The Ovens & King Football Netball League (OKFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition based in north-eastern Victoria around the regional cities of Benalla and Wangaratta. The league was formed in June 1903 as the Ovens & King Football Association.

History The Ovens & King Football League (OKFL) was formed on Saturday, 13 June 1903 after a handful of men met at The Bulls Head Hotel in Wangaratta to consider forming an Australian Rules Football competition. One week later, the first matches of the Ovens & King Football Association were played.

The competition changed its name to the Ovens and King Football League after the 1928 season.

Today, more than 100 years later, teams from Benalla, Bright, Greta, King Valley, Milawa, Moyhu, North Wangaratta, Tarrawingee and Whorouly participate in seniors, reserves and five netball grades.

Located in the Ovens Valley and King Valley of northeast Victoria, the league has produced a number of elite football players who have gone on to play in the AFL, including the cousins Nigel (Brisbane Lions) and Matthew Lappin (St Kilda/Carlton), ruckman Mark Porter (Kangaroos/Carlton) and most recently Michael Newton (Melbourne), Ben Reid (Collingwood) and Sam Reid (Sydney Swans).

Community support is strong in the Ovens and King districts with crowds attending games usually greater than most neighbouring competitions. The local football is an important social outlet for many local communities and finals matches draw especially strong crowd numbers.

In 2010, the league added Tatong, Swanpool, Goorambat and Bonnie Doon, who had previously played in the now-defunct Benalla & District Football League. After four years of heavy losses, Swanpool and Tatong were thrown out of the competition by AFL County Victoria, ending nearly 100 years of tradition. A two-way merge proposed by the clubs was rejected, as was a transfer to the Picola District FL.The Age - Thursday, March 20th, 2014

In 2019 Glenrowan were forced into recess following a player, coach and volunteer shortage.

Names history Period Name 1903–1922 Ovens & King Football Association 1922–1924 Wangaratta & District Football Association 1925–1955 Ovens & King Football League 1956–present Ovens & King Football Netball League

Clubs Locations

Current ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in O&KO&K Senior Premierships Total YearsBenalla All Blacks PanthersFriendlies Oval, BenallaCGFL 1934 2005- 12022Bonnie Doon BombersBonnie Doon Recreation Reserve, Bonnie DoonBDFNL 1885 2010- 1 2023Bright Mountain MenPioneer Park, BrightY&DFL 1913 1955- 5 1986, 1987, 1992, 2004, 2025Goorambat BatsGoorambat Recreation Reserve, GoorambatBDFNL 1893 2010- 0 -Greta BluesGreta Recreation Reserve, HansonvilleBDFNL 1901 1945- 10 1946, 1954, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1980, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2024King Valley United KangaroosWhitfield Recreation Reserve, Whitfield– 1935 1935- 2 1970, 1981Milawa DemonsMilawa Recreation Reserve, MilawaW&DFA 1903 1903-1921, 1925- 11 1923, 1924, 1927, 1940, 1969, 1984, 1985, 1991, 2009, 2013, 2019Moyhu HoppersMoyhu Recreation Reserve, MoyhuW&DFA 1891 1903-1922, 1925- 18 1904, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934, 1947, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1988, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2011North Wangaratta HawksNorth Wangaratta Sports Reserve, North WangarattaW&DFA, BDFNL 1892 1919-1920, 1929-1930, 1961- 4 1973, 1976, 1997, 2012Tarrawingee BulldogsTarrawingee Recreation Reserve, TarrawingeeW&DFA 1903 1903-1921, 1925- 8 1953, 1963, 1964, 1975, 1990, 2008, 2010, 2018Whorouly LionsWhorouly Recreation Reserve, Whorouly– 1892 1904- 8 1925, 1926, 1952, 1977, 1978, 1989, 2007, 2026

Former ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in O&KO&K Senior PremiershipsFate Total YearsBeechworth BombersBaarmutha Park, BeechworthOMFNL1861 1912–1922,1929–2003 14 1912, 1913, 1914, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1950, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1974, 1979, 2000, 2001Moved to Tallangatta & District FL in 2004BogongTigersBogong Recreation Reserve, BogongY&DFL1946 1954–1959 1 1955Moved to Tallangatta & District FL in 1960Carboor –c.1900s 1903 0 -FoldedChiltern SwansChiltern Recreation and Sports Reserve, ChilternC&DFAc.1890s 1954–2002 10 1957, 1958, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1982, 1983, 1994, 1996, 1998Moved to Tallangatta & District FL in 2003Eldorado Centennial Park, EldoradoW&DFAc.1890s 1905–1921,1925–1954 6 1907; 1908, 1919, 1921, 1922, 1928Folded in 1954EvertonW&DFA1919 1920–1921,1925–1935 0 -Folded in 1935GapstedGapsted Recreation Reserve, GapstedW&DFA1919 1919,1925–1926 0 -1927-29 unknown. Played in Bright District FA in 1930Glenrowan Kelly TigersGlenrowan Recreation Reserve, GlenrowanBDFNL1919 1992–2019 4 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017Folded in 2019Myrtleford TigersMemorial Park, MyrtlefordMBFL1886 1927–1949 3 1936, 1945, 1949Moved to Ovens & Murray FL in 1950PeechelbaW&DFAc.1920s 1922 0 -Moved to Murray Valley North-East FLRutherglen CatsBarkly Park, RutherglenCDFL1978 1992–2003 0 -Moved to Tallangatta & District FL in 2004South Wangaratta–1922 1922 0 -Moved to Glenrowan and Thoona FA in 1923SwanpoolSwansAlbert Heaney Oval, SwanpoolBDFNLc.1920s 2010–2013 0 -Forced into recess in 2014Tatong MagpiesTatong Recreation Reserve, TatongBDFNLc.1920s 2010–2013 0 -Forced into recess in 2014Wangaratta MagpiesNorm Minns Oval, WangarattaOMFNL1875 1903–1914,1919-1921, 1931–1932, 1941 5 1905, 1906, 1920, 1931, 1932Moved to Ovens & Murray FL in 1946Wangaratta Rainbows(1903-04)–1894 1903-1904, 1914-1915, 1941 2 1903, 1941Merged back into WangarattaWangaratta Rovers HawksWJ Findlay Oval, WangarattaW&DFA1922 1922–19301945–1949 1 1948Moved to Ovens & Murray FL in 1950Wangaratta Waratahs –c.1920s 1933–1939 1 1935Folded in 1940

Premiership History

Senior Football Grand Finals