# Yarra Junior Football League

The Yarra Junior Football League (YJFL) is the largest junior Australian rules football league in Australia. The league has a total of 30 clubs, who are based around northern, eastern and north-eastern Melbourne. There is a total of 66 divisions throughout the league.

## History

The YJFL was formed through the merging of the Doncaster & Districts Junior Football League (DDJFL) and the Hawthorn Districts Junior Football League (HDJFL) in 1997. The league began with a total of 4628 registered players. They were spread out between 180 teams and 25 foundation clubs. Since then, the number of players is over double the original number, with 10,614 players participating in 2019. It has also grown to 508 teams between 30 clubs, as per data gathered in 2019.
In 2000, the Heidelberg Tigers moved into the YJFL after a major club reform. Over the next ten years, 5 teams joined the league, those teams being the Preston Bullants in 2001, the North Brunswick Giants in 2005 (at that time known as the 'Bulls'), the Parkside Devils and certain divisions from the Ashburton Redbacks in 2006, the Boroondara Hawks and the rest of the divisions from the Ashburton Redbacks in 2008, and the Brunswick Dragons in 2010.
In 2011, the first Youth Girls divisions were launched, with some teams given the support of the AFL.
In 2015 and 2016, the league witnessed spikes in growth after they introduced an under-8s competition and the new South Yarra Junior Football Club.
In January 2020, the presidents from the former Greythorn Falcons and Balwyn Tigers decided to merge their clubs into the Balwyn Greythorn Jets Junior Football Club, to create a more powerful club, as they were already located very close together.

## Clubs
### Current clubs

| Club | Moniker | Home ground | Est. | Former league | Joined YJFL | Associated senior club |
| Aquinas | Bloods | JW Manson Reserve, Wantirna | 2013 | − | 2015 | Aquinas - VAFA |
| Ashburton | Redbacks | Burwood Reserve and Ferndale Reserve, Glen Iris | 1971 | HDJFL | 2006 | None |
| Balwyn | Tigers | Balwyn Park, Balwyn and Gordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North | 2023 | − | 2024 | Balwyn - EFNL |
| Banyule | Bears | Beverley Road Reserve and AJ Burkitt Oval, Heidelberg | 1967 | DDJFL | 1997 | Banyule - NFNL |
| Beverley Hills | Lions | Zerbes Reserve, Doncaster East | 1967 | DDJFL | 1997 | Doncaster East - EFNL |
| Brunswick | Dragons | Gillon Oval, Brunswick | 2010 | − | 2010 | Brunswick - VAFA |
| Bulleen Templestowe | Bullants | Ted Ajani Reserve, Templestowe Lower | 1990 | DDJFL | 1997 | Bulleen Templestowe - EFNL |
| Bundoora | Bulls | N J Telfer Reserve, Bundoora | 1961 | DDJFL | 1997 | Bundoora - NFNL |
| Camberwell | Sharks | Lynden Park, Camberwell | 1997 | − | 1997 | None |
| Canterbury | Cobras | Canterbury Sportsground, Canterbury | 1997 | − | 1997 | Canterbury - VAFA |
| Carlton | Blues | Number 1 Oval, Princes Park, Carlton North | 2016 | − | 2016 | None |
| Doncaster | Cats | Schramms Reserve, Doncaster | 1968 | DDJFL | 1997 | Doncaster - EFNL |
| Fitzroy | Lions | Cox and Olney Ovals, Fairfield; Alfred Crescent and W.T. Peterson Ovals, Fitzroy North; Ramsden Street Reserve, Clifton Hill; Victoria Park, Abbotsford | 1993 | HDJFL | 1997 | Fitzroy - VAFA |
| Glen Iris | Gladiators | T.H. King and Righetti Oval, Glen Iris | 1987 | HDJFL | 1997 | None |
| Hawthorn Citizens | Citz | Victoria Road and Rathmines Road Reserves, Hawthorn East; Glenferrie Oval, Hawthorn | 1992 | HDJFL | 1997 | Hawthorn AFC - VAFA |
| Heidelberg | Tigers | Heidelberg Park and Warringal Park, Heidelberg | 2000 | − | 2000 | Heidelberg - NFNL |
| Ivanhoe | Hoes | Ivanhoe Park, Ivanhoe | 1966 | DDJFL | 1997 | Ivanhoe - NFNL |
| Kew | Comets | Victoria Park, Kew | 1971 | HDJFL | 1997 | Kew - VAFA |
| Kew Rovers | Rovers | Stradbroke Park, Kew East | 1971 | DDJFL | 1997 | Kew - VAFA |
| Macleod | Eagles | Macleod Reserve, Macleod; Greensborough College, Greensborough; De Winton Reserve, Rosanna | 1968 | NFNL | 1997 | Macleod - NFNL |
| Northcote | Cougars | McDonnell Park, Northcote | 1962 | NFNL | 2020 | Northcote Park - NFNL |
| North Brunswick | Giants | Allard Park, Brunswick East | 2005 | − | 2005 | North Brunswick - VAFA |
| Parade St Damians | Saints | Binnak Park, Watsonia North | 1979 | NFNL | 1997 | None |
| Park Orchards North Ringwood Parish | Sharks | Domeney Reserve and Stintons Reserve, Park Orchards | 1991 | DDJFL | 1997 | Park Orchards - EFNL |
| Parkside | Devils | Pitcher Park, Alphington | 2005 | − | 2006 | Parkside - VAFA |
| Preston Bullants | Bullants | H P Zwar Park, Preston | 2000 | − | 2001 | Preston Bullants - VAFA |
| Richmond | Tigers | Citizens Park, Richmond and Kevin Bartlett Complex, Burnley | 1973 | HDJFL | 1997 | Richmond Central - VAFA |
| St Marys Greensborough | Burras | Whatmough Park, Greensborough | 1973 | DDJFL | 1997 | St Marys - NFNL |
| Surrey Park | Panthers | Surrey Park, Box Hill | 1994 | | 1997 | Surrey Park - EFNL |
| Templestowe | Dockers | Templestowe Reserve, Templestowe | 1969 | DDJFL | 1997 | Templestowe - EFNL |
| Warrandyte | Bloods | Warrandyte Reserve, Warrandyte | 1975 | EDJFL, DDJFL | 1997 | Warrandyte - EFNL |
| Whitehorse | Colts | Springfield Reserve, Box Hill North | 1997 | − | 1997 | Whitehorse Pioneers - EFNL |
* Templestowe known as Doncaster Heights until 2014

