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AFL Victoria Country

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Football governing body in Australia

AFL Victoria Country is an Australian rules football governing body with jurisdiction over the state of Victoria outside metropolitan Melbourne on behalf of AFL Victoria. As well as administering and promoting the code in the regions, it often arbitrates disputes in areas such as player clearances and club movements between country leagues, and may also be called upon as a higher authority of appeal. The organisation was formed as a result of a merger between Victorian Country Football League (VCFL) and AFL Victoria in November 2012.

The then-VCFL aired telecasts beginning in 2010 on C31 Melbourne, along with Geelong Football League and Geelong & District Football League. The women's netball coverage also was broadcast on community TV in 2010.

Victorian Country Championships

The VCFL originally organised the interleague Victorian Country Football Championships back in 1954.

In 1958, the VCFL initiated the Centenary Championships, to mark the 100th anniversary of the inception of Australian Rules football. The 15 major leagues of Victoria and southern NSW were divided into four districts, with each pool conducting a championships.

Caltex had the naming rights of the Victorian Country Championships matches in the 1960s. The 16 league series would run over a two-year period, with knock out matches in the first season, followed by semi finals and a grand final in the following season.

The Country Championship were discontinued from 1975 before being re-established in 1978.

From 2004 to 2006 the championships were decided at a carnival round-robin competition at one venue over a single weekend, with each of the four sides playing the others in matches of two twenty-minute halves. The team on top of the ladder, based on points (4 for a win, 2 for a draw) and then percentage (points scored over points conceded) after these three matches, were declared the winner. Leagues not represented in the top four pools of four participated in other interleague matches organised by the VCFL. In 2007, there was no statewide VCFL Championships, just a rivalry round was played between close by leagues, (with the O&MFL playing the GVFL), with the round robin format returning in 2008.

In 2009, the championships reverted to head-to-head full matches on a rankings scale per year.

In 2020, the championships matches were cancelled due to COVID-19 and have since been discontinued. The Goulburn Valley Football League and the Ovens & Murray Football League continue to play each other once a year.

The Ash - Wilson Trophy was formed in 2001 and is only for matches involving the Goulburn Valley Football League and the Ovens & Murray Football League, In honour of former players, Stephen Ash and Mick Wilson.

