Goulburn Valley Football Association

Goulburn Valley Football Association
SportAustralian rules football
Founded1888
Ceased1931
MottoPride in Battle
No. of teams25
CountryAustralia
HeadquartersNumurkah
ConfederationAFL Victoria Country
Most titlesNumurkah (8)

The Goulburn Valley Football Association (GVFA) is an Australian rules football competition that was first established in 1888 in the Goulburn Valley of Victoria, Australia, with the foundation clubs being Cobram, Muckatah, Nathalia, Numurkah, Wunghnu and Yarroweyah.

This football competition was separate to the Goulburn Valley District Football Association that was formed in 1893, that is still active today and now called the Goulburn Valley Football League.

History

The original GVFA was a football association that catered for the smaller rural towns of the Goulburn Valley region until 1931, when it was superseded by the Murray Football League when it was first established in 1931.

There was another Goulburn Valley Football Association, in 1890 and 1891, comprising the following teams – Baldwinsville, Mooroopna, Shepparton, Tatura and Undera, with Mooroopna winning the title in 1890 and Undera defeating Mooroopna to win the 1891 – Elder's Hotel (Undera) Medals.

Between 1901 and 1906, Drumanure Football Club won six consecutive premierships.

In 1911, Muckatah went through the season undefeated when the Muckatah Bombers defeated Numurkah in the grand final on "the pretty tree embowered Drumanure ground" and Muckatah player, George Grant had the distinction of playing in three premiership teams in 1911, with Essendon Football Club VFA team, Tocumwal and Muckatah!

In 1911, a Goulburn Valley Junior Football Association was established with the following clubs competing – Boomanoomana, Burramine South, Cobram, Katamatite and Muckatah.

Between 1904 and 1920, the GVFA comprised enough teams to divide it into two divisions (North and South) to minimise travel for clubs to away matches, which was a big issue around 1900. At its peak the GVFA comprised 14 teams in 1906.

The GVFA went into recess from 1916 to 1918 due to World War I.

In 1932, an attempt was made to revive the GVFA, but a lack of interest from clubs meant the association permanently closed down.

Goulburn Valley Second Eighteens Football Association (1926–1936) and renaming

The Goulburn Valley Second Eighteens Football Association (GVSEFA) superseded the Ardmona Central Junior Football Association, and was established in 1926 from the following Goulburn Valley clubs – Ardmona, Dookie, Mooroopna, Shepparton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.

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.

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.

In 1940, Shepparton Imperials' committee decide to drop the "Imperials" from its name and would be known as just the Shepparton Football Club.

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 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, when the Goulburn Valley Football League was re-established in 1946.

The Central Goulburn Valley Football League officially went into recess at their AGM, in March, 1953, but was never reformed.

Former GVFA Clubs:1888 to 1930

Colors Club Years in GVFA Established Premierships Runners Up
Barooga 1907 to 1908 1894 0 0
? Barwo 1906 1906 0 0
Boomanoomana (NSW) 1914, 1919–21 1911 0 0
? Bunbartha 1910–11, 1919–21 1910 0 0
? Burramine/Boosey 1910 1910 0 0
Cobram 1891-92, 1904–1910, 1912–14, 1919–30 1887 6 4
Congupna 1891-92,1897-07 1891 0 5
Drumanure 1896–1923 1896 7 2
? Drumanure / Wunghnu 1924 to 1928 1924 0 0
? Kaarimba 1896–1902 1896 0 0
Katamatite 1906–09,1914, 1920–21 1888 0 0
Katunga 1895–1907, 1911–15, 1919 1893 4 0
? Koonoomoo 1904–1908 1904 0 0
Muckatah 1888, 1895, 1898–1900, 1902–30 1888 5 11
? Naring Dip 1905 & 1906 1905 0 0
Nathalia 1888 – 89, 1892, 1895–97, 1900, 1906, 1921–30 1887 4 3
Numurkah 1888 to 1930 1882 8 4
Shepparton 1892 & 1915 1896 1 0
?
 Shepparton Imperials 1930 1926 0 1
Strathmerton 1903–10, 1913–15, 1919–30 1888 0 0
Tallygaroopna 1904 & 05, 1907–15, 1919–29 1894 1 2
Tocumwal 1905, 1907, 1909 & 1912 1894 0 0
Waaia 1896, 1898–1902, 1906–08, 1911, 1921 & 22 1894 0 1
Wunghnu 1888–90, 92, 96&97, 99, 1901–06, 08–11, 13–15, 19–23, 28–30 1888 0 1
Yarroweyah 1888 to 1892 1888 0 0

