# Central Goulburn Valley Football League

The Central Goulburn Valley Football League (CGVFL) was an Australian Rules Football League based in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria. The CGVFL was originally established as the Ardmona Central Junior Football Association in 1923, before being re-named to the Goulburn Valley Second Eighteens Football Association in 1926, Goulburn Valley Football Association in 1937 and finally the Central Goulburn Valley Football League on Monday, 11 March 1946 at the league's Annual General Meeting.

## History
### Goulburn Valley Second Eighteens Football Association (1926–1936) and renaming

The Goulburn Valley Second Eighteens Football Association (GVSEFA) superseded the Ardmona Central Junior Football Association, and was established in 1926 from the following Goulburn Valley clubs – Ardmona, Dookie, Mooroopna, Shepparton East and Undera, with Mr Brophy as president and Mr J Pearson as secretary as the initial office bearers.
This competition ran for eleven seasons, from 1926 to 1936 and was a completely separate competition to the Goulburn Valley Football Association.
Sir John Gladstone Black McDonald, who would later become the 37th premier of Victoria, was president of the GVSEFA from 1927 to 1933.
The GVSEFA was a Saturday afternoon competition, while the Goulburn Valley Football League was a Wednesday afternoon competition.
At the AGM of the GVSEFA in 1937 it was proposed to change the name of the association to just the Goulburn Valley Football Association and this was approved at the next delegates meeting in March, where it was also agreed to retain the junior status of the competition in favour of a senior football competition. 1937.
During this era, the "new" GVFA was played on Saturdays and the Goulburn Valley Football League was played on Wednesdays, with the new GVFA a more Shepparton based competition, with the grand final being played on the Shepparton Recreation Reserve (now Deakin Reserve) each year.
In 1940, Shepparton Imperials' committee decide to drop the "Imperials" from its name and would be known as just the Shepparton Football Club.
The GVFA went into recess between 1942 and 1944 due to World War II. During the late stages of World War II, the GVFA was revived in 1945, with the following teams competing – Ardmona, Dookie, Dookie College, Katandra, Mooroopna, Shepparton, Shepparton East, SPC and Tatura. Sheppparton East defeated SPC in the grand final and John McLeish from Dookie College won the 1945 – GVFA Best and Fairest / Shepparton Advertiser Trophy.
The GVFA changed its name to the Central Goulburn Valley Football League at the 1946 GVFA – AGM, when the Goulburn Valley Football League was re-established in 1946.
The Central Goulburn Valley Football League (CGVFL) was established on Monday, 11 March 1946 at the Annual General Meeting of the Goulburn Valley Football Association, when a name change of this Australian rules football competition took place.
In July, 1946, former Richmond player and Katandra captain, Eddie Ford collided with an Ardmona player, but played out the game and went home, but later became ill. Ford was taken to the Mooroopna Hospital, where he later died.
In 1947, CGVFL premiers, Ardmona were defeated by the premiers of the Murray Football League, Cobram, played at Numurkah in October, 1947.
On Thursday, 23 February 1950, the Centrals Seconds Association officially folded up and existing teams were recommended to join the CGVFL senior football competition.
At the 1950 CGVFL – AGM, Miepoll were admitted into the competition, Sheparton East and SPC merged, but joined the Goulburn Valley Football League as City United Football Club and Mr. J Pearson was elected as secretary for the 25th consecutive year of the following football competitions –
* Goulburn Valley Second Eighteens Football Association – 1926 to 1936
* Goulburn Valley Football Association – 1937 to 1945
* Central Goulburn Valley Football League – 1946 to 1952
In June, 1950, the Goulburn Valley Football League 13.14 – 92 defeated Central Goulburn Valley Football League 8.15 – 63.
The CGVFL officially went into "recess" at the 1953 CGVFL – AGM, but never reformed as a football competition.
A thorough history of this rural Australian rules football competition can be found in a great 1949 article in the Shepparton Advertiser by clicking on this citation.

