Geelong Football League


The Geelong Football Netball League is an Australian rules football and netball league in Victoria, Australia. It is widely regarded as the highest standard Australian rules football league in regional Victoria, with several former AFL players now playing for a variety of clubs.

History

The league was formed in 1979 when twelve clubs broke away from the Geelong & District Football League. The city and country clubs of the old GDFL were divided into the major league competition of the GFL and the minor league of the GDFL. Many of the teams in the lower league wanted a system of promotion and relegation, which was fought by the GFL until the early 1980s when the Victorian Country Football League held a hearing in Melbourne. As a result, a trial promotion-relegation system was put into place on a voluntary basis. Today, the GDFL is opposed to the promotion-relegation system, with a three-division, three league competition of the Geelong FL, Bellarine FL and Geelong & District FL in place in the Geelong region.

Teams

Current

Former

Grand Finals

YearPremierGoalsBehindsPointsRunners UpGoalsBehindsPointsBest player in Grand final
1979St Mary’s1513103North Shore121082Trevor McLean
1980North Shore141195St Mary's13785Steve Mathieson
1981North Shore141296Newtown & Chilwell12880John Albon
1982Newtown & Chilwell1921135St Peters12981Gary Kelly
1983North Shore1814122Bell Park1714116Darren Purcell
1984Bell Park12981St Albans10666Grant Sutherland
1985Newtown & Chilwell2111137St Albans131896Basil Flynn
1986Newtown & Chilwell218144St Albans15898Basil Flynn
1987St Albans141296Newtown & Chilwell121688Mark Dahlhaus
1988St Albans121486St Joseph's111278Wayne Tyquin
1989St Joseph's1814122St Mary's10565John Fitzgerald
1990North Shore1417101St Mary's13987Russell Campbell
1991Bell Park10969North Shore4832Brad Nicholls
1992St Mary's206126Lara121991Michael Hosking
1993North Shore2510160Lara121284Frank Fopiani
1994Lara131290St Mary's121082Jason Hassett
1995North Shore1522112Lara10969Frank Fopiani
1996North Shore91569Geelong West St Peters81260Damien Clark
1997North Shore2214146St Joseph's187115Glenn Keast
1998North Shore2515165South Barwon111177Danny Warren
1999North Shore2412156St Joseph's12779Nathan Lewis
2000North Shore91266Lara3927Mick Atkins
2001South Barwon1615111North Shore9458Glen Wallace
2002Lara1714116St Joseph's131492Paul Lynch
2003St Mary's81159Bell Park81159
Bell Park14690St Mary's101171Bruce Cohen
2004St Mary's198122North Shore141195Frank Fopiani
2005South Barwon1713115Newtown & Chilwell141094Leighton Richards
2006South Barwon141296St Joseph's12880Warwick Knuckey
2007South Barwon111379Bell Park6642Jason Armistead
2008St Mary's2115141Colac51242Ben Lavars
2009South Barwon1512102St Joseph's6945Paul Sullivan
2010South Barwon111480Bell Park71355Luke Buckland
2011Bell Park111278South Barwon11672Charlie Hallam
2012South Barwon179111Bell Park81260Clinton Wells
2013South Barwon131694Grovedale12274Anthony Biemans
2014Colac1914110Leopold111379Marcus Crook
2015St Joseph's131593Newtown & Chilwell11975Daniel Lovick
2016Leopold14993St Mary's8957Jai Thompson
2017St Joseph's1816124St Mary's9761Daniel Lovick

Premiership Tally

In 2015, The Geelong Advertiser football writer, Nick Wade, led a panel of some of the biggest names over the history of GFL footy, including Peter Kelly, Arthur Hodgson and John Fitzgerald, to compile 'the top 50 Geelong Football League players of all time' for those who had played at least 100 GFL games since 1979. North Shore and St Mary's onballer Frank Fopiani was named the best of the top 50 GFL greatest players.

Leading Goalkickers

2010 Ladder

2011 Ladder

2012 Ladder

2013 Ladder

2014 Ladder

2015 Ladder

2016 Ladder

2017 Ladder

2018 Ladder

2019 Ladder

Book

Cat Country - History of Football In The Geelong Region - John Stoward -