The Yarra Junior Football League (YJFL) is the largest junior Australian rules football competition in Australia. The league has a total of 30 clubs, who are based around northern, eastern and north-eastern Melbourne. There is a total of 66 divisions throughout the league.
History The YJFL was formed through the merging of the Doncaster & Districts Junior Football League (DDJFL) and the Hawthorn Districts Junior Football League (HDJFL) in 1997. The league began with a total of 4628 registered players. They were spread out between 180 teams and 25 foundation clubs. Since then, the number of players is over double the original number, with 10,614 players participating in 2019. It has also grown to 508 teams between 30 clubs, as per data gathered in 2019.
In 2000, the Heidelberg Tigers moved into the YJFL after a major club reform. Over the next ten years, 5 teams joined the league, those teams being the Preston Bullants in 2001, the North Brunswick Giants in 2005 (at that time known as the 'Bulls'), the Parkside Devils and certain divisions from the Ashburton Redbacks in 2006, the Boroondara Hawks and the rest of the divisions from the Ashburton Redbacks in 2008, and the Brunswick Dragons in 2010.
In 2011, the first Youth Girls divisions were launched, with some teams given the support of the AFL.
In 2015 and 2016, the league witnessed spikes in growth after they introduced an under-8s competition and the new South Yarra Junior Football Club.
In January 2020, the presidents from the former Greythorn Falcons and Balwyn Tigers decided to merge their clubs into the Balwyn Greythorn Jets Junior Football Club, to create a more powerful club, as they were already located very close together.
Clubs Current clubs Club Colours Moniker Home ground Former league Joined YJFLAssociated senior clubAquinasBloodsJW Manson Reserve, Wantirna2013−2015Aquinas - VAFAAshburtonRedbacksBurwood Reserve and Ferndale Reserve, Glen Iris 1971 2006NoneBalwynTigersBalwyn Park, Balwyn and Gordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North 2023− 2024Balwyn - EFNLBanyuleBearsBeverley Road Reserve and AJ Burkitt Oval, Heidelberg 1967 1997Banyule - NFNLBeverley Hills LionsZerbes Reserve, Doncaster East 1967 1997Doncaster East - EFNLBrunswickDragonsGillon Oval, Brunswick 2010− 2010Brunswick - VAFABulleen TemplestoweBullantsTed Ajani Reserve, Templestowe Lower 1990 1997Bulleen Templestowe - EFNLBundooraBullsN J Telfer Reserve, Bundoora19611997Bundoora - NFNLCamberwell SharksLynden Park, Camberwell 1997− 1997NoneCanterburyCobrasCanterbury Sportsground, Canterbury 1997− 1997Canterbury - VAFADoncasterCatsSchramms Reserve, Doncaster 1968 1997Doncaster - EFNLFitzroyLionsCox and Olney Ovals, Fairfield; Alfred Crescent and W.T. Peterson Ovals, Fitzroy North; Ramsden Street Reserve, Clifton Hill; Victoria Park, Abbotsford 1993 1997Fitzroy - VAFAGlen IrisGladiatorsT.H. King and Righetti Oval, Glen Iris 1987 1997NoneHawthorn Citizens CitzVictoria Road and Rathmines Road Reserves, Hawthorn East; Glenferrie Oval, Hawthorn 1992 1997Hawthorn AFC - VAFAHeidelbergTigersHeidelberg Park and Warringal Park, Heidelberg 2000− 2000Heidelberg - NFNLIvanhoeHoesIvanhoe Park, Ivanhoe 1966 1997Ivanhoe - NFNLKewCometsVictoria Park, Kew 1971 1997Kew - VAFAKew RoversRoversStradbroke Park, Kew East 1971 1997Kew - VAFAMacleodEaglesMacleod Reserve, Macleod; Greensborough College, Greensborough; De Winton Reserve, Rosanna 1968NFNL 1997Macleod - NFNLNorthcoteCougarsMcDonnell Park, Northcote 1962NFNL 2020Northcote Park - NFNLNorth BrunswickGiantsAllard Park, Brunswick East 2005− 2005North Brunswick - VAFAParade St DamiansSaintsBinnak Park, Watsonia North 1979NFNL 1997NonePark Orchards North Ringwood ParishSharksDomeney Reserve and Stintons Reserve, Park Orchards 1991 1997Park Orchards - EFNLParksideDevilsPitcher Park, Alphington 2005− 2006Parkside - VAFAPreston Bullants BullantsH P Zwar Park, Preston 2000− 2001Preston Bullants - VAFARichmondTigersCitizens Park, Richmond and Kevin Bartlett Complex, Burnley 1973 1997Richmond Central - VAFASt Marys Greensborough BurrasWhatmough Park, Greensborough 1973 1997St Marys - NFNLSurrey ParkPanthersSurrey Park, Box Hill 1994 1997Surrey Park - EFNLWarrandyteBloodsWarrandyte Reserve, Warrandyte 1975, 1997Warrandyte - EFNLWhitehorse ColtsSpringfield Reserve, Box Hill North 1997− 1997Whitehorse Pioneers - EFNL Templestowe known as Doncaster Heights until 2014
