North West Football Union

Last updated

North West Football Union
Sport Australian rules football
Founded1910;115 years ago (1910)
Ceased1986;39 years ago (1986)
Replaced by North West Football League
Country Australia
Most titles Burnie
Latrobe
Ulverstone
(12 titles each)

The North West Football Union (NWFU) was an Australian rules football competition which ran from 1910 to 1986 on the north-western coast of Tasmania. In its time it was one of the three main leagues in Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Football League in Hobart and Northern Tasmanian Football Association in Launceston representing the rest of the state. Burnie, Latrobe and Ulverstone were the most successful clubs with 12 premierships each. Prior to 1922 the Union was restricted to the Devonport, Latrobe and Ulverstone municipalities. From 1922 Burnie, Penguin and Yeoman were admitted. Wynyard replaced Yeoman in 1925.

Contents

In 1929 Devonport and Latrobe decided to break away from the NWFU . They formed with the addition of Kentish and Deloraine the Central Combine. The NWFU was reduced to four teams. Inter-league matches against Circular Head had the Circular Head winning so it was decided to have invite them compete in the Union's finals series. Circular Head played 3 matches and won them all including the premiership. The following year the Central Combine became NWFU East and so the winners of each division played off for the premiership. In 1931 the grand finalist of both divisions played a knock out competition for the premiership.


The league disbanded after the 1986 season after major clubs such as Cooee and Devonport defected to the TFL Statewide League. In 1987, the NWFU effectively merged with the Northern Tasmanian Football Association (NTFA) to form the Northern Tasmanian Football League, which exists today as the North West Football League.

Clubs

Final

ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in NWFUNWFU PremiershipsFate
TotalYears
Burnie
Richmond Football Club colours (pre-2017).svg
Tigers West Park Oval, Burnie 18851922-1986141927, 1928, 1937, 1939, 1946W, 1947W, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1974Moved to Northern Tasmanian FL following 1986 season
Cooee
Cooee Football Club colours.svg
Bulldogs West Park Oval, Burnie 18941945-198671961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1982, 1984Moved to TFL Statewide League as Burnie Hawks following 1986 season
Devonport
Collingwood icon.svg
Magpies Devonport Oval, Devonport NWFA 18811910-198671914, 1915, 1925, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1981Moved to TFL Statewide League following 1986 season
East Devonport
South Melbourne Football Club Colours.svg
SwansGirdlestone Park, East Devonport NWFA 19011945-198631945E, 1946E, 1948E, 1968Moved to Northern Tasmanian FL following 1986 season
Latrobe
Melbourne Football Club Colours.svg
DemonsDarrel Baldock Oval, Latrobe NWFA 18811910-1986121913, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972Moved to Northern Tasmanian FL following 1986 season
Penguin
Penguin Football Club Colours.svg
Two BluesDial Park, Penguin 18901922-198631932, 1977, 1980Moved to Northern Tasmanian FL following 1986 season
Smithton
St Kilda Football Club colours.svg
SaintsCircular Head Recreation Ground, Smithton CHFA 19071980-198611983Moved to Northern Tasmanian FL following 1986 season
Ulverstone
Essendon Football Club colours.svg
RobinsUlverstone Recreation Ground, Ulverstone NWFA 18881910-1986121910, 1923, 1935, 1947E, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1976, 1986Moved to Northern Tasmanian FL following 1986 season
Wynyard
Winchelsea fc icon.png
CatsWynyard Football Ground, Wynyard 18851925-198651948W, 1952, 1967, 1975, 1979Moved to Northern Tasmanian FL following 1986 season

Former

ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in NWFUNWFU PremiershipsFate
TotalYears
APPM1945 - 195021945E , 1949Founded Darwin Football Association in 1951, renamed South Burnie in 1956
Burnie WanderersRoyal Blue1913 - 19140-Recess because of war.
Circular Head192911929invited to participate in 1929 final series
DeloraineCentral Assoc.1929-19310-Returned to the Central Association
Diggers192111921Returned soldiers from Devonport
Kentish1929-19300-Entered recess.
Mersey NWFA 1910- 192021911, 1912Returned to the NWFA in 1921
YeomanBurnie FA1922-19240-Moved to the Table Cape Association in 1925