Participating Football Clubs in the GVSEFA (1926–1936)

The following clubs competed in the GVSEFA in the following years –

  • Ardmona: 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 & 1936 (11). Joined the Goulburn Valley Football Association in 1937.
  • Benbatha: 1928, 1929, 1930 (3)
  • Cosgrove: 1927, 1928, 1929 (3)
  • Dookie: 1926 (1). Joined the Dookie Football Association in 1927.
  • Dookie College: 1927, 1928 (2). Did not play any competition football until 1939, when they joined the Tatong Thoona Football League.
  • Dookie / Cosgrove: 1930 (1). Both club's joined the Katandra Football Association in 1931, as separate clubs.
  • Katandra: 1936 (1). Joined the Goulburn Valley Football Association in 1937.
  • Lemnos: 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 & 1936 (9). Joined the Goulburn Valley Football Association in 1937.
  • Mooroopna: 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 & 1936 (11). Joined the Goulburn Valley Football Association in 1937.
  • Shepparton East: 1926 (1). Club went into recess in 1927.
  • Shepparton Imperials: 1927, 1928, 1929, (1930 – GVFA), 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 & 1936 (9). Joined the Goulburn Valley Football Association in 1937.
  • Tallygaroopna: 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 & 1936 (7). Joined the Goulburn Valley Football Association in 1937.
  • Tatura: 1933, 1934, 1935 (3)
  • Toolamba: 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 & 1936 (6). Joined the Goulburn Valley Football Association in 1937.
  • Undera: 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 & 1936 (11). Joined the Goulburn Valley Football Association in 1937.
  • Wunghnu: 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936 (6). Joined the Goulburn Valley Football Association in 1937.
Number of teams in the GVSEFA per year
  • 1926: 5
  • 1927: 6
  • 1928: 8
  • 1929: 7
  • 1930: 7
  • 1931: 8
  • 1932: 8
  • 1933: 9
  • 1934: 9
  • 1935: 9
  • 1936: 9

GVFA Clubs: 1937 to 1945

The following clubs participated in the GFVA between 1937 and 1945. The GVFA was in recess between 1942 & 1944, due to World War II.

Colors Club Years in GVFA Established Premierships Runners Up
blue & gold Ardmona 1937, 38, 39, 40, 41, 45 1920 0 1
purple & white Dookie 1940, 41, 45 1887 0 0
red & blue Dookie College 1941, 45 1908 0 0
Lemnos 1937, 38, 39, 40, 41 1929 3 0
red & white Katandra 1937, 38, 39, 40, 41, 45 1911 0 0
blue & white Mooroopna 1937, 38, 39, 40, 45 1877 1 2
maroon & gold Shepparton 1940, 41, 45 1940 1 1
yellow & black Shepparton East 1945 1940 1 0
Shepparton Imperials 1937, 38, 39 1926 0 0
crimson & blue SPC 1945 1926 0 1
blue & red Tatura 1945 1904 0 0
navy & blue Tallygaroopna 1937, 38, 39, 40 1904 0 0
Toolamba 1937, 38, 39, 40 1888 0 0
Undera 1937, 38, 39 1888 0 1
black & white Wunghnu 1937, 38, 39 1874 0 0

