AFL Victoria Country

AFL Victoria Country is an Australian rules football governing body with jurisdiction over the state of Victoria outside metropolitan Melbourne on behalf of AFL Victoria. As well as administering and promoting the code in the regions, it often arbitrates disputes in areas such as player clearances and club movements between country leagues, and may also be called upon as a higher authority of appeal. The organisation was formed as a result of a merger between Victorian Country Football League (VCFL) and AFL Victoria in November 2012.^[1]

The then-VCFL aired telecasts beginning in 2010 on C31 Melbourne, along with Geelong Football League and Geelong & District Football League. The women's netball coverage also was broadcast on community TV in 2010.

Victorian Country Championships[edit]

The VCFL originally organised the interleague Victorian Country Football Championships back in 1954.

In 1958, the VCFL initiated the Centenary Championships, to mark the 100th anniversary of the inception of Australian Rules football. The 15 major leagues of Victoria and southern NSW were divided into four districts, with each pool conducting a championships.^[2]

Caltex had the naming rights of the Victorian Country Championships matches in the 1960's. The 16 league series would run over a two year period, with knock out matches in the first season, followed by semi finals and a grand final in the following season.^[3]

The Country Championship were discontinued from 1975 before being re-established in 1978.

From 2004 to 2006 the championships were decided at a carnival round-robin competition at one venue over a single weekend, with each of the four sides playing the others in matches of two twenty-minute halves. The team on top of the ladder, based on points (4 for a win, 2 for a draw) and then percentage (points scored over points conceded) after these three matches, were declared the winner. Leagues not represented in the top four pools of four participated in other interleague matches organised by the VCFL. In 2007, there was no statewide VCFL Championships, just a rivalry round was played between close by leagues, (with the O&MFL playing the GVFL), with the round robin format returning in 2008.

In 2009, the championships reverted to head-to-head full matches on a rankings scale per year.

The Ash - Wilson Trophy was formed in 2001 and is only for matches involving the Goulburn Valley Football League and the Ovens & Murray Football League, In honour of former players, Stephen Ash and Mick Wilson.^[4]

VCFL - Division 1 Champions

1954: Ovens & Murray FL d Bendigo FL at Ballarat
1955: Ovens & Murray FL d Ballarat FL at Albury^[5]
1956: Ballarat FL d Ovens & Murray FL at Bendigo^[6]
1957: Ovens & Murray FL d Ballarat FL at Albury
1958: ?
1959: ?
1960: ?
1961/62: Bendigo FL d Wimmera FL at Horsham^[7]
1963/64: South Western DFL (Riverina) d Hampden FL at Narrandera^[8]
1965/66: Hampden FL d Ovens & Murray FL at Wangaratta
1967/68: Ovens & Murray FL d Wimmera FL at Horsham
1969/70: Hampden FL d Ovens & Murray FL
1971/72: Bendigo FL d Murray FL at Cobram
1973/74: North Central FL d Hampden FL
1975: VCFL Country Championships discontinued in 1975. Re-established in 1978.
1976: N/A
1977: N/A
1978: Goulburn Valley FL d Hampden FL at Colac.
1979: Latrobe Valley FL d Bendigo FL at Bendigo
1980: Latrobe Valley FL d Ovens & Murray FL at Sale
1981: Ballarat FL
1982: Ballarat FL d Ovens & Murray FL
1983: Ballarat FL
1984: Goulburn Valley FL d Geelong FL
1985: Ovens & Murray FL d Ballarat FL at Wangaratta
1986: Ballarat FL
1987: Ovens & Murray FL d Sunraysia FL at Mildura
1988: Geelong FL d Bendigo FL at Geelong
1989: Bendigo FL d Geelong FL at Bendigo^[9]
1990: Latrobe Valley FL d Bendigo FL at Sale
1991: Hampden FL d Geelong FL
1992: Geelong FL d LaTrobe FL at Geelong
1993: Geelong FL d Bendigo FL at Bendigo
1994: Goulburn Valley FL d ?
1995: Gippsland Latrobe FL d Mid Murray FL at Swan Hill^[10]
1996: Ovens & Murray FL d Geelong FL at Wodonga
1997: Ovens & Murray FL d Geelong FL at Geelong
1998: Ovens & Murray FL d Geelong FL at Wodonga
1999: Ovens & Murray FL d Gippsland LaTrobe FL at Moe
2000: Geelong FL d Gippsland Latrobe FL at Geelong
2001: Ovens & Murray FL d Goulburn Valley FL at Lavington, NSW
2002: Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL d Hampden FL
2003: Geelong FL d Goulburn Valley FL at Shepparton
2004: 1st: Geelong FL at Shepparton
2005: 1st: Goulburn Valley FL at Kardinia Park, Geelong
2006: 1st: Ovens & Murray FL at Lavington Sports Ground, NSW
2007: No VCFL Championships in 2007. A rivalry round was played.
2008: 1st: Ovens & Murray FL at Shepparton
2009: Ovens & Murray defeated Goulburn Valley FL at Shepparton
2010: Goulburn Valley FL defeated Ovens & Murray FL at Lavington
2011: Goulburn Valley FL defeated Ballarat FL at Shepparton ^[11]
2012: Goulburn Valley FL defeated Mornington Peninsula FL at Shepparton
2013: Geelong FL defeated Goulburn Valley FL at Geelong
2014: Geelong FL defeated Peninsula FL at Geelong
2015: Geelong FL defeated Goulburn Valley FL at Shepparton
2016: Geelong FL defeated Eastern FL at Geelong
2017: Geelong FL defeated Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL at MCG, Jolimont
2018: Eastern FL defeated Geelong FL at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
2019: Northern FL d Geelong FL at KFC Oval, Geelong