## Clubs
### Final clubs

| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | CGVFL Seasons | CGVFL Senior Premierships | CGVFL Senior Premierships | Fate |
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | CGVFL Seasons | Total | Most recent | Fate |
| Dookie College | | Students | Dookie College | TTFA | 1908 | 1927, 1941-1952 | 1 | 1952 | Moved to Benalla Tungamah FL in 1953 |
| Katandra | | Kats | Katandra Recreation Reserve, Katandra West | KDFA | 1911 | 1936-1937, 1946-1952 | 2 | 1950, 1951 | Moved to Benalla Tungamah FL in 1953 |
| Miepoll | | | Miepoll Recreation Reserve, Miepoll | EDFA | 1900s | 1950-1952 | 0 | - | 1953-1954 unknown. Began playing in Kyabram District FL in1955. |
| Shepparton East | | | Central Park Recreation Reserve, Shepparton East | SSFA | 1925 | 1925-1926, 1945-1952 | 3 | 1926, 1945, 1948 | Entered recess after 1926 season. Re-formed in Shepparton Sunday FA in 1944. Merged with SPC to form City United in 1950, who fielded a team known as Shepparton East in CGVFL until the competition's demise. Re-formed in Kyabram District FL in 1956. |
| Tallygaroopna | | Redlegs | Tallygaroopna Recreation Reserve, Tallygaroopna | GVFA | 1904 | 1930-1940, 1946-1952 | 0 | - | Moved to Picola & District FL in 1953 |
| Undera | | Lions | Undera Recreation Reserve, Undera | KDJFA, KDFA | 1888 | 1923-1939, 1950-1952 | 2 | 1925, 1930 | Merged with Mooroopna in 1953, re-formed in Kyabram District FL in 1954 |

### Former clubs

| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | CGVFL Seasons | CGVFL Senior Premierships | CGVFL Senior Premierships | Fate |
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | CGVFL Seasons | Total | Most recent | Fate |
| Ardmona | | | Ardmona Recreation Reserve, Ardmona | TDFA | 1920 | 1923-1949 | 5 | 1932, 1933, 1935, 1936 1947 | Entered recess in 1950, re-formed in Kyabram District FL in 1957 |
| Benalla All Blacks (reserve grade only) | | | Friendlies Oval, Benalla | TTFA | 1934 | 1946 | 0 | - | Entered recess in early 1947, re-formed in Benalla & District FL in 1953 |
| Bunbartha | | | Bunbartha Recreation Reserve, Bunbartha | GVFA | 1910 | 1928-1930 | 0 | - | Absorbed by Tallygaroopna in 1931 |
| Cosgrove | | | | KDFA | | 1927-1929 | 0 | - | Merged with Dookie in 1930 to form Dookie Cosgrove |
| Dookie | | Magpies | Dookie Recreation Reserve, Dookie | DFA, KDFA | 1887 | 1926, 1940-1948 | 0 | - | Moved to Benalla Tungamah FL in 1949 |
| Dookie Cosgrove | | | | – | 1930 | 1930 | 0 | - | De-merged into Dookie and Cosgrove, which both moved to Katandra FA in 1931 |
| Kyabram Youth Club | | | | – | 1940s | 1949-1950 | 0 | - | Moved to Kyabram District FL in 1951 |
| Lemnos | | | Lemnos Recreation Reserve, Lemnos | – | 1928 | 1928-1941 | 4 | 1934, 1937, 1938, 1940 | Moved to Goulburn Valley FL in 1946 as Lemnos-Shepparton |
| Merrigum | | | Merrigum Recreation Reserve, Merrigum | CFA | 1902 | 1923-1924 | 0 | - | Moved to Kyabram District Junior FA in 1925 |
| Mooroopna | | Cats | Mooroopna Recreation Reserve, Mooroopna | GVFL | 1877 | 1939-1948 | 2 | 1939, 1946 | Returned to Goulburn Valley FL in 1949 |
| Mooroopna Seconds | | Cats | Mooroopna Recreation Reserve, Mooroopna | SDSEFA | 1877 | 1923-1948 | 2 | 1928, 1929 | Moved to Goulburn Valley FL in 1949 |
| North West Mooroopna | | | | | | 1923-1924 | 0 | - | Folded |
| Numurkah Seconds | | Blues | Numurkah Recreation Reserve, Numurkah | PDFL | 1882 | 1948-1949 | 0 | - | Moved to Picola & District FL in 1950 |
| Shepparton | | Maroons | Deakin Reserve, Shepparton | GVFL | 1880s | 1940-1949 | 2 | 1941, 1949 | Returned to Goulburn Valley FL in 1950 |
| Shepparton Boys | | | | – | 1950 | 1950 | 0 | - | Folded in 1951 |
| Shepparton Imperials | | Fuchsias, Imps | Deakin Reserve, Shepparton | Unknown league "in the vicinity of Kialla" | 1924 | 1926-1929, 1931-1939 | 2 | 1927, 1934 | Entered recess due to WWII, re-formed in 1945 as SPC |
| Shepparton Preserving Company (SPC) | | | Deakin Reserve, Shepparton | SSFA | 1945 | 1945-1949 | 0 | - | Merged with Shepparton East to form City United in 1950 |
| Shepparton Settlement | | | | | | 1926 | 0 | - | Entered recess in 1927 |
| Tatura Reserves | | Bulldogs | Tatura Showgrounds, Tatura | GVFL | 1904 | 1945 | 0 | - | Re-joined Goulburn Valley FL in 1946 |
| Tatura Reserves | | Bulldogs | Tatura Showgrounds, Tatura | | 1904 | 1923-?, 1933-1935 | 2 | 1923, 1924 | |
| Toolamba | | Grasshoppers | Toolamba Recreation Reserve, Toolamba | GVFL | 1930s | 1923-?, 1931-1940, 1946, 1949-1951 | 0 | - | Absorbed by Murchison in 1952 |
| Wunghnu | | Magpies | Wunghnu Recreation Reserve, Wunghnu | GVFA | 1874 | 1931-1939, 1949-1950 | 1 | 1931 | Moved to Picola & District FL in 1951 |

