Goldfields Football League
 |
|
| Formerly | Hannans District Football Association (1896–1901) Goldfields Football Association (1901–1907 and 1920–1925)Goldfields National Football League (1926–1987) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Australian rules football |
| Founded | 1896 |
| Inaugural season | 1896 |
| Owner(s) | West Australian Football Commission |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Country | Australia |
| Venue(s) | Various |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Mines Rovers Football Club |
| Most titles | Mines Rovers (37) |
| Official website | fieldsfootball.com.au |
The Goldfields Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. Founded in 1896 as Hannans District Football Association, the league enjoyed a seat and full voting rights on the Australian National Football Council until 1919. The first clubs to play Australian football were formed within the region, and the league helped popularise the sport in the region, helping to establish the sport and supplant Rugby in popularity. The GFL was known as the Goldfields Football Association (GFA) from 1901–07 and 1920–25, and as the Goldfields National Football League (GNFL) from 1926–87.
The league was formed during a meeting held in the Great Boulder Hotel, Kalgoorlie, on 29 July 1896 as the Hannans District Football Association. The association at this point comprised four teams; Boulder City, based in Boulder; Hannans, now known as Kalgoorlie City and based in Kalgoorlie; Victorians, also based in Kalgoorlie; and White Feather, based in Kanowna. Up until the end of the First World War the GFL was considered equal on ability with the WAFL, and a State Championship was contested 12 times between 1903 and 1924, with Goldfields sides winning twice, in 1903 and 1912. The league also had a seat and full voting rights on the Australian National Football Council until 1919, but participated together with the WAFL as Western Australia in inter-state and inter-colonial matches. The 1904 Western Australian inter-state touring team included seven GFL players, and half of the 1908 Melbourne Carnival team were GFL players, including the captain Billy Trewhella.
Former clubs include Victorians (1896–97), White Feather (1896–98; 1903–06), Bulong (1897), Rovers (1897), Britannia (1897), Cementers (1898), Kanowna (1899–1901), Paddington (1899), Coolgardie (1901–03; 1905–06), Trafalgar (1902–05), Horseshoe Warriors (1903–08), City (1903), Boulder Stars (1905–06) and Norseman (1971–72; 1974–82).
...
Wikipedia