The Western Eyre Football League (WEFL), formerly Far West Football League (FWFL), is an Australian rules football competition based in the Ceduna area of the Eyre Peninsula region of South Australia, Australia. As of March 2021, the league includes clubs in Ceduna, Thevenard, Koonibba Aboriginal community, Penong (Western United FC), Streaky Bay (West Coast Hawks) and Wirrulla.
It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League.
Brief history The County Of Way Football Association was formed in 1909, with founding clubs including Charra, Denial Bay, Goode, Koonibba, Murat and Penong. Fowlers Bay also wished to join the league but was denied entry due to excessive travel distance.
In 1946 the league changed its name to Murat Bay Football Association changed and then Far West Football League in 1962.
The Koonibba Roosters are the oldest continuing Aboriginal football club in Australia, having named their Team of the Century in 2009.
The West Coast Hawks of Streaky Bay and Wirrulla club joined the league in March 2021, after the Mid West Football League was wound up permanently. Around the same time, the Far West Football League changed its name to the Western Eyre Football League.
Clubs
Locations
Current ClubJumperNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in compWEFL Senior Premierships Total YearsCountry Footy 2010 Ceduna BluesKnown as Ceduna-Smoky Bay until 1999 and Blues until 2022 BluesCeduna Sports Club, Ceduna–19891989– 5 1997, 1999, 2009, 2016, 2022 Koonibba RoostersFar West Aboriginal Sporting Complex, ThevenardFWFA19061909–1934, 1946– 34 1910, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017 Thevenard MagpiesThevenard Oval,Thevenard–19271927– 23 1959, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2013, 2015 Western United TigersPenong Sports Ground, Penong–1974 1974– 14 1980, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 West Coast HawksStreaky Bay Community Complex Oval, Streaky BayMWFL1999 2021– 12021 Wirrulla BombersWirrulla Football Ground, WirrullaMWFL1919 2021– 0 -
Former ClubJumperNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in compWEFL Senior PremiershipsFate Total Years Athenna–1922 1922-1925 01923Folded after 1925 season Bonython–19101910-1914 0 -Folded after 1914 season CedunaKnown as Murat Bay until 1933 (1960s)(?-1988) EaglesCeduna Sports Club, Ceduna–19071909-1988 16 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1924, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1946, 1950, 1965Merged with Smoky Bay in 1989 to form Ceduna Blues Charra FWFA19081909-1929, 1960-1973 1 1964Moved to Far West FA in 1930. Recess in 1974. Merged with Penong after 1974 season to form Western United Charra-Denial Bay–1931 1931-1933 0 -De-merged into Charra, who moved to Far West FA, and Denial Bay in 1934 Denial Bay White with darker hoops(1910)
(?-1948)FWFA1907 1909-1930, 1934, 1947-1948 0 -Played merged with Charra as Charra-Denial Bay between 1931-33. Moved to Far West FA in 1935, returned in 1947. Folded in 1949Goode–19061909-1914, 1927-1930, 1934-19481 1939Played merged with Maltee as Maltee Goode United between 1931-33. Folded in 1949Maltee–19251925-1930, 1934-19390 -Played merged with Goode as Maltee Goode United between 1931-33. Folded in 1939Maltee Goode United–19311931-19330 -De-merged into Maltee and Goode in 1934MerghinyStars–19101911-19140 -Folded after 1914 seasonPenongTigersPenong Sports Ground, PenongFWFA19081909-1914, 1961-1970, 1972-197321962, 1966Formed Far West FAafter WWI. Recess in 1971. Merged with Charra in 1974 to form Western UnitedRoversCeduna Sports Club, Ceduna–19551955-195811958Folded after 1959 seasonSmoky Bay (1971-78)(1979-88)Smoky Bay Oval, Smoky BaySBFA19541971-19880 -Merged with Ceduna in 1989 to form Ceduna BluesUnited–19401940-195211940Folded after 1952 seasonWaybacks/Wandana–19221922-19241 1923Alternative name for Murat Bay/Ceduna. Folded after 1924 seasonYalata –1960s0 -Folded after 1964 season
Notes
Premiers List of Premiership teams of the Western Eyre Football League.
