The Central Great Southern Football League (CGSFL) was based in and around the Shire of Katanning. Initially known as the Central Great Southern National Football League, it was formed at a meeting at Tambellup in December 1959 as the result of an amalgamation of the Katanning and Tambellup associations. There were eight participating clubs in the first season – Australs (Katanning), Broomehill, Gnowangerup, Kent District, Kojonup, Ongerup, Tambellup and Wanderers (Katanning). The Australs club was formed as the result of a merger of Imperials and Rovers prior to the 1960 season.
Broomehill and Ongerup departed at the end of the 1961 season to reduce the competition to six clubs. Cranbrook crossed over from the Southern Districts National Football League in 1970 but struggled and disbanded after the 1976 season, while Kent District moved to the Ongerup association in 1972.
The CGSNFL’s catchment area stretched further northwards with the admission of Dumbleyung in 1973 and Kukerin in 1983. The competition, which dropped ‘National’ from its title in 1981, consisted of seven clubs for most of the 1980s – Australs, Dumbleyung, Gnowangerup, Kojonup, Kukerin, Tambellup and Wanderers – until Dumbleyung left at the end of the 1987 season.
After the 1990 season, the CGSFL merged with the Southern Districts league to create the Great Southern Football League (GSFL). Australs, Kojonup, Tambellup and Wanderers all joined the new league while Kukerin joined the Upper Great Southern Football League as Kukerin-Dumbleyung.
Kojonup was the most successful club in the competition’s history with 11 premierships, including a hat-trick between 1964 and 1966, while Wanderers (six), Australs (five), Kukerin and Tambellup (four) and Dumbleyung all enjoyed premiership success.
The 1968 grand final between Kojonup and Wanderers was abandoned at half-time due to a severe hail storm, with Kojonup leading Wanderers 1.0 to 0.5. Kojonup captain-coach Graham Zilko was hospitalised due to hypothermia.
Clubs
Final ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in CGSFLCGSFL PremiershipsFateTotalYearsAustralsLionsKupara Park, Katanning–19601960–199051970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1978 Formed Great Southern FL in 1991KojonupMagpiesKojonup Oval, KojonupKFA19231960–1990111961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1988Formed Great Southern FL in 1991KukerinThe Big K, KatsNenke Oval, KukerinLGKDFA1983–199041984, 1987, 1989, 1990Merged with Dumbleyung to form Kukerin-Dumbleyung in the Upper Great Southern FL in 1991TambellupDemonsTambellup Oval, TambellupTFA1960–199041960, 1962, 1980, 1982 Formed Great Southern FL in 1991WanderersTigersQuartermaine Oval, KatanningKFA19231960–199061963, 1967, 1968, 1983, 1985, 1986Formed Great Southern FL in 1991
Former ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in CGSFLCGSFL PremiershipsFateTotalYearsBroomehillBroomehill Oval, Broomehill VillageTFA1960-19610 -Left leagueCranbrookBluesCranbrook Showgrounds, CranbrookSDFL1970-19780 -Folded in 1978DumbleyungStubbs Park, DumbleyungDLGFA1973–198811977Entered recess after 1988. Merged with Kukerin in 1991 to form Kukerin-DumbleyungGnowangerupBulldogsGnowangerup Sporting Complex, GnowangerupTFA19171960–19860 - Moved to Ongerup FA in 1987Kent DistrictsHawksNyabing Oval, NyabingKFA19541960–19710 - Moved to Ongerup FA in 1972OngerupRoosOngerup Sporting Complex, OngerupTFA19361960-19610 -Played socially in 1962 before forming the Ongerup FA in 1963
Grand final results
Year Premiers Score Runners up Score 1960 Tambellup 9.16 (70) Wanderers 8.19 (67) 1961 Kojonup 14.10 (94) Wanderers 7.13 (55) 1962 Tambellup 14.15 (99) Kojonup 9.10 (64) 1963 Wanderers 13.12 (90) Tambellup 11.9 (75) 1964 Kojonup 9.9 (63) Wanderers 7.7 (49) 1965 Kojonup 14.20 (104) Wanderers 7.9 (51) 1966 Kojonup 6.8 (44) Wanderers 3.6 (24) 1967 Wanderers 11.13 (79) Kojonup 11.11 (77) 1968 Wanderers 15.6 (96) Kojonup 10.10 (70) 1969 Kojonup 13.13 (91) Australs 11.9 (75) 1970 Australs 23.25 (163) Cranbrook 12.5 (77) 1971 Australs 17.9 (111) Kojonup 10.12 (72) 1972 Australs 12.6 (78) Kojonup 10.13 (73) 1973 Kojonup 10.14 (74) Australs 8.11 (59) 1974 Kojonup 13.10 (88) Australs 9.13 (67) 1975 Australs Kojonup 1976 Kojonup 16.14 (110) Australs 13.12 (90) 1977 Dumbleyung 20.14 (134) Australs 9.12 (66) 1978 Australs 17.4 (106) Kojonup 13.12 (90) 1979 Kojonup 15.19 (109) Australs 11.10 (76) 1980 Tambellup 15.3 (93) Kojonup 12.13 (85) 1981 Kojonup 15.20 (110) Tambellup 11.3 (69) 1982 Tambellup 16.7 (103) Gnowangerup 12.14 (86) 1983 Wanderers 8.11 (59) Kojonup 6.4 (40) 1984 Kukerin 19.19 (133) Tambellup 8.12 (60) 1985 Wanderers 15.15 (105) Tambellup 12.14 (86) 1986 Wanderers 17.12 (114) Kojonup 14.12 (96) 1987 Kukerin 22.15 (147) Tambellup 14.19 (103) 1988 Kojonup 15.16 (106) Kukerin 8.8 (56) 1989 Kukerin 24.12 (156) Kojonup 12.5 (77) 1990 Kukerin 19.10 (124) Tambellup 15.10 (100)
References
Great Southern Herald newspapers