South Wimmera Football League

Last updated July 04, 2025

The South Wimmera Football League was the final name of an Australian rules football league based in the Wimmera area of Western Victoria.^[1]

History

The league began as the Stawell & District Football Association in 1912 and was contested by clubs based in Stawell itself.^[2] The first incarnation of the league was short-lived, only lasting until 1914 before entering recess due to WWI. The competition re-formed for two years in 1920 and 1921 before lapsing again until 1926. The SDFA was renamed to the South Wimmera Football League in 1929. Warriors won three premierships in a row from 1932 to 1934.^[3] The SWFL entered recess in 1940 due to WWII.^[4]

The league continued until the end of the 1969 season, all clubs apart from Marnoo moved to the Ararat & District Football Association. ^[5]

Clubs

Final clubs in 1969

Club	Jumper	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in comp	SWFL Senior Premierships		Fate
Club	Jumper	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in comp	Total	Years	Fate
Glenorchy			Glenorchy Recreation Reserve, Glenorchy	DFL		1913-1914, 1927-1969	4	1914, 1930, 1946, 1969	Moved to Ararat & District FA in 1970
Halls Gap			Halls Gap Recreation Reserve, Halls Gap	–	1952	1952-1969	3	1957, 1963, 1964	Moved to Ararat & District FA in 1970
Marnoo		Tigers	Marnoo Recreation Reserve, Marnoo	DFL	1900s	1927-1930, 1934-1938, 1946-1969	6	1935, 1937, 1953, 1956, 1966, 1967	Moved to Lexton FL in 1970
Swifts		Baggies	North Park, Stawell	ET	1914	1920-1969	9	1926, 1928, 1931, 1950, 1952, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962	Moved to Ararat & District FA in 1970
Warriors		Warriors	North Park, Stawell	ET	1890s	1920-1969	12	1932, 1933, 1934, 1939, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1961, 1965, 1968	Moved to Ararat & District FA in 1970

Previous Clubs

Club	Jumper	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in comp	SWFL Senior Premierships		Fate
Club	Jumper	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in comp	Total	Years	Fate
Fire Brigade						1914	0	-	Folded after 1914 season
Great Western		Demons	Great Western Public Park Reserve, Great Western	A&DJFA, A&DFA	1880s	1926-1927, 1950-1951	2	1927, 1951	Moved to Ararat & District FA after 1927 and 1951 seasons
Illawarra				–		1926-1928	0	-	Folded after 1928 season
Joel Rovers				WVFA, MCFA	1890s	1926-1930, 1933-1938	1	1929	Played in Mountain Creek FA in 1932. Moved to Ararat & District FA in 1939
Landsborough		Burras	Landsborough Recreation Reserve, Landsborough	MCFA, LFL		1935-1936, 1955-1956	0	-	Moved to Ararat & District FA in 1937 and 1957
Minyip Juniors		Blues	Minyip Recreation Reserve, Minyip	EBFA	1880s	1947-1950, 1957-1968	0	-	Moved to Wimmera FL reserves in 1969
Murtoa Juniors		Magpies	Murtoa Recreation Reserve, Murtoa	EBFA	1880s	1949-1950, 1957-1968	0	-	Moved to Wimmera FL reserves in 1969
Nationals				FT			1	1913	Folded after 1921 season
Navarre		Grasshoppers	Navarre Recreation Reserve, Navarre	MCFA, KKFL		1929-1930, 1944	0	-	Returned to Mountain Creek FA in 1931. Moved to Lexton FL in 1946
North Western Woollen Mills				–		1934-1936, 1944	1	1944	Folded atfer 1944 season
Pomonal		Orchardists, Apple-Eaters	Pomonal Cricket Ground, Pomonal	–		1931-1934	0	-	Folded after 1934 season
Railways				HT		1912-1914	0	-	Moved to Glenorchy FA in 1919
Rovers				–		1912-1914	1	1912	Folded after 1914 season
Rupanyup		Panthers	Rupanyup Recreation Reserve, Rupanyup	MWFL	1880s	1936-1939	1	1936	Moved to Central Wimmera FL in 1940
Rupanyup Juniors		Rovers	Rupanyup Recreation Reserve, Rupanyup	DFL	1880s	1946-1950, 1957-1968	0	-	Moved to Wimmera FL reserves in 1969
Stawell		Redlegs	Central Reserve, Stawell	WFL	1874	1944	0	-	Moved back to Wimmera FL in 1946
Stawell Imperials	(?-1929) (1931-33)		Lake Reserve, Stawell	–		1927-1933	0	-	Folded after 1933 season
Stawell Seconds		Redlegs	Central Reserve, Stawell		1874	1954	0	-	?

