The Warragul Football and Netball Club, nicknamed the Gulls, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the city of the same name in the state of Victoria.

The club teams currently compete in the Gippsland League, fielding Senior, Reserve, Under 18 and Under 16 football teams, as well as A, B, C Grade and Under 17, Under 15 and Under 13 netball teams.

History The club was formed in 1879 by William Paul and its first games were played against other local football clubs including Drouin, Buln Buln, Morwell, Traralgon and Berwick.

Warragul had a great run of success at the commencement of official football competitions in Gippsland, winning six Challenge Cups (premierships) between 1889 and 1897!

In 1894, Warragul footballer, Andrew Watson, died of internal injuries after a match in Bunyip on Saturday, 2 June 1894.

The Warragul Half Holiday Football Club was formed in 1894, wearing the colours - all blue guernsey, with blue and white stockings.

In 1922 Warragul, Central Gippsland FA Premiers defeated Rosedale, North Gippsland FA Premiers in a challenge match in October to win the unofficial title of "Gippsland Premiers"!

Warragul's guernsey was originally black with a red Yoke, until 2000 when the guernsey was changed to the current colours of teal, white, red and black. The 'Gulls' have had a proud history especially through the successful years of the early 1920s, 1970s and 1980s.

Lean seasons in 1998 and 1999 in the Gippsland/Latrobe FL, saw the club transfer to the West Gippsland FL, with the thought of providing a better chance of retaining players. The Victorian Country Football League provided this clearance for the Gulls to the WGFL, where they played from 2000 to 2004. However, the merging of the GLFL and WGFL saw Warragul resume its battles with former foes from 2005.

Since 2005, the club has been a part of the Gippsland FL, competing against clubs such as Bairnsdale, Drouin, Garfield (until their transfer to the EDFL), Moe, Morwell, Traralgon, Maffra, Sale, Wonthaggi and Leongatha.

In 2010 and 2011, Warragul finished bottom of the ladder, winning only one game in each respective season. The club is currently building a young base of players to build on into the future, many of whom had success with the club in both the Under 16 and 18's previously.

Football Leagues Timeline 1889: South Gippsland Challenge Cup 1890: Robinson's Challenge Cup 1891: Kennedy's Challenge Cup 1892: Gippsland & Feilchenfeld Cup 1893: Thomas Challenge Cup 1894: Ross Challenge Cup 1895: Storie Challenge Cup 1896: ? 1897: Harlem Hotel Cup 1898-1908: West Gippsland FA 1909-1915: Central Gippsland FL 1916-1918: No Football Played. World War I 1919-1921: Central & West Gippsland FA 1922-1940: Central Gippsland FL 1941-1945: Club in recess. World War II 1946-1953: Central Gippsland FL 1954-1994: La Trobe Valley FL 1995-1999: Gippsland-La Trobe FL 2000-2004: West Gippsland Latrobe FL (Western Division) 2005-2009: West Gippsland Latrobe Football League (Premier Division) 2010–2019: Gippsland Football League 2020: Club in recess: COVID-19 2021-present: Gippsland Football League

Gulls Football Premierships SENIORS: South Gippsland Challenge Cup 1889 (undefeated) Kennedy's Challenge Cup 1890 (undefeated) Robinson's Challenge Cup 1891 Thomas Challenge Cup 1893 Ross Challenge Cup 1894 Harlem Challenge Cup 1897 West Gippsland Football Association 1900 1907 Central Gippsland Football Association 1922 1927 1932 1938 LaTrobe Valley Football League 1974, 1976, 1984 West Gippsland Latrobe FL (Western Division) 2003

RESERVES: Central Gippsland Football League 1946, 1947, 1951, 1953 La Trobe Valley Football League 1974, 1984, 1996

THIRDS: 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985, 2004

FOURTHS: 2003, 2004, 2006

JUNIORS: Drouin Junior Football Association 1910 Central Gippsland Football Association 1922

