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The Western Eyre Football League (WEFL), formerly Far West Football League (FWFL), is an Australian rules football competition based in the Ceduna area of the Eyre Peninsula region of South Australia, Australia. As of March 2021, the league includes clubs in Ceduna, Thevenard, Koonibba Aboriginal community, Penong (Western United FC), Streaky Bay (West Coast Hawks) and Wirrulla.

It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League.

Brief history

The County Of Way Football Association was formed in 1909, with founding clubs including Charra, Denial Bay, Goode, Koonibba, Murat and Penong. Fowlers Bay also wished to join the league but was denied entry due to excessive travel distance.

In 1948 the league changed its name to Murat Bay Football League changed and then Far West Football League in 1962.

The Koonibba Roosters are the oldest continuing Aboriginal football club in Australia, having named their Team of the Century in 2009.

The West Coast Hawks of Streaky Bay and Wirrulla club joined the league in March 2021, after the Mid West Football League was wound up permanently. Around the same time, the Far West Football League changed its name to the Western Eyre Football League.

Clubs

Current

Club	Jumper	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in comp	WEFL Senior Premierships
							Total	Years
Ceduna Blues		Blues	Ceduna Sports Club, Ceduna	–	1989	1989–	5	1997, 1999, 2009, 2016, 2022
Koonibba		Roosters	Far West Aboriginal Sporting Complex, Thevenard	–	1906	1909–1940, 1946–	37	1910, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017
Thevenard		Magpies	Thevenard Oval,Thevenard	–	1927	1927–	23	1959, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2013, 2015
Western United		Tigers	Penong Sports Ground, Penong	–	1974	1974–	12	1980, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024
West Coast		Hawks	Streaky Bay Community Complex Oval, Streaky Bay	MWFL	1999	2021–	1	2021
Wirrulla		Bombers	Wirrulla Football Ground, Wirrulla	MWFL	1919	2021–	0	-

Former

Club	Jumper	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in comp	WEFL Senior Premierships		Fate
							Total	Years
Athenna				–	1922	1922-1925	1	1923	Folded in 1925
Bonython				–	1910	1910-1914	0	-	Folded in 1914
Bookabie				–			1	1937	Folded
Ceduna		Eagles	Ceduna Sports Club, Ceduna	–	1907	1909-1988	16	1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1924, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1946, 1950, 1965	Merged with Smoky Bay in 1989 to form Ceduna Blues
Charra				–	1907	1909-1929, 1960-1973	1	1964	Merged with Charra to form Charra-Denial Bay in 1931. Folded in 1948. Merged with Penong in 1974 to form Western United
Charra-Denial Bay				–	1931	1931-1933	0	-	De-merged into Charra and Denial Bay in 1934
Denial Bay				–	1907	1909-1930, 1934-1936, 1940-1948	0	-	Merged with Charra to form Charra-Denial Bay in 1931. Folded in 1948
Goode				–	1906	1909-1914, 1927-1930, 1934-1948	0	-	Merged with Maltee to form Maltee Goode United in 1931. Folded in 1949
Maltee				–	1925	1925-1930, 1934-1939	0	-	Merged with Goode to form Maltee Goode United in 1931. Folded in 1939
Maltee Goode United				–	1931	1931-1933	0	-	De-merged into Maltee and Goode in 1934
Merghiny		Stars		–	1910	1911-1914	0	-	Folded in 1914
Penong			Penong Sports Ground, Penong	–	1908	1909-1914, 1961-1970, 1972-1973	2	1962, 1966	Merged with Charra in 1974 to form Western United
Rovers				–	1955	1955-1958	1	1958	Folded in 1959
Smoky Bay			Smoky Bay Oval, Smoky Bay		1954	1971-1988	0	-	Merged with Ceduna in 1989 to form Ceduna Blues
United				–	1940	1940-1952	1	1940	Folded in 1952
Wandana				–	1922	1922-1924	0	-	Folded in 1924
Yalata				–	1960s	1964	0	-	Folded in 1964

Notes

1. Known as Ceduna-Smoky Bay until 1999 and Blues until 2022
2. Known as Murat Bay until 1933

Premiers

List of Premiership teams of the Western Eyre Football League.

Ladders

2011 Ladder

2012 Ladder

2013 Ladder

References

1. "Koonibba unveils 100-year team - Aboriginal Football". Aboriginal Football : The Indigenous Game. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
2. "Mid West Football League has folded". BigFooty. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
3. ^ Country Footy 2010 Archived 2012-07-22 at archive.today
4. "A Grade Premiers - Western Eyre Football League".

Further reading

• Country Footy
• Encyclopedia of South Australian country football clubs, compiled by Peter Lines. ISBN 9780980447293
• South Australian country football digest, by Peter Lines ISBN 9780987159199

• Eyre Peninsula
• Australian rules football competitions in South Australia