The West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) is an Australian rules football and netball competition based in the West Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The competition was formed in 2017 as part of the AFL Gippsland Senior Football Leagues Review of 2015–16.
The inaugural competition comprised ten clubs and expanded to twelve in 2019 with the admission of Tooradin-Dalmore and Warragul Industrials. Bunyip returned to the Ellinbank & District Football Netball League for the 2025 season, leaving West Gippsland with eleven clubs.
The competition conducts four grades of football — seniors, reserves, under-18 and under-16 — and eight grades of netball: A Grade, B Grade, C Grade, D Grade, 17 & Under, 15 & Under, 13 & Under and 11 & Under.
The competition is distinct from the former West Gippsland Football League, which merged administratively with the Gippsland Latrobe Football League at the end of 2001 to form the West Gippsland Latrobe Football League.
History
Formation
The West Gippsland Football Netball Competition was established as part of the AFL Gippsland Senior Football Leagues Review conducted during 2015 and 2016. The review resulted in significant changes to senior football and netball competition structures across Gippsland, with the new West Gippsland competition commencing in 2017. The competition was officially launched on 17 December 2016.
The inaugural competition comprised ten clubs. Five transferred from the Ellinbank & District Football League — Bunyip, Cora Lynn, Garfield, Koo Wee Rup and Nar Nar Goon — while Dalyston, Inverloch-Kongwak, Kilcunda-Bass, Korumburra-Bena and Phillip Island joined from the Alberton Football Netball League.
Inverloch-Kongwak won the inaugural senior football premiership in 2017. Phillip Island subsequently won consecutive senior premierships in 2018 and 2019.
Expansion
The competition expanded from ten to twelve clubs for the 2019 season with the admission of Tooradin-Dalmore and Warragul Industrials. Their inclusion followed the 2018 AFL Gippsland Leagues and Competitions Review, which recommended that both clubs join West Gippsland from 2019.
Tooradin-Dalmore had previously competed in the South East Football Netball League, while Warragul Industrials transferred from the Ellinbank & District competition.
COVID-19 interruptions
The 2020 football and netball season was abandoned because of restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans to conduct modified junior competitions were also abandoned after further restrictions were introduced.
Competition resumed in 2021, but the season was again affected by COVID-19 restrictions. The remainder of the season, including the finals series, was abandoned in September. Teams that finished on top of their respective ladders were recognised as minor premiers, but no premierships were awarded.
The league held its first completed finals series since 2019 in 2022.
Recent changes
Bunyip left the competition following the 2024 season and returned to the Ellinbank & District Football Netball League in 2025, reducing West Gippsland to eleven clubs.
In 2025, Drouin sought approval to transfer from the Gippsland League to West Gippsland for the 2026 season. West Gippsland's member clubs approved Drouin's application, but AFL Gippsland subsequently upheld an appeal against the transfer, leaving Drouin in the Gippsland League for 2026.
Clubs Locations
Current clubs ClubColoursMonikerFormerleagueFormedYears in WGFNLWGFNL senior premierships Total Years Cora Lynn Cobras Cora Lynn Recreation Reserve, Cora Lynn EDFL1913 2017- 0 — Dalyston Magpies Dalyston Recreation Reserve, Dalyston AFNL 1898 2017- 0 — Garfield Stars Garfield Recreation Reserve, Garfield EDFL 1935 2017- 0 — Inverloch Kongwak Sea Eagles Inverloch Recreation Reserve, Inverloch AFNL 1957 2017- 2 2017, 2023 Kilcunda Bass Panthers Bass Recreation Reserve, Bass AFNL 1957 2017- 0 — Koo Wee Rup Demons Koo Wee Rup Recreation Reserve, Koo Wee Rup EDFL c.1900 2017- 0 — Korumburra Bena Giants Korumburra Showgrounds, Korumburra AFNL 2001 2017- 0 — Nar Nar Goon Goons Nar Nar Goon Recreation Reserve, Nar Nar Goon EDFL c.1900 2017- 3 2024, 2025, 2026 Phillip Island Bulldogs Cowes Recreation Reserve, Cowes AFNL 1932 2017- 2 2018, 2019 Tooradin Dalmore Seagulls Tooradin Recreation Reserve, Tooradin SEFNL 1922 2019- 1 2022 Warragul IndustrialsDusties Western Park Reserve, Warragul EDFL 1948 2019- 0 —