Former clubs Club Colours Moniker Home GroundFormer League Years in YJFL Associated senior club Current statusBalwynTigersBalwyn Park, Balwyn and Gordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North2001-2020Balwyn - EFNLMerged2020 with GreythornBalwyn-GreythornJetsBalwyn Park, Balwyn and Gordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North− 2019 2020-2023Balwyn - EFNL Merged2023 with BoroondaraBayswater BombersBombersMarie Wallace Bayswater Park, Bayswater−2012NoneFoldedBoroondaraHawksGordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North− 2008 2008-2023None Merged2023 with Balwyn-GreythornCarltonBluesNumber 1 Oval, Princes Park, Carlton North−20162016-2024NoneFolded after 2024 seasonChirnside Park Panthers Kimberley Reserve, Chirnside Park − 1978 2011-2015 Chirnside Park − EFNL EFNLEast BrightonVampiresHurlingham Reserve, Brighton East−1948East Brighton - SFNLSMJFLEast MalvernKnights Basil Reserve, Malvern East− 1986 East Malvern − SFNL SMJFLEastern DevilsDevils Bulleen Park, Bulleen− 1999 2011-? Eastern Devils − EFNL EFNLGreythornFalconsGreythorn Park, Balwyn North 2001-2020None Merged2020 with Balwyn HealesvilleBloods Don Road Sporting Complex, Healesville − 1888 2011-2014 Healesville − OEFNL OEFNLHighettBulldogsPeterson Street Reserve, Highett−1988Highett - SFNLSMJFLMontmorencyMagpiesMontmorency Park, Montmorency 1968 1997-2022Montmorency - NFNL NFNLSeville RangesRangers Wandin East Recreation Reserve, Wandin East− 20?? 2011-2015 Seville Ranges - VWFL Folded 20??South YarraLionsLeigh Park, Balwyn North− 2015 2016-2021South Yarra - SFNL Folded 2022St PetersBulldogsCentenary Park, Bentleigh East−1957NoneSMJFLTemplestoweDockersTemplestowe Reserve, Templestowe19691997-2025Templestowe - EFNLJoined senior teams in Eastern FNL after 2025 season
Girls football Beginnings The first girls division was introduced in the 2011 season as a "Youth Girls" (under-18s) division, which had a total of 10 teams participating. This division also included teams from other leagues that did not have any girls-only divisions. In 2012, a girls under-12s division was formed, with 5 clubs fielding teams in the division. The "Youth Girls" division grew to a total of 12 teams, up two from the year before. One year later, an under 14 girls division was formed to help bridge the gap between the Youth Girls and under 12 girls divisions. It had a total of 4 teams participating in its first year. The number of teams in these divisions nearly doubled in 2014, rising from 17 to 31.
2019−present After only 10 teams in the first year of female-only teams in the Yarra Junior Football League, the total spiked to 122 female-only teams in 2019. There were 2810 female players in the league in 2019, which meant that female-players made up just over a quarter of all players in the league. There are now eight female divisions: Under 10 Girls, Under 11 Girls, Under 12 Girls, Under 13 Girls, Under 14 Girls, Under 15 Girls, Under 16 Girls and the Youth Girls.
Community North East Link Controversy The Yarra Junior Football League community rallied against the controversial North East Link project, due to the removal of their headquarters, which was in the path of the proposed road. The North East Link Authority proposed a new headquarters location at Ford Park, Bellfield, but met resistance from the league due to worries that Ford Park is too far away for many teams in the league.
Partnership with Collingwood In early July 2020, it was announced that the Collingwood Football Club would enter a 'Major Community Partnership' with the Yarra Junior Football League. This partnership was formed as a part of an initiative to support grassroots football. Six main projects were announced as part of the partnership, including junior development programs to encourage participation in junior football, sport medical programs and research, fundraising events to raise money, support for talent pathways for junior players through to the elite levels, female football development programs and the development of projects to expand community facilities.
AFL/AFLW players Many players who went on to play in the Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (AFLW) began their football careers in the YJFL.
Adelaide Football Club Jake Kelly David Mackay Ayce Taylor Ben Crocker Brisbane Lions Football Club Toby Wooller Carlton Football Club Marc Murphy Matthew Kreuzer Jack Silvagni Sam Philp Matthew Owies Marc Pittonet Jack Newnes Dylan Buckley Collingwood Football Club Tom Langdon Jordan De Goey Darcy Moore Tom Phillips Brayden Sier Rupert Wills Callum Brown Josh Daicos Tyler Brown Isaac Quaynor Finlay Macrae Trent Bianco Atu Bosenavulagi Essendon Football Club Michael Hurley Patrick Ambrose Nick Bryan Kyle Langford James Stewart Tom Cutler Gold Coast Football Club Matthew Rowell Noah Anderson Greater Western Sydney Football Club Toby Greene Aidan Corr Hawthorn Football Club Blake Hardwick Tom Mitchell Melbourne Football Club Adam Tomlinson Jack Viney Christian Petracca Ed Langdon North Melbourne Football Club Jamie MacMillan Luke McDonald Ed Vickers-Willis Nick Larkey Dom Tyson Port Adelaide Football Club Darcy Byrne-Jones Dan Houston Richmond Football Club Jason Castagna Kane Lambert Patrick Naish St Kilda Football Club Jack Billings Jack Sinclair Dan Hannebery Nick Coffield Sydney Swans Football Club Josh Kennedy James Rowbottom Justin McInerney West Coast Football Club Luke Shuey Andrew Gaff Western Bulldogs Football Club Jack Macrae Billy Gowers Ed Richards
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