VCFL - Division 1 Champions

  • 1954: Ovens & Murray FL d Bendigo FL at Ballarat
  • 1955: Ovens & Murray FL d Ballarat FL at Albury
  • 1956: Ballarat FL d Ovens & Murray FL at Bendigo
  • 1957: Ovens & Murray FL d Ballarat FL at Albury
  • 1958: ?
  • 1959: ?
  • 1960: ?
  • 1961/62: Bendigo FL d Wimmera FL at Horsham
  • 1963/64: South Western DFL (Riverina) d Hampden FL at Narrandera
  • 1965/66: Hampden FL d Ovens & Murray FL at Wangaratta
  • 1967/68: Ovens & Murray FL d Wimmera FL at Horsham
  • 1969/70: Hampden FL d Ovens & Murray FL
  • 1971/72: Bendigo FL d Murray FL at Cobram
  • 1973/74: North Central FL d Hampden FL
  • 1975: VCFL Country Championships discontinued in 1975. Re-established in 1978.
  • 1976: N/A
  • 1977: N/A
  • 1978: Goulburn Valley FL d Hampden FL at Colac.
  • 1979: Latrobe Valley FL d Bendigo FL at Bendigo
  • 1980: Latrobe Valley FL d Ovens & Murray FL at Sale
  • 1981: Ballarat FL: 21.18 - 144 d Western Border: 11.18 - 84 at Colraine
  • 1982: Ballarat FL: 13.19 - 97 d Ovens & Murray FL: 8.20 - 68 at Eastern Oval, Ballarat
  • 1983: Ballarat FL: 16.15 - 111 d Goulburn Valley: 13.5 - 83 at Shepparton
  • 1984: Goulburn Valley FL d Geelong FL
  • 1985: Ovens & Murray FL d Ballarat FL at Wangaratta
  • 1986: Ballarat FL: 11.12 - 78 d Goulburn Valley: 6.5 - 41 at City Oval, Ballarat
  • 1987: Ovens & Murray FL d Sunraysia FL at Mildura
  • 1988: Geelong FL d Bendigo FL at Geelong
  • 1989: Bendigo FL d Geelong FL at Bendigo
  • 1990: Latrobe Valley FL d Bendigo FL at Sale
  • 1991: Hampden FL d Geelong FL
  • 1992: Geelong FL d LaTrobe FL at Geelong
  • 1993: Geelong FL d Bendigo FL at Bendigo
  • 1994: Goulburn Valley FL d ?
  • 1995: Gippsland Latrobe FL d Mid Murray FL at Swan Hill
  • 1996: Ovens & Murray FL d Geelong FL at Wodonga
  • 1997: Ovens & Murray FL d Geelong FL at Geelong
  • 1998: Ovens & Murray FL d Geelong FL at Wodonga
  • 1999: Ovens & Murray FL d Gippsland LaTrobe FL at Moe
  • 2000: Geelong FL d Gippsland Latrobe FL at Geelong
  • 2001: Ovens & Murray FL d Goulburn Valley FL at Lavington, NSW
  • 2002: Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL d Hampden FL
  • 2003: Geelong FL d Goulburn Valley FL at Shepparton
  • 2004: 1st: Geelong FL at Shepparton
  • 2005: 1st: Goulburn Valley FL at Kardinia Park, Geelong
  • 2006: 1st: Ovens & Murray FL at Lavington Sports Ground, NSW
  • 2007: No VCFL Championships in 2007. A rivalry round was played.
  • 2008: 1st: Ovens & Murray FL at Shepparton
  • 2009: Ovens & Murray defeated Goulburn Valley FL at Shepparton
  • 2010: Goulburn Valley FL defeated Ovens & Murray FL at Lavington
  • 2011: Goulburn Valley FL defeated Ballarat FL at Shepparton
  • 2012: Goulburn Valley FL defeated Mornington Peninsula FL at Shepparton
  • 2013: Geelong FL defeated Goulburn Valley FL at Geelong
  • 2014: Geelong FL defeated Peninsula FL at Geelong
  • 2015: Geelong FL defeated Goulburn Valley FL at Shepparton
  • 2016: Geelong FL defeated Eastern FL at Geelong
  • 2017: Geelong FL defeated Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL at MCG, Jolimont
  • 2018: Eastern FL defeated Geelong FL at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
  • 2019: Northern FL d Geelong FL at KFC Oval, Geelong
Most Division 1 Country Championship wins / Runners Up
Club Most Championships Runners Up
Ovens & Murray FL 14 6
Geelong FL 10 10
Goulburn Valley FL 7 7
Ballarat FL 5 4
Bendigo FL 3 5
Hampden FL 3 1
LaTrobe Valley FL 3
Eastern FL 1
Gippsland LaTrobe FL 1
Mornington Pensula FL 1
North Central FL 1
South Western FL 1
Benalla Tungamah FL 1
Murray FL 1
Sunraysia FL 1

*Country Championships: Division 2

  • 1984 - Riverina FL: 12.11 - 83 d West Gippsland: 8.12 - 60
  • 1985 - Western Border FL
  • 1986 - Sunraysia FL
  • 1987 - Western Border FL
  • 1988 - Wimmera FL
  • 1989 - Hampden FL
  • 1990 - Riverina FL d North Central
  • 1991 - Ballarat FL
  • 1992 - Mid Murray FL
  • 1993 - Hampden FL
  • 1994 - Ovens & Murray FL d North Central FL
  • 1995 - Ballarat FL
  • 1996 - Murray FL
  • 1997 - Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL
  • 1998 - Western Border FL
  • 1999 - West Gippsland FL
  • 2000 - Bendigo FL
  • 2001 - Ballarat FL d Central Murray FL
  • 2002 - Bendigo FL d Central Murray FL
  • 2003 - Ballarat FL d Central Murray FL
  • 2004 - Ballarat FL
  • 2005 - West Gippsland LaTrobe FL
  • 2006 - Hampden FL

*Country Championships: Division 3

  • 1994 - Bellarine FL
  • 1995 - Riddell FL
  • 2004 - Wimmera FL
  • 2005 - Bellarine FL
  • 2006 - Bendigo FL

*Country Championships: Division 4 / Pool D

  • 2004 - Bellarine FL
  • 2005 - Murray FL
  • 2006 - Sunraysia FL

Representative Sides

On occasion, a Victoria Country representative side may be selected to play in one-off fixtures against other representative teams such as interstate counterparts or the Victorian Amateur Football Association, as well as the Australian Country Football Championships.

