The Sunraysia Football and Netball League (SFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition in the Sunraysia district of north-west Victoria and south-west New South Wales.
History The Sunraysia Football League was formed in 1945, after World War Two, which superseded the Mildura Football League.
In 1947, Melbourne: 23.18 - 156 defeated the Sunraysia FL: 8.16 - 64 at the Mildura Recreation Oval.
In 1948, Imperials FC finished last on the ladder, then went onto win the 1949 premiership.
In June 1949, Collingwood: 19.14 - 128 defeated the Sunraysia FL: 13.6 - 84.
In 1957, Curlwaa-Wentworth and Coomealla merged to form Wentworth & Districts Football Club.
Between 1951 and 1960, Mildura played in nine grand finals in ten years, winning five premierships, with former Essendon player, Les Griggs coaching the team between 1950 and 1956.
In 1965, Irymple FC finished last on the ladder, then went onto win the 1966 SFL premiership.
Between 1967 and 1986, the Sunraysia Football League was Richmond's rural VFL zoning area and provided Richmond with many good players and a period of premiership success and regular finals appearances in the late 1960's, 1970's and early 1980's.
Imperials FNC had a very successful period between 1986 and 1996, playing in 10 grand finals in 11 years, which included two lots of five consecutive grand finals. The only year Imperials missed the grand final was in 1991, when they lost the preliminary final.
Under the coaching of former VFL star player, Merv Neagle, Merbein won senior football premierships in 2002 and 2003, but have since struggled to be regular finalists.
The SFNL is considered a major country league. The league's grand final was traditionally played at City Oval in Mildura, however from 2022 it has played at the newly-opened Mildura Sporting Precinct in Mildura's South.
In 2023, Imperials FNC finished last (9th) on the senior football ladder, then went onto win the 2024 premiership.
Mildura Football Association Australian Rules football has been active in Sunraysia since the formation of the Mildura Football Club in 1888, with Mildura finishing on top of the ladder in the first recorded, local Australian Rules competition, the Mildura Football Association in 1891.
In 1891, Mildura FC received the Jamieson Premiership Cup, while "Best All-round Player" went to "Dot" Desailly (South Mildura) and best goalkicker award was won by W. "Bill" Bartlett (North Mildura).
There was no official competition football in 1896, as there was only two active football clubs, Irymple and North Mildura, with Wentworth Imperials FC showing some interest in joining the competition, which did not go ahead, but some friendly matches were played between these clubs.
Between 1900 and 1903, there are no newspapers references to any Australian Rules football competitions in or around the Mildura area, which was partially due to player shortages from enlistments in the Army who served Australia in the Second Boer War. There is no evidence of local football in The Mildura Cultivator newspaper until 1904. In February, 1904, there was a push get the Mildura Recreation Reserve "into immediate use and proper order" to get the games of cricket and football going again, like the good old days.
Mildura Football League In 1904, the Mildura Football League was formed from the following teams - Irymple, Mildura and the Mildura Fire Brigade, with the Fire Brigade defeating Irymple in the grand final.
In 1907, the Fire Brigade FC disbanded and was reformed as the Mildura Rovers FC and the club initially wore a red and white guernsey and blue knickers.
In 1919, East Mildura and West Mildura Football Club's were formed when the town of Mildura was divided up into zoning areas for players to be zoned to a certain club, depending where the player lived.
In 1921, the Mildura Football League was re-formed from the following teams - Irymple, Merbein, Mildura, North Cliffs and Red Cliffs, with a new committee of management. The official new club colours were - Irymple: blue and gold jerseys and socks, blue shorts; Merbein: black and white jerseys and socks, white shorts; Mildura: black and red jerseys and socks, white shorts; Red Cliff: maroon and royal blue jerseys and socks, white shorts; Red Cliffs North: cardinal and black jerseys and socks, white shorts.
In a golden era for the town of Merbein, between 1924 and 1938, Merbein and / or South Merbein played in 16 consecutive Mildura FL grand finals, with Merbein winning seven premierships and South Merbein winning six premierships.
In 1925, Merbein Park was changed to the Kenny Memorial Park in honour of the late E J Kenny, for all the work Mr Kenny performed in Merbein as the "Father" of the Merbein settlement.