Gulls Leading Goalkickers

+ LVFL / GLFL / WGLFL / GFL Leading Goalkickers Year Seniors Reserves Thirds (U/18)1951 Charles Vanderbist (67) 1955 K.Caudwell (63) 1959 Jim McGrath (55) 1960 Jim McGrath (59) 1964 Alan Noonan (54) 1968 M.Vagg (45) 1972 W.Best (42) 1976 A.Singline (64) 1982 B.Nott (47) 1988 Paul Hughes (52) 1989 Simon Byrne (70) 2004 Matthew Gooden (73) 2014 Harry McKay (47)

Gulls Football League Best and Fairest Winners + LVFL / GLFL / WGLFL / GFL Best and Fairest Winners Years Seniors Reserves Thirds (U/18) Fourths (U/16) 1932 Harry Andrews 1935 Arthur “Arty” Duncan 1955 Ron Hayes 1963 Ron Serong 1967 Robert Baldry 1975 John Gallus 1979 Allan Light A.Morrison 1984 Graeme Rankin 1994 Andrew Pratt 1996 David Mills Scott Jinks 2000 Nick Humphrey 2001 Darren McDonald 2006 Desi Barr 2012 Chris Carey 2016 Brad Scalzo

Club Life Members Life Members who have contributed greatly to support the success of the Warragul Football/Netball Club

Maurie Reeves, Robert Ballingall, Alan Walkinshaw, Bruce Nicholl, Robert Vaughan, Anthony Nott, Hugh Bingham, Claire Henshall, William Best, Tom Malady, Kevin Mills, John Heenan, Neville McDonough, Colin McKenzie, Dorothy Carland, Michael Waters, Audrey Ray, Michael Vick, Alan Glen, Bryan Fitzpatrick, Ray Waters, Ray Cropley, Ray Costelloe, Gary Olsson, Graeme Gahan, Rod Pollock, Betty Nott, Julie Pollock, Jim Johnson, Neil Stapleton, Kevin Collis, John Shiels, Noel Gleeson, Ann Nott, Tony Flack, Arlene Bible.

VFL/AFL Players The following list notes current and former VFL/AFL players that have played with the Warragul Football Club prior to making their VFL / AFL debut.

1898 - Johnny Coghlan (Melbourne) 1907 - Horrie Farmer (St Kilda) 1908 - Alex Dunstan (Collingwood) 1911 - Norm Brooker (Richmond) 1919 - Bert Taylor (Fitzroy) 1921 - Harry Watson (Fitzroy) 1921 - Les Wallace (Melbourne) 1926 - Harry Weidner (Richmond) 1933 - George Batson (St. Kilda) 1939 - Noel Price (Fitzroy) 1939 - Alan Fields (Fitzroy) 1942 - George Hoskins (Fitzroy) 1947 - Pat Twomey (Collingwood) 1952 - Geoff Williams (Geelong) 1953 - Maurie Reeves (Melbourne) 1953 - Jim Cusack (Fitzroy) 1953 - Wally Nash (Hawthorn) 1961 - Robert Hickman (Richmond) 1963 - John Murton (Collingwood) 1966 - Alan Noonan (Essendon) 1966 - Graham Croft (St. Kilda) 1968 - Barry Round (Footscray, Sydney) 1969 - Bruce Davidson (Footscray) 1971 - Graeme G. Cook (Footscray) 1974 - Gerry Lynn - (Hawthorn) 1978 - Gary Ayres (Hawthorn) 1992 - Ashley Green (Essendon, Brisbane) 1994 - Trent Hotton (Collingwood & Carlton) 1997 - Matthew Watson (Essendon) 2000 - Robert Murphy (Western Bulldogs) 2011 - Michael Ross (Essendon) 2020 - Caleb Serong (Fremantle) 2022 - Jai Serong (Hawthorn) 2024 - Lachlan Smith (Western Bulldogs)