Most Division 1 Country Championship wins / Runners Up

Club	Most Championships	Runners Up
Ovens & Murray FL	14	6
Geelong FL	10	10
Goulburn Valley FL	7
Ballarat FL	5
Bendigo FL	3
Hampden FL	3
LaTrobe Valley FL	3
Eastern FL	1
Gippsland LaTrobe FL	1
Mornington Pensula FL	1
North Central FL	1
South Western FL	1
Benalla Tungamah FL		1
Murray FL		1
Sunraysia FL		1

*Country Championships: Division 2

1984 - Riverina FL: 12.11 - 83 d West Gippsland: 8.12 - 60^[12]
1985 - Western Border FL
1986 - Sunraysia FL
1987 - Western Border FL
1988 - Wimmera FL
1989 - Hampden FL
1990 - Riverina FL d North Central
1991 - Ballarat FL
1992 - Mid Murray FL
1993 - Hampden FL
1994 - Ovens & Murray FL d North Central FL
1995 - Ballarat FL
1996 - Murray FL
1997 - Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL
1998 - Western Border FL
1999 - West Gippsland FL
2000 - Bendigo FL
2001 - Ballarat FL d Central Murray FL
2002 - Bendigo FL d Central Murray FL
2003 - Ballarat FL d Central Murray FL
2004 - Ballarat FL
2005 - West Gippsland LaTrobe FL
2006 - Hampden FL

*Country Championships: Division 3

1994 - Bellarine FL
1995 - Riddell FL
2004 - Wimmera FL
2005 - Bellarine FL
2006 - Bendigo FL

*Country Championships: Division 4 / Pool D

2004 - Bellarine FL
2005 - Murray FL
2006 - Sunraysia FL

Representative Sides[edit]

On occasion, a Victoria Country representative side may be selected to play in one-off fixtures against other representative teams such as interstate counterparts or the Victorian Amateur Football Association,^[13] as well as the Australian Country Football Championships.

