Goldfields Football League

The Goldfields Football League is a regional Australian football league based in the Kalgoorlie region, Western Australia. Originally 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.^[1] 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.

History

The league was formed during a meeting held in the Great Boulder Hotel, Kalgoorlie on the 29 July, 1896 as 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.^[2] 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.^[3]

Clubs

Current clubs

Former clubs

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).

2011 Ladder

FINALS

Notable players

• Hugh Gavin (Boulder City/Boulder Stars/Mines Rovers) – captained Essendon in 1904.
• George Krepp (Boulder City) – won a Sandover Medal for Swan Districts in 1936.
• Gordon Maffina (Boulder City) – won a Sandover Medal for Claremont in 1949 and a Simpson Medal in 1951.
• Phil Matson (Boulder City) – captained WA at the 1914 Sydney Carnival.
• Stephen Michael (Boulder City) – won the 1980 and 1981 Sandover Medals, and the 1983 Simpson Medal. Inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
• Alec Robinson (Boulder City)
• Jack Rocchi (Boulder City) – won the 1928 Sandover Medal for South Fremantle.
• Dave Cuzens (Kalgoorlie City) – won Richmond's best & fairest in 1958 and 1959.
• Jerry Dolan (Kalgoorlie City)
• Ted Holdsworth (Kalgoorlie City) – named at full-forward in the Swan Districts Team of the Century.
• Jim Gosnell (Kalgoorlie Railways) – won the 1924 Sandover Medal.
• Dean Kemp (Kalgoorlie Railways) – won a Norm Smith Medal for West Coast and played in two premierships.
• Steve Marsh (Kalgoorlie Railways) – 1952 Sandover Medallist and West Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend.
• Ted Rowell (Kalgoorlie Railways)
• Charlie Tyson (Kalgoorlie Railways) – played 144 games in the VFL for Collingwood and North Melbourne, captaining both teams.
• Lou Daily (Mines Rovers) – won the 1935 Sandover Medal for Subiaco.
• Alec Epis (Mines Rovers)
• Jaymie Graham (Mines Rovers) – played for West Coast.
• Tom Outridge (Mines Rovers) – inaugural winner of the Sandover Medal in 1921.
• "Nipper" Truscott (Mines Rovers) – inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
• Eddie Betts (Mines Rovers) – Carlton's leading goalkicker in 2010.

See also

• Australian rules football in the Goldfields region of Western Australia

References