# Warrnambool District Football League

Warrnambool District Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the region of rural of Warrnambool. It is a ten team competition starting in April and finishing in September. The league was founded in 1946.

## History

While the history of Warrnambool & District FL commenced in 1946 there were several other leagues that fulfilled the needs for senior age players before the WW2.
When the Warrnambool DFA merged with the Corangamite FA in 1924 to form the Western District FL it created a void for young footballers who were not able to play for the major town teams.
In 1924 they organised ward football, Warrnambool was divided into four wards, Albert, Merri, Hopkins and Victoria wards.this lasted four years before being replaced by Warrnambool City Association. In 1931 the Warrnambool Junior Football Association came into being and lasted until the hostilities of WW2

## Clubs
### Current

| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in WDFNL | WDFL Senior Premierships | WDFL Senior Premierships |
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in WDFNL | Total | Years |
| Allansford (West End-Allansford) | | Cats | Allansford Recreation Reserve, Allansford | – | 1971 | 1971- | 7 | 1971, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1987 |
| Dennington | | Dogs | Dennington Recreation Reserve, Dennington | WCFA | 1900s | 1953- | 4 | 1966, 1982, 1988, 2015 |
| Kolora Noorat | | Power | Noorat Recreation Reserve, Noorat | – | 2003 | 2003- | 5 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2019 |
| Merrivale | | Tigers | Merrivale Recreation Reserve, Warrnambool | WCFA | 1931 | 1946- | 7 | 1958, 1979, 1991, 1996, 2003, 2006, 2014 |
| Nirranda | | Blues | Nirranda Recreation Reserve, Nirranda | HFL | 1900s | 1992- | 6 | 1999, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| Old Collegians | | Warriors | Davidson Oval, Warrnambool | – | 1951 | 1951- | 8 | 1956, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1984, 1989, 1992 |
| Panmure | | Bulldogs | Panmure Recreation Reserve, Panmure | HMFNL | 1919 | 1997- | 5 | 1997, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2013 |
| Russells Creek | | Kangaroos | Mack Oval, Warrnambool | – | 1931 | 1946- | 9 | 1946, 1947, 1957, 1963, 1973, 1974, 1990, 1998, 2000 |
| South Rovers | | Lions | Walter Oval, Warrnambool | WDJFA | 1919 | 1946- | 5 | 1975, 1985, 1986, 1993, 2007 |
| Timboon | | Demons | Timboon Recreation Reserve, Timboon | – | 2002 | 2003- | 1 | 2008 |
South Rovers

### Former

| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in WDFNL | WDFL Senior Premierships | WDFL Senior Premierships | Fate |
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in WDFNL | Total | Years | Fate |
| Bushfield | | | Bushfield Recreation Reserve, Bushfield | HFL | 1900s | 1959–1985 | 1 | 1977 | Merged with Grassmere to form Northern Districts in 1986 |
| Deakin University (W.I.A.E) | | Sharks | The Pond, Warrnambool and DC Farran Oval, Mortlake | – | 1977 | 1977–2016 | 0 | - | Folded in 2017 |
| East Warrnambool | | Bombers | Reid Oval, Warrnambool | WCFA | 1900s | 1900s–2019 | 2 | 1967, 1995 | Folded in 2020 due to COVID |
| Grassmere | | | Purnim Recreation Reserve, Purnim | HFL | 1900s | 1959–1985 | 3 | 1960, 1968, 1972 | Merged with Bushfield to form Northern Districts in 1986 |
| Koroit | | Saints | Victoria Park, Koroit | PFFL | 1886 | 1943-1945 | 2 | 1943, 1944 | Returned to Port Fairy FL in 1946 |
| Northern Districts | | Eagles | Bushfield Recreation Reserve, Bushfield | – | 1986 | 1986–1997 | 1 | 1994 | Moved to Hampden FNL in 1997 under the name North Warrnambool |
| Tower Hill | | Demons | Killarney Recreation Reserve, Killarney | PFFL | 1919 | 1958–1983 | 2 | 1959, 1961 | Folded in 1984 |
| Wangoom | | | Wangoom Recreation Reserve, Wangoom | HFL | 1919 | 1949 | 0 | - | Folded in 1950s |
| West End | | | | – | 1920s | 1943–1970 | 9 | 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1962 | Merged with Allansford to form West End-Allansford in 1971 |
| Yambuk | | Blues | Yambuk Recreation Reserve, Yambuk | SWDFNL | 1920s | 1981–1987 | 0 | - | Folded in 1988 |

