The Echuca Football League was an Australian rules football league based around the regional towns of Echuca and Moama on the New South Wales-Victoria border. The competition ran, with some short recesses, from 1932 to 1989.
History The Echuca Football league was founded on the 21st of March 1932, with the inaugural 6 clubs being Echuca East, Echuca Imperials, Elmore, Mathoura, Moama and Rochester Rovers. The first premiership was won by Echuca East over Mathoura. The Deniliquin Football Club was formed to join the Echuca FL in 1933, and won 3 premierships in its first 3 years of competition, a feat equalled by Mathoura in the 3 following seasons.
Due to the large amount of travel required between the towns involved in the league, some clubs began to struggle financially during the mid-1930s. Moama were forced into recess for three seasons in 1934 due to financial issues, and were joined by Elmore and Rochester Rovers a year later. This left the league with only 4 clubs for the 1936 season. Deniliquin did not affiliate with the EFL for the 1937 season, citing the lack of a semi-final at their home ground as their reason for doing so. They would return a year later. Cummeragunja joined for the 1939 season, however their stay was short-lived as the EFL entered recess due to World War II a year later.
The EFL re-formed in 1946, with Cummeragunja and Imperials replaced by Bamawm Extension and Echuca. Elmore re-joined a year later, giving the league 7 clubs. Attempts were made to find an eighth team to remove the bye, however these were unsuccessful. Echuca won three straight premierships between 1946 and 1948.
The EFL was forced into recess before the 1949 season after the three strongest clubs - Echuca, Deniliquin and Echuca East departed. The remaining clubs dispersed amongst a number of local leagues.
1952 saw the EFL revived again, with Bamawm and Bunnaloo joining Moama, Mathoura and Bamawm Extension. Rochester East were originally included in the re-formed league but dropped out on the 17th of April. The newly-formed Echuca South club entered in their place a week later. Echuca East re-joined from the Goulburn Valley FL after the 1952 season. Lockington-Tennyson also joined for the 1953 season as Union, however their former league, the Mitiamo & District FL, blocked the transfers of their players, forcing them to forfeit their first two games.
The 8 clubs of the EFL remained constant between 1953 and 1988, aside from Union folding to allow Lockington to re-form in 1959. Bamawm Extension entered recess due to a lack of players after the 1988 season, and with only 7 teams remaining the Echuca FL merged with the Northern District Football League to form the Northern & Echuca FL before the 1990 season. Echuca East, Echuca South, Moama and Lockington Bamawm United (a merger of Lockington and the two Bamawm clubs) joined the new league, while Mathoura moved to the Picola & District Football League and Bunnaloo folded due to a lack of players.
Clubs
Final ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in EFLEFL Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsBamawmLionsBamawm Recreation Reserve, BamawmMDFL1900s1952-198911969BunnalooThe LooBunnaloo Recreation Reserve, BunnalooW&DFA19271952-198921988, 1989Folded after 1989 seasonEchuca EastGreen and Whites, GrasshoppersEchuca Recreation Reserve, EchucaNGVFL, BFL, GVFL18921932-1939, 1946–1948, 1953–1989111932, 1939, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964Played in Bendigo FL in 1946 and Goulburn Valley FL between 1949 and 1952. Formed Northern & Echuca FL after 1989 seasonEchuca South(1952-?)(?-1989)SwansEchuca South Recreation Reserve, Echuca–19521952-198941967, 1974, 1975, 1982Formed Northern & Echuca FL after 1989 seasonLockingtonCatsLockington Recreation Reserve, LockingtonMDFL1920s1959-198991970, 1971, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1987 MathouraTimbercuttersMathoura Recreation Reserve, MathouraDFA, EDFA 19091932-1939, 1946–1948, 1952–198991936, 1937, 1938, 1952, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1984, 1986Played in Edward River FA between 1949 and 1951. Moved to Picola & District FL after 1989 seasonMoamaBlack and Whites, MapgiesMoama Recreation Reserve, MoamaNGVFL, ESSFA18921932-1934, 1937–1939, 1946–1948, 1952–198951965, 1966, 1968, 1972, 1981
Former ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in EFLEFL Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsBamawm ExtensionTigersBamawm Extension Recreation Reserve, Bamawm ExtensionLFA, MDFL19261946-1948, 1952–19880 -CummeragunjaNone; played "home" games at their opponent's groundW&MRDFA1880s19390 -Folded after 1939 seasonDeniliquinRamsHardinge Street Oval, Deniliquin–19331933-1936, 1938–1939, 1946–194831933, 1934, 1935Did not affiliate with a league in 1937. Moved to Murray FL after 1948 seasonEchucaRed and Whites, BombersEchuca Recreation Reserve, EchucaBFL18741946-194831946, 1947, 1948Returned to Bendigo FL after 1948 seasonEchuca ImperialsImpsEchuca Recreation Reserve, EchucaNGVFL1932-19390 -Folded after 1939 seasonElmoreElmore Recreation Reserve, ElmoreGVCJFA18821932-1935, 1947–19480 -Entered recess after 1935 season. Moved to Heathcote District FL after 1948 seasonRochester RoversRochester Recreation Reserve, Rochester1932-19350 -Folded after 1935 seasonTongalaBluesTongala Recreation Reserve, TongalaGVFL18941933-19350 -Moved to Kyabram District FL after 1935 seasonUnionCatsLockington Recreation Reserve, Lockington–19531954-195821954, 1955Folded to allow Lockington to re-form after 1958 season
Premierships YearPremiersScoreRunners-upLocationNotesRef.1932Echuca East10.14 (74) - 8.14 (62)MathouraFriendly Societies' Ground, Echuca1933Deniliquin12.8 (80) - 6.17 (53)Rochester RoversPark Oval, Echuca1934Deniliquin14.10 (94) - 10.14 (14)Echuca EastPark Oval, Echuca1935Deniliquin13.10 (88) - 8.11 (59)Echuca EastPark Oval, Echuca1936Mathoura12.17 (87) - 8.11 (59)DeniliquinPark Oval, Echuca1937Mathoura19.11 (125) - 11.9 (75)Echuca EastPark Oval, Echuca1938Mathoura10.13 (73) - 10.13 (73)Echuca EastEchuca OvalDrawn grand finalMathoura14.13 (97) - 7.17 (59)Echuca EastEchuca OvalReplay1939Echuca East11.12 (78) - 11.9 (75)MathouraPark Oval, Echuca1940-45 - EFL in recess due to WWII1946Echuca9.13 (67) - 6.5 (41)Echuca EastPark Oval, Echuca1947Echuca7.15 (57) - 5.11 (41)DeniliquinPark Oval, Echuca1948Echuca8.8 (56) - 7.4 (46)Echuca EastPark Oval, Echuca1949-51 - EFL in recess1952Mathoura14.17 (95) - 6.9 (45)Bunnaloo1953Echuca East11.9 (75) - 5.3 (33)Bamawm ExtensionPark Oval, Echuca1954UnionBamawm Extension1955Union1956Echuca East1957Echuca East1958Echuca East1959Echuca East1960Echuca East1961Mathoura1962Echuca East1963Echuca East1964Echuca East1965Moama1966Moama1967Echuca South1968Moama1969Bamawm1970Lockington1971Lockington1972Moama1973Mathoura1974Echuca South1975Echuca South1976Mathoura1977LockingtonMargin 5 pointsMathoura1978Lockington1979Lockington1980Lockington1981Moama1982Echuca South1983Lockington1984Mathoura1985Lockington1986Mathoura1987Lockington1988Bunnaloo1989BunnalooMargin - 116 pointsEchuca South
References