NWFU premierships

Winners by year

The NWFU intrastate representative team in Hobart, 1930 Northwest union team 1930.jpg
The NWFU intrastate representative team in Hobart, 1930
The TFL (southern) team photo. Charlesworth in front and Gorringe 3rd from the end. players in a North vs South fixture at Hobart, 1927 NWFU 1927.jpg
The TFL (southern) team photo. Charlesworth in front and Gorringe 3rd from the end. players in a North vs South fixture at Hobart, 1927
Joe Littler played as many as 500 league games, mostly in the NWFU Joe Littler.gif
Joe Littler played as many as 500 league games, mostly in the NWFU
YearPremiersRunner-upYearPremiersRunner-up
1910 Ulverstone 8.13 (61)def.Mersey 5.8 (38)1952 Wynyard 9.12 (66)def. Ulverstone 7.14 (56)
1911Mersey 7.8 (50)def.Latrobe 1.9 (15)1953 Ulverstone 8.14 (62)def. Wynyard 7.14 (56)
1912Mersey 2.8 (20)def.Ulverstone 1.7 (13)1954 Burnie 9.13 (67)def. Wynyard 8.10 (58)
1913 Latrobe (No Final Played)1955 Ulverstone 11.14 (80)def. Burnie 10.15 (75)
1914 Devonport 9.9 (63)def.Latrobe 5.1 (31)1956 Ulverstone 13.15 (93)def.Cooee 7.14 (56)
1915 Devonport 3.2 (20)def.Ulverstone 2.6 (18)1957 Ulverstone 29.17 (191)def.Latrobe 9.11 (65)
1916–19No Competition due toWWIand Spanish Flu Epidemic1958 Burnie 19.15 (129)def.East Devonport 13.13 (91)
1920 Latrobe 8.11 (59)def.Ulverstone 5.6 (36)1959 Burnie 16.10 (106)def.East Devonport 11.10 (76)
1921Diggers 7.11 (53)def.Latrobe 4.6 (30)1960 Burnie 12.10 (82)def.Cooee 7.15 (57)
1922 Latrobe 5.12 (52)def.Burnie 4.12 (36)1961 Cooee 8.10 (58)def.Burnie 8.5 (53)
1923 Ulverstone 9.6 (60)def.Latrobe 7.11 (53)1962 Burnie 12.20 (92)def.Devonport 13.4 (82)
1924 Latrobe 10.11 (71)def.Devonport 8.9 (57)1963 Burnie 15.15 (105)def.Ulverstone 13.11 (89)
1925 Devonport 11.11 (77)def.Ulverstone 6.13 (49)1964 Cooee 17.12 (114)def.Ulverstone 5.14 (44)
1926 Latrobe 12.14 (86)def.Ulverstone 12.8 (80)1965 Cooee 12.14 (86)def.Ulverstone 7.9 (51)
1927 Burnie 13.8 (86)def.Devonport 12.12 (84)1966 Burnie 7.7 (49)defLatrobe 5.11 (41)
1928 Burnie 7.11 (53)def.Devonport 4.13 (37)1967 Wynyard 13.7 (85)def.Cooee 7.7 (49)
1929Circular Head 8.8 (56)def.Burnie 6.14 (50)1968 East Devonport 15.16 (106)def.Ulverstone 10.18 (78)
1930 Latrobe 9.15 (69)def.Burnie 6.10 (46)1969 Latrobe 9.10 (64)def.Ulverstone 4.5 (29)
1931 Latrobe 8.19 (67)def.Ulverstone 8.10 (58)1970 Latrobe 14.19 (103)def.Wynyard 12.5 (77)
1932 Penguin 14.10 (94)def.Latrobe 10.13 (73)1971 Latrobe 14.16 (100)def.East Devonport 5.9 (39)
1933 Latrobe 14.13 (97)def.Penguin 6.10 (46)1972 Latrobe 11.16 (82)def.Burnie 8.12 (60)
1934 Devonport 17.14 (116)def.Burnie 8.13 (61)1973 Cooee 14.12 (96)def.Latrobe 10.10 (70)
