South West Football League (New South Wales)

The South West District Football League was a major Australian rules football competition which ran from 1910 until 1981 in the Riverina region of New South Wales.

History
The first recorded Australian Rules Football match in the Riverina area was on 1 August 1881 between Wagga Wagga and the more experienced Albury team and was played in Wagga.

The South West District Football Association (SWDFL) was formed in 1913, when it superseded the Ganmain Football Association, which was formed in 1910, with all clubs moving into play in the SWDFL competition.

In 1924 a South Western District Football League team played Collingwood Football Club at Narrandera with Collingwood winning, 86 to SWDFL 76.

In May, 1930 the SWDFL competition was abandoned, after Whitton withdrew earlier at the AGM, then both Ganmain and Matong club withdrew due to a lack of players.

In the 1931 SWDFL grand final, Jim Ceely, from Matong FC received a trophy for best player on the ground.

In August 1933, Melbourne Football Club played a match at Narandrea Park Oval against a SWDFL representative team, with Melbourne: 15.19 - 109 defeating SWDFL: 8.20 - 68.

In 1934, a SWDFL representative team played a match at Leeton against a combined Hawthorn - Footscray team, with Hawthorn - Footscray: 20.15 - 135 defeating the SWDFL: 6.11 - 47.

In 1937 and 1938, both Ganmain & Matong football clubs pulled out of the SWDFL and thus the SWDFL went into recess.

In April, 1939, the SWDFL was reformed with the following seven clubs taking part - Coolamon, Ganmain, Griffith, Grong Grong, Leeton, Matong and Narandera.

Laurie Taylor and Dudley Smith from Coolamon FC, played for New South Wales against Victoria in July, 1949, at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In 1953, Ariah Park FC and Mirrool FC merged and entered one senior team & one reserves team in the SWDFL.

Ardlethan FC joined the SWDFL in 1954 and wore a jumper featuring three vertical stripes, black, gold and red.

In 1959, former Brownlow Medalist, Grong Grong Matong captain-coach, Peter Box won the Gammage Medal, but SWDFL officials later decide that coaches would be ineligible to win the league award in future years.

The SWDFL first played in the Victorian Country Football League in 1961 and in 1964, won the Victorian Country Football Championships, with SWDFL: 13.14 - 92 defeating the Hampden Football League: 9.16 - 70 in the grand final, played at Narrandera.

Mr. Jim Quinn was President of the South Western District Football League for 25 consecutive years, before resigning on Monday 5 April 1976 due to ill health.

In 1969, Ricky Quade and Frank Gumbleton, both finished third in the SWDFL best and fairest award, the Gammage Medal, with both going on to have fine VFL careers.

The league was forced to merge with the Central Riverina Football League and the Farrer Football League to form the Riverina Football League and Riverina District Football League in 1982,  under the recommendations from the VCFL, with the CRDFL changing its name to the Farrer Football League in 1985.

It was between 1983 and 1994 that the Riverina District Football League / Farrer Football League maintained a two division system.

Reserve Grade teams

 * Darlington Point (1930s-1960s)
 * Yanco (1950s-unknown)

Football Premierships
In 1931, the Page Final Four System was introduced by the VFL.
 * Seniors


 * Reserves
 * 1980 - Narrandera: 22.11 - 143 d APM: 15.6 - 96


 * Under 19's
 * 1980 - Turvey Park: 16.13 - 109 d Narrandera: 13.12 - 90

Football Best and Fairest Award
WIlliam Gammage Medal (William J. Gammage was the Treasurer of the SWDFL who first donated the medal in 1948)
 * Seniors

Leading Goalkicker
Keisling Trophy Was donated by Mr. Ken Keisling, from E & K Keisling Jewellers, Narrandera.
 * Seniors

Interleague Football Results
Neville Nesbitt was the donor of a large trophy for interleague matches between the SWDFL and the Farrer Football League.
 * The Neville Nesbitt Trophy

The SWDFL first played in the Victorian Country Football League inter-league competition in 1961 and in 1964, won the Victorian Country Football Champions, with SWDFL: 13.14 - 92 defeating the Hampden Football League: 9.16 - 70 in the grand final, played at Narrandera.

