History
The Sunraysia Football League was formed in 1945, after World War Two, which superseded the Mildura Football League.
In 1947, Melbourne: 23.18 - 156 defeated the Sunraysia FL: 8.16 - 64 at the Mildura Recreation Oval. [1]
In 1948, Imperials FC finished last on the ladder, [2] then went onto win the 1949 premiership.
In June 1949, Collingwood: 19.14 - 128 [3] defeated the Sunraysia FL: [4] 13.6 - 84. [5]
In 1957, Wentworth and Dareton merged to form Wentworth & Districts Football Club.
Between 1951 and 1960, Mildura played in nine grand finals in ten years, winning five premierships, with former Essendon player, Les Griggs coaching the team between 1950 and 1956.
In 1965, Irymple FC finished last on the ladder, then went onto win the 1966 SFL premiership. [6]
Between 1967 and 1986, the Sunraysia Football League was Richmond's rural VFL zoning area and provided Richmond with many good players and a period of premiership success and regular finals appearances in the late 1960's, 1970's and early 1980's.
Imperials FNC had a very successful period between 1986 and 1996, playing in 10 grand finals in 11 years, which included two lots of five consecutive grand finals. The only year Imperials missed the grand final was in 1991, when they lost the preliminary final.
Under the coaching of former VFL star player, Merv Neagle, Merbein won senior football premierships in 2002 and 2003, with some very smart recruiting, but have since struggled to be regular finalists. [7]
The SFNL is considered a major country league. The league's grand final was traditionally played at City Oval in Mildura, however from 2022 it has played at the newly-opened Mildura Sporting Precinct in Mildura's South.
In 2023, Imperials FNC finished last (9th) on the senior football ladder, then went onto win the 2024 premiership.
- Mildura Football Association
Australian Rules football has been active in Sunraysia since the formation of the Mildura Football Club in 1888, [8] [9] with Mildura finishing on top of the ladder in the first recorded, local Australian Rules competition, the Mildura Football Association in 1891. [10] [11]
In 1891, Mildura FC received the Jamieson Premiership Cup, while "Best All-round Player" went to "Dot" Desailly (South Mildura) and best goalkicker award was won by W. "Bill" Bartlett (North Mildura). [12]
There was no official competition football in 1896, [13] as there was only two active football clubs, Irymple and North Mildura, with Wentworth Imperials FC showing some interest in joining the competition, [14] which did not go ahead, but some friendly matches were played between these clubs.
Between 1900 and 1903, there are no newspapers references to any Australian Rules football competitions in or around the Mildura area, which was partially due to player shortages from enlistments in the Army who served Australia in the Second Boer War. There is no evidence of local football in The Mildura Cultivator newspaper until 1904. [15] In February, 1904, there was a push get the Mildura Recreation Reserve "into immediate use and proper order" to get the games of cricket and football going again, like the good old days. [16]
- Mildura Football League
In 1904, the Mildura Football League was formed from the following teams - Irymple, Mildura and the Mildura Fire Brigade, [17] with the Fire Brigade defeating Irymple in the grand final.
In 1907, the Fire Brigade FC disbanded and was reformed as the Mildura Rovers FC [18] and the club initially wore a red and white guernsey and blue knickers. [19]
In 1919, East Mildura and West Mildura Football Club's were formed when the town of Mildura was divided up into zoning areas for players to be zoned to a certain club, depending where the player lived. [20]
In 1921, the Mildura Football League was re-formed from the following teams - Irymple, Merbein, Mildura, North Cliffs and Red Cliffs, [21] with a new committee of management. [22] The official new club colours were - Irymple: blue and gold jerseys and socks, blue shorts; Merbein: black and white jerseys and socks, white shorts; Mildura: black and red jerseys and socks, white shorts; Red Cliff: maroon and royal blue jerseys and socks, white shorts; Red Cliffs North: cardinal and black jerseys and socks, white shorts. [23]
In a golden era for the town of Merbein, between 1924 and 1938, Merbein and / or South Merbein played in 16 consecutive Mildura FL grand finals, with Merbein winning seven premierships and South Merbein winning six premierships.
In 1925, Merbein Park was changed to the Kenny Memorial Park in honour of the late E J Kenny, for all the work Mr Kenny performed in Merbein as the "Father" of the Merbein settlement. [24]
In 1927, the Mildura Rovers Junior FC (Under 18 side) wore "white knicks, dark blue guernsey, with a yellow sash". [25]
In August 1927, Mildura FL: 11.10 - 76 defeated Essendon Reserves: 6.8 - 44. [26]
In September 1936, St Kilda 14.18 - 102 defeated the Mildura Football League 11.20 - 86, with St Kilda's Bill Mohr kicking 10 goals. [27]
In 1937, the Mildura FC disbanded and the Mildura Working Man's Club [28] entered a team in the Mildura FL. [29]
In 1938, Laurie Leask won the 1938 Mildura Football League / Sunraysia Daily newspaper best and fairest award, the Snow Trophy. [30] [31]
In September 1938, Essendon Reserves: 16.17 - 113 defeated the Mildura Football League: 16.16 - 112 in a thrilling game. [32]
In 1940, because of World War Two, the Mildura & DFL was reduced to a six team competition between the Imperials, Irymple, Merbein, Red Cliffs, Wentworth and Workers, with the season shortened, the grand final was played in June. [33]
- Mildura Boys Football Association
In April 1946, the Sunraysia Boys Football Association was formed with an Under 18 division and an Under 16 division from the following teams [34] - Coomealla, Curlwaa, Gol Gol, Irymple, Merbein, Mildura Community Centre, Mildura Convent, Mildura High School, Methodists, Red Cliffs Community Centre and Wentworth. [35]
- Mildura Wednesday Football Association
The Mildura Wednesday FA was formed in 1921 [36] and initially comprised the following three clubs - Fitzroys (Maroon), Imperials (blue and white) and Tigers (yellow and black). [37] In 1929, C Whitmore (Mildura Rovers) won the MWFA best and fairest award. [38]
- Timeline
- 1891 - 1895: Mildura Football Association
- 1896 - MFA in recess
- 1897 - 1899: Mildura Football Association
- 1900 - 1903: MFA in recess due to Australia in the Second Boer War
- 1904 - 1915: Mildura Football League
- 1916 - 1918: MFL in recess due to World War One
- 1919 - 1940: Mildura Football League [39]
- 1941 - 1943: MFL in recess due to World War Two
- 1944 - Mildura Football League. Newspapers reports sometimes referred to the local football competition as the Mildura & District Football League and occasionally the Mildura Football Association between 1904 and 1944, but it was mostly referred to as the Mildura Football League during this period.
- 1945 - 2019: Sunraysia Football League
- 2020 - SFNL in recess due to COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria. 2021 season was cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria and no finals series was played.
- 2021 - 2025: Sunraysia Football League
- Stance on Violence
Irymple Football Club is working with Kim O'Reilly to educate players around healthy relationships and violence against women. O'Reilly was seriously assaulted by former Irymple player Jake Frecker in January 2018.
Irymple Club president Dennis Mitchell called for football clubs to change their culture around violence, condemning the support Dimboola provided to Frecker after he was charged with the assault on O'Reilly. "When your sporting club is the heart of the community, then it is our responsibility to be a vehicle for [education on family violence]" [40]
2025
Australia