GVFA Grand Final Results

Year Premiers Score Runners Up Score Venue / Comments
1888 Numurkah No G Final Muckatah No G Final Numurkah only lost 1 game
1889 Numurkah 4.8 – 32 Cobram 0.3 – 3 At Cobram
1890 Numurkah 4.10 – 34 Yarroweyah 1.7 – 13 At Numurkah
1891 Yarroweyah 3.12 – 30 Congupna 1.1 – 7 At Congupna
1892 Shepparton 6.6 – 42 Congupna 3.4 – 22 At Shepparton
1893 Katunga ? GVDFA formed
1894 Katunga ?
1895 Katunga Muckatah At Nathalia
1896 Nathalia ?
1897 Nathalia 5.8 – 38 Congupna 2.6 – 18 At Nathalia
1898 Muckatah 5.5 – 35 Congupna 1.2 – 8 At Muckatah
1899 Katunga No G Final Drumanure No G Final Katunga declared premiers
1900 Muckatah 6.6 – 42 Waaia 4.3 – 27 At Numurkah
1901 Drumanure 9.18 – 72 Numurkah 2.3 – 15 At Wunghnu
1902 Drumanure ? G Final Muckatah ? G Final
1903 Drumanure 6.8 – 44 Congupna 1.3 – 9 At Numurkah
1904 Drumanure 4.9 – 33 Tallygaroopna 1.7 – 13 At Numurkah
1905 Drumanure 7.10 – 52 Muckatah 7.9 – 51 At Numurkah
1906 Drumanure 4.8 – 32 Cobram 3.10 – 28 At Numurkah
1907 Cobram 5.6 – 36 Numurkah 5.5 – 35 At Numurkah
1908 Drumanure 4.5 – 29 Muckatah 2.11 – 23 At Numurkah
1909 Cobram 5.5 – 35 Muckatah 2.16 – 28 At Numurkah
1910 Muckatah 6.8 – 44 Drumanure 2.5 – 17 At Cobram
1911 Muckatah 11.15 – 81 Numurkah 5.14 – 44 At Drumanure. MFC unbeaten.
1912 Muckatah 10.13 – 73 Numurkah 7.12 – 54 At Cobram
1913 Cobram 18.21 – 129 Tallygaroopna 3.6 – 24 At Numurkah
1914 Cobram 6.8 – 44 Muckatah 3.4 – 22 At Numurkah
1915 Tallygaroopna No G Final Muckatah No G Final Season abandoned
1916 In recess WW1
1917 In recess WW1
1918 In recess WW1
1919 ? Influenza Pandemic
1920 Numurkah 5.6 – 36 Cobram 4.7 – 31 At Numurkah
1921 Muckatah 7.15 – 57 Drumanure 8.2 – 50 At Numurkah
1922 Numurkah 9.13 – 67 Nathalia 8.8 – 56 At Numurkah
1923 Nathalia 12.10 – 82 Cobram 11.13 – 79 At Nathalia
1924 Numurkah 9.14 – 68 Nathalia 9.8 – 62 At Cobram
1925 Numurkah 12.8 – 80 Muckatah 7.9 – 51 At Strathmerton
1926 Numurkah 11.12 – 78 Muckatah 8.2 – 50 At Strathmerton
1927 Nathalia 12.12 – 84 Muckatah 10.9 – 69 At Numurkah
1928 Cobram 27.16 – 162 Wunghnu 8.8 – 56 At Strathmerton
1929 Cobram 7.9 – 51 Nathalia 5.7 – 37 At Numurkah
1930 Nathalia 13.14 – 86 Shepparton Imperials 9.8 – 62 At Numurkah
1931–36 GVFA disbands & in recess
1937 Lemnos 12.12 – 84 Undera 7.14 – 56 At Shepparton
1938 Lemnos 12.11 – 83 Mooroopna 12.11 – 83 At Shepp. Drawn G Final
1938 Lemnos 18.18 – 126 Mooroopna 7.14 – 56 At Shepparton. Grand Final Replay
1939 Mooroopna 10.15 – 75 Lemnos 10.14 – 74 At Shepparton
1940 Lemnos 7.18 – 60 Shepparton 7.14 – 56 Neo Cafe Cup
1941 Shepparton 11.9 – 85 Ardmona 9.7 – 61 At Shepparton
1942–44 In recess WW2
1945 Shepparton East 10.9 69 S.P.C. 9.5 – 59 At Shepparton. GVFA revived
1946 GVFA changed to CGFL
Year Premiers Score Runner Up Score Venue / Comments