The SWDFL won the 1977 NSW Country Championships, defeating the Murray Football League in Sydney and the 1979 NSW Country Championships, defeating the Sydney Football League, which was played at Narrandera.

VFL Players
The following SWDFL footballers went onto play senior VFL football with the following clubs, with the year indicating their VFL debut -


 * 1925 - Joseph Plant - Narrandera to Richmond
 * 1925 - Les Stainsby - Coolamon to Collingwood
 * 1928 - Jack Haw - Leeton to Melbourne
 * 1931 - Geoff Neil - Leeton to St. Kilda
 * 1933 - George Schlitz - Leeton to St. Kilda
 * 1934 - George Pattison - Narrandera to Essendon
 * 1936 - Percy Bushby - Narrandrea to Essendon
 * 1948 - Laurie Carroll - Ganmain to St. Kilda
 * 1948 - Dudley Mattingly - Ganmain to St. Kilda
 * 1955 - Peter Curtis - Coolamon, Griffith to North Melbourne
 * 1957 - Tom Quade - Ariah Park Mirrool to North Melbourne
 * 1958 - Bill Box - Whitton to Essendon
 * 1960 - Des Lyons - Leeton to Carlton
 * 1961 - Jim Carroll - Ganmain to Carlton
 * 1961 - Tom Carroll - Ganmain to Carlton
 * 1966 - Mike Quade - Ariah Park Mirrool to North Melbourne
 * 1968 - Ross Elwin - Leeton to South Melbourne
 * 1968 - Bruce Reid - Leeton to South Melbourne


 * 1970 - Frank Gumbleton - Ganmain to North Melbourne
 * 1970 - Ricky Quade - Ariah Park Mirrool to South Melbourne
 * 1971 - Jim Prentice - Ariah Park Mirrool to South Melbourne
 * 1975 - Rod Coelli - Ardlethan to South Melbourne
 * 1975 - Terry O'Neil - Narrandera to South Melbourne
 * 1976 - Terry Daniher - Ariah Park - Mirrool to South Melbourne
 * 1977 - Wayne Evans - Grong Grong Matong to South Melbourne
 * 1978 - Russell Campbell - Gainmain to South Melbourne
 * 1979 - Wayne Carroll - Ganmain to South Melbourne
 * 1979 - John Durnan - Narrandera to Geelong
 * 1979 - Mark Fraser - Turvey Park to South Melbourne
 * 1979 - Max Kruse - Leeton to South Melbourne
 * 1980 - Stephen Eather - Turvey Park to South Melbourne
 * 1980 - Victor Hugo - Narrandera to South Melbourne
 * 1980 - Greg Smith - Ardlethan to South Melbourne
 * 1981 - Dennis Carroll - Ganmain to South Melbourne
 * 1981 - Anthony Daniher - Turvey Park to South Melbourne
 * 1981 - Jack Lucas - Ariah Park - Mirrool to South Melbourne

The following senior VFL players came to play and or coach in the SWDFL, with the year indicating their first season in the SWDFL.