VCFL v VAFA matches

1984: VAFA: 15.10 - 100 d VCFL: 11.15 - 81 at the QE Oval, Bendigo
1985: VCFL: 18.9 - 117 d VAFA: 7.15 - 57 at Mildura Oval
1987: VCFL: 18.11 - 119 v VAFA: 7.13 - 55 at Lavington, NSW. 21/06/87
1993: VAFA: 13.14 - 92 d VCFL: 13.12 - 90 at Elsternwick Park Oval
1995: VAFA: 11.12 - 78 d VCFL: 10.10 - 70 at Morwell
1997: VCFL: 23.16 - 154 d VAFA: 8.9 - 57 at Elsternwick Park Oval
1999: VCFL: 19.14 - 128 d VAFA: 13.12 - 90 at Shell Stadium, Geelong
2001: VAFA: 23.14 - 152 d VCFL: 14.8 - 92 at Elsternwick Park
2003: VAFA: 14.11 - 95 d VCFL: 10.9 - 69 at Barooga, NSW
2005: VCFL: 13.13 - 91 d VAFA: 8.14 - 62 at Elsternwick Park
2007: VCFL: 11.11 - 77 d VAFA: 11.10 - 76 at Eastern Oval, Ballarat
2009: VCFL: 17.8 - 110 d VAFA: 15.16 - 106 at Junction Oval, St. Kilda
2011: VAFA: 13.14 - 92 d VCFL: 13.8 - 86 at Deakin Reserve, Shepparton
2013: VAFA: 11.16 - 82 d AFL Victorian Country: 11.13 - 79 at Junction Oval, St. Kilda
2015: AFL Victorian Country: 17.15 - 117 d VAFA: 8.7 - 55 at QE Oval, Bendigo
2017: VAFA: 24.8 - 152 d AFL Victorian Country: 10.10 - 70 at Frankston City Oval
2019: AFL Victorian Country: 11.15 - 81 d VAFA: 9.10 - 64 at Ikon (Princes) Park, Carlton^[14]
2021: No rep football due to COVID-19
2023: ?

VCFL v VFA

1992: VFA: 32.7 - 199 d VCFL: 15.7 - 97. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 26 May 1992.^[15]

Affiliated Boards & Leagues[edit]

Note:^[16] "Major Leagues" are shown in "Bold" / "District Leagues" are shown in "Italic".

References[edit]

^ "Around the Regions" (PDF). AFL Annual Report 2013. Australian Football League. p. 102. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
^ Paul Carter. "Gippsland Interleague History". Gippsland FNL. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
^ Richard Jones. "The Blue and Gold: BFL successes in inter-league footy". Country Footy Scores. 100 Years of BFL History: 1880 to 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
^ Kevin B. Hill (25 May 2022). "TRADITIONAL RIVALS SQUARE OFF AGAIN". On Reflection. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
^ "1955 - OVENS-MURRAY ARE COUNTRY FOOTY KINGS". The Argus. 14 June 1955. p. 7. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
^ "1956 - Ovens and Murray glamor willed in the rain, so... BALLARAT'S THE 1956 'KING OF FOOTBALL". The Argus. 5 June 1956. p. 7. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
^ Rob Harris (9 July 1962). "Bendigo ruck, too much speed again!". Flickr. Wangaratta Chronicle. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
^ "1964 - VCFL Caltex Country Championship (Grand Final)". Swans on Screen. Griffith Football Netball Club. 11 July 1964. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
^ Adam Bourke (26 July 2019). "Former BFNL stars reunited to celebrate inter-league success". Bendigo Advertiser. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
^ "1995 - Gippsland League Interleague History". Gippsland Latrobe FL. 1995. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
^ "2011 - Country Championships". AFL Victoria. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
^ "1984 - Riverina FL Record" (PDF). Riverina FL. 22 July 1984. p. 2. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
^ "Far and away, the season's clash of two cultures - Features - www.realfooty.com.au". Archived from the original on 4 March 2007.
^ "VCFL v VAFA Rep Matches". VAFA. 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
^ "1992 - VCFL team to meet the VFA" (PDF). NSW Football History. O&MFNL - The Critic. 23 May 1992. p. 20. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^ http://www.aflvic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Review_of_Country_Football_Report_Master_FINAL1.pdf Page 12

External links[edit]

Official AFL Victoria Country website
[1] VCFL History

[1] "Around the Regions" (PDF). AFL Annual Report 2013. Australian Football League. p. 102. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.

[2] Paul Carter. "Gippsland Interleague History". Gippsland FNL. Retrieved 6 August 2022.

[3] Richard Jones. "The Blue and Gold: BFL successes in inter-league footy". Country Footy Scores. 100 Years of BFL History: 1880 to 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2022.

[4] Kevin B. Hill (25 May 2022). "TRADITIONAL RIVALS SQUARE OFF AGAIN". On Reflection. Retrieved 25 July 2022.

[5] "1955 - OVENS-MURRAY ARE COUNTRY FOOTY KINGS". The Argus. 14 June 1955. p. 7. Retrieved 17 August 2022.

