Goldfields Football League
Encyclopedia
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. 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.
; 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.
Régional
Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne, or Régional for short, is a subsidiary airline wholly owned by Air France which connects hubs at Paris, Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, and Bordeaux to 49 airports in Europe. The airline operates in Air France livery, retaining its name in small titles and logo on...
Australian football league based in the Kalgoorlie region, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. 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
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
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.
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 BoulderBoulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
; Hannans, now known as Kalgoorlie City and based in Kalgoorlie; Victorians, also based in Kalgoorlie; and White Feather, based in Kanowna
Kanowna, Western Australia
Kanowna is a ghost town in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. It is located about 20 km east of Kalgoorlie.After the discovery of gold in the area in 1893, the townsite was gazetted in 1894...
. Up until the end of the First World War the GFL was considered equal on ability with the WAFL, and a State Championship
West Australian State Premiership
The West Australian State PremiershipSeveral different names were used in contemporary sources for the matches, including "state premiership", "state championship" and "the football 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
1908 Melbourne Carnival
The 1908 Melbourne Carnival was the inaugural Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was known at the time as the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival as it commemorated 50 years of Australian rules football.-Teams:The Victorian team was...
team were GFL players, including the captain Billy Trewhella.
Current clubs
| Guernsey | Club | Nickname | Location | Home Ground | First season | Premierships | Best & Fairest Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Boulder City Football Club | |
Boulder Boulder, Western Australia Boulder was a town in the Western Australian goldfields east of Perth and bordering onto the town of Kalgoorlie in the Eastern Goldfields region. Until 1989 it was part of its own municipality. In 1989 the towns of Kalgoorlie and Boulder were merged to form the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
(4500) |
1896 | 26 | 24 |
 |
Kalgoorlie City Football Club Kalgoorlie City Football Club Kalgoorlie City Football Club is an Australian rules football club competing in the Goldfields Football League.The club is based at Sir Richard Moore Sports Complex in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and was formed in 1895 as the Hannans Club, making it one of the oldest football clubs in country... known as Hannans from 1896–99 |
|
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
(6000) |
1896 | 12 | 16 |
 |
Kalgoorlie Railways Football Club | |
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
(6000) |
1900 | 28 | 20 |
 |
Kambalda Football Club | |
Kambalda, Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
(2000) |
1969 | 3 | 12 |
 |
Mines Rovers Football Club | |
Boulder Boulder, Western Australia Boulder was a town in the Western Australian goldfields east of Perth and bordering onto the town of Kalgoorlie in the Eastern Goldfields region. Until 1989 it was part of its own municipality. In 1989 the towns of Kalgoorlie and Boulder were merged to form the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
(4500) |
1899 | 40 | 15 |
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).Notable players
- Hugh GavinHugh GavinLodovic Hugh Gavin was an Australian rules footballer who played 108 games with Essendon in the years following the formation of the Victorian Football League ....
(Boulder City/Boulder Stars/Mines Rovers) – captained in 1904. - George KreppGeorge KreppGeorge Llewellyn Krepp is a former Australian rules footballer who was highly successful in the West Australian National Football League playing for the Swan Districts Football Club. A speedy and rugged wingman, Krepp was one of Swan Districts' best players and won the club's fairest and best...
(Boulder City) – won a Sandover Medal for Swan Districts in 1936. - Gordon MaffinaGordon MaffinaGordon 'Sonny' Maffina was an Australian rules footballer who played 114 games for Claremont in the West Australian National Football League from 1948 to 1958....
(Boulder City) – won a Sandover Medal for Claremont in 1949 and a Simpson MedalSimpson MedalThe Simpson Medal, a prize for Australian rules football, has been donated by Dr. Fred Simpson and family since 1945. It is awarded to the best player in a WAFL Grand Final and the best player in an interstate game involving Western Australia....
in 1951. - Phil Matson (Boulder City) – captained WA at the 1914 Sydney Carnival1914 Sydney CarnivalThe 1914 Sydney Carnival was the third edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition....
. - Stephen MichaelStephen MichaelStephen Albert Michael in Kojonup, Western Australia is a former Australian rules footballer.-Playing career:A Noongar Australian Aborigine, Michael played in the WAFL between 1975 and 1985 with the South Fremantle Football Club, playing 243 games and kicking 231 goals. He played in South's 1980...
(Boulder City) – won the 1980 and 1981 Sandover MedalSandover MedalThe Sandover Medal is an Australian rules football award, given annually since 1921 to the fairest and best player in the West Australian Football League...
s, and the 1983 Simpson MedalSimpson MedalThe Simpson Medal, a prize for Australian rules football, has been donated by Dr. Fred Simpson and family since 1945. It is awarded to the best player in a WAFL Grand Final and the best player in an interstate game involving Western Australia....
