Street, West Footscray. It is the training and administra ...
, which is the home of current AFL club
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition.
Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, and based in West Footscray in the o ...
.
In 2002, the league, in particular its second Division, found itself a national audience when a
Seven Network
The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
reality TV show, ''
The Club'', followed the performance of a team called the Kensington Hill Hammerheads throughout the season. The players, coach and president were chosen on the show, and after finishing third in the regular season, went on to win the flag.
In 2006, the league suspended the Central Altona Football Club for attempting to re-register a player, and they suspended
Brunswick Power after the club was found guilty of playing unregistered players. In addition, Central Altona also had a variety of on-field violence and abuse issues, and they were also in trouble for re-registering banned players.
In 2013, Manor Lakes and Sanctuary Lakes entered the Division Two of the senior competition. In 2014, Werribee Districts transferred from the
VAFA
The Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) is the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. It consists of seven senior men's and women's divisions ranging from Premier to Division 4.
In addition there ...
, and Tarneit entered a senior team. The league then announced that a third division will form midway through 2014.
In 2015, the Wyndham Suns were admitted to the third division. Parkside, which won the second division premiership in 2014, suffered a bitter internal division and lost most of the players and committee. Instead of being promoted to first division, Parkside staved off recess and were permitted to rebuild the club in the third division.
Clubs
Participating clubs for the 2023 season:
Division One
Division Two
Division Three
Former Clubs
In Recess
Folded
Merged
Moved to CYMS Football Association
Moved to
Essendon District Football League
The Essendon District Football League (EDFL) is a professional Australian rules football league competition based in Essendon, Victoria, consisting of teams based in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne. Founded in 1930, the men's competition c ...
Moved to
Southern Football League
The Southern League is a men's football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from the South and Midlands of England. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven and eight of the English fo ...
Moved to
Victorian Football Association
The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
Moved to Western Suburban Football League
Moved to Werribee District Football League
Premiers
Division One
Premiers by club (Div One)
;Notes
Division Two
1934 – Newells 13.13.91 d Victor Socials 9.12.66
1935 – Baptist-Church 10.14.74 d Spotswood 5.8.38
1936 – Braybrook 7.20.62 d North Footscray 7.7.49
1937 – South Footscray 7.17.59 d Braybrook 6.20.56
1938 – North Footscray 10.17.77 d Combine 8.7.55
1939 – Victor Socials 10.5.65 d Combine 6.17.53
1940 – South Footscray 12.16.88 d Combine 10.12.72
1941 – West Footscray 20.13.133 d Victor Socials 11.13.79
1942 – Kingsville 17.12.114 d Sunshine Districts 11.13.79
1943 – Newport CYMS 9.16.70 d Spotswood 7.9.51
1944 – Spotswood 10.9.69 d Sunshine Districts 7.7.49
1945 – Essendon Districts 12.14.86 d Yarraville Socials 8.15.63
1946 – Sunshine Districts 11.17.83 d Spotswood 8.5.53
1947 – Altona 12.25.97 d Waratah 4.5.29
1948 – Spotswood 11.15.81 d St Albans 7.12.54
1949 Sec 1 – North Footscray 8.19.67 d F & Y Socials 9.10.64
1949 Sec 2 – 6th Melbourne Scouts 15.18.108 d West Footscray 5.4.34
1950 – Maidstone 10.10.70 d Williamstown Rovers 7.13.55
1951 – Altona 12.12.84 d Kingsville 11.7.73
NOTE: 1952 TO 1985 NO DIVISION 2 COMPETITION
1986 – North Sunshine 13.11.89 d EHSES 8.15.63
1987 – EHSES 22.10.142 d North Sunshine 4.10.34