VCFL v VAFA matches

  • 1984: VAFA: 15.10 - 100 d VCFL: 11.15 - 81 at the QE Oval, Bendigo
  • 1985: VCFL: 18.9 - 117 d VAFA: 7.15 - 57 at Mildura Oval
  • 1987: VCFL: 18.11 - 119 v VAFA: 7.13 - 55 at Lavington, NSW. 21/06/87
  • 1993: VAFA: 13.14 - 92 d VCFL: 13.12 - 90 at Elsternwick Park Oval
  • 1995: VAFA: 11.12 - 78 d VCFL: 10.10 - 70 at Morwell
  • 1997: VCFL: 23.16 - 154 d VAFA: 8.9 - 57 at Elsternwick Park Oval
  • 1999: VCFL: 19.14 - 128 d VAFA: 13.12 - 90 at Shell Stadium, Geelong
  • 2001: VAFA: 23.14 - 152 d VCFL: 14.8 - 92 at Elsternwick Park
  • 2003: VAFA: 14.11 - 95 d VCFL: 10.9 - 69 at Barooga, NSW
  • 2005: VCFL: 13.13 - 91 d VAFA: 8.14 - 62 at Elsternwick Park
  • 2007: VCFL: 11.11 - 77 d VAFA: 11.10 - 76 at Eastern Oval, Ballarat
  • 2009: VCFL: 17.8 - 110 d VAFA: 15.16 - 106 at Junction Oval, St. Kilda
  • 2011: VAFA: 13.14 - 92 d VCFL: 13.8 - 86 at Deakin Reserve, Shepparton
  • 2013: VAFA: 11.16 - 82 d AFL Victorian Country: 11.13 - 79 at Junction Oval, St. Kilda
  • 2015: AFL Victorian Country: 17.15 - 117 d VAFA: 8.7 - 55 at QE Oval, Bendigo
  • 2017: VAFA: 24.8 - 152 d AFL Victorian Country: 10.10 - 70 at Frankston City Oval
  • 2019: AFL Victorian Country: 11.15 - 81 d VAFA: 9.10 - 64 at Ikon (Princes) Park, Carlton
  • 2021: No rep football due to COVID-19
  • 2023: ?

VCFL v VFA

Affiliated Boards & Leagues

Note: "Major Leagues" are shown in "Bold" / "District Leagues" are shown in "Italic".

Ballarat

Bendigo

Central Murray and North Central

East Gippsland

Geelong

Goulburn Murray

Hampden

Latrobe Valley

North East Border

South East

South West

Sunraysia

Wimmera

References

  1. "Around the Regions" (PDF). AFL Annual Report 2013. Australian Football League. p. 102. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  2. Paul Carter. "Gippsland Interleague History". Gippsland FNL. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  3. Richard Jones. "The Blue and Gold: BFL successes in inter-league footy". Country Footy Scores. 100 Years of BFL History: 1880 to 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  4. Kevin B. Hill (25 May 2022). "TRADITIONAL RIVALS SQUARE OFF AGAIN". On Reflection. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  5. "1955 - OVENS-MURRAY ARE COUNTRY FOOTY KINGS". The Argus. 14 June 1955. p. 7. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  6. "1956 - Ovens and Murray glamor willed in the rain, so... BALLARAT'S THE 1956 'KING OF FOOTBALL". The Argus. 5 June 1956. p. 7. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  7. Rob Harris (9 July 1962). "Bendigo ruck, too much speed again!". Flickr. Wangaratta Chronicle. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  8. "1964 - VCFL Caltex Country Championship (Grand Final)". Swans on Screen. Griffith Football Netball Club. 11 July 1964. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  9. Adam Bourke (26 July 2019). "Former BFNL stars reunited to celebrate inter-league success". Bendigo Advertiser. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  10. "1995 - Gippsland League Interleague History". Gippsland Latrobe FL. 1995. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  11. "2011 - Country Championships". AFL Victoria. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  12. "1984 - Riverina FL Record" (PDF). Riverina FL. 22 July 1984. p. 2. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  13. "Far and away, the season's clash of two cultures - Features - www.realfooty.com.au". Archived from the original on 4 March 2007.
  14. "VCFL v VAFA Rep Matches". VAFA. 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  15. "1992 - VCFL team to meet the VFA" (PDF). NSW Football History. O&MFNL - The Critic. 23 May 1992. p. 20. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  16. http://www.aflvic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Review_of_Country_Football_Report_Master_FINAL1.pdf Page 12

External links

Australian rules football in Victoria
Representative side
Governing bodies
Professional clubs
Statewide leagues
Metropolitan leagues
Regional leagues (major)
Regional leagues (district)
Women's leagues
Other leagues
Defunct leagues
Principal venues
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