## Founding

* West End (merged with Allansford in 1971)
* South Warrnambool Juniors (now known as South Rovers)
* Merrivale
* Russells Creek

## Notable players

Dave Hughes Old Collegians
Luke Thompson Timboon
Hugh McCluggage Allansford
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan East Warrnambool
Ben Cross East Warrnambool
Nick Bourke Kolora Norat

## Premiers

* 1946 Russell Creek 9 6 60 def South Juniors 8 8 56
* 1947 Russell Creek 7 12 54 def West End 6 8 44
* 1948 West End 8 16 64 def South Rovers 6 12 48
* 1949 West End 10 4 64 def East Stars 4 12 36
* 1950 West End 10 12 72 def Merrivale 1 10 16
* 1951 West End 10 8 68 def Merrivale 7 9 51
* 1952 West End 8 5 53 def Merrivale 5 15 45
* 1953 West End 19 7 121 def Russell Creek 8 12 60
* 1954 West End 13 14 92 def Merrivale 6 18 54
* 1955 West End 7 8 50 def Old Collegians 4 13 37
* 1956 Old Collegians 13 16 94 def South Rovers 8 10 58
* 1957 Russell Creek 10 11 71 def South Rovers 6 2 38
* 1958 Merrivale 13 15 93 def Russell Creek 13 13 91
* 1959 Tower Hill 9 10 64 def Grassmere 3 3 21
* 1960 Grassmere 11 8 74 def South Rovers 9 7 61
* 1961 Tower Hill 5 12 42 def Old Collegians 3 5 23
* 1962 West End 7 10 52 def Old Collegians 6 9 45
* 1963 Russell Creek 9 14 68 def Old Collegians 3 7 25
* 1964 Old Collegians 7 13 55 def Russell Creek 6 11 47
* 1965 Old Collegians 8 11 59 def Bushfield 8 9 57
* 1966 Dennington 12 15 87 def Old Collegians 9 7 61
* 1967 East Warrnambool 10 12 72 def Old Collegians 10 7 67
* 1968 Grassmere 7 11 53 def Merrivale 7 8 50
* 1969 Old Collegians 9 6 60 def Merrivale 7 12 54
* 1970 Old Collegians 16 10 106 def Dennington 10 14 74
* 1971 WE Allansford 13 15 93 def Merrivale 12 18 90
* 1972 Grassmere 15 15 105 def Dennington 11 11 77
* 1973 Russell Creek 15 11 101 def Dennington 11 12 78
* 1974 Russell Creek 9 7 61 def Merrivale 5 9 39
* 1975 South Rovers 15 11 101 def Russell Creek 11 11 77
* 1976 WE Allansford 16 15 111 def East Warrnambool 12 10 82
* 1977 Bushfield 12 16 88 def East Warrnambool 9 6 60
* 1978 WE Allansford 16 14 110 def Dennington 8 14 62
* 1979 Merrivale 12 10 82 def WE Allansford 10 13 73
* 1980 WE Allansford 12 18 90 def Dennington 5 9 39
* 1981 WE Allansford 18 14 122 Defeated Dennington 13 15 93
