The Dimboola Football Club, nicknamed the Roos, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the town of Dimboola, Victoria. The football team competes in the Wimmera Football League (WFL).
History The Dimboola FC was founded in 1881 and in 1882 they played a match against the Horsham Union FC in Horsham, which resulted in a draw.
In 1907, the Dimboola Rovers (8.7 - 55) defeated Wallup (2.4 - 16) in the grand final of the Dimboola & District Combined Trophy.
In 1921, Dimboola FC played in two local football competitions, the Western Wimmera FA (Wednesday competition) and the Northern Wimmera FA (Saturday competition) and remarkably Dimboola won both association premierships. Details below.
Dimboola joined the Wimmera District Football League in 1923 and former Geelong player, Bert Rankin was appointed as captain-coach in 1924.
In 1932 during the height of the Great depression the small town clubs suffering from financial pressures tried to get the league to change the way the gate taking were distributed to the clubs. The larger town clubs, knowing that they would be disadvantaged, blocked the motion. Nhill and Dimboola both went into recess.
In 1933 Dimboola was back, it formed the Mid Wimmera FL with Minyip, Murtoa, Nhill and Rupanyip. It won the 1933 and 1935 premierships.
While the WDFL approached the Ballarat Football League to merge hoping that greater interest and better football would cause larger gate takings, so in 1934 the Wimmera Football League and the Ballarat Football League merged to form the Ballarat Wimmera FL.
After three years in which the Wimmera clubs faced with greater costs and constantly losing on the footy field, feelers were put out to the smaller clubs, now playing in the Mid Wimmera FL. A peace deal was settled in September 1936 and the Wimmera Football League was reformed in 1937 making it a nine team competition, with former Essendon player, Alan Arthur appointed as captain-coach in 1937.
The local Marks aboriginal family were all outstanding footballers and cricketers, with Alf Senior and Fisher Marks playing in the early 1900's and Alf's son, Alf Junior, was the leading goal kicker in the Wimmera Football League in 19??.
Football Timeline Seniors 1881 - 1888: Club active, but no official competition football 1889 - Rauert - Rintoule Trophy (Dimboola, Horsham, Kaniva & Nhill) 1890 - James Laing Trophy (Dimboola, Horsham, Nhill & Stawell) 1891 - Club active, but no official competition football 1892 - Meredith Trophy (Dimboola, Horsham Federals, Jung Jung, Murtoa, Natimuk & Longerenong College) 1893 - J S Nelson Cup (Dimboola, Horsham, Kaniva, Nhill & Stawell) 1894 - 1895: Club active, but no official competition football. 1896 - Father O'Brien Trophy (Dimboola, Horsham Federals, Longerenong College & Natimuk) 1897 - Club active, but no official competition football 1898 - Wimmera DFA 1899 - 1900: Club active, but no official competition football 1901 - Dimboola Licensed Victualers Trophy (Dimboola, Horsham & Nhill) 1902 - 1903: Club active, but no official competition football 1904 - Wimmera District Junior Football Association & Langlands Sacks Trophy 1905 - Wimmera District Junior Football Association (Rennison Jewellers Trophy) 1906 - Wimmera District Junior Football Association (Butt Trophy) 1907 - Nhill & District Football Association & the Dimboola & District Combined Trophy 1908 - Wimmera District Football Association 1909 - Cordner Medals 1910 - Horsham Brewery Trophy & Pimpinio Jagger Junior Trophy 1911 - Dimboola Rainbow Medals 1912 - North West Wimmera Football Association 1913 - Wimmera Football Association & the West Wimmera Football Association 1914 - Dimboola Jeparit Rainbow Football Association
Dimboola FC - Reserves 1922 - West Wimmera FL: Premiers 1927 - North Wimmera FL 1928 - 1930: West Wimmera FL 1931 - 1932: Central Wimmera FL 1933 - Central Wimmera FL / Dimboola FL 1934 - 1935: Dimboola FL 1936 - 1937: Horsham District FL 1938 - 1940: Central Wimmera FL (Dimboola 2nds) 1941 - 1945: Club in recess 1946 - Central Wimmera FL (Dimboola 2nds) 1947 - Lowen Star FL
Football Premierships Seniors Meredith Saloon (Horsham) Trophy 1892 - 1st: Dimboola 2nd: Horsham Federals J "Soddy" Nelson Cup 1893 Nhill & District Football Trophy 1907 - Dimboola: 70 d Kaniva: 10 (undefeated premiers) Cordner Medals 1909 - Dimboola: 5.7 - 37 d Jeparit: 3.10 - 28 Western Wimmera Football Association 1913 - Dimboola: 4.3 - 27 d Nhill: 3.3 - 21, 1920 - Dimboola: 8.19 - 67 d Nhill: 3.8 - 26 1921 - Dimboola: 9.12 - 66 d Kaniva: 8.13 - 61 at Nhill 1922 - Dimboola: 10.14 - 74 d Gerang: 6.11 - 47 at Dimboola Northern Wimmera Football Association 1921 - Dimboola d Gerang at Dimboola Wimmera District Football League 1928 - Dimboola: 9.16 - 70 d Horsham: 8.11 - 59 1929 - Dimboola: 9.9 - 63 d Nhill: 5.13 - 43 Mid Wimmera Football League 1933 - Dimboola: 15.11 - 101 d Murtoa: 9.11 - 65 at Murtoa 1935 - Dimboola: 10.14 - 74 d Minyip: 7.6 - 48 at Dimboola Wimmera Football League 1937 - Dimboola: 15.14 - 104 d Stawell: 13.15 - 93 at Horsham 1946 - Dimboola: 17.16 - 118 d Warracknabeal: 10.13 - 73 at Horsham 1959 - Dimboola: 7.12 - 54 d Warracknabeal: 7.11 - 53 at Horsham 1985 - Dimboola: 11.14 - 80 d Horsham: 9.12 - 66 at Warracknabeal 2013 - Dimboola: 16.15 - 111 d Horsham Saints: 7.13 - 55 at Nhill
Reserves Horsham District Football League 1937 - Dimboola 2nds: 12.13 - 84 d Laharum: 7.13 - 55 Wimmera Football League 1983, 1985, 2014
Thirds North Wimmera Football Association 1950 - Dimboola: ? d Jeparit: ? Wimmera Football League Under 16's 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1981