### Former clubs

| Club | Moniker | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Joined YJFL | Final season | Associated senior club | Current status |
| Balwyn | Tigers | Balwyn Park, Balwyn and Gordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North | | | 2001 | 2020 | Balwyn - EFNL | Merged 2020 with Greythorn |
| Balwyn-Greythorn | Jets | Balwyn Park, Balwyn and Gordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North | − | 2019 | 2020 | 2023 | Balwyn - EFNL | Merged 2023 with Boroondara |
| Bayswater Bombers | Bombers | Marie Wallace Bayswater Park, Bayswater | − | | 2012 | 2012 | None | Folded |
| Boroondara | Hawks | Gordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North | − | 2008 | 2008 | 2023 | None | Merged 2023 with Balwyn-Greythorn |
| Chirnside Park | Panthers | Kimberley Reserve, Chirnside Park | − | 1978 | 2011 | 2015 | Chirnside Park − EFNL | EFNL |
| East Brighton Vampires | Vampires | Hurlingham Reserve, Brighton East | − | 1948 | 2015 | 2015 | East Brighton - SFNL | SMJFL |
| East Malvern | Knights | Basil Reserve, Malvern East | − | 1986 | 2011 | 2015 | East Malvern − SFNL | SMJFL |
| Eastern Devils | Devils | Bulleen Park, Bulleen | − | 1999 | 2011 | 20?? | Eastern Devils − EFNL | EFNL |
| Greythorn | Falcons | Greythorn Park, Balwyn North | | | 2001 | 2020 | None | Merged 2020 with Balwyn |
| Healesville | Bloods | Don Road Sporting Complex, Healesville | − | 1888 | 2011 | 2014 | Healesville − OEFNL | OEFNL |
| Highett | Bulldogs | Peterson Street Reserve, Highett | − | 1988 | 2015 | 2015 | Highett - SFNL | SMJFL |
| Montmorency | Magpies | Montmorency Park, Montmorency | | 1968 | 1997 | 2022 | Montmorency - NFNL | NFNL |
| Seville Ranges | Rangers | Wandin East Recreation Reserve, Wandin East | − | 20?? | 2011 | 2015 | Seville Ranges - VWFL | Folded 20?? |
| South Yarra | Lions | Leigh Park, Balwyn North | − | 2015 | 2016 | 2021 | South Yarra - SFNL | Folded 2022 |
| St Peters | Bulldogs | Centenary Park, Bentleigh East | − | 1957 | 2015 | 2015 | None | SMJFL |