## CGVFL Honour Board

| Year | Premiers | Score | Runners Up | Score | Grade / Venue | President | Secretary | Treasurer |
| Central Ardmona Junior FA |||||||||
| 1923 | Tatura | | | | | | | |
| 1924 | Tatura | | | | | | | |
| 1925 | Undera | 5.9 (39) | Shepparton East | 4.3 (27) | At Mooroopna | | | |
| Goulburn Valley Second Eighteens FA |||||||||
| 1926 | Shepparton East | 14.11 (95) | Dookie | 4.9 (33) | At Shepparton | | | |
| 1927 | Shepparton Imperials | | Mooroopna | | | | | |
| 1928 | Mooroopna | | Shepparton Imperials | | | | | |
| 1929 | Mooroopna | | Ardmona | | | | | |
| 1930 | Undera | 10.9 (69) | Ardmona | 8.6 (54) | At Shepparton | | | |
| 1931 | Wunghnu | 16.11 (107) | Toolamba | 12.21 (93) | At Shepparton | | | |
| 1932 | Ardmona | 14.17 (101) | Toolamba | 13.12 (90) | At Shepparton | | | |
| 1933 | Ardmona | | Toolamba (forfeit) | | Not held. Toolamba forfeited due to the choice of umpire. | | | |
| 1934 | Shepparton Imperials | | Ardmona | | | | | |
| 1935 | Ardmona | 10.6 (66) | Shepparton Imperials | 8.10 (48) | At Shepparton | | | |
| 1936 | Ardmona | 10.11 (71) | Lemnos | 9 12 (66) | At Shepparton | | | |
| Goulburn Valley Football Association |||||||||
| 1937 | Lemnos | 12.12 – 84 | Undera | 7.14 – 56 | At Shepparton | | | |
| 1938 | Lemnos | 12.11 – 83 | Mooroopna | 12.11 – 83 | At Shepparton. Drawn Grand Final | | | |
| 1938 | Lemnos | 18.18 – 126 | Mooroopna | 7.14 – 56 | At Shepparton. Grand Final Replay | | | |
| 1939 | Mooroopna | 10.15 – 75 | Lemnos | 10.14 – 74 | At Shepparton | | | |
| 1940 | Lemnos | 7.18 – 60 | Shepparton | 7.14 – 56 | Neo Cafe Cup | | | |
| 1941 | Shepparton | 11.9 – 85 | Ardmona | 9.7 – 61 | At Shepparton | | | |
| 1942/44 | In recess - WW2 | In recess - WW2 | In recess - WW2 | In recess - WW2 | In recess - WW2 | In recess - WW2 | In recess - WW2 | In recess - WW2 |
| 1945 | Shepparton East | 10.9 69 | S.P.C. | 9.5 – 59 | At Shepparton. GVFA revived | | | |
| Central Goulburn Valley Football League |||||||||
| 1946 | Mooroopna | 12.16 – 88 | Shepparton | 9.15 – 69 | Senior Premiers, At Shepparton RR | N W Fairless | J Pearson | J Pearson |
| 1946 | All Blacks | 18.9 – 117 | Toolamba | 14.9 – 93 | Seconds Premiers, At Shepparton RR | N W Fairless | J Pearson | J Pearson |
| 1947 | Ardmona | 7.11 – 53 | Shepparton | 5.10 – 40 | Senior Premiers, At Shepparton RR | M G O'Brien | J Pearson | J Pearson |
| 1947 | Shepparton Boys | 8.13 – 61 | Shepparton | 7.3 – 45 | Seconds Premiers, At Shepparton RR | M G O'Brien | J Pearson | J Pearson |
| 1948 | Shepparton East | 10.12 – 72 | Shepparton | 10.7 – 67 | Senior Premiers, At Deakin Reserve | M G O'Brien | J Pearson | J Pearson |
| 1948 | SPC | 11.14 – 80 | Numurkah | 5.13 – 43 | Seconds Premiers, At Deakin Reserve | M G O'Brien | J Pearson | J Pearson |
| 1949 | Shepparton | 8.8 – 56 | S.P.C. | 4.18 – 42 | Senior Premiers, At Deakin Reserve. | M G O'Brien | J Pearson | J Pearson |
| 1949 | SPC | 3.10 – 28 | Tallygaroopna | 3.10 – 28 | Tied Seconds Grand Final, At Deakin Reserve. | M G O'Brien | J Pearson | J Pearson |
| 1949 | Tallygaroopna | 9.14 – 68 | SPC | 6.12 – 48 | Seconds Grand Final Replay, At Numurkah. | M G O'Brien | J Pearson | J Pearson |
| 1950 | Katandra | 15.15 – 105 | Dookie College | 12.9 – 81 | At Deakin Reserve | Cr. C H Whitfield | J Pearson | J Pearson |
| 1951 | Katandra | 13.19 – 97 | Dookie College | 10.3 – 63 | At Deakin Reserve | Cr. C H Whitfield | J Pearson | J Pearson |
| 1952 | Dookie College | 16.6 – 102 | Katandra | 6.5 – 35 | At Deakin Reserve | Cr. C H Whitfield | J Pearson | J Pearson |
* Shepparton RR – Shepparton Recreation Reserve (venue name was changed to Deakin Reserve in October, 1947, after Alfred Deakin)