* 1982 Dennington 19 14 128 def WE Allansford 16 15 111
* 1983 WE Allansford 21 19 145 def Dennington 9 7 61
* 1984 Old Collegians 14 11 95 def WE Allansford 8 13 61
* 1985 South Rovers 18 11 119 def WE Allansford 8 18 66
* 1986 South Rovers 14 12 96 def Dennington 4 5 29
* 1987 WE Allansford 16 12 108 def Old Collegians 13 9 87
* 1988 Dennington 10 14 74 def Old Collegians 6 8 44
* 1989 Old Collegians 19 18 132 def Dennington 8 11 59
* 1990 Russell Creek 12 11 83 def Institute 10 15 75
* 1991 Merrivale 16 16 112 def Old Collegians 14 9 93
* 1992 Old Collegians 8 9 57 def Northern Districts 3 10 28
* 1993 South Rovers 14 10 94 def Nirranda 8 16 64
* 1994 Northern Districts 19 16 130 def East Warrnambool 9 13 67
* 1995 East Warrnambool 33 10 208 def Merrivale 10 5 65
* 1996 Merrivale 24 20 164 def Russell Creek 16 6 102
* 1997 Panmure 16 8 104 def Merrivale 11 13 79
* 1998 Russell Creek 15 7 97 def Panmure 11 10 76
* 1999 Nirranda 10 7 67 def Russell Creek 5 5 35
* 2000 Russell Creek 10 8 68 def Deakin Uni 9 7 61
* 2001 Panmure 16 3 99 def Deakin Uni 11 11 77
* 2002 Panmure 11 8 74 def Merrivale 6 8 44
* 2003 Merrivale 19 7 121 def Russell Creek 17 8 110
* 2004 Russell Creek 22 12 144 def Allansford 4 12 36
* 2005 Russell Creek 19 13 127 def Old Collegians 14 12 96
* 2006 Merrivale 20 16 136 def Dennington 12 9 81
* 2007 South Rovers 19 10 124 def Timboon 17 16 118
* 2008 Timboon 18 12 120 def Kolora-Noorat 17 9 111
* 2009 Kolora-Noorat 12 11 83 def Timboon 5 3 33
* 2010 Kolora-Noorat 11 6 72 def Dennington 9 10 64
* 2011 Kolora-Noorat 15 12 102 def Old Collegians 12 15 87
* 2012 Panmure 9 4 58 def Kolora-Noorat 7 12 54
* 2013 Panmure 13 13 91 def Dennington 5 11 41
* 2014 Merrivale 11 9 75 def Panmure 6 12 66
* 2015 Dennington 12 15 87 def Merrivale 12 7 79
* 2016 Nirranda 6 9 46 def Old Collegians 5 8 38
* 2017 Kolora Noorat 17 7 109 def Old Collegians 8 7 55
* 2018 Nirranda 10 11 71 def Old Collegians 5 10 40 (3 GFs in a row)
* 2019 Kolora-Noorat 10 8 68 def Nirranda 3 14 32
* 2020 League in recess due to COVID19 pandemic
* 2022 Nirranda 16 22 118 def Panmure 4 7 31
* 2023 Nirranda 9 8 62 def Merrivale 6 5 41
* 2024 Nirranda 9 10 64 def Merrivale 9 6 60

