The Mid Gippsland Football Netball League (MGFNL), formerly the Mid Gippsland Football League (MGFL), is an Australian rules football and netball competition in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The football league was formed in 1935 and currently comprises 13 clubs.
In November 2019, the Mid Gippsland Football League and Mid Gippsland Netball Association amalgamated to form the present Mid Gippsland Football Netball League. Six clubs from the Alberton Football Netball League — Fish Creek, Foster, Meeniyan Dumbalk United, Stony Creek, Tarwin and Toora — joined the competition for the 2021 season.
The league comprised 13 clubs during the 2026 season, with clubs based across the Latrobe Valley and South Gippsland. Morwell East will transfer to the North Gippsland Football Netball League from the 2027 season.
History Formation and early years
The Mid Gippsland Football League was formed in April 1935 following the collapse of the Morwell-Yallourn Football League. Delegates from Boolarra, Brown Coal Mine, Morwell Bridge, Morwell Seconds, Yallourn Imperials and Yinnar met on 4 April 1935 to establish the new competition.
The league's first matches were played on 4 May 1935 as part of a ten-round season. Morwell Seconds became the inaugural premiers, defeating Boolarra 7.11 (53) to 4.7 (31) at Morwell.
Haunted Hills and Thorpdale joined the competition in 1936.
The competition was reduced to five teams in 1940 during the early years of the Second World War. The league was re-formed in 1946, when Morwell Remnants, Hazelwood, Brown Coal Mine Youth Club, Brown Coal Mine Imperials and Hill End-Willow Grove Rovers joined the competition.
Post-war expansion
The league continued to expand after its re-formation in 1946. That year, the MGFL played its first representative match as a curtain-raiser to the grand final, defeating a combined RAAF team. Proceeds from the match were donated to the Food for Britain Fund.
Erica joined in 1947, while the two Brown Coal Mine teams amalgamated and Morwell Remnants disbanded. Hazelwood emerged as one of the league's strongest clubs during the early 1950s, winning three consecutive senior premierships from 1951 to 1953.
Dumbalk and Mirboo North joined the league in 1955, the same year a reserves competition was introduced. Mirboo North won both the senior and reserves premierships in 1956, becoming the first club to win both grades in the same season.
Newborough Football Club was established in 1957 and entered the Mid Gippsland league that year. The club won its first senior premiership two years later, in 1959.
A thirds competition was introduced in 1964. Maryvale joined the league in 1966 after previously competing in the Sale-Cowwarr Football League.
The competition expanded again in 1969 when Trafalgar joined from the Latrobe Valley Football League and Mirboo North returned after eleven seasons in the South Gippsland Football League.
Changes in the 1970s and 1980s
Morwell East entered a senior team in the Mid Gippsland Football League in 1973, having previously competed at junior level. Yarragon joined the league in 1977 following a successful appeal to the Victorian Country Football League to transfer from the West Gippsland Football League. Yarragon won the senior premiership in its first Mid Gippsland season, defeating Newborough in the 1977 grand final.
Several clubs moved between Mid Gippsland and the larger Latrobe Valley Football League during the late 1970s and 1980s. Newborough left Mid Gippsland after winning the 1978 premiership and competed in the Latrobe Valley league before returning to Mid Gippsland in 1986.
Hazelwood, which had become Hazelwood-Churchill in 1970 and then Churchill in 1981, left Mid Gippsland following the 1983 season. The club transferred to the Latrobe Valley Football League in 1984 after winning consecutive Mid Gippsland senior premierships in 1982 and 1983.
Yallourn and Yallourn North had amalgamated ahead of the 1977 season to form Yallourn Yallourn North, initially competing in the Latrobe Valley Football League. The combined club later joined Mid Gippsland and won consecutive senior premierships in 1986 and 1987.
Maryvale played its final season in 1986 and disbanded in early 1987 after struggling to field teams and attract financial support.