## CGVFL – Best and Fairest Award

This award was donated by and called the Shepparton Advertiser Trophy, in 1946 and 1947, then was called the Neal Hanlon Memorial Trophy from 1948 to 1952.
| Year | Winners | Club | Votes | Runner Up | Club | Votes |
| 1946 | W "Bill" Hanlon & | Shepparton East | 18 | Eddie Ford & | Katandra | 16 |
| | Eric "Bubby" James | Shepparton | 18 | J Williams | Dookie College | 16 |
| 1947 | Eric Roscoe | Shepparton | 48 | Alex Slocombe | Dookie College | 36 |
| 1948 | Alex Slocombe | Dookie College | 31 | M Dexter & | Dookie College | 28 |
| | | | | Pat Dalton | Shepparton East | 28 |
| 1949 | Murray Slee | Shepparton | 34 | Pat Dalton | Shepparton East | 28 |
| 1950 | John Landy | Dookie College | 32 | Jimmy Wong | Shepparton Boys | 23 |
| 1951 | Harry Cook | Shepparton East | 26 | Max Mills | Katandra | 21 |
| 1952 | Jim Hovey | Tallygaroopna | 27 | Max Mills | Katandra | 26 |
1946: Eric James also won the Goulburn Valley Football League's Morrison Medal in 1935 & 1937, with the Shepparton Football Club.

## CGVFL – Leading Goalkicker

| Year | Winner | Club | Goals | Goals in finals |
| 1946 | Norman Marchment | S.P.C. | ? | ? |
| 1947 | Norman Marchment | S.P.C. | 97 | |
| 1948 | Norm Thorne | Mooroopna | 88 | |
| 1949 | K Roulent | S.P.C. | 41 | |
| 1950 | R "Dick" Broughton | Tallygaroopna | 61 | 5 = 66 |
| 1951 | R Bearham | Dookie College | 28 | 0, 2 & 3 = 33 |
| 1952 | ? | | | |