# Federal Football League

The Federal Football League (FFL), also known simply as the Federal League, was an Australian rules football competition in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria. The competition was in existence from 1909 to 1981 and was regarded as one of the strongest metropolitan leagues in Melbourne.
It is said that, in the mid-1960s, Channel 7 was seeking to telecast FFL games on a Sunday.

## History
### Formation

Formed in 1909 as the Federal Football Association (FFA), the competition's eight founding members were Cheltenham, Ellindale, Elsternwick, Frankston, Mentone, Mordialloc, Moorabbin, and Glen Huntly, all from the southern/south eastern suburbs.
Local Councillor F. T. Le Page was elected president.

### History

In 1915, the Federal football Association (FFA) A. Grade teams were - Brighton District, Moorabbin, Cheltenham, Moorabbin Park, Oakleigh and Elsternwick, whilst the B. Grade clubs were Sandringham, Mentone, Heatherton and Glenhuntly.
In 1925, the FFA comprised 10 senior and 9 junior club's and had over 1,000 registered players.
In 1937 the A Section competition teams were composed of - Black Rock, Mordialloc, Cheltenham, East Burwood, Moorabbin, Caulfield, Darling and Mentone, and in the B section, Chelsea, Highett, Mt. Waverley, Mordialloc, Black Rock and Edithvale-Aspendale.
Middle Brighton FC kicked 50.40 - 340 v Heatherton: 0.0 - 0 in a match in 1914.

## Clubs

Source:

### Final clubs

Nine clubs competed in the FFL's final season.
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in FFL | FFL senior premierships | FFL senior premierships | Fate |
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in FFL | Total | Years | Fate |
| Cheltenham | | Rosellas | Cheltenham Recreation Reserve, Cheltenham | – | 1895 | 1909–1928; 1930–1981 | 6 | 1909, 1911, 1913, 1922, 1925, 1934 | Moved to South East Suburban FL in 1982 |
| Clayton | | Clays | Clayton Reserve, Clayton | DDFA | 1908 | 1954–1981 | 2 | 1980, 1981 | Moved to South East Suburban FL in 1982 |
| Highett | | Bulldogs | Highett Reserve, Highett | – | 1929 | 1934–1981 | 4 | 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979 | Moved to South East Suburban FL in 1982 |
| Mentone | | Tigers | Mentone Reserve, Mentone | – | 1900s | 1909; 1913–1914; 1920–1981 | 5 | 1928, 1956, 1967, 1968, 1976 | Moved to South East Suburban FL in 1982 |
| Moorabbin (II) | | Kangas | McKinnon Reserve, McKinnon | – | 1979 | 1979–1981 | 0 | - | Moved to South East Suburban FL in 1982 |
| Noble Park | | Bulls | Pat Wright Senior Oval, Noble Park | SESFL | 1918 | 1964–1981 | 1 | 1972 | Moved to South East Suburban FL in 1982 |
| Oakleigh District | | Districts | Princes Highway Reserve, Oakleigh East | SESFL | 1950 | 1964–1981 | 0 | - | Moved to South East Suburban FL in 1982 |
| Parkdale | | Seagulls | Gerry Green Reserve, Parkdale | VAFA | 1934 | 1930-1932, 1955–1981 | 1 | 1978 | Moved to South East Suburban FL in 1982 |
| Springvale | | Demons | Springvale Reserve, Springvale | CODFL | 1903 | 1957–1981 | 7 | 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1975, 1977 | Moved to VFA in 1982 |