[6] "1956 - Ovens and Murray glamor willed in the rain, so... BALLARAT'S THE 1956 'KING OF FOOTBALL". The Argus. 5 June 1956. p. 7. Retrieved 3 August 2022.

[7] Rob Harris (9 July 1962). "Bendigo ruck, too much speed again!". Flickr. Wangaratta Chronicle. Retrieved 7 December 2023.

[8] "1964 - VCFL Caltex Country Championship (Grand Final)". Swans on Screen. Griffith Football Netball Club. 11 July 1964. Retrieved 3 August 2022.

[9] Adam Bourke (26 July 2019). "Former BFNL stars reunited to celebrate inter-league success". Bendigo Advertiser. Retrieved 10 August 2022.

[10] "1995 - Gippsland League Interleague History". Gippsland Latrobe FL. 1995. Retrieved 31 July 2022.

[11] "2011 - Country Championships". AFL Victoria. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2022.

[12] "1984 - Riverina FL Record" (PDF). Riverina FL. 22 July 1984. p. 2. Retrieved 3 February 2023.

[13] "Far and away, the season's clash of two cultures - Features - www.realfooty.com.au". Archived from the original on 4 March 2007.

[14] "VCFL v VAFA Rep Matches". VAFA. 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2022.

[15] "1992 - VCFL team to meet the VFA" (PDF). NSW Football History. O&MFNL - The Critic. 23 May 1992. p. 20. Retrieved 7 November 2022.

[16] ttp://www.aflvic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Review_of_Country_Football_Report_Master_FINAL1.pdf Page 12

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v t e Australian rules football in Victoria
Representative side	Victoria
Governing bodies	AFL Victoria (metropolitan) AFL Victoria Country (regional)
Professional clubs	Carlton Collingwood Essendon Geelong Hawthorn Melbourne North Melbourne Richmond St Kilda Western Bulldogs
Statewide leagues	Victorian Football League Talent League (under-19) List of Australian rules football competitions in Victoria
Metropolitan leagues	Eastern Essendon District Northern Riddell District Southern VAFA Western Region
Regional leagues (major)	Ballarat Bellarine Bendigo Central Murray Geelong Gippsland Goulburn Valley Hampden Mornington Peninsula Nepean Murray North Central Outer East Ovens & Murray Sunraysia Wimmera
Regional leagues (district)	Central Highlands Colac East Gippsland Ellinbank Geelong & District Golden Rivers Heathcote Horsham Kyabram Loddon Valley Maryborough Castlemaine Mid Gippsland Millewa Mininera North Gippsland Omeo Ovens & King Picola South West Tallangatta Upper Murray Warrnambool West Gippsland
Women's leagues	Victorian Women's Football League (1981–2016) VFL Women's (2016–present) South Eastern Women's Football (2017–2023) Talent League Girls AFL Victoria Youth Girls Competition Barwon N E Border Female FL
Other leagues	Victorian Blind Football League Yarra Junior Football League
Defunct leagues	Alberton (1945–2019) Ararat (1931-1999) Benalla (1946–2009) Benalla Tungamah/Central Goulburn (1938-2005) Central Goulburn Valley (1946-1952) Federal DFA (1897-1902) Federal FL (1909–1981) Goulburn Valley FA (1888-1931) Heytesbury Mount Noorat (1992-2002) Lexton Plains (1999–2010) Mallee (1997–2015) Northern Mallee (1979–1996) Riviera (1986–2003) South East (2015–2018) Southern Mallee (1932–1996) Tyrrell (1945–1978) VJFA (1883–1932) Walhalla (1888-1913) Yarra Valley Mountain (1966–2018) List of former Australian rules football competitions in Victoria
Principal venues	Melbourne Cricket Ground Docklands Stadium Princes Park Kardinia Park
Other articles	History (1859–1900)

Victorian Country Championships[edit]

Representative Sides[edit]

Affiliated Boards & Leagues[edit]

Ballarat[edit]

Bendigo[edit]

Central Murray and North Central[edit]

East Gippsland[edit]

Geelong[edit]

Goulburn Murray[edit]

Hampden[edit]

Latrobe Valley[edit]

North East Border[edit]

South East[edit]

South West[edit]

Sunraysia[edit]

Wimmera[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]