In 1927, the Mildura Rovers Junior FC (Under 18 side) wore "white knicks, dark blue guernsey, with a yellow sash".
In August 1927, Mildura FL: 11.10 - 76 defeated Essendon Reserves: 6.8 - 44.
In September 1936, St Kilda 14.18 - 102 defeated the Mildura Football League 11.20 - 86, with St Kilda's Bill Mohr kicking 10 goals.
In 1937, the Mildura FC disbanded and the Mildura Working Man's Club entered a team in the Mildura FL.
In 1938, Laurie Leask won the 1938 Mildura Football League / Sunraysia Daily newspaper best and fairest award, the Snow Trophy.
In September 1938, Essendon Reserves: 16.17 - 113 defeated the Mildura Football League: 16.16 - 112 in a closely contested match decided by one point.
In 1940, because of World War Two, the Mildura & DFL was reduced to a six team competition between the Imperials, Irymple, Merbein, Red Cliffs, Wentworth and Workers, with the season shortened, the grand final was played in June.
Mildura Boys Football Association In April 1946, the Sunraysia Boys Football Association was formed with an Under 18 division and an Under 16 division from the following teams - Coomealla, Curlwaa, Gol Gol, Irymple, Merbein, Mildura Community Centre, Mildura Convent, Mildura High School, Methodists, Red Cliffs Community Centre and Wentworth.
Mildura Wednesday Football Association The Mildura Wednesday FA was formed in 1921 and initially comprised the following three clubs - Fitzroys (Maroon), Imperials (blue and white) and Tigers (yellow and black). In 1929, C Whitmore (Mildura Rovers) won the MWFA best and fairest award.
Timeline 1891 - 1895: Mildura Football Association 1896 - MFA in recess 1897 - 1899: Mildura Football Association 1900 - 1903: MFA in recess due to Australia in the Second Boer War 1904 - 1915: Mildura Football League 1916 - 1918: MFL in recess due to World War One 1919 - 1940: Mildura Football League 1941 - 1943: MFL in recess due to World War Two 1944 - Mildura Football League. Newspapers reports sometimes referred to the local football competition as the Mildura & District Football League and occasionally the Mildura Football Association between 1904 and 1944, but it was mostly referred to as the Mildura Football League during this period. 1945 - 2019: Sunraysia Football League 2020 - SFNL in recess due to COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria. 2021 season was cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria and no finals series was played. 2021 - 2025: Sunraysia Football League
Stance on Violence Irymple Football Club is working with Kim O'Reilly to educate players around healthy relationships and violence against women. O'Reilly was seriously assaulted by former Irymple player Jake Frecker in January 2018.
Irymple Club president Dennis Mitchell called for football clubs to change their culture around violence, condemning the support Dimboola provided to Frecker after he was charged with the assault on O'Reilly. "When your sporting club is the heart of the community, then it is our responsibility to be a vehicle for [education on family violence]"
Clubs Nine clubs – Imperials, Irymple, Merbein, Mildura, Ouyen United, Red Cliffs, Robinvale–Euston, South Mildura and Wentworth – participate in the competition, which includes senior and junior grades of football and netball.