 * 1914 - Charles Pickerd - St. Kilda to Narrandera
 * 1923 - Jock Doherty - St. Kilda to Ganmain
 * 1934 - Maurie Mahony - Hawthorn to Coolamon
 * 1934 - Leo Nolan - Melbourne to Leeton
 * 1934 - Keith Parris - Essendon to Narrandera
 * 1935 - Jerry McAuliffe - Hawthorn to Leeton
 * 1937 - Roy McEachen - South Melbourne to Narrandera
 * 1940 - Norm Le Brun - Essendon to Ganmain
 * 1947 - Jim Hallahan - Fitzroy to Coolamon
 * 1947 - Les Meek - St. Kilda to Ganmain
 * 1947 - Geoff Willis - North Melbourne to Griffith
 * 1948 - Tom Bush - Melbourne to Coolamon
 * 1948 - Les Main - Collingwood to Leeton
 * 1949 - Kevin Kallady - St. Kilda to Narrandera
 * 1950 - Frank Bourke - Richmond to Ganmain
 * 1950 - George Bennett - Hawthorn to Matong
 * 1950 - Keith Shea - Carlton to Griffith
 * 1950 - Tom Spear - Hawthorn to Matong
 * 1951 - Laurie Taylor - Richmond to Coolamon
 * 1952 - Clinton Wines - Carlton to Ganmain
 * 1952 - Tom Roulent - South Melbourne to Griffith
 * 1953 - Dean Chapman - St. Kilda to Coolamon
 * 1953 - Erwin Dornau - South Melbourne to Leeton
 * 1956 - Mick Grambeau - North Melbourne to Ganmain
 * 1957 - Tom Allen - Richmond to Griffith
 * 1958 - Kevin Gleeson - Richmond to Ganmain
 * 1959 - Peter Box - Footscray to Grong Grong Matong
 * 1959 - Fred Gallagher - Essendon to Turvey Park


 * 1959 - Ian Gillett - South Melbourne to Coolamon
 * 1959 - Don Keyter - South Melbourne to Griffith
 * 1960 - Bill Byrne - Melbourne to Leeton
 * 1962 - Gerald Eastmure - North Melbourne to Leeton
 * 1963 - Fred Mundy - Richmond to Griffith
 * 1964 - Bill Evely - Richmond to Whitton
 * 1964 - Peter Morris - Richmond to Griffith
 * 1964 - Peter Weidemann - Collingwood to Coolamon
 * 1965 - Noel Anderson - Richmond to Whitton
 * 1965 - Barry Connolly - Footscray to Ardlethan
 * 1965 - Ray Dawson - Melbourne to Leeton
 * 1965 - Jim Gutterson - Footscray to Turvey Park
 * 1965 - Kevin Kirkpatrick - Geelong to Griffith
 * 1965 - Barry Rist - Collingwood to Ariah Park - Mirrool
 * 1965 - Bill Thripp - Collingwood to Ardlethan
 * 1966 - Frank Hodgkin - St. Kilda to Ganmain
 * 1967 - Ron Harvey - Fitzroy to Coolamon
 * 1968 - Vern Drake - Fitzroy to Ariah Park - Mirrool
 * 1968 - Barney McKellar - Footscray to Coolamon
 * 1969 - Graham Ion - Footscray to Turvey Park
 * 1970 - Doug Priest - South Melbourne to Ariah Park - Mirrool
 * 1970 - Warren Roper - Collingwood to Narrandera
 * 1971 - Kevin Delmenico - Footscray to Ganmain
 * 1972 - Phil Gehrig - Footscray to Ganmain
 * 1976 - Keith Miller - Geelong to Turvey Park
 * 1979 - Harry Skreja - Footscray to Leeton
 * 1980 - Kevin Grose - Collingwood to Ardlethan
 * 1981 - Brian Symes - North Melbourne to Ganmain

South Australian National Football League
 * 1961 - Geoff Kingston - Turvey Park to West Torrens

Life Members

 * 1972 - Jim Quinn

Links

 * History of South West District Football League
 * "Swans on Screen": Griffith FNC - Detailed & comprehensive club & SWDFL league history
 * AFL Victoria Country
 * Australian rules football in New South Wales
 * Albury & District Football League
 * Central Hume Football Association
 * Central Riverina Football League
 * Central Riverina FL - "CRFL Weekly Record"
 * Coreen & District Football League
 * Farrer Football League
 * Hume Football Netball League
 * Northern Riverina Football League
 * Riverina Football Association
 * Riverina Football Netball League
 * 1928 - South West DFL Premiers: Narrandera FC team photo
 * 1948 - South West DFL Premiers: Narrandera FC team photo
 * 1962 - South West DFL Premiers: Ariah Park FC team photo
 * 1964 - Victorian Country Football Champions: SWDFL Representative team photo
 * 1974 - South West DFL Premiers: Narrandera FC team photo