Ballarat Football League


The Ballarat Football League is an Australian rules football competition that operates in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia.
The competition formed in 1893 as the Ballarat Football Association and was renamed Ballarat Football League in 1908 and was briefly known as the Ballarat-Wimmera Football League between 1934 and 1936.

Overview

The league features 11 senior clubs. North Ballarat City Football Club joined the league in 2008 season raising the number of teams to the present number. North Ballarat City previously played in the Bendigo Football League for the previous two seasons prior to joining. The BFL is also a strong league for grass roots football with 9 junior clubs consisting of 63 teams from U/10 through to U/16.5.
The Ballarat Football League season normally commences in early April with the regular season matches finishing in August. Upon Daylesford's withdrawal from the competition at the end of the 2005 season competing clubs played the opposition clubs twice in the regular season, once at home, once away. This reverted upon North City's admission to the competition in 2008. The finals series is conducted in September with the Grand Final to decide the premiers for season having been historically held at the Ballarat City and Eastern Ovals. The match attracts crowds of 5000 to 9000 people, with notable attendances of 14602 at the Ballarat City Oval and 8,800 at the Eastern Oval for the 1949 and 1977 Grand Finals respectively.
In 2017, the BFL announced that from 2017 the Grand Final would be played at Mars Stadium with other finals series games remaining at the Eastern and City Ovals.
Being the major Australian Rules competition in the region, the BFL receives substantial media coverage with match reports in Ballarat daily newspaper The Courier as well as match radio coverage on radio stations 979fm and Apple 98.5fm.

Current clubs

ClubColoursNicknameEstab.PremiersPremiers years-
Bacchus Marsh
Cobras197812016-
BallaratSwans1860181897, 1898, 1908, 1923, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1943, 1944, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1962, 1971, 1988, 2008-
Darley
Devils191922015, 2017-
East PointKangaroos200122018, 2019
Lake WendoureeLakers199412010-
MeltonBloods187932000, 2001, 2005-
Melton South
Panthers19730-
North Ballarat
Roosters1882171963, 1970, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 ; 2013, 2014 -
Redan
Lions1871111946, 1952, 1975, 1976, 1977, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011-
SebastopolBurras18930-
SunburyLions187951997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2012-

;Notes

Current CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of the BFL is Rod Ward. Ward is a former BFL player with the Darley Football Club, later becoming Secretary of the club. Prior to his appointment to CEO's role in 2002, Ward worked for the Victorian Country Football League, the organisation that oversees the sport in country Victoria. The headquarters of the league, Saxon House, is located at the City Oval in Ballarat.

Former Clubs

;Notes

Premiers

Source

Henderson Medalists

Ladders

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017