## Changing teams

1947
* East Stars
* Koroit Seconds (one season only)
* South Warrnambool Juniors become South Rovers
1949
* Wangoom (one season only)
1951
* YCW (renamed Old Collegians in 1953)
1953
* Dennington
1957
* Tower Hill joined from Port Fairy FL
1959
* Bushfield joined from Purnim FL
* Grassmere joined from Purnim FL
1965
* East Stars become East Warrnambool
1970
* West End and Allansford from (Purnim FL) merged to form West End Allansford
1977
* W.I.A.E. (Warrnambool Institute of Advanced Education) joined
1981
* Yambuk joined
1984
* Tower Hill folded
1986
* Northern Districts created from (merger of Bushfield and Grassmere)
1988
* Yambuk folded
1992
* Nirranda
* W.I.A.E change name to Deakin University
1997
* Northern Districts joined the Hampden League as North Warrnambool
* Panmure
2003
* Timboon Demons
* Kolora-Noorat
2017
* Deakin University Folded
2019
* East Warrnambool went into recess

## 2021 Ladder

| Warrnambool DFL | Wins | Byes | Losses | Draws | For | Against | % | Pts |
| Nirranda | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1687 | 445 | 379.10% | 52 |
| Kolora-Noorat | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1493 | 599 | 249.25% | 48 |
| Merrivale | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1280 | 653 | 196.02% | 36 |
| Panmure | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1245 | 752 | 165.56% | 32 |
| South Rovers | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1122 | 891 | 125.93% | 24 |
| Russell Creek | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1079 | 983 | 109.77% | 24 |
| Old Collegians | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 687 | 1303 | 52.72% | 20 |
| Allansford | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 574 | 1204 | 47.67% | 16 |
| Timboon Demons | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 589 | 1330 | 44.29% | 8 |
| Dennington | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 311 | 1907 | 16.31% | 0 |
* Season incomplete and Finals cancelled due to State Government lockdown

## 2022 Ladder

| Warrnambool DFL | Wins | Byes | Losses | Draws | For | Against | % | Pts | Final | Team | G | B | Pts | Team | G | B | Pts |
| Nirranda | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1956 | 628 | 311.46% | 68 | Elimination | Merrivale | 11 | 7 | 73 | Russell Creek | 7 | 7 | 49 |
| Panmure | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2090 | 963 | 217.03% | 60 | Qualifying | Panmure | 12 | 13 | 85 | Kolora-Noorat | 9 | 8 | 62 |
| Kolora-Noorat | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1497 | 1030 | 145.34% | 52 | 1st Semi | Kolora-Noorat | 13 | 14 | 92 | Merrivale | 11 | 2 | 68 |
| Merrivale | 12 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1676 | 890 | 188.31% | 48 | 2nd Semi | Nirranda | 11 | 14 | 80 | Panmure | 8 | 11 | 59 |
| Russell Creek | 12 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1840 | 1050 | 175.24% | 48 | Preliminary | Panmure | 13 | 13 | 91 | Kolora-Noorat | 14 | 5 | 89 |
| South Rovers | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1521 | 1456 | 104.46% | 36 | Grand | Nirranda | 16 | 22 | 118 | Panmure | 4 | 7 | 31 |
| Allansford | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1072 | 1652 | 64.89% | 16 |
| Dennington | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 777 | 1962 | 39.60% | 16 |
| Old Collegians | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 846 | 1798 | 47.05% | 12 |
| Timboon Demons | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 491 | 2337 | 21.01% | 4 |

## 2023 Ladder

| Warrnambool DFL | Wins | Byes | Losses | Draws | For | Against | % | Pts | Final | Team | G | B | Pts | Team | G | B | Pts |
| Merrivale | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2061 | 528 | 390.34% | 72 | Elimination | Kolora-Noorat | 11 | 10 | 76 | Russell Creek | 10 | 11 | 71 |
| Nirranda | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1811 | 688 | 263.23% | 60 | Qualifying | Nirranda | 13 | 8 | 86 | Panmure | 11 | 8 | 74 |
| Panmure | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1806 | 911 | 198.24% | 52 | 1st Semi | Kolora-Noorat | 14 | 11 | 95 | Panmure | 12 | 7 | 79 |
| Kolora-Noorat | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1541 | 859 | 179.39% | 44 | 2nd Semi | Merrivale | 4 | 7 | 31 | Nirranda | 8 | 8 | 56 |
| Russell Creek | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1430 | 1353 | 105.69% | 44 | Preliminary | Merrivale | 12 | 10 | 82 | Kolora-Noorat | 5 | 10 | 40 |
| Allansford | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1372 | 1153 | 118.99% | 40 | Grand | Nirranda | 9 | 8 | 62 | Merrivale | 6 | 5 | 41 |
| South Rovers | 5 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 1013 | 1722 | 58.83% | 20 |
| Dennington | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 782 | 2031 | 38.50% | 16 |
| Timboon Demons | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 639 | 1548 | 41.28% | 12 |
| Old Collegians | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 620 | 2282 | 27.17% | 0 |