Victorian FIDA Football League

Last updated
Victorian FIDA Football League
Victorian FIDA Football League logo.png
Sport Australian rules football
Founded1990
Administrator AFL Victoria
No. of teams28
CountryAustralia
Related
competitions
Official website fida.org.au

The Victorian FIDA (Football Integration Development Association) Football League (VFFL or simply FIDA) is an Australian rules football based in Victoria. The competition provides people with an intellectual disability the chance play football at a competitive level. [1] [2]

Contents

The league is mix-gendered and open to people aged 14 and over, with four regional conferences, the largest being in metropolitan Melbourne. [1] [3]

As of 2022, FIDA has 28 clubs and approximately 800 players. [4] The competition is supported by the Hawthorn Football Club, Box Hill Hawks, Coburg Football Club and Williamstown Football Club. [4]

History

Origins and formation

On 18 June 1989, a football clinic for people with an intellectual disability was run by the Hawthorn Football Club and the Hawthorn City Council. [5] Hawthorn players Peter Curran and Rob Dickson were among those conducting the clinic. [6]

A skills and match day was held a year later on 21 October 1990 following a steering committee, where the "Football Integration Development Association" name was agreed on. [6]

The first FIDA matches were held on 7 March 1991. Six clubs – Chadstone Chargers, Werribee Blues, Mitcham Tigers, Hawthorn, Royal Magpies and Heidelberg – participated in the first round, with Broadmeadows and Keilor Saints joining the competition later in the year. [6]

The 1991 grand final was held at Glenferrie Oval, with Chadstone (who were undefeated for the season) defeating Mitcham 19.14 (128) to 2.5 (17). Former Hawthorn coach John Kennedy Sr, whose son Bernard played for Chadstone, presented the trophy and medallions. [6]

Four new clubs entered the competition in 1992, and it was expanded to a multi-division format with Division 1 and Division 2. [6]

In 1993, FIDA established relations with the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), who agreed to house the FIDA co-ordinator at VAFA headquarters at Elsternwick Park. The VAFA agreed to promote FIDA, with the VAFA Umpires Association also supplying umpires to the competition. [6]

The links with the VAFA were formally established in 1995, supporting FIDA to grow further. The same year, Bendigo also entered the competition as its first regional-based club. [6]

Recent growth

FIDA employed a General Manager in 2009, which saw the competition develop rapidly. [5] By the end of the 2015 season, FIDA had more than 600 players, and the running of the competition was taken over by AFL Victoria. [5]

No season was held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 season was curtailed because of COVID-19 restrictions. [5] [7]

Clubs

Metropolitan Conference

ClubColoursNicknameEst.First season
AJAX
Cowwarr Football Club colours.jpg
Jackas19572023 [8]
Ballarat Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs Football Club colours.jpg
Bulldogs20162016 [9]
Carrum Downs
EssendonDesign.svg
Jets ???? ????
Coburg
Calivil United Football Club colours.jpg
Lions18912017 [10]
Cranbourne
Cranbourne Football Club colours.jpg
Eagles18892021 [11]
Eltham
EssendonDesign.svg
Panthers190420??
Ferntree Gully
Ferntree Gully Football Club colours.jpg
Eagles18??2012 [12]
Fountain Gate Gators
Old Melburnians Football Club colours.jpg
Gators ????2023
Kananook Bulls
A Square Tile.png
Bulls ????2017
Keon Park
Keon Park FNC.png
Tigers19652024
Lower Plenty
Lower Plenty Football Club colours.jpg
Bears19622016
Mazenod Panthers
Mazenod OC Football Club colours.jpg
Panthers20052005
Monash Demons
Melbourne Football Club colours.jpg
Demons20202020
Parkside
Parkside NFNL.jpg
Devils20172017
Ringwood Spiders
Solid gray.png
Spiders19922021
Sandown Cobras
Sandown Cobras football club colors.jpg
Cobras20102010 [13]
St Albans
Melbourne Football Club colours.jpg
Saints19462015
Williamstown
Vfl williamstown icon.png
Seagulls20112011 [14]
Wyndham Tigers
Solid black.svg
Tigers20102010

Northern Conference

ClubColoursNicknameEst.First season
Benalla
AFL St Kilda Icon.jpg
Saints18712024 [15]
Echuca Moama
Sky blue square.jpg
Rockets20102010 [16]
GV Stars
Square Yellow.svg
Stars20142016
North Albury
North Albury Football Club colours.jpg
Hoppers19432023
Wangaratta
Clunes Football Club colours.jpg
Magpies18752021 [17]
Wodonga
Wodonga bulldogs icon.svg
Bulldogs18782???