1988 – Coburg Districts 7.10.52 d Ascot Vale 5.10.40
1989 – Ascot Vale 18.12.120 d Williamstown United 9.8.62
1990 – Port Melbourne Colts 16.18.114 d Hoppers Crossing 12.10.82
1991 – Altona City 10.14.74 d Sunshine Heights 7.13.55
1992 – Hoppers Crossing 5.12.42 d East Brunswick 4.5.29
1993 – Braybrook 9.15.69 d Sunshine Heights 7.4.46
1994 – Albion 18.12.120 d Sunshine YCW 11.17.83
1995 – West Newport 14.20.104 d Sunshine YCW 14.8.92
1996 – North Melb & Kens 17.18.120 d Fawkner Amateurs 9.8.62
1997 – St Albans 15.15.105 d North Footscray 9.9.63
1998 – Seddon/Yarraville Club 10.10.70 d Braybrook 8.6.54
1999 – Braybrook 12.21.93 d Central Altona 8.1.49
2000 – Yarraville 12.18.90 d Glen Orden 6.8.44
2001 – Seddon/Yarraville Club 18.12.120 d Albanvale 5.9.39
2002 – Kensington Hill Hammerheads 11.12.78 d North Footscray 7.11.53
2003 – North Sunshine 12.9.81 d Glen Orden 6.12.48
2004 – Altona 11.14.80 d Deer Park 8.7.55
2005 – Altona 19.12.126 d Glen Orden 8.9.57
2006 – Glen Orden 13.20.98 d Deer Park 8.8.56
2007 – West Footscray 18.16.124 d Sunshine Heights 7.16.58
2008 – Sunshine Heights 18.7.115 d North Footscray 7.11.53
2009 – Deer Park 16.12.108 d Parkside 13.9.87
2010 – North Footscray 11.13.79 d Parkside 10.14.74
2011 – Deer Park 21.23.149 d Albanvale 2.6.18
2012 – Yarraville Seddon Eagles 14.14.98 d Parkside 9.16.70
2013 – Glen Orden 15.12.102 d Parkside 8.11.59
2014 – Parkside 14.20.104 d West Footscray 10.6.66
2015 – Wyndhamvale 17.12.114 d West Footscray 10.5.65
2016 – Caroline Springs 12.8.80 d Yarraville Seddon Eagles 9.12.66
2017 – North Footscray 15.14.104 d Yarraville Seddon Eagles 6.10.46
2018 – Point Cook 9.14.68 d Yarraville Seddon Eagles 8.13.61
2019 – Yarraville Seddon Eagles 14.17.101 d Wyndhamvale 4.10.34
2020 – ''No football played due to the COVID-19 pandemic''
2021 – ''Season not completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic''
2022 – Point Cook Centrals 10.4 (64) d Parkside 7.6 (48)
Division Three
1988 – Sunshine Heights 11.21.87 d East Brunswick 7.11.53
1989 – Laverton 2.16.28 d Wyndhamvale 4.3.27
1990 – Braybrook 16.16.112 d East Brunswick 11.9.75
1991 – Wembley Park 11.15.81 d Glen Orden 12.7.79
1992 – Glenorden 8.11.59 d Newport 5.5.35
1993 – North Melb & Kens 16.15.111 d Newport 4.6.30
1994 – Flemington 14.4.88 d Wyndhamvale 6.4.40
1995 – Newport 18.11.119 d Albanvale 3.15.33
1996 – West Newport 17.22.124 d Albanvale 7.10.52
1997 – Braybrook 18.18.126 d Laverton 10.16.76
1998 – Sunshine Heights 9.11.65 d Gladstone Park 8.11.59
2014 – Braybrook 12.15.87 d Albanvale 12.13.85
2015 – Albanvale 12.12.84 d Parkside 7.7.49
2016 – Newport Power 12.8.80 d Parkside 6.11.47
2017 – Parkside 12.17.89 d Tarneit 7.6.48
2018 – Point Cook Centrals 9.11.65 d Wyndham Suns 5.10.40
2019 – Glen Orden 10.12.72 d Albanvale 6.10.46
2020 – ''No football played due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic''
2021 – ''Season not completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic''
2022 – Braybrook 6.14 (50) d Wyndham Suns 5.18 (48)
Leading Goalkickers (Andrew Gibson Medal)
Junior clubs
*Albanvale
*Albion
*Altona Juniors
*Caroline Springs
*Deer Park
*Flemington Juniors
*Glen Orden
*Hoppers Crossing
*Manor Lakes
*Newport Power
*North Footscray
*PEGS Juniors
*Point Cook
*Point Cook Centrals
*Spotswood
*St Albans
*St Bernard's
*Sunshine
*Sunshine Heights
*Tarneit
*Werribee Centrals
*Werribee Districts
*West Footscray
*Williamstown Juniors
*Wyndham Suns
*Wyndhamvale
*Yarraville Seddon Eagles
Sources
* ''The Mail'' (Newspaper published in Footscray)
* Annual Reports of the Western Region Football League
*http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74738180
*http://footyscorearchive.wiki-site.com/index.php/WESTERN_REGION_FOOTBALL_LEAGUE
Book
*''History of the WRFL/FDFL'' – Kevin Hillier -
*''History of Football in Melbourne's North West'' – John Stoward -
References
External links
Official website
{{Aussie Rules in Victoria
Australian rules football competitions in Victoria (Australia)