1935 Ulverstone 9.16 (70)def.Devonport 8.8 (56)1974 Burnie 14.15 (99)def.Latrobe 9.12 (66)
1936 Devonport 14.11 (95)def.Burnie 9.19 (73)1975 Wynyard 15.10 (100)def.Ulverstone 12.8 (80)
1937 Burnie 14.14 (98)def.Devonport 13.15 (93)1976 Ulverstone 14.9 (93)def.Penguin 7.19 (61)
1938 Devonport 13.22 (100)def.Burnie 9.9 (63)1977 Penguin 11.18 (84)def.Cooee 11.14 (80)
1939 Burnie 16.10 (106)def.Latrobe 8.13 (61)1978 Cooee 20.11 (131)def.Wynyard 13.30 (108)
1940–44No CompetitionDueTo World War II1979 Wynyard 21.24 (150)def.Cooee 15.7 (97)
1945 WAPPM 10.20 (80)def.Wynyard 11.12 (78)1980 Penguin 12.11 (83)def.Wynyard 11.5 (71)
1945 EEast Devonport 8.15 (63)defDevonport 6.16 (52)
1946 WBurnie 13.11 (89)def.Wynyard 12.10 (82)1981 Devonport 13.9 (87)def.Penguin 10.12 (72)
1946 EEast Devonport 18.14 (122)defUlverstone 12.4 (76)
1947 WBurnie 10.17 (77)def.Cooee 11.8 (74)1982 Cooee 16.15 (111)def.Penguin 16.5 (101)
1947 EUlverstone 15.17 (107)defLatrobe 8.17 (65)
1948 WWynyard 8.13 (61)def.Cooee 8.9 (57)1983 Smithton 20.17 (137)def.Cooee 21.10 (136)
1948 EEast Devonport 10.7 (67)defUlverstone 6.8 (44)
1949APPM 14.12 (96)def.Ulverstone 9.15 (69)1984 Cooee 18.16 (124)def.Smithton 17.13 (115)
1950 Ulverstone 7.8 (50)def.Devonport 7.7 (49)1985 Penguin 21.9 (135)def.Smithton 13.9 (87)
1951 Ulverstone 17.22 (124)def.Cooee 8.11 (59)1986 Ulverstone 9.10 (64)def.Smithton 7.7 (49)

Reforming after the war there were two divisions, East and West, Both Divisional premiers would play off.

Most premierships

NWFU representative coach Ivor Warne-Smith Ivorwarnesmith1.gif
NWFU representative coach Ivor Warne-Smith
ClubPremierships
Burnie 12
Latrobe 12
Ulverstone 12
Cooee 7
Devonport 7
Penguin 4
Wynyard 4
East Devonport 3
APPM2
Mersey2
Circular Head1
Diggers1
Smithton 1

Tasmanian State Premiership

This was contested regularly between the premiers of the Tasmanian Football League and the Northern Tasmanian Football Association and then the NWFU from 1954 until 1978.

The six winners from the NWFU were:

Best and Fairests

The Wander Medal was awarded annually to the best and fairest player in the NWFU, every year from 1948 to 1986. Prior to 1948, the league's best and fairest award was known under various names and given out semi regularly. From 1945 to 1947, an award was given to best and fairest player from the western region but the name of it is unknown. Len Hayes won it in the first two years and Alan Crawford the last.

Wander Medal

Cheel Medal

Royal Medal
Awarded only to players from the eastern region of the NWFU

Wright Medal
Awarded only to players from the western region of the NWFU

Alford Medal

References