The Ellinbank and District Football Netball League (EDFNL), formerly known as the Ellinbank & District Football League (EDFL), is an Australian rules football and netball league, based in the West Gippsland region of Victoria for smaller towns and villages in the regions of Baw Baw, South Gippsland and Cardinia.

There are twelve clubs in the league, fielding two senior football sides and two football junior sides (U/16 and U/18) and three senior netball sides and three junior netball sides.

History The EDFL was founded in 1937.

In 2014, the league partitioned into two geographic divisions which operated as separate competitions with separate premiers. In this season, the seven-team western division comprised Nar Nar Goon, Garfield, Cora Lynn, Koo Wee Rup, Bunyip, Catani and Lang Lang; and the eastern division, with eight clubs, comprised Nyora, Poowong, Ellinbank, Nilma-Darnum, Warragul Industrials, Buln Buln, Neerim-Neerim South and Longwarry. This partition lasted only one year, and the league rejoined as a single division again from 2015.

In 2016 C31 broadcast a live match of the EDFL game between Koo Wee Rup and Cora Lynn.

In 2017 five clubs were redirected to found the West Gippsland Football Netball League. This left the league with ten clubs. The 2019 senior premiership was won by Longwarry Football Club over Ellinbank by 39 points. The grand final was played at Dowton Park Yarragon.

In the 2018 AFL Gippsland League Review, Yarragon joined from the neighbouring Mid Gippsland League. Warragul Industrials moved to the West Gippsland League, keeping the competition at ten clubs.

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, all EDFL competitions were abandoned for season 2020. Season 2021 saw games resume but due to COVID-19 restrictions a finals series was not played and there were no premiers.

In 2021 the Trafalgar Football and Netball Club joined the EDFL taking the total teams to 11. 2021 will also see the junior age structure change to Under 16.5 and Under 18.5

In 2022 the Ellinbank & District Football League and Ellinbank & District Netball Association merged to form the Ellinbank & District Football Netball League (EDFNL). The junior age groups will revert to Under 16 and Under 18 in football.

The 2023 senior premiership was won by Buln Buln over Neerim-Neerim South by 30 points. It is Buln Buln's first premiership since the 2014 EDFL East Grand Final, and their 11th total. The grand final was played at Dowton Park Yarragon and the game was broadcast locally on SEN Track 91.9FM

Clubs Locations

Current clubs Club Colours Moniker Former League Formed Years in EDFL EDFL Senior Premierships TotalYears Buln Buln Lyrebirds Buln Buln Recreation Reserve, Buln BulnNDFL 1919 1949- 12 1956, 1965, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2014 (East), 2023, 2024BunyipBulldogsBunyip Recreation Reserve, BunyipWGFL, WGFNC18791982-2016, 2025-31990, 2000, 2012 Catani Blues Catani Recreation Reserve, CataniWGFL 1923 1976- 4 1992, 2004, 2005, 2017 Ellinbank Eagles Ellinbank Recreation Reserve, Warragul South WDJFA 1937- 15 1939, 1946, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1961, 1963, 1974, 1975, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1995 Lang Lang Tigers CaldermeadeWGFL 1900 2000- 0 – Longwarry Crows Longwarry Recreation Reserve, LongwarryWGFL 1900s 1993- 2 2019, 2026 Neerim-Neerim South Cats Neerim South Recreation Reserve, Neerim South– 1954 1954- 9 1962, 1964, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1998, 1999, 2022, 2025 Nilma Darnum Bombers Darnum Recreation Reserve, Darnum– 1947 1947- 4 1949, 1951, 1959, 2009 Nyora Saints Nyora Recreation Reserve, NyoraBVWDFL 1880s 1967- 4 1993, 2006, 2007, 2018 Poowong Magpies Poowong Recreation Reserve, PoowongSGFL 1900s 1967- 9 1967, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1991, 2003 Trafalgar Bloods Trafalgar Recreation Reserve, TrafalgarMGFNL 1888 2021- 0 – Yarragon Panthers Dowton Park Reserve, YarragonMGFNL 1895 2019- 0 –