Locations Club locations - MilduraClub locations - Greater Sunraysia
Current ClubColoursNicknameHome groundFormer LeagueEst.Years in SFNLSFNL Senior PremiershipsTotal Years Imperials Imps Brian Weightman Oval. Mildura, VictoriaMWFA1921 1945–20 1949, 1950, 1956, 1957, 1971, 1977, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2024 Irymple Swallows Henshilwood Oval. Irymple, VictoriaMDFL 1894 1945–10 1954, 1966, 1976, 1978, 2006, 2011, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023 Merbein Magpies Kenny Park. Merbein, VictoriaMDFL 1910 1945–6 1948, 1962, 1963, 1975, 2002, 2003 Mildura Redlegs, Demons Brian Weightman Oval. Mildura, VictoriaMDFL1888 1945–10 1946, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1982, 2007, 2025, 2026 Ouyen United KangasOuyen in as the Kangas Blackburn Park Ouyen, Victoria and Underbool Recreation Reserve, Underbool, Victoria–2015 2016–2 2016, 2018 Red Cliffs Diggers, Tigers Quandong Park, Red Cliffs, VictoriaMDFL1919 1945–11 1953, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 2000, 2014, 2015 Robinvale-Euston Eagles John James Oval. Robinvale, Victoria–2015 2015–0 – South Mildura Bulldogs Mildura Sporting Precinct. Mildura, Victoria–1891 1945–4 1968, 1969, 1970, 1998 Wentworth District Roos George Gordon Oval. Dareton, New South Wales–1956 1957–6 1973, 1984, 1996, 2001, 2009, 2012
Former clubs ClubColoursNicknameHome groundFormer LeagueEst.Years in SFNLSFNL Senior PremiershipsFateTotal YearsCardrossLionsCardross Recreation Reserve, Cardross–19350–Moved to Millewa FL in 1962CarwarpCarwarp Recreation Reserve, CarwarpMDFL?-19600–Folded after 1960 season CoomeallaAll BlacksGeorge Gordon Oval, DaretonWIFA1924 0 –Merged with Curlwaa-Wentworth to form Wentworth District after 1956 season. Re-formed in Millewa FL in 1981CurlwaaCurlwaa Oval, CurlwaaMDFL0–Merged with Wentworth to form Curlwaa-Wentworth after 1948 seasonCurlwaa-WentworthMcLeod Oval, Wentworth–19490–Merged with Coomealla to form Wentworth District after 1956 season.Nichols PointNichols Point Recreation Reserve, Nichols Point–19480–Unsure of exact years of participation.OuyenDemonsBlackburn Park, OuyenMFL1937 1979–19820–Moved to Northern Mallee FL in 1983 RAAF Blues No. 1 Oval, MilduraMFL194419451 1945Folded after 1945 seasonRobinvale(1958-?)(?-2014)EaglesJohn James Oval, RobinvaleMFL19271958–201491965, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1979, 1989, 1991, 1997, 2010Merged with Euston to form Robinvale-Euston in 2015 South MerbeinSwansKenny Park, MerbeinMDFL1919 1945–19510 –Disbanded after 1952 season. Re-formed in Millewa FL in 1960. UniversityNo. 1 Oval, Mildura–1940s 1947–19491 1947Folded after 1949 seasonWentworthMcLeod Oval, WentworthMDFL1889 0–Merged with Curlwaa to form Curlwaa-Wentworth after 1948 season
Senior Football Premierships Sunraysia FNL Senior Football
1945 RAAF 1946 Mildura 1947 University 1948 Merbein 1949 Imperials 1950 Imperials 1951 Mildura 1952 Mildura 1953 Red Cliffs 1954 Irymple 1955 Mildura 1956 Imperials 1957 Imperials 1958 Mildura 1959 Red Cliffs 1960 Mildura 1961 Red Cliffs 1962 Merbein 1963 Merbein 1964 Red Cliffs 1965 Robinvale 1966 Irymple 1967 Robinvale 1968 South Mildura 1969 South Mildura 1970 South Mildura 1971 Imperials 1972 Robinvale 1973 Wentworth District 1974 Robinvale 1975 Merbein 1976 Irymple 1977 Imperials 1978 Irymple 1979 Robinvale 1980 Red Cliffs 1981 Red Cliffs 1982 Mildura 1983 Red Cliffs 1984 Wentworth District 1985 Red Cliffs 1986 Imperials 1987 Imperials 1988 Imperials 1989 Robinvale 1990 Imperials 1991 Robinvale 1992 Imperials 1993 Imperials 1994 Imperials 1995 Imperials 1996 Wentworth District 1997 Robinvale 1998 South Mildura 1999 Imperials 2000 Red Cliffs 2001 Wentworth District 2002 Merbein 2003 Merbein 2004 Imperials 2005 Imperials 2006 Irymple 2007 Mildura 2008 Imperials 2009 Wentworth District 2010 Robinvale 2011 Irymple 2012 Wentworth District 2013 Imperials 2014 Red Cliffs 2015 Red Cliffs 2016 Ouyen United 2017 Irymple