Grand Finals

Year	Premier	Score	Runner-up	Venue	Notes
1912	Rovers
1913	Nationals
1914	Glenorchy		Railways		Won on forfeit
1915-1919: Recess due to WWI
1920	?
1921	?
1920-1925: No competition
1926	Swifts	3.15 (33) – 3.8 (26)	Joel Joel
1927	Great Western	7.9 (51) – 3.15 (33)	Stawell Imperails
1928	Swifts	5.17 (47) – 3.6 (24)	Glenorchy	Central Park, Stawell
1929	District Rovers	12.14 (86) – 6.5 (41)	Marnoo	Central Park, Stawell
1930	Glenorchy	8.13 (61) – 8.12 (60)	Swifts	Central Park, Stawell
1931	Swifts	7.14 (56) – 6.7 (43)	Warriors
1932	Warriors	11.10 (76) – 10.8 (68)	Pomonal
1933	Warriors	15.16 (106) – 9.10 (64)	Pomonal	Central Park, Stawell	Challenge final. Pomonal won the original "final".
1934	Warriors	10.8 (68) – 10.6 (66)	Swifts	Central Park, Stawell
1935	Marnoo	11.15 (81) – 7.8 (50)	Joel Rovers	Central Park, Stawell
1936	Rupanyup	13.11 (89) –11.14 (80)	Marnoo	Central Park, Stawell
1937	Marnoo	15.12 (102) – 6.8 (44)	Rupanyup	Central Park, Stawell
1938	No premier. Marnoo drew with Rupanyup 7.26 (68) – 9.14 (68) however due to the death of a player as a result of an injury sustained during the match the final was never replayed.^[6]			Central Park, Stawell
1939	Warriors	8.4 (52) – 7.9 (51)	Rupanyup
1940-1943: Recess due to WWII
1944	North Western				No grand final
1945: Recess due to WWII
1946	Glenorchy	5.5 (35) – 4.7 (31)	Warriors
1947	Warriors	9.9 (63) – 6.8 (44)	Swifts	Central Park, Stawell
1948	Warriors	12.24 (96) – 8.8 (56)	Marnoo
1949	Warriors	6.11 (47) – 2.8 (20)	Murtoa Juniors
1950	Swifts	12.16 (88) – 2.4 (16)	Marnoo	Minyip
1951	Great Western	9.12 (66) – 8.10 (58)	Swifts
1952	Swifts	10.9 (69) – 8.6 (54)	Marnoo
1953	Marnoo	10.13 (73) – 8.8 (56)	Warriors	Glenorchy
1954	Warriors	8.9 (57) – 7.9 (51)	Marnoo	Glenorchy
1955	Warriors	12.10 (82) – 6.12 (48)	Marnoo
1956	Marnoo	13.9 (87) – 6.5 (41)	Swifts
1957	Halls Gap	10.15 (75) – 7.7 (49)	Warriors
1958	Swifts	7.10 (52) – 4.13 (37)	Minyip Juniors
1959	Swifts	8.15 (63) – 9.8 (62)	Glenorchy	Marnoo
1960	Swifts	8.13 (61) – 4.11 (35)	Glenorchy	Marnoo
1961	Warriors	15.10 (100) – 8.18 (66)	Swifts	Central Park, Stawell
1962	Swifts	11.11 (77) – 9.9 (63)	Glenorchy
1963	Halls Gap	6.13 (49) – 6.11 (47)	Warriors
1964	Halls Gap	12.8 (80) – 11.12 (78)	Warriors
1965	Warriors	20.20 (140) – 15.12 (102)	Marnoo
1966	Marnoo	15.14 (104) – 14.17 (101)	Swifts
1967	Marnoo	14.12 (96) – 6.11 (47)	Warriors
1968	Warriors	11.17 (83) – 10.9 (69)	Murtoa Juniors
1969	Glenorchy	11.13 (79) – 10.14 (74)	Warriors

References

↑ "Stawell And District Football Association / South Wimmera Football League (Vic)". footypedia.info. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
↑ "FOOTBALL". Ballarat Courier. 1914-06-05. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
↑ "South Wimmera Grand Final". Weekly Times. 1934-08-11. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
↑ "South Wimmera In Recess". Weekly Times. 1940-04-20. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
↑ "Home Page - Swifts - GameDay". GameDay. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
↑ "South Wimmera Final". Age. 1938-09-14. Retrieved 2025-06-27.

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[1] "Stawell And District Football Association / South Wimmera Football League (Vic)". footypedia.info. Retrieved 2025-06-17.

[2] "FOOTBALL". Ballarat Courier. 1914-06-05. Retrieved 2025-06-27.

[3] "South Wimmera Grand Final". Weekly Times. 1934-08-11. Retrieved 2025-06-27.

[4] "South Wimmera In Recess". Weekly Times. 1940-04-20. Retrieved 2025-06-27.

[5] "Home Page - Swifts - GameDay". GameDay. Retrieved 2025-06-17.

[6] "South Wimmera Final". Age. 1938-09-14. Retrieved 2025-06-27.

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