The Southern Riverina Football Association was first established in 1905 for towns in the Southern Riverina area of New South Wales, near the Murray River, which evolved into a strong and vibrant Australian rules football competition for the next 27 years.

History The Southern Riverina Football Association (SRFA) was first established in 1905. for towns in the Southern Riverina area, near the Murray River, New South Wales to initially play a series of friendly matches. The competition evolved over the next few years and it went onto become a strong and vibrant football competition up until 1931.

In 1907, the SRFA consisted of five teams, Berrigan, Finley, Jerilderie, Leniston and Trefoil Park.

In 1908, Trefoil Park dropped out of the SRFA competition, leaving just four teams.

In 1912, Berrigan, Finley and Tocumwal attended the Annual General Meeting and as Finley agreed to field two teams, the association was reformed. But shortly afterwards, Tocumwal joined the Goulburn Valley Football Association and thus the association went into recess for the 1912 season.

In 1917, the SRFA consisted of the following four teams – Berrigan, Finley, Jerilderie "Diehards" and the Mairjimmy "Hayseeds".

Tocumwal played in seven consecutive Southern Riverina Football Association grand finals between 1922 and 1928, but unfortunately they only won the last won in 1928.

In 1928, six teams made up the SRFA – Berrigan, Corree, Finley, Jerilderie, Lalalty and Tocumwal.

In 1931, the SRFA senior football competition was abandoned late in the season, due to a very wet winter, with many matches postponed due to the poor road conditions in the area.

The demise of the SRFA came about when both Berrigan and Finley applied to join the Murray Football League (MFL) in 1932, but the two teams were rejected on the grounds of excessive travel for the Victorian-based clubs.

This left Berrigan and Finley without a senior football competition in 1932 as both clubs did not want to travel to Oaklands and Urana to compete. Berrigan and Finley both entered a team in the SRFA junior competition in 1932. Both clubs, along with Nathalia were finally admitted into the MFL in 1933.

Clubs

Final ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in SRFASRFA Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsBerriganSaintsBerrigan Recreation Reserve, Berrigan18911905-1931101906, 1909, 1913, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1925Recess in 1932, re-formed in Murray FL in 1933Coree1916-19310 -Folded after 1931 seasonFinleyCatsFinley Recreation Reserve, Finley, New South WalesFDFAc.1890s1905-193181910, 1914, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1930Recess in 1932, re-formed in Murray FL in 1933JerilderieDemonsJerilderie Recreation Reserve, Jerilderie18911905, 1907–19310 -Moved to Murray Valley Second XVIII FL in 1932OaklandsHawksOaklands Recreation Ground, OaklandsC&DFA19310 -Returned to Coreen & District FA in 1932UranaSpiders, BombersUrana Recreation Ground, UranaC&DFA1920s19310 -Returned to Coreen & District FA in 1932

Former ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in SRFASRFA Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsBaroogaHawksBarooga Recreation Reserve, Barooga, New South WalesGVFA18941929-19300 -Formed Murray FL in 1931Lalalty1921-19290 -Folded after 1907 seasonLeniston1906-190811908Folded after 1908 seasonMairjimmy19170 -Folded after 1917 seasonSavernake-WarmattaCDFA1909, 19290 -Unknown 1910-23. Played in Coreen & District FA between 1924–28 and returned there in 1930TocumwalBloodsTocumwal Recreation Reserve, TocumwalGVFA18911910-1911, 1913–1914, 1916, 1918–193021911, 1928Returned to in Goulburn Valley FA in 1912, 1920 and 1931Trefoil Park1906-19070 -Folded after 1907 season

