Warragul Football Club

The Warragul Football and Netball Club, nicknamed the Gulls, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the city of the same name in the state of Victoria.

The club teams currently compete in the Gippsland League, fielding Senior, Reserve, Under 18 and Under 16 football teams, as well as A, B, C Grade and Under 17, Under 15 and Under 13 netball teams.

History
The club was formed in 1879 by William Paul and its first games were played against other local football clubs including Drouin, Buln Buln, Morwell, Traralgon and Berwick.

Warragul had a great run of success at the commencement of official football competitions in Gippsland, winning six Challenge Cups (premierships) between 1889 and 1897!

In 1894, Warragul footballer, Andrew Watson, died of internal injuries after a match in Bunyip on Saturday, 2 June 1894.

The Warragul Half Holiday Football Club was formed in 1894, wearing the colours - all blue guernsey, with blue and white stockings.

In 1922 Warragul, Central Gippsland FA Premiers defeated Rosedale, North Gippsland FA Premiers in a challenge match in October to win the unofficial title of "Gippsland Premiers"!

Warragul's guernsey was originally black with a red Yoke, until 2000 when the guernsey was changed to the current colours of teal, white, red and black. The 'Gulls' have had a proud history especially through the successful years of the early 1920s, 1970s and 1980s.

Lean seasons in 1998 and 1999 in the Gippsland/Latrobe FL, saw the club transfer to the West Gippsland FL, with the thought of providing a better chance of retaining players. The Victorian Country Football League provided this clearance for the Gulls to the WGFL, where they played from 2000 to 2004. However, the merging of the GLFL and WGFL saw Warragul resume its battles with former foes from 2005.

Since 2005, the club has been a part of the Gippsland FL, competing against clubs such as Bairnsdale, Drouin, Garfield (until their transfer to the EDFL), Moe, Morwell, Traralgon, Maffra, Sale, Wonthaggi and Leongatha.

In 2010 and 2011, Warragul finished bottom of the ladder, winning only one game in each respective season. The club is currently building a young base of players to build on into the future, many of whom had success with the club in both the Under 16 and 18's previously.

Football Leagues Timeline

 * 1889: South Gippsland Challenge Cup
 * 1890: Robinson's Challenge Cup
 * 1891: Kennedy's Challenge Cup
 * 1892: Gippsland & Feilchenfeld Cup
 * 1893: Thomas Challenge Cup
 * 1894: Ross Challenge Cup
 * 1895: Storie Challenge Cup
 * 1896: ?
 * 1897: Harlem Hotel Cup
 * 1898-1908: West Gippsland FA
 * 1909-1915: Central Gippsland FL
 * 1916-1918: No Football Played. World War I
 * 1919-1921: Central & West Gippsland FA
 * 1922-1940: Central Gippsland FL
 * 1941-1945: Club in recess. World War II
 * 1946-1953: Central Gippsland FL
 * 1954-1994: La Trobe Valley FL
 * 1995-1999: Gippsland-La Trobe FL
 * 2000-2004: West Gippsland Latrobe FL (Western Division)
 * 2005-2009: West Gippsland Latrobe Football League (Premier Division)
 * 2010–2019: Gippsland Football League
 * 2020: Club in recess: COVID-19
 * 2021-present: Gippsland Football League

Gulls Football Premierships
SENIORS:
 * South Gippsland Challenge Cup
 * 1889 (undefeated)
 * Kennedy's Challenge Cup
 * 1890 (undefeated)
 * Robinson's Challenge Cup
 * 1891
 * Thomas Challenge Cup
 * 1893
 * Ross Challenge Cup
 * 1894
 * Harlem Challenge Cup
 * 1897
 * West Gippsland Football Association
 * 1900
 * 1907
 * Central Gippsland Football Association
 * 1922
 * 1927
 * 1932
 * 1938
 * LaTrobe Valley Football League
 * 1974, 1976, 1984
 * West Gippsland Latrobe FL (Western Division)
 * 2003

