History of the SWDFNL and now defunct leagues

[BigChippa52]

Westerns changed to the North Melbourne in 1983?..I was President and it was cheaper to buy the VFL jumpers than the old Maroon and yellow V jumpers. Plus they looked a lot more modern. Dartmoor changed from South Melbourne jumpers once Jeremy Cameron started playing with the Giants...in thoe days VFL clubs paid money to players' junior clubs..first game they got so much and the amounts increased for 20 games, 50 games etc. There was a cap on the payments of course.

do you know the exact year the swans switched from the V to the Diamond kit, also why they did that, swans brand was better time to switch back

 

[old time scoop]

I can't help withe the yer of the change because I left the district in 1984 and didn't return for a few years.

 

[BigChippa52]

I can't help withe the yer of the change because I left the district in 1984 and didn't return for a few years.

diamond dog kit wasn't worn by the dogs until the late 90's and i assume wasnt until then

 

[Todman]

There used to be a Port Fairy III XVIII that played in the PFFL.

So Seniors and Reserves in the Hampden FL and a Club XVIII in the Port Fairy FL. The Club XVIII failed to win a game in there last two seasons in the PFFL.

 

[BigChippa52]

There used to be a Port Fairy III XVIII that played in the PFFL.

So Seniors and Reserves in the Hampden FL and a Club XVIII in the Port Fairy FL. The Club XVIII failed to win a game in there last two seasons in the PFFL.

what years were those teams around for and where did they play? would love to know more

 

[Todman]

what years were those teams around for and where did they play? would love to know more

The Port Fairy FL was founded in 1927, there was always a Port Fairy side in it.

I suppose it was originally the Second 18 until Hampden insisted on PF having a reserve grade side.
John Stoward's book list reserve grade B&F from 1968. That would mean that in 1968 and 1969 when the team was winless and noncompetitive they scrounged around for players for the PFFL.

 

[brutus76]

In the early 20th century there was :
Glenelg Association Football League (which in 1928 consisted of Casterton, Coleraine, Hamilton and Portland)
Heywood District Association (which in 1929 consisted of Dartmoor, Heywood, Winnap and Rovers)
Western District League (which in 1930 consisted of Koroit, Hamilton, Portland, Port Fairy, South Warrnambool and Warrnambool)

 

[Tandy]

Just found this on a Facebook post, originally from the 1995 SWDFNL GF record. It details the league history and a young Marcus Picken is listed for Macarthur.

View attachment 1921045
View attachment 1921046

Great find munners.

 

[Tandy]

There used to be a Port Fairy III XVIII that played in the PFFL.

So Seniors and Reserves in the Hampden FL and a Club XVIII in the Port Fairy FL. The Club XVIII failed to win a game in there last two seasons in the PFFL.

Thanks for that info. I'll edit that into the OP at some stage

 

[Todman]

In 1948 Winnap and Dartmoor merged (WINMOOR) and played in the Mt Gambier DFL in 1948 and 1949. The league became South East and Border FL in 1950. Winmoor were runners up in 1950. Their last season was 1951.

1952 and stand alone Winnap joined the Heywood DFL. In 1955 Heywood DFL became Portland DFL with the joining of Branxholme and Wallacedale.
Dartmoor reformed in 1959 and joined the Portland DFL.

 

[BigChippa52]

In 1948 Winnap and Dartmoor merged (WINMOOR) and played in the Mt Gambier DFL in 1948 and 1949. The league became South East and Border FL in 1950. Winmoor were runners up in 1950. Their last season was 1951.

1952 and stand alone Winnap joined the Heywood DFL. In 1955 Heywood DFL became Portland DFL with the joining of Branxholme and Wallacedale.
Dartmoor reformed in 1959 and joined the Portland DFL.

same dartmoor club though? or a new dartmoor club to take its place?