Period of stability
Following the closure of Maryvale in 1987, the league entered a comparatively stable period. Newborough won three consecutive senior premierships from 1988 to 1990, while Trafalgar appeared in nine consecutive grand finals between 1988 and 1996, winning premierships in 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995.
By 2018, the Mid Gippsland Football League comprised ten affiliated clubs: Boolarra, Hill End, Mirboo North, Morwell East, Newborough, Thorpdale, Trafalgar, Yallourn Yallourn North, Yarragon and Yinnar. The league conducted senior, reserves, under-18 and under-16 football competitions, while the separate Mid Gippsland Netball Association operated six grades of netball.
Restructuring and expansion
In 2018, AFL Gippsland conducted a review of senior football and netball competitions across the region. The review recommended that the six remaining Alberton Football Netball League clubs — Fish Creek, Foster, Meeniyan Dumbalk United, Stony Creek, Tarwin and Toora — join the nine remaining Mid Gippsland clubs in a single competition. The review also recommended that Yarragon transfer from Mid Gippsland to the Ellinbank & District Football League for the 2019 season.
The proposed merger of the Alberton and Mid Gippsland competitions was opposed by Mid Gippsland clubs and was subsequently overturned by AFL Victoria following an appeal by the league.
In November 2019, the Mid Gippsland Football League and Mid Gippsland Netball Association amalgamated to form the Mid Gippsland Football Netball League.
The league's 2020 senior football and netball competitions were cancelled because of restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. During the recess, the MGFNL voted to admit all six remaining Alberton clubs from the 2021 season.
Ahead of the expanded 2021 season, Trafalgar transferred to the Ellinbank & District Football Netball League, while Yallourn Yallourn North moved to the North Gippsland Football Netball League. The departure of the two clubs and admission of the six Alberton clubs resulted in a 13-club Mid Gippsland competition for 2021.
Expanded competition
The expanded 13-club competition began in 2021, although the season was again disrupted by COVID-19 restrictions. The final home-and-away round was abandoned and, after further restrictions prevented a finals series from being completed, the remainder of the senior football and netball season was called off in September. Hill End finished the senior football season on top of the ladder, but no premiership was awarded.
The first completed finals series involving the six former Alberton clubs was held in 2022. Yinnar won the senior football premiership, defeating Newborough 8.9 (57) to 5.7 (37) in the grand final.
Fish Creek became the first former Alberton club to win the Mid Gippsland senior football premiership in 2023, defeating previously unbeaten Newborough in the grand final. The club won again in 2024, before Foster defeated Fish Creek in the 2025 grand final.
Fish Creek reclaimed the premiership in 2026, overcoming a 32-point quarter-time deficit to defeat Foster 18.11 (119) to 16.11 (107). The victory gave Fish Creek three premierships from four consecutive grand final appearances between 2023 and 2026.
Morwell East is scheduled to transfer to the North Gippsland Football Netball League for the 2027 season, reducing the Mid Gippsland competition to 12 clubs.