SRFA – Grand Finals / Premiers +YearPremiersScoreRunners-upScoreRef/comments1906Berrigan ---Finley ---Berrigan declared champions as minor premiers.1907Finley ---Jerilderie ---Finley declared champions as minor premiers.1908Leniston1.6 (12)Berrigan0.6 (6)1909Berrigan4.4 (28)Finley1.4 (10)1910Finley3.7 (25)Berrigan0.3 (3)1911Tocumwal3.10 (28)Berrigan1.6 (12)Tocumwal lost the final to Berrigan, however as minor premiers were allowed to challenge Berrigan again.1912Competition in recess1913Berrigan5.3 (33)Finley2.11 (23)1914Finley9.11 (65)Tocumwal2.3 (15)1915Competition likely in recess due to World War I.1916Berrigan3.8 (26)Tocumwal1.1 (7)1917Berrigan???Final unknown if played.1918Finley ---Berrigan ---Finley lost the final to Berrigan, however as minor premiers were allowed to challenge Berrigan again. Berrigan originally defeated Finley by eight points in the challenge final, but Finley successfully protested the result.1919Berrigan6.11 (47)Finley2.4 (16)1920Berrigan4.11 (35)Finley2.5 (17)1921Berrigan5.9 (39)Jerilderie5.7 (37)1922Finley5.14 (44)Tocumwal2.5 (17)1923Finley5.4 (34)Tocumwal4.8 (32)1924Berrigan3.4 (22)Tocumwal2.8 (20)1925Berrigan11.17 (83)Tocumwal7.4 (46)1926Finley10.8 (68)Tocumwal5.2 (32)1927Finley11.9 (75)Tocumwal4.10 (34)1928Tocumwal8.17 (65)Finley6.6 (42)1929Finley11.16 (82)Coree11.15 (81)1930Finley12.11 (83)Berrigan10.14 (74)1931Season abandoned due to wet weather and poor road conditions.

Southern Riverina Junior Football Association A Southern Riverina Junior Football Association was established in 1930 and the grand final scores are listed below. 1930 – Berrigan: 6.9 – 45 defeated Tocumwal: 5.9 – 39. 1931 – Berrigan: 7.8 – 50 defeated Tocumwal: 6.10 – 46. 1932 – Tocumwal: 5.9 – 39 defeated Berrigan: 3.13 – 31.

In May 1933, at the Annual General Meeting of the SRJFA, it was decided to change the name of the competition to the Murray River Second Eighteen Football Association, with Cobram being admitted to play against – Berrigan, Finley, Jerilderie and Tocumwal. 1933 – Jerilderie: 7.11 – 53 defeated Cobram: 8.3 – 51. 1934 – Jerilderie: 9.15 – 69 defeated Tocumwal: 5.5 – 35. 1935 – Cobram: 6.5 – 35 defeated Berrigan: 4.4 – 28. 1936 – Cobram / Barooga United: 9.7 – 61 defeated Jerilderie: 7.3 – 45. 1937 – Jerilderie: 9.11 – 65 defeated Barooga: 6.3 – 39. 1938 – Jerilderie: 12.12 – 84 defeated Berrigan: 7.7 – 49. 1939 – Berrigan: 11.14 – 80 defeated Tocumwal: 8.12 – 60. 1940 – The 1940 season commenced, but it was most likely abandoned later in the season due to World War II. 1941 to 1944: In recess due to World War II. In 1945, the Southern Riverina Junior Football Association was re-established. The grand final results are listed below – 1945 – Tocumwal: 12.7 – 79 defeated Berrigan: 11.11 – 77.

In 1946, the Jerilderie Herald and Urana Advertiser was writing this competition up as the – Murray Valley Second Eighteen Football Association. Grand Finals scores were – 1946 – Tocumwal: 9.13 – 67 defeated Jerilderie: 4.10 – 34 1947 – Berrigan: 9.11 – 54 defeated Finley: 6.9 – 45. 1948 – Berrigan: 12.15 – 87 defeated Jerilderie: 12.10 – 82. 1949 – Finley: 8.12 – 60 defeated Barooga: 6.12 – 48. 1950 – Barooga: 9.7 – 61 drew with Finley: 8.13 – 61. 1950 – Barooga: 8.11 – 59 defeated Finley: 6.2 – 38. Grand Final replay. 1951 – Jerilderie: 9.8 – 62 defeated Barooga: 8.9 – 57. 1952 – Barooga: 8.14 – 62 defeated Yarrawonga: 8.7 – 55. 1953 – Barooga: 10.18 – 78 defeated Yarrawonga: 6.7 – 43. 1954 – Denilquin: 17.11 – 113 defeated Jerilderie: 4.8 – 32. 1955 – Yarrawonga defeated Barooga?, at Tocumwal. 1956 – Barooga defeated Denilquin by 9 points. At Tocumwal.

Best and Fairest Murray Valley Second Eighteen Football Association 1951: Max Mason – Jerilderie &M Toohey – Barooga (25) 1952: Vin Toohey - Barooga (?) 1953 - Vin Toohey - Barooga (?) 1954: Gerald O'Dwyer - Barooga 1955: G O'Dwyer - Barooga 1956: Don Hyde - Deniliquin 1957: Jim Cullen – Barooga (24) 1958: Vin Toohey - Barooga (24)

References