. Inducted into the Australian Football Hall of FameAustralian Football Hall of FameThe Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
. - Alec Robinson (Boulder City)
- Jack RocchiJack RocchiJack Rocchi was an Australian rules footballer who played for South Fremantle in the WAFL and Fitzroy in the VFL....
(Boulder City) – won the 1928 Sandover Medal for South FremantleSouth FremantleSouth Fremantle might refer to:* South Fremantle Football Club* South Fremantle, Western Australia, the suburb of Perth after which it is named...
. - Dave CuzensDave CuzensDavid 'Dave' Cuzens is a former Australian rules football player who played in the VFL between 1957 and 1961 for the Richmond Football Club.After leaving Richmond he returned to his home town of Perth where he played for and was senior coach of Subiaco in 1962 and 1963...
(Kalgoorlie City) – won 's best & fairest in 1958 and 1959. - Jerry DolanJerry DolanJohn "Jerry" Dolan was an Australian rules footballer and coach in the West Australian Football League before becoming a politician. He played for as well as coached East Fremantle and was also a coach at East Perth...
(Kalgoorlie City) - Ted HoldsworthTed HoldsworthHenry Edwin Arthur "Ted" Holdsworth is a former Australian rules footballer who was highly successful in the West Australian National Football League playing for the Swan Districts Football Club....
(Kalgoorlie City) – named at full-forward in the Swan Districts Team of the Century. - Jim GosnellJim GosnellJames "Jim" Gosnell was an Australian rules footballer who played with West Perth in the West Australian Football League during the 1920s.Gosnell was a defender and started his WAFL career in 1918...
(Kalgoorlie Railways) – won the 1924 Sandover Medal. - Dean KempDean KempDean Kemp is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League....
(Kalgoorlie Railways) – won a Norm Smith MedalNorm Smith MedalThe Norm Smith Medal is the award given in the AFL Grand Final to the player adjudged by an independent panel of experts to have been the best player in the match.-History:The Norm Smith Medal is named after former Melbourne player and coach, Norm Smith...
for and played in two premierships. - Steve MarshSteve MarshSteve Marsh is a former Australian rules footballer in the West Australian National Football League . Marsh was regarded as one of the finest rovers of his era...
(Kalgoorlie Railways) – 1952 Sandover Medallist and West Australian Football Hall of FameWest Australian Football Hall of FameThe West Australian Football Hall of Fame was created in 2002 to recognise and enshrine those who have made a significant contribution to Australian rules football in Western Australia...
Legend. - Ted Rowell (Kalgoorlie Railways)
- Charlie TysonCharlie TysonCharlie Tyson was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood and North Melbourne in the VFL during the 1920s....
(Kalgoorlie Railways) – played 144 games in the VFL for and , captaining both teams. - Lou DailyLou DailyLou Daily was an Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood and Geelong in the VFL as well as Subiaco in the WANFL....
(Mines Rovers) – won the 1935 Sandover Medal for Subiaco. - Alec EpisAlec EpisAlec Epis is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Essendon Bombers for a decade in the VFL. A West Australian, Epis was a defender although he would often be seen on the wing. When he arrived at Essendon he worked as a butcher...
(Mines Rovers) - Jaymie GrahamJaymie GrahamJaymie Graham is an Australian rules footballer currently playing for South Fremantle in the West Australian Football League. He previously played for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League ....
(Mines Rovers) – played for . - Tom OutridgeTom OutridgeTom Outridge was an Australian rules footballer who played for Subiaco and Perth in the WAFL.Outridge holds his place in Western Australian sporting history as the inaugural winner of the Sandover Medal. He won the award in 1921, while at Subiaco, having previously spent four seasons with Perth...
(Mines Rovers) – inaugural winner of the Sandover Medal in 1921. - "Nipper" Truscott (Mines Rovers) – inducted into the Australian Football Hall of FameAustralian Football Hall of FameThe Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
. - Eddie BettsEddie BettsEddie Betts is an Australian rules footballer playing for Carlton in the Australian Football League .-Early life:Betts grew up in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and played for the Mines Rovers Football Club...
(Mines Rovers) – 's leading goalkicker in 20102010 AFL season-Premiership season:The draw for the 2010 AFL Premiership Season is not a random selection of matches, but rather is planned by the AFL. It is intended to produce a balanced draw while also providing the fans and television networks with blockbuster games. In a competition with 16 teams and 22...
.