 

[brutus76]

Prior to becoming a founder member in 1970 of the Portland-Port Fairy Football League, precursor of today’s South West District Football League, Dartmoor competed in various leagues and associations since the 1920s and many towns went from League to League as borders and regions and times changed. Here's some examples of leagues and their members in years gone past:


WESTERN DISTRICT LEAGUE
1925 - Cobden, Warrnambool, Camperdown, Port Fairy, Koroit, Mortlake, Allansford and Terang
1934 - Casterton, Coleraine, Koroit, Port Fairy, Hamilton, Macarthur and Portland
1939 (WWII in effect) - Hamilton, Coleraine, Casterton, Portland, Penshurst
1947 - Coleraine, Portland, Casterton, Hamilton, Penshurst, Heywood
1951 - Coleraine, Hamilton, Casterton, Imperials, Heywood, Penshurst, Portland and Dunkeld

HEYWOOD DISTRICT ASSOCIATION
1910 - Milltown, Heywood, Coasters and Wanderers
1928 - Heywood, Dartmoor, Ramblers , West Portland, Winnap and Rovers
1931 - Heywood, Dartmooor, Winnap and Condah
1946 - Drumborg, Dartmoor, Portland, Winnap, Heywood and Heathmere
1948 - Heywood, Tyrendarra, Portland and Heathmere (Winnap and Dartmoor withdrew)
1951 - Bessibelle, Westerns, Heathmere and Heywood

GLENELG (River) FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (my great-grandfather played for Federals in 1918)
1914 - Clifton Hill, Digby, Rovers and Merino
1918 - Federals, Rainbow, Sandford and Merino
1927 - Casterton, Coleraine, Condah and Portland
1929 - Coleraine, Casterton, Hamilton and Portland

PORT FAIRY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (which was reformed in 1930)
1930 - Port Fairy, Koroit, Tower Hill, Hawkesdale, Yambuk, Orford, Kirkstall and Macarthur
1933 - Port Fairy, Bessibelle, Orford and Yambuk

Port Fairy tried for years to get into the Hampden League in the 1930's and 1940's before finally getting admitted in 1949

 

[Todman]

Port Fairy tried for years to get into the Hampden League in the 1930's and 1940's before finally getting admitted in 1949

Local politics was the cause.

From 1927 to 1929 the Western District had east and west divisions, the top two from each division would play off for the flag.

In 1930 the board wanted to have a single division which meant all clubs play each other.

When the four eastern clubs broke away from the Western District FL in 1930, they didn't like the fact that the league was centred around Warrnambool.

They broke away because:

Terang and Camperdown were farmers and could not spend all day returning from Hamilton, Cows can't wait.
Mortlake thought it was too hard to travel to Hamilton and backed Terang and Camperdown.
Cobden accepted their fate and asked to join the new league.
There was a spur line from Mortlake to Terang and Camperdown to Cobden.

In response Portland was admitted in 1930 so there was a 6 sides.

In 1933 South Warrnambool and Warrnambool ask to join because crowd receipts were higher when playing Hampden clubs.
The centre point of the Hampden league was Terang.
In 1949 Colac and Port Fairy joined, one from the west and one from the east.
Same principle again in 1961 Koroit from the Western District FL and Coragulac from Polworth FA.

 

[thanksbasil]

Great info! Grew up in Casterton and played netball for Sandford in the early 2000s. No girls footy back then.

The Sandford and Casterton merger is interesting as back then there was quite a social divide between the two clubs. In netball, if you weren’t “good” enough to make the Casterton team, your only option was Sandford - which makes me chuckle as our netball teams were quite strong in the SWDFNL vs Casterton in the WDFNL. Unsure if this was the same for the football. Glad everyone is playing happy families now but it’s sad to see the decline in people playing sport and/or in the area’s population.

 

[Munners]

Glad everyone is playing happy families now but it’s sad to see the decline in people playing sport and/or in the area’s population.

Do you know how Sandford are honoured now days apart from the name and logo change?