Former clubs Club Colours MonikerHome GroundFormer League Formed Years in EDFL EDFL Senior PremiershipsFate TotalYearsArawata–c. 1930s1938-1939 0 -Moved to Bass Valley FA in 1946Cora Lynn(2006-?)(?-2016)CobrasCora Lynn Recreation Reserve, Cora LynnGL19132005-201642008, 2014 (West), 2015, 2016Formed West Gippsland FNC following 2016 seasonDarnumDarnum Recreation Reserve, Darnum–c. 1920s1920s-1952, 195411947Recess in 1953. Folded after 1954 seasonDrouin ImperialsWGFLc. 1920s1938-1939 0 -Competed in nearby reserves competitions post-war, folded in c. 1950sGarfieldStarsGarfield Recreation Reserve, GarfieldGL19352010-2016 0 -Formed West Gippsland FNC following 2016 seasonHalloraHallora Recreation Reserve, HalloraWGJFAc. 1930s1937-195211950Merged with Strzelecki following 1952 season to form Hallora StrzeleckiHallora StrzeleckiHallora Recreation Reserve, Hallora–19531953-198741958, 1968, 1969, 1971FoldedKoo Wee RupDemonsKoo Wee Rup Recreation Reserve, Koo Wee RupWGFLc. 19002000-2016 0 -Formed West Gippsland FNC following 2016 seasonNar Nar GoonGoonsNar Nar Goon Recreation Reserve, Nar Nar GoonGLc. 19002005-201612010Formed West Gippsland FNC following 2016 seasonNeerimBombersNeerim Recreation Reserve, NeerimNDFLc. 1900s1952-1953 0 -Merged with Neerim South following 1953 seasonNeerim JunctionNDFL19241952-1953 0 -Merged with Noojee following 1953 season to form Noojee Neerim JunctionNeerim SouthNeerim South Recreation Reserve, Neerim SouthNDFLc. 1920s1952-1953 0 -Merged with Neerim following 1953 season to form Neerim-Neerim SouthNoojeeMagpiesNoojee Recreation Reserve, NoojeeNDFLc. 1920s1952-1953 0 -Merged with Neerim Junction following 1953 season to form Noojee Neerim JunctionNoojee Neerim Junction–19541954-196111957FoldedRipplebrookRipplebrook Recreation Reserve, RipplebrookWGJFA1938-1950 0 -FoldedStrzelecki–c. 1920sc. 1920s-1952 0 -Merged with Hallora following 1952 season to form Hallora-StrzeleckiTriholmBVFA19241946-1951 0 -Returned to Bass Valley FA in 1952Warragul IndustrialsDustiesWestern Park, Warragul–19481948-201841948, 1976, 1986, 1996Moved to West Gippsland FNC following 2018 seasonWarragul RoversWGFL1938-19610 -FoldedWarragul secondsWestern Park, Warragul–18791938-194021938, 1940Joined firsts in Latrobe Valley FLWooreen–19371937-194011937Folded

Premiers

1937 Wooreen 1938 Warragul 2nds 1939 Ellinbank 1940 Warragul 2nds 1941–45 In Recess 1946 Ellinbank 1947 Darnum 1948 Warragul Ind 1949 Nilma Lillico 1950 Hallora 1951 Nilma Lillico 1952 Ellinbank 1953 Ellinbank 1954 Ellinbank 1955 Ellinbank 1956 Buln Buln 1957 Noojee/Junction 1958 Hallora Strez 1959 Nilma Lillico 1960 Warragul Ind 1961 Ellinbank 1962 Neerim Neerim South 1963 Ellinbank 1964 Neerim Neerim South 1965 Buln Buln 1966 Neerim Neerim South 1967 Poowong 1968 Hallora Strez 1969 Hallora Strez

1970 Poowong 1971 Hallora Strez 1972 Poowong 1973 Poowong 1974 Ellinbank 1975 Ellinbank 1976 Warragul Ind 1977 Poowong 1978 Neerim Neerim South 1979 Buln Buln 1980 Buln Buln 1981 Buln Buln 1982 Neerim Neerim South 1983 Ellinbank 1984 Ellinbank 1985 Poowong 1986 Warragul Ind 1987 Ellinbank 1988 Ellinbank 1989 Poowong 1990 Bunyip 1991 Poowong 1992 Catani 1993 Nyora 1994 Buln Buln 1995 Ellinbank 1996 Warragul Ind 1997 Buln Buln 1998 Neerim Neerim South

1999 Neerim Neerim South 2000 Bunyip 2001 Buln Buln 2002 Buln Buln 2003 Poowong 2004 Catani 2005 Catani 2006 Nyora 2007 Nyora 2008 Cora Lynn 2009 Nilma Darnum 2010 Nar Nar Goon 2011 Garfield 2012 Bunyip 2013 Garfield 2014 Buln Buln (East) 2014 Cora Lynn (West) 2015 Cora Lynn 2016 Cora Lynn 2017 Catani 2018 Nyora 2019 Longwarry 2022 Neerim Neerim South 2023 Buln Buln 2024 Buln Buln 2025 Neerim Neerim South 2026 Longwarry

VFL/AFL players

1963 - Barry Bourke – Neerim Neerim South – 2021 - Jai Newcombe – Poowong –

References

External links

Official EDFL website