Central Conference

ClubColoursNicknameEst.First season
Bendigo Suns
A Square Tile.png
Suns20182018 [18]
Kyneton
RichmondDesign.svg
Tigers18682021
Rupertswood
Rupertswood Football Club colours.jpg
Sharks19992021

Western Conference

ClubColoursNicknameEst.First season
Grampian Giants
GWS Giants Football Club colours.jpg
Giants20172017
South Warrnambool
Mingenew Football Club colours.jpg
Hurricanes20132013
Wimmera Whippets
RichmondDesign.svg
Whippets20162016

Former clubs

Source: [6] [19] [20]

ClubColoursNicknameEst.SeasonsFate
Bendigo Warriors
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Warriors19??1995−????Folded
Broadmeadows
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
19??1991−????Folded
Chadstone Chargers
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Chargers19??1991−1996Merged
1997 with Mitcham Tigers to form Lions
Colac
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
19??1999−????
Footscray Underdogs
(Footscray/Sunshine)
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Underdogs19??1992−????Folded
Geelong
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
19971998−????
Geelong Dragons
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Dragons20182018−2023Folded
2023
Hamilton Boomers
Sky blue square.jpg
Boomers20192019−2022Folded
2022
Hawthorn Centrals
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Centrals19??1992−????Folded
Heidelberg
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Bomers19??1991−????Folded
Karingal Bulls
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Bulls19??1992−????Folded
Keilor Saints
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Saints19??1991−????Folded
Lions
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Lions19971997−????Folded
Mambourin Tigers
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Tigers19??1999−????
Marlins
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Marlins19961996−1997Folded
1998
Maribyrnong
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
19??199?−????Folded
Mitcham Tigers
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Chargers19??1991−1996Merged
1997 with Chadstone Chargers to form Lions
North Ballarat
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
19??1999−????
Parkside
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
19??199?−????
Ringwood Blues
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Blues19??1992−????Folded
Royal Magpies
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Magpies19??1991−????Folded
Werribee Blues
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Blues19??1991−????Folded
Werribee Toyota Crows
White square 50%25 transparency.svg
Crows19??1992−????Folded

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References

  1. 1 2 "FIDA". AFL Central Victoria. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "The Victorian FIDA Football League Is Australia's Biggest And Oldest Disability Football Competition". news.com.au. CODE Sports. 30 March 2023. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  3. ↑ "Clubs". FIDA. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  4. 1 2 Lees, Oliver (4 June 2022). "Push to bring inclusive football to eastern Victoria for people with disability". ABC News. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "THE FIDA STORY". FIDA. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "History". FIDA. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  7. ↑ Johnston, Andrew (17 June 2020). "Rockets will not launch in 2020". Shepparton News. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  8. ↑ "All-abilities team makes its mark". Australian Jewish News. 9 June 2023. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  9. ↑ "Home Page". GameDay. Ballarat Bulldogs. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  10. ↑ "Home". GameDay. Coburg Football Club. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  11. ↑ "Cranbourne". GameDay. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  12. ↑ "Home". GameDay. Ferntree Gully Eagles. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "Cobras side raring for 2024". Dandenong Star Journal. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  14. ↑ "WSFIDA". Williamstown Seagulls FIDA Football Club. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2024. Williamstown Seagulls FIDA Football Club is a football club which was set up in 2011 to provide sporting opportunities for people with Intellectual Disabilities in the Inner Western suburbs of Melbourne.
  15. ↑ Ruppert, Simon (6 May 2024). "Great day out at Benalla All-Abilities Footy Carnival". Benalla Ensign. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024. Subsequently, I've moved to Benalla and this is its first-ever team, a FIDA club
  16. ↑ "Meet the Rockets, the all-abilities Australian rules team changing lives and a community". ABC News. 22 July 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024. The Rockets were born 12 years ago.
  17. ↑ "Merriwa Magpies ready for 2022 Season". Merriwa. 11 April 2022. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  18. ↑ "Bendigo enters team into the FIDA Football League". AFL Central Victoria. 24 April 2018. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  19. ↑ "CLUBS". FIDA. 5 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "The Amateur Footballer Week 3 1995" (PDF). Victorian Amateur Football Association. 22 April 1995. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
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