Murray Football Netball League
The Murray Football Netball League is an Australian rules football and netball league affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League. The league covers a large area of northern Victoria and southern New South Wales from Shepparton in the south to Deniliquin in the north. It covers much the same area as the Picola & District Football League but the teams tend to be the larger communities and towns. History. The "Murray Football League" (MFL) was established in 1931, when it superseded the old Goulburn Valley Football Association, with the following clubs, Barooga, Cobram, Numurkah, Strathmerton and Tocumwal . Nathalia Football Club's admission into the MFL was initially rejected in 1931 by club delegates and they entered the Western and Moira Ridings Football Association. Berrigan, Finley and Nathalia's application for admission into the MFL in 1932 was rejected and they continued to play in their existing competitions. These three clubs were finally admitted into the MFL in 1933. At a MFL club's delegates meeting in June, 1940, club's decided to abandoned the season and a motion was carried to conclude the season at the completion of the first round of MFL matches (Rd.7), after all  teams had played each other once. Nathalia Football Club were undefeated when the season was officially abandoned in 1940. Between 1941 and 1945 the league went into recess for World War II. During its first 44 years, the league's administration was very stable, with only four presidents and three secretaries, with Mr. M D "Des" O'Dwyer presiding from 1931 to the late 1950s and Mr. Bill Limbrick of Katunga was secretary from 1949 to 1974 and Mr. D McClelland President from 1966 to 1974. The MFL played in the NSW Australian Football Championships in the mid-1970s. Long time secretary , Les Belt held office from 1930 to 1948. The senior football goal kicking award was initially known as the Les Belt Trophy (MFL Secretary & donor) in the 1940s, before changing to the Les Mogg Perpetual Trophy in 1962, with Trevor Sutton – Deniliquin holding the record with 227 goals that he kicked in 1982, plus 22 goals in the finals for a total of 249 goals. Former Jerilderie player, Bill Brownless kicked 148 goals and was runner up in the 1985 O’Dwyer Medal, before making his debut with Geelong Football Club in 1986. Following the disbanding of the Echuca Football League , Echuca United and Moama joined the league in 1997. In 2006 Tongala and Rumbalara made their debut with the league. Tongala was previously in the Goulburn Valley Football League and Rumbalara was in the now-defunct Central Goulburn Football League. The 2008 premiership was won by Nathalia to complete 4 in a row premiership wins. Nathalia repeated this effort in 2018 and went one further in 2019, achieving 5 premierships a row. Nathalia is the only team to complete 5 premierships in a row. Nathalia alongside Deniliquin are the only teams to complete 4 in a row with Nathalia achieving  this feat twice. In 2018 Tungamah, Shepparton East and Katandra joined the Murray Football League after leaving the new merging Picola & District Football League due to their affiliation dispute with AFL Goulburn Murray. Shepparton East moved onto the Kyabram & District Football League at the beginning of the 2019 season. This award is named after long serving MFL President, Mr. M.D. "Des" O'Dwyer (1931 to 1954), who initially donated a gold medal in 1934.