Senior Football Results YearWinsLosses%PointsPositionCoachB&FNotes 2021 2020 GFNL in recess. COVID-19 2019 5 13 66.93% 20 10th 2018 9 9 93.17% 36 6th 2017 7 11 82.11% 28 7th 2016 9 9 89.49% 36 4th 2015 2 16 40.59% 8 10th 2014 2 16 23.92% 8 9th 2013 6 12 77.53% 24 8th Ash Green New coach, Ash Green 2012 5 13 64.19% 12 10th George Morgan/ Justin Cant Mark Bradley 5 wins, with 3 in last 6 games 2011 1 17 53.19% 4 10th George Morgan Mark Bradley Win against Leongatha 2010 1 15 38.04% 4 9th Peter Fusinato Joel Morgan Win against Wonthaggi. Last game by 1 point 2009 4 12 75.06% 16 7th Peter Fusinato Ryan Davey 2008 11 5 -- 44 3rd Steve Carey Ryan Davey/Mat Gray Minor Premier. Defeated by Morwell in Premilinary

Reserves & Under 18 ReservesWL%PtsPos.Under 18WL%PtsPos. 2012 2 14 42.79% 8 8th 2012 15 3 217.60% 60 Runners Up 2011 0 18 33.03% 0 10th 2011 7 9 73.54% 28 4th 2010 0 16 16.38% 0 9th 2010 8 (1 Draw) 7 109.93% 34 3rd 2009 8 (1 Draw) 7 162.56% 34 6th 2009 9 5 163.56% 32 Runners Up 2008 9 7 -- 36 5th 2008 14 2 -- 56 Runners Up

Under 16's

Under 16WL%PtsPos. 2012 5 13 45.94% 20 7th 2011 4 13 31.41% 16 8th 2010 8 8 125.37% 32 3rd 2009 5 11 70.14% 20 7th 2008 7 9 -- 28 6th

Grand Final Appearances

2012 Under 18 Grand Final Grand Final | at Morwell WARRAGUL 8.6.54 def by BAIRNSDALE 8.12.60 2009 Under 18 Grand Final Grand Final | at Morwell WARRAGUL 8.11.59 def by MAFFRA 12.6.78 2008 Under 18 Grand Final Grand Final | at Traralgon WARRAGUL 4.4 28 def by TRARALGON 7.7 49 2006 Under 16 Grand Final Grand Final | at Traralgon WARRAGUL 9.13 67 def TRARALGON 5.12 42

Netball: 2007 to 2012

2012WL % 2011WL % 2010WL % A Grade 0 (1 Draw) 15 59.43 10th A Grade 1 17 44.03 10th A Grade 6 8 75.06 5th B Grade 0 18 55.49 10th B Grade 1 17 38.99 9th B Grade 1 15 49.33 8th C Grade 4 14 49.42 8th C Grade 3 15 58.49 9th C Grade 1 (1 Draw) 14 35.84 8th Under 17 1 17 29.59 10th Under 17 1 17 24.65 9th Under 17 6 10 82.46 6th Under 15 2 (2 Draws) 13 56.55 8th Under 15 2 16 27.49 9th Under 15 2 (2 Draws) 12 50.55 12th Under 13 8 10 90.82 7th Under 13 3 15 40.53 9th Under 13 1 14 40.75 9th

2009 W L %2008 W L % 2007 W L % A Grade 6 8 119.24 5th A Grade 6 10 6th A Grade 12 4 125.26 2nd B Grade 2 17 56.95 9th B Grade 7 9 6th B Grade 10 6 118.54 3rd C Grade 9 7 124.48 5th C Grade 5 10 6th C Grade 12 (1 Draw) 3 138.60 3rd Under 17 10 6 96.72 3rd Under 17 6 (2 Draws) 8 5th Under 17 10 (1 Draw) 5 135.85 3rd Under 15 8 8 93.28 5th Under 15 10 (2 Draws) 4 2nd Under 15 12 4 198.36 2nd Under 13 6 10 50.66 5th Under 13 7 (1 Draw) 8 5th Under 13 4 (1 Draw) 11 95.72 6th

References

External links

Facebook page Instagram site Gippsland FNL Best & Fairest Winners 1927 - Warragul FC & Yallourn FC team photos 1947 - Warrugal FC Reserves: Premiership team photo 1952 - Central Gippsland FL Premiers: Warragul FC team photo