Former clubs ClubColoursMonikerFormerleagueFormedYears in WGFNLWGFNL senior premiershipsFate Total Years Bunyip Bulldogs Bunyip Showgrounds, Bunyip EDFL 1879 2017−2024 0 — Returned to Ellinbank & District FNL in 2025
Premiers Seniors Year Premiers Runners-up Venue Date Ref Club Score Club Score 2017 Inverloch-Kongwak Cora Lynn Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve 2018 Phillip Island Koo Wee Rup Garfield Recreation Reserve 2019 Phillip Island Cora Lynn Garfield Recreation Reserve 2020 Season not contested due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Premiership not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 Tooradin-Dalmore Phillip Island Garfield Recreation Reserve 2023 Inverloch-Kongwak Phillip Island Koo Wee Rup Recreation Reserve 2024 Nar Nar Goon Phillip Island Garfield Recreation Reserve 2025 Nar Nar Goon Tooradin-Dalmore Garfield Recreation Reserve 2026 Nar Nar Goon Phillip Island Garfield Recreation Reserve
Reserves Year Premiers Runners-up Venue Date Ref Club Score Club Score 2017 Koo Wee Rup Phillip Island Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve 2018 Koo Wee Rup Inverloch-Kongwak 2019 Tooradin-Dalmore Koo Wee Rup 2020 Season not contested due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Premiership not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 Tooradin-Dalmore Koo Wee Rup 2023 Inverloch-Kongwak Tooradin-Dalmore 2024 Nar Nar Goon Tooradin-Dalmore 2025 Tooradin-Dalmore Nar Nar Goon 2026 Phillip Island Cora Lynn
Thirds Year Premiers Runners-up Venue Date Ref Club Score Club Score 2017 Garfield Cora Lynn Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve 2018 Phillip Island Cora Lynn 2019 Phillip Island Inverloch-Kongwak 2020 Season not contested due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Premiership not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 Inverloch-Kongwak Garfield 2023 Inverloch-Kongwak Phillip Island 2024 Phillip Island 2025 Phillip Island Inverloch-Kongwak 2026 Tooradin-Dalmore Inverloch-Kongwak
Fourths Year Premiers Runners-up Venue Date Ref Club Score Club Score 2017 Bunyip Phillip Island Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve 2018 Koo Wee Rup Inverloch-Kongwak 2019 Phillip Island Nar Nar Goon 2020 Season not contested due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Premiership not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 Phillip Island Inverloch-Kongwak 2023 Phillip Island 2024 Phillip Island 2025 Inverloch-Kongwak 2026 Inverloch-Kongwak Inverloch-Kongwak
Season Structure Pre-season The West Gippsland Football Netball Competition like most country leagues does not have a formal Pre-season competition. As part of their Pre-season preparation clubs will often schedule between one and two practice matches with clubs from other leagues prior to the season beginning. These matches could take on different structures and were primarily conducted on a non-official basis with limited match officials and scores not being recorded.
Premiership season The West Gippsland home-and-away season lasts for 18 rounds, starting in mid April and ending in mid August. As of the 2017 season, each team plays 18 matches. Teams receive four premiership points for a win and two premiership points for a draw. Ladder finishing positions are based on the number of premiership points won, and "percentage" (calculated as the ratio of points scored to points conceded throughout the season) is used as a tie-breaker when teams finish with equal premiership points.
Finals series Since its inception until 2017 the West Gippsland finals have consisted of a 'Top-5' finals system.
The top five teams at the end of the West Gippsland home & away season compete in a four-week finals series throughout August, culminating in a grand final to determine the premiers. The finals series is played under the 'Top-5' Page playoff system, and the grand final is played on the afternoon of the last Saturday in August or the first Saturday of September.
The winning team receives a silver premiership cup, a premiership flag – a new one of each is manufactured each year. The flag has been presented since the league began and is traditionally unfurled at the team's first home game of the following season. Additionally, each player in the grand final-winning team receives a premiership medallion.
In 2020 it was decided that the finals system would expand to a 'Top-6'.