Netball Premierships A. Grade 1957 - Dimboola: 23 d Horsham: 16
B. Grade ?
C. Grade ?
C. Reserve ?
League Best & Fairest Seniors Wimmera & District Football League 1931 - Les Schneider: 7 votes Mid Wimmera Football League 1935 - Les Schneider: 7 votes Wimmera Football League - Toohey Medal 1972 - Norm Watson 2005 - Peter McFarlene 2013 - Justin Chilver
VFL / AFL Players
The following footballers played with Dimboola, prior to playing senior football in the VFL/AFL, and / or drafted, with the year indicating their VFL/AFL debut. 1920 - Ernest Mucklow - Port Adelaide 1925 - Bill Koop - 1926 - Harry Kuhl - 1927 - Jack Baggott - Richmond 1928 - Peter Brown - 1962 - Darryl Howland - South Melbourne 1975 - Larry Watson - , 1977 - Merv Neagle - 1977 - Tim Watson - 1980 - Peter Light - 1983 - Wayne Beddison - 2010 - Andrew Moore - Port Adelaide, Richmond 2013 - Brett Goodes – Western Bulldogs
The following footballers played senior VFL / AFL football prior to playing and / or coaching with Dimboola with the year indicating their first season at DFNC.
1924 - Bert Rankin - Geelong Advertiser, 17 April 1924, p. 3. 1928 - George Arnott - 1928 - Leo Wescott - 1937 - Alan Arthur - 1938 - Eric Little - 1940 - Eric Huxtable - 1946 - Keith Smith - South Melbourne 1968 - Keith Bromage -
Leading Goalkicker Wimmera & District Football League 1927 - Jimmy Lawson: 93 1928 - Jimmy Lawson: 72 1929 - Jimmy Lawson: 63 1930 - Jimmy Lawson: 82
Dimboola played in the grand final in 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930, winning premierships in 1928 and 1929, thanks to the goalkicking feats of Jimmy Lawson.
Wimmera Football League 1968 - Keith Bromage: 98 2012 - Lachlan Exell: 78 (86) 2013 - Lachlan Exell: 72 (79) 2014 - Lachlan Exell: 68 2015 - Ashley Clugston: 53
Most goals in a match In 1927, Dimboola's champion forward, Jimmy Lawson kicked 20 goals against Murtoa. 18 year old Lawson also kicked 11 goals on debut for Dimboola in the last game of the year in 1925. Lawson had also kicked 60 goals for Pimpinio FC in 1925.
Bibliography Wheatbelt Warriors. A Tribute To Wimmera Football League.
References
External links
Official Facebook Official Wimmera FNL website Wimmera FL History: 1902 to 2004 via Footypedia Wimmera FL History: 1937 to 2007 via Full Points Footy Wimmera FL Senior Football Grand Finals: 1932 to 2020 Wimmera FL Premiership coaches: 1921 - 1952 1928 - Dimboola FC team photo 1928 - Dimboola FC team photo 1929 - Dimboola FC & Horsham FC action photos 1929 - Dimboola FC team photo 1930 - Dimboola FC & Ararat FC team photos 1930 - Wimmera FL Premiers (Stawell FC) & Runners Up (Dimboola FC) team photos 1935 - Mid Wimmera FA Premiers: Dimboola FC team photo 1937 - Wimmera FL Premiers (Dimboola FC) & Runners Up (Stawell FC) team photos 1938 - Dimboola FC & Horsham FC team photos 1946 - Wimmera FL Premiers (Dimboola FC) & Runners Up (Warracknabeal FC) team photos 1947 - Dimboola FC team photo 1951 - The Argus Newspaper / Dimboola FC Badge