### Former clubs

| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in FFL | FFL senior premierships | FFL senior premierships | Fate |
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in FFL | Total | Years | Fate |
| Aspendale | | | Aspendale Racecourse, Aspendale | – | 1924 | 1924-1930 | 0 | - | Merged with Edithvale to form Edithvale-Aspendale in 1931 |
| Bentleigh | | Demons | Bentleigh Reserve, Bentleigh | – | 1919 | 1920–1928, 1957-1978 | 0 | - | Merged with McKinnon to form Moorabbin in 1979 |
| Black Rock | | Jets | Donald MacDonald Reserve, Beaumaris | – | 1908 | 1913–1914; 1919–1926; 1931–1972 | 3 | 1935, 1936, 1954 | Entered recess in 1973; re-formed in YCWFL in 1976 |
| Brighton Districts | | | Brighton Beach Oval, Brighton | – | | 1913-1915; 1919-1921 | 3 | 1915, 1920, 1921 | Merged with Brighton in 1928 |
| Brightonvale | | | Hurlingham Park, Brighton | – | | 1929 | 0 | - | Senior team entered recess in 1930 |
| Camden | | | Princes Park, Caulfield South | – | | 1939–1956 | 0 | - | Merged with South Caulfield CYMS to form South Caulfield in 1957 |
| Carnegie | | | Koornang Park, Carnegie | VFLSD | 1920s | 1932-1934 | 0 | - | Moved to VAFA in 1935 |
| Carrum | | | Keast Park, Seaford | – | 1909 | 1911; 1922–1927 | 0 | - | Folded in 1928; re-formed in Peninsula & District FA in 1932 |
| Carrum-Chelsea | | | Paddock on Breeze St., Bonbeach | – | 1911 | 1912-1914 | 0 | - | Entered recess in 1915 |
| Chelsea | | Seagulls | Chelsea Recreation Reserve, Chelsea | – | 1919 | 1919–1958 | 1 | 1955 | Moved to Mornington Peninsula FL in 1959 |
| Dandenong | | Redlegs | Dandenong Showgrounds, Dandenong | DDFA | 1874 | 1930, 1934, 1948, 1951–1957 | 1 | 1953 | Moved to VFA in 1958 |
| Darling | | | Darling Park, Malvern East | VFLSD | | 1934–1940 | 2 | 1937, 1938 | Folded after 1940 season |
| Doveton | | Doves | Robinson Reserve, Doveton | SWGFL | 1959 | 1972–1976 | 0 | - | Returned to South West Gippsland FL in 1977 |
| East Burwood | | Rams | East Burwood Reserve, Burwood East | SDFA | 1910 | 1931–1938 | 1 | 1932 | Senior team entered recess in 1939; re-formed in Eastern Suburban FL in 1945 |
| East Caulfield | | Fieldsmen | East Caulfield Reserve, Caulfield East | VFLSD | 1894 | 1932–1976 | 0 | - | Folded after 1976 season |
| East Malvern | | | Waverley Oval, Malvern East | CODFL | 1900s | 1962–1973 | 4 | 1964, 1966, 1969, 1970 | Folded after 1973 season |
| Edithvale | | | Regents Park, Aspendale | – | 1900s | 1921-1930 | 0 | - | Merged with Aspendale to form Edithvale-Aspendale in 1931 |
| Edithvale-Aspendale | | Eagles | Regents Park, Aspendale | – | 1931 | 1931-1955 | 0 | - | Moved to Mornington Peninsula FL in 1956 |
| Ellindale | | | | – | 1900s | 1909–1910; 1912 | 0 | - | Folded in 1913 |
| Elsternwick | | Wickers | Elsternwick Park, Elsternwick | – | 1906 | 1909–1910, 1913 | 0 | - | Moved to VAFA in 1914 |
| Exchange | | | | | | 1917 | 0 | - | |
| Frankston | | | Frankston Park, Frankston | – | | 1909 | 0 | - | |
| Glen Orme | | | Koornang Park, Carnegie | – | 1946 | 1946-1948 | 0 | - | De-merged into Ormond and Glen Huntly Amateurs in 1948 |
| Glen Huntly | | Hunters | Glen Huntly Park, Caulfield East | CODFL | 1900s | 1960–1976 | 0 | - | Folded after 1976 season |
| Glen Huntly Amateurs | | | Koornang Park, Carnegie | – | 1900s | 1909, 1913–1915, 1920–1922 | 0 | - | Moved to Caulfield Oakleigh District FL in 1923 |
| Glen Waverley | | | Central Reserve, Glen Waverley | BDFA | 1908 | 1930–1931 | 0 | - | Moved to VFL Sub-District FL in 1932 |
| Hampton | | | Castlefield Reserve, Hampton | – | 1919 | 1920 | 0 | - | Merged with various clubs to form Sandringham in 1929 |
| Heatherton | | Tonners | Heatherton Recreation Reserve, Heatherton | CODFL | 1913 | 1913–1914; 1920–1921; 1927–1928; 1946–1954 | 0 | - | Moved to CYMSFA as Mentone CYMS in 1954 |
| McKinnon | | Maccas | McKinnon Reserve, McKinnon | CODFL | | 1954–1977 | 3 | 1957, 1958, 1959 | Entered recess in 1978; merged with Bentleigh to form Moorabbin in 1979 |
| Moorabbin (I) | | Magpies | Moorabbin Oval, Moorabbin | – | 1909 | 1909–1950 | 12 | 1914, 1926, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948 | Moved to VFA in 1951 |
| Moorabbin Park | | Gardeners | Dane Road Reserve, Moorabbin | – | | 1913-1915, 1920-1928, 1930 | 0 | - | ? |
| Mordialloc | | Bloodhounds | Ben Kavanagh Reserve, Mordialloc | – | 1891 | 1909–1911; 1921–1957 | 7 | 1923, 1924, 1929, 1939, 1950, 1951, 1952 | Moved to VFA in 1958 |
| Mount Waverley | | Mounts | Oval on corner of Springvale and High St Roads, Glen Waverley | SDFA | 1924 | 1934-1937 | 0 | - | Moved to Eastern Suburban FL in 1938 |
| Murrumbeena | | | Frogmore Estate, Carnegie | – | 1915 | 1915, 1921 | 0 | - | Moved to VAFA in 1923 |
| Navy | | | HMAS Cerberus | MPFL | 1913 | 1959 | 0 | - | Moved to Nepean FL in 1960 |
| Oakleigh | | Oaks, Devils | Warrawee Park, Oakleigh | – | 1906 | 1915 | 0 | - | Moved to VFL Sub-Districts in 1919 |
| Sandringham Amateurs | | | | – | | 1915–1920 | 0 | - | Moved to VAFA in 1921 |
| Sandringham Districts | | | | | | | 0 | - | |
| South Caulfield | | | Princes Park, Caulfield South | – | 1957 | 1957–1961 | 0 | - | Merged with Brighton in 1964 |
| University Reds | | Reds | | VAFA | 1954 | 1971−1972 | 0 | - | Returned to VAFA in 1973 |
| Vermont | | Eagles | Vermont Reserve, Vermont | RDFA | 1920 | 1936 | 0 | - | Moved to Eastern Suburban FL in 1937 |
| Victoria Brewery | | | | – | | 1910–1912 | 2 | 1910, 1912 | Left league in 1913 |
| Wells Road | | | | – | 1926 | 1926-1929 | 0 | - | Split from Chelsea in 1926, re-merged in 1930 |