## Girls football
### Beginnings

The first girls division was introduced in the 2011 season as a "Youth Girls" (under-18s) division, which had a total of 10 teams participating. This division also included teams from other leagues that did not have any girls-only divisions. In 2012, a girls under-12s division was formed, with 5 clubs fielding teams in the division. The "Youth Girls" division grew to a total of 12 teams, up two from the year before. One year later, an under 14 girls division was formed to help bridge the gap between the Youth Girls and under 12 girls divisions. It had a total of 4 teams participating in its first year. The number of teams in these divisions nearly doubled in 2014, rising from 17 to 31.

### 2019−present

After only 10 teams in the first year of female-only teams in the Yarra Junior Football League, the total spiked to 122 female-only teams in 2019. There were 2810 female players in the league in 2019, which meant that female-players made up just over a quarter of all players in the league. There are now eight female divisions: Under 10 Girls, Under 11 Girls, Under 12 Girls, Under 13 Girls, Under 14 Girls, Under 15 Girls, Under 16 Girls and the Youth Girls.

## Community
### North East Link Controversy

The Yarra Junior Football League community rallied against the controversial North East Link project, due to the removal of their headquarters, which was in the path of the proposed road. The North East Link Authority proposed a new headquarters location at Ford Park, Bellfield, but met resistance from the league due to worries that Ford Park is too far away for many teams in the league.

### Partnership with Collingwood

In early July 2020, it was announced that the Collingwood Football Club would enter a 'Major Community Partnership' with the Yarra Junior Football League. This partnership was formed as a part of an initiative to support grassroots football. Six main projects were announced as part of the partnership, including junior development programs to encourage participation in junior football, sport medical programs and research, fundraising events to raise money, support for talent pathways for junior players through to the elite levels, female football development programs and the development of projects to expand community facilities.

## AFL/AFLW players

Many players who went on to play in the Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (AFLW) began their football careers in the YJFL.
Adelaide Football Club
* Jake Kelly
* David Mackay
* Ayce Taylor
* Ben Crocker
Brisbane Lions Football Club
* Toby Wooller
Carlton Football Club
* Marc Murphy
* Matthew Kreuzer
* Jack Silvagni
* Sam Philp
* Matthew Owies
* Marc Pittonet
* Jack Newnes
* Dylan Buckley
Collingwood Football Club
* Tom Langdon
* Jordan De Goey
* Darcy Moore
* Tom Phillips
* Brayden Sier
* Rupert Wills
* Callum Brown
* Josh Daicos
* Tyler Brown
* Isaac Quaynor
* Finlay Macrae
* Trent Bianco
* Atu Bosenavulagi
Essendon Football Club
* Michael Hurley
* Patrick Ambrose
* Nick Bryan
* Kyle Langford
* James Stewart
* Tom Cutler
Gold Coast Football Club
* Matthew Rowell
* Noah Anderson
Greater Western Sydney Football Club
* Toby Greene
* Aidan Corr
Hawthorn Football Club
* Blake Hardwick
* Tom Mitchell
Melbourne Football Club
* Adam Tomlinson
* Jack Viney
* Christian Petracca
* Ed Langdon
North Melbourne Football Club
* Jamie MacMillan
* Luke McDonald
* Ed Vickers-Willis
* Nick Larkey
* Dom Tyson
Port Adelaide Football Club
* Darcy Byrne-Jones
* Dan Houston
Richmond Football Club
* Jason Castagna
* Kane Lambert
* Patrick Naish
St Kilda Football Club
* Jack Billings
* Jack Sinclair
* Dan Hannebery
* Nick Coffield
Sydney Swans Football Club
* Josh Kennedy
* James Rowbottom
* Justin McInerney
West Coast Football Club
* Luke Shuey
* Andrew Gaff
Western Bulldogs Football Club
* Jack Macrae
* Billy Gowers
* Ed Richards