The Goulburn Valley Second Eighteens Football Association (GVSEFA) superseded the Ardmona Central Junior Football Association, [3] and was established in 1926 from the following Goulburn Valley clubs – Ardmona, Dookie, Mooroopna, Shepparton East and Undera, with Mr Brophy as president and Mr J Pearson as secretary as the initial office bearers.
This competition ran for eleven seasons, from 1926 to 1936 and was a completely separate competition to the Goulburn Valley Football Association.
Sir John Gladstone Black McDonald, who would later become the 37th Premier of Victoria, was President of the GVSEFA from 1927 to 1933.
The GVSEFA was a Saturday afternoon competition, while the Goulburn Valley Football League was a Wednesday afternoon competition. [4]
At the AGM of the GVSEFA in 1937 it was proposed to change the name of the association to just the Goulburn Valley Football Association and this was approved at the next delegates meeting in March, where it was also agreed to retain the junior status of the competition in favour of a senior football competition. 1937. [5] [6]
During this era, the "new" GVFA was played on Saturdays and the Goulburn Valley Football League was played on Wednesdays, with the new GVFA a more Shepparton based competition, with the grand final being played on the Shepparton Recreation Reserve (now Deakin Reserve) each year. [7]
In 1940, Shepparton Imperials' committee decide to drop the "Imperials" from its name and would be known as just the Shepparton Football Club. [8]
The GVFA went into recess between 1942 and 1944 due to World War II. During the late stages of World War II, the GVFA was revived in 1945, with the following teams competing – Ardmona, Dookie, Dookie College, Katandra, Mooroopna, Shepparton, Shepparton East, SPC and Tatura. Sheppparton East defeated SPC in the grand final [9] and John McLeish from Dookie College won the 1945 – GVFA Best and Fairest / Shepparton Advertiser Trophy.
The GVFA changed its name to the Central Goulburn Valley Football League at the 1946 GVFA – AGM, [10] [11] when the Goulburn Valley Football League was re-established in 1946.
The Central Goulburn Valley Football League (CGVFL) was established on Monday, 11 March 1946 at the Annual General Meeting of the Goulburn Valley Football Association, when a name change of this Australian rules football competition took place.
In July, 1946, former Richmond player and Katandra captain, Eddie Ford collided with an Ardmona player, but played out the game and went home, but later became ill. Ford was taken to the Mooroopna Hospital, where he later died. [12]
In 1947, CGVFL premiers, Ardmona were defeated by the premiers of the Murray Football League, Cobram, played at Numurkah in October, 1947. [13]
On Thursday, 23 February 1950, the Centrals Seconds Association officially folded up and existing teams were recommended to join the CGVFL senior football competition. [14]
At the 1950 CGVFL – AGM, Miepoll were admitted into the competition, Sheparton East and SPC merged, but joined the Goulburn Valley Football League as City United Football Club and Mr. J Pearson was elected as secretary for the 25th consecutive year of the following football competitions – [15]
In June, 1950, the Goulburn Valley Football League 13.14 – 92 defeated Central Goulburn Valley Football League 8.15 – 63. [16]
The CGVFL officially went into "recess" at the 1953 CGVFL – AGM, but never reformed as a football competition. [17]
A thorough history of this rural Australian rules football competition can be found in a great 1949 article in the Shepparton Advertiser by clicking on this citation. [1]