Clubs Locations
Current clubs ClubColoursMonikerFormer LeagueFormedYears in Mid GippslandMid Gippsland Senior Premierships Total Years Boolarra Demons Boolarra Recreation Reserve, Boolarra 1885 1935–present 4 1955, 1958, 1997, 2011 Fish Creek Kangaroos John Terrill Memorial Park, Fish CreekAFNL 1891 2021–present 32023, 2024, 2026 Foster Tigers Foster Showgrounds, FosterAFNL 1890 2021–present12025 Hill End Rovers, Hillmen Willow Grove Recreation Reserve, Willow Grove – 1946 1946–present 5 1948, 1949, 1962, 1974, 1981 Meeniyan Dumbalk United Demons Meeniyan Recreation Reserve, Meeniyan AFNL 1964(merger) 2021–present 0- Mirboo North Tigers Walter J Tuck Reserve, Mirboo NorthSGFL c.1900 1955–1957; 1969–present 7 1956, 1957, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2014, 2017 Morwell East Hawks Ronald Reserve, Morwell – 1973 1973–present 3 1979, 1980, 2005 Newborough Bulldogs Northern Reserve, NewboroughGL 1957 1957–1978; 1986–present 10 1959, 1978, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2016 Stony Creek Lions Stony Creek Racecourse, Stony Creek AFNL 1894 2021–present 0- Tarwin Sharks Tarwin Lower Recreation Reserve, Tarwin Lower AFNL 1988 2021–present 0- Thorpdale Blues Thorpdale Recreation Reserve, Thorpdale – 1887 1936–present 5 1946, 1960, 1961, 1976, 1985 Toora Magpies Toora Recreation Reserve, Toora AFNL 1891 2021–present 0- Yinnar Magpies Yinnar Recreation Reserve, YinnarMYJFA 1883 1935–present 14 1939, 1954, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2015, 2022
† Morwell East will transfer to the North Gippsland Football Netball League from the 2027 season.
Former clubs The following clubs formerly competed in the Mid Gippsland competition. Some transferred to other leagues, while others merged, changed identity or ceased operating. ClubColoursMonikerPrevious LeagueFormedYears in Mid GippslandMid Gippsland Senior PremiershipsOutcome Total YearsBrown Coal MineRovers –19351935–1939; 1946–19472 1937, 1947The Brown Coal Mine sides were reorganised as Yallourn North for the 1948 season. Churchill (1946–69)(1970–83) Gaskin Park, ChurchillMMFA1888 1946–1983 7 1951, 1952, 1953, 1965, 1966, 1982, 1983 Transferred to the Latrobe Valley Football League for the 1984 season. Dumbalk Dumbalk Recreation Reserve, DumbalkWDFLc.1920s 1955–19570 - Returned to the South Gippsland Football League for the 1958 season. Erica (1947–?)(?–1958) Magpies, WoodcuttersErica Recreation Reserve, EricaE&DFA1919 1947–19580 - Disbanded after 1958 season Haunted Hills LionsMYJFA1909 1936–1938 1 1936Became Moe Seconds after 1938 season Hernes OakSwans–19361936–19400 -Disbanded after 1940 season Leongatha Seconds ParrotsLeongatha Recreation Reserve, Leongatha–1894 1961–1964 0 - Left the Mid Gippsland competition following the 1964 season. Maryvale Maryvale Paper Mill Oval, MaryvaleNGFNLc.1950s 1966–19861 1968 Played its final season in 1986 and disbanded in early 1987. Morwell Bridge MYJFA1930 1935–1955 0 - Disbanded after 1955 season Morwell Remnants–19461946–19470 -DisbandedMorwell Rovers1950–19570 -Disbanded Morwell Seconds TigersMorwell Recreation Reserve, MorwellMYJFA1883 1935–1946 3 1935, 1938, 1940 Disbanded after 1946 season Trafalgar BloodsTrafalgar Recreation Reserve, TrafalgarGL1888 1969–2019 10 1975, 1984, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2018 Transfer to the Ellinbank & District Football Netball League was approved in 2020, with the club joining the competition for the 2021 season. Yallourn ImperialsMYJFA1935–19390 -Disbanded after 1940 season Yallourn North BombersGeorge Bates Reserve, Yallourn NorthMYJFA1919 1948–19763 1950, 1963, 1972 Merged with Yallourn in 1977 to form Yallourn Yallourn North. Yallourn Yallourn North Bombers George Bates Reserve, Yallourn NorthGL1977 1984–20195 1986, 1987, 1993, 1996, 2019 Transfer to the North Gippsland Football Netball League was approved in 2020, with the club joining the competition for the 2021 season. Yarragon (1977–?)(?–2018) Panthers, YarrasDowton Park Reserve, YarragonWGFL1895 1977–20181 1977 Transferred to the Ellinbank & District Football Netball League for the 2019 season.
Football