1909 Murat Bay 1910 Koonibba 1911 Murat Bay 1912 Murat Bay 1913 Murat Bay 1914 Murat Bay 1915-1921 Recess 1922 Koonibba 1923 Athenna 1924 Murat Bay 1925 Koonibba 1926 Koonibba 1927 Koonibba 1928 Koonibba 1929 Murat Bay 1930 No Competition 1931 Murat Bay 1932 Murat Bay 1933 Ceduna 1934 Ceduna 1935-1937 Recess 1938 Ceduna 1939 Goode 1940 United 1941-1945 Recess due to WW2 1946 Ceduna 1947 Koonibba 1948 Koonibba 1949 Koonibba 1950 Ceduna
1951 Koonibba 1952 Ceduna 1953 Ceduna 1954 Koonibba 1955 Ceduna 1956 Koonibba 1957 Koonibba 1958 Rovers 1959 Thevenard 1960 Koonibba 1961 Koonibba 1962 Penong 1963 Koonibba 1964 Charra 1965 Ceduna 1966 Penong 1967 Thevenard 1968 Thevenard 1969 Thevenard 1970 Thevenard 1971 Thevenard 1972 Thevenard 1973 Thevenard 1974 Thevenard 1975 Koonibba 1976 Thevenard 1977 Koonibba 1978 Thevenard 1979 Koonibba 1980 Western United 1981 Thevenard
1982 Koonibba 1983 Thevenard 1984 Thevenard 1985 Thevenard 1986 Thevenard 1987 Thevenard 1988 Koonibba 1989 Thevenard 1990 Koonibba 1991 Thevenard 1992 Thevenard 1993 Thevenard 1994 Koonibba 1995 Koonibba 1996 Koonibba 1997 Blues 1998 Koonibba 1999 Blues 2000 Western United 2001 Koonibba 2002 Koonibba 2003 Western United 2004 Western United 2005 Western United 2006 Western United 2007 Western United 2008 Western United 2009 Blues 2010 Koonibba 2011 Koonibba 2012 Koonibba
2013 Thevenard 2014 Koonibba 2015 Thevenard 2016 Blues 2017 Koonibba 2018 Western United 2019 Western United 2020 Recess due to COVID-19 2021 West Coast Hawks 2022 Blues 2023 Western United 2024 Western United 2025 Western United 2026 Western United
Ladders 2011 Ladder Far West Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts Koonibba 11 0 1 0 1470 520 73.87% 22 1st Semi Thevenard 11 13 79 Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues 5 14 44 Western United 9 0 3 0 1401 729 65.77% 18 2nd Semi Koonibba 19 11 125 Western United 10 2 62 Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues 3 0 9 0 545 1539 26.15% 6 Preliminary Western United 19 25 139 Thevenard 7 7 49 Thevenard 1 0 11 0 684 1312 34.27% 2 Grand Koonibba 17 11 113 Western United 11 2 68
2012 Ladder Far West Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts Koonibba 10 0 2 0 1438 840 63.13% 20 1st Semi Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues 14 12 96 Thevenard 10 11 71 Western United 8 0 4 0 1239 871 58.72% 16 2nd Semi Koonibba 20 14 134 Western United 13 6 84 Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues 6 0 6 0 992 1154 46.23% 12 Preliminary Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues 13 8 86 Western United 11 5 71 Thevenard 0 0 12 0 723 1527 32.13% 0 Grand Koonibba 24 17 161 Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues 12 9 81 2013 Ladder Far West Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % PtsFinalTeamGBPtsTeamGBPts Western United 8 0 4 0 1278 820 60.92% 16 1st Semi Koonibba 36 17 233 Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues 11 9 75 Thevenard 7 0 5 0 1227 989 55.37% 14 2nd Semi Thevenard 12 9 81 Western United 10 7 67 Koonibba 7 0 5 0 1347 1089 55.30% 14 Preliminary Koonibba 19 17 131 Western United 6 11 47 Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues 2 0 10 0 790 1744 31.18% 4 Grand Thevenard 12 17 89 Koonibba 10 22 82
References
Further reading Encyclopedia of South Australian country football clubs, compiled by Peter Lines. South Australian country football digest, by Peter Lines