2019 Finals series
Awards The following major individual awards and accolades are presented each season: Best & fairest award — to the fairest and best player in the league, voted by the umpires Leading goal kicker award — for the player who scores the most goals during the home & away season AFL Victoria Country Medal — the best player on the ground in the Grand Final Team of the year — a squad of 24 players deemed the best in their positions Most disciplined club award — for the club who receives the most discipline points, voted by the umpires
Team of the Year
Award winners Best & FairestWGFNC best & fairest award winners Year Winner Club Votes 2023 Dale Gawley Kilcunda Bass 28 2022 Brent Macaffer Tooradin-Dalmore 25 2019 Cameron Pedersen Phillip Island 38 2018 Brendan Kimber Phillip Island 24 2017 Andrew Soumilas Inverloch-Kongwak 31
Leading Goal KickerWGFNC leading goal kickers Year Winner Club Goals 2024 Nathan Gardiner Cora Lynn 101 2023 Nathan Gardiner Cora Lynn 103 2022 Nathan Gardiner Cora Lynn 78 2021 Nathan Gardiner Cora Lynn 50 2019 Nathan Gardiner Cora Lynn 73 2018 Jason Wells Koo Wee Rup 79 2017 Nathan Langley Cora Lynn 68
2017 Ladder West Gippsland Wins Losses Draws For Against % Pts Inverloch Kongwak 14 3 1 1767 1066 165.76% 58 Cora Lynn 14 4 0 1796 1249 143.80% 56 Dalyston 13 4 1 1667 1187 140.44% 54 Nar Nar Goon 10 8 0 1322 1196 110.54% 40 Phillip Island 10 8 0 1303 1220 106.80% 40 Koo Wee Rup 10 8 0 1294 1265 102.29% 40 Kilcunda Bass 9 9 0 1243 1245 99.84% 36 Garfield 5 13 0 1155 1449 79.71% 20 Bunyip 3 15 0 987 1724 57.25% 12 Korumburra-Bena 1 17 0 801 1734 46.19% 4 2017 Finals series
2018 Ladder West Gippsland Wins Losses Draws For Against % Pts Phillip Island 14 4 0 1759 905 194.36% 56 Nar Nar Goon 14 4 0 1696 915 185.36% 56 Koo Wee Rup 14 4 0 1764 964 182.99% 56 Inverloch Kongwak 14 4 0 1577 924 170.67% 56 Cora Lynn 11 7 0 1525 1197 127.40% 44 Garfield 10 8 0 1352 1200 112.67% 40 Korumburra-Bena 5 13 0 941 1275 73.80% 20 Bunyip 4 14 0 1027 1655 62.05% 16 Kilcunda Bass 2 16 0 728 1877 38.79% 8 Dalyston 2 16 0 724 2181 33.20% 8 2018 Finals series
2019 Ladder West Gippsland Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Phillip Island 17 0 0 1 1966 697 282.07% 70 Cora Lynn 15 0 2 1 1779 977 182.09% 62 Tooradin Dalmore 12 0 5 1 1627 1145 142.10% 50 Inverloch Kongwak 12 0 6 0 1618 977 165.61% 48 Koo Wee Rup 10 1 7 0 1517 1313 115.54% 44 Bunyip 11 0 7 0 1170 1016 115.16% 44 Nar Nar Goon 10 0 8 0 1287 1146 112.30% 40 Garfield 7 0 10 1 945 1057 89.40% 30 Korumburra-Bena 4 0 14 0 839 1496 56.08% 16 Kilcunda Bass 3 0 15 0 765 1831 41.78% 12 Dalyston 2 1 15 0 747 1669 44.76% 8 Warragul Industrials 2 0 16 0 699 1635 42.75% 8 2019 Finals series
2022 Ladder West Gippsland Wins Losses Draws For Against % Pts Tooradin-Dalmore 17 1 0 2078 779 266.75% 68 Phillip Island 16 2 0 1970 889 221.60% 64 Inverloch-Kongwak 14 4 0 1713 967 177.15% 56 Nar Nar Goon 13 5 0 1680 964 174.27% 52 Cora Lynn 12 6 0 1580 1114 141.83% 48 Warragul Industrials 10 8 0 1428 1163 122.79% 40 Bunyip 8 10 0 1190 1278 93.11% 32 Koo Wee Rup 7 11 0 1297 1568 82.72% 28 Kilcunda Bass 7 11 0 970 1522 63.73% 28 Dalyston 2 16 0 818 1906 42.92% 8 Garfield 1 17 0 757 1890 40.05% 4 Korumburra-Bena 1 17 0 705 2146 32.85% 4
2022 Finals series
2023 Ladder