The South West District Football League was a major Australian rules football competition which ran from 1910 until 1981 in the Riverina region of New South Wales.
History
The first recorded Australian Rules Football match in the Riverina area was on 1 August 1881 between Wagga Wagga and the more experienced Albury team and was played in Wagga.
The South West District Football Association (SWDFL) was formed in 1913, when it superseded the Ganmain Football Association, which was formed in 1910, with all clubs moving into play in the SWDFL competition.
In 1924 a South Western District Football League team played Collingwood Football Club at Narrandera with Collingwood winning, 86 to SWDFL 76.
In May, 1930 the SWDFL competition was abandoned, after Whitton withdrew earlier at the AGM, then both Ganmain and Matong club withdrew due to a lack of players. In the 1931 SWDFL grand final, Jim Ceely, from Matong FC received a trophy for best player on the ground.
In August 1933, Melbourne Football Club played a match at Narandrea Park Oval against a SWDFL representative team, with Melbourne: 15.19 - 109 defeating SWDFL: 8.20 - 68. In 1934, a SWDFL representative team played a match at Leeton against a combined Hawthorn - Footscray team, with Hawthorn - Footscray: 20.15 - 135 defeating the SWDFL: 6.11 - 47.
In 1937 and 1938, both Ganmain & Matong football clubs pulled out of the SWDFL and thus the SWDFL went into recess. In April, 1939, the SWDFL was reformed with the following seven clubs taking part - Coolamon, Ganmain, Griffith, Grong Grong, Leeton, Matong and Narandera.
Laurie Taylor and Dudley Smith from Coolamon FC, played for New South Wales against Victoria in July, 1949, at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
In 1953, Ariah Park FC and Mirrool FC merged and entered one senior team & one reserves team in the SWDFL. Ardlethan FC joined the SWDFL in 1954 and wore a jumper featuring three vertical stripes, black, gold and red.
In 1959, former Brownlow Medalist, Grong Grong Matong captain-coach, Peter Box won the Gammage Medal, but SWDFL officials later decide that coaches would be ineligible to win the league award in future years.
The SWDFL first played in the Victorian Country Football League in 1961 and in 1964, won the Victorian Country Football Championships, with SWDFL: 13.14 - 92 defeating the Hampden Football League: 9.16 - 70 in the grand final, played at Narrandera. In 1969, Ricky Quade and Frank Gumbleton both finished third in the SWDFL best and fairest award, the Gammage Medal, with both going on to have fine VFL careers.
Mr. Jim Quinn was President of the South Western District Football League for 25 consecutive years, before resigning on Monday 5 April 1976 due to ill health.
The league was forced to merge with the Central Riverina Football League and the Farrer Football League to form the Riverina Football League and Riverina District Football League in 1982, under the recommendations from the VCFL, with the CRDFL changing its name to the Farrer Football League in 1985. It was between 1983 and 1994 that the Riverina District Football League / Farrer Football League maintained a two division system.
Clubs
Reserve Grade teams
- Darlington Point (1930s-1960s, moved to Barellan & District Football League)
Football Premierships
In 1931, the Page Final Four System was introduced by the VFL.
- Seniors
- Reserves
- 1980 - Narrandera: 22.11 - 143 d APM: 15.6 - 96
- Under 19's
- 1980 - Turvey Park: 16.13 - 109 d Narrandera: 13.12 - 90
Football Best and Fairest Award
- Seniors
WIlliam Gammage Medal (William J. Gammage was the Treasurer of the SWDFL who first donated the medal in 1948)
Leading Goalkicker
- Seniors
Keisling Trophy Was donated by Mr. Ken Keisling, from E & K Keisling Jewellers, Narrandera.
Interleague Football Results
- The Neville Nesbitt Trophy
Neville Nesbitt was the donor of a large trophy for interleague matches between the SWDFL and the Farrer Football League.
The SWDFL first played in the Victorian Country Football League inter-league competition in 1961 and in 1964, won the Victorian Country Football Champions, with SWDFL: 13.14 - 92 defeating the Hampden Football League: 9.16 - 70 in the grand final, played at Narrandera.
The SWDFL won the 1977 NSW Country Championships, defeating the Murray Football League in Sydney and the 1979 NSW Country Championships, defeating the Sydney Football League, which was played at Narrandera.
VFL Players
The following SWDFL footballers went onto play senior VFL football with the following clubs, with the year indicating their VFL debut -
The following senior VFL players came to play and or coach in the SWDFL, with the year indicating their first season in the SWDFL.
South Australian National Football League
- 1961 - Geoff Kingston - Turvey Park to West Torrens
Officer Bearers
Life Members
- 1972 - Jim Quinn
Links
- History of South West District Football League
- "Swans on Screen": Griffith FNC - Detailed & comprehensive club & SWDFL league history
- AFL Victoria Country
- Australian rules football in New South Wales
- Albury & District Football League
- Central Hume Football Association
- Central Riverina Football League
- Central Riverina FL - "CRFL Weekly Record"
- Coreen & District Football League
- Farrer Football League
- Hume Football Netball League
- Northern Riverina Football League
- Riverina Football Association
- Riverina Football Netball League
- 1928 - South West DFL Premiers: Narrandera FC team photo
- 1948 - South West DFL Premiers: Narrandera FC team photo
- 1962 - South West DFL Premiers: Ariah Park FC team photo
- 1964 - Victorian Country Football Champions: SWDFL Representative team photo
- 1974 - South West DFL Premiers: Narrandera FC team photo
References