RESERVES:
 * Central Gippsland Football League
 * 1946, 1947, 1951, 1953
 * La Trobe Valley Football League
 * 1974, 1984, 1996

THIRDS:
 * 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985, 2004

FOURTHS:
 * 2003, 2004, 2006

JUNIORS:
 * Drouin Junior Football Association
 * 1910
 * Central Gippsland Football Association
 * 1922

Club Life Members
Life Members who have contributed greatly to support the success of the Warragul Football/Netball Club

Maurice Reeves, Robert Ballingall, Alan Walkinshaw, Bruce Nicholl, Robert Vaughan, Anthony Nott, Hugh Bingham, Claire Henshall, William Best, Tom Malady, Kevin Mills, John Heenan, Neville McDonough, Colin McKenzie, Dorothy Carland, Michael Waters, Audrey Ray, Michael Vick, Alan Glen, Bryan Fitzpatrick, Ray Waters, Ray Cropley, Ray Costelloe, Gary Olsson, Graeme Gahan, Rod Pollock, Betty Nott, Julie Pollock, Jim Johnson, Neil Stapleton, Kevin Collis, John Shiels, Noel Gleeson, Ann Nott, Tony Flack, Arlene Bible.

VFL/AFL Players
The following list notes current and former VFL/AFL players that have played with the Warragul Football Club prior to making their VFL / AFL debut.


 * 1978 - Gary Ayres (Hawthorn)
 * 1933 - George Batson (St. Kilda)
 * 1911 - Norm Brooker (Richmond)
 * 1898 - Johnny Coghlan (Melbourne)
 * 1971 - Graeme G. Cook (Footscray)
 * 1966 - Graham Croft (St. Kilda)
 * 1953 - Jim Cusack (Fitzroy)
 * 1969 - Bruce Davidson (Footscray)
 * 1908 - Alex Dunstan (Collingwood)
 * 1907 - Horrie Farmer (St Kilda)
 * 1939 - Alan Fields (Fitzroy)
 * 1992 - Ashley Green (Essendon, Brisbane)
 * 1961 - Robert Hickman (Richmond)
 * 1942 - George Hoskins (Fitzroy)
 * 1994 - Trent Hotton (Collingwood & Carlton)
 * 1974 - Gerry Lynn - (Hawthorn)
 * 2000 - Robert Murphy (Western Bulldogs)
 * 1963 - John Murton (Collingwood)
 * 1953 - Wally Nash (Hawthorn)
 * 1966 - Alan Noonan (Essendon)
 * 1939 - Noel Price (Fitzroy)
 * 2011 - Michael Ross (Essendon)
 * 1968 - Barry Round (Footscray, Sydney)
 * 2020 - Caleb Serong (Fremantle)
 * 2022 - Jai Serong (Hawthorn)
 * 1919 - Bert Taylor (Fitzroy)
 * 1947 - Pat Twomey (Collingwood)
 * 1921 - Les Wallace (Melbourne)
 * 1921 - Harry Watson (Fitzroy)
 * 1997 - Matthew Watson (Essendon)
 * 1926 - Harry Weidner (Richmond)
 * 1952 - Geoff Williams (Geelong)

Under 16's
Grand Final Appearances

def by def by def by def
 * 2012 Under 18 Grand Final
 * Grand Final | at Morwell
 *  WARRAGUL 8.6.54
 *  BAIRNSDALE 8.12.60
 * 2009 Under 18 Grand Final
 * Grand Final | at Morwell
 *  WARRAGUL 8.11.59
 *  MAFFRA 12.6.78
 * 2008 Under 18 Grand Final
 * Grand Final | at Traralgon
 *  WARRAGUL 4.4 28
 *  TRARALGON 7.7 49
 * 2006 Under 16 Grand Final
 * Grand Final | at Traralgon
 *  WARRAGUL 9.13 67
 *  TRARALGON 5.12 42