The Panton Hill Football League was an Australian Rules football competition that ran from 1931 to 1987. The league originally consisted of clubs from rural areas north of Melbourne in the Shires of Eltham and Whittlesea, but later expanded to include clubs from Melbourne's northern suburbs.
History The PHFL was established in 1931 with four clubs (Panton Hill, Queenstown, Kinglake and Yarra Glen), before merging with the Bourke-Evelyn Football League a year later to bring in 3 more clubs. Due to the loss of numerous clubs to the Diamond Valley FL, the PHFL entered recess in 1937. It re-formed in 1939 and expanded to 5 teams before going into recess in 1941 due to World War II.
Following the war, the PHFL consistently had 9 to 10 participating clubs for the next 3 decades. Whittlesea won 4 premierships in a row between 1957 and 1960. The league began to expand into suburban Melbourne with the admissions of Lalor in 1964 and La Trobe University and Watsonia in 1967.
The loss of 4 clubs following the 1980 season marked the beginning of the PHFL's decline. Many clubs, particularly the strong Melbourne-based clubs, were increasingly drawn to the higher-standard Diamond Valley Football League. One of those clubs transferring to the DVFL was the Research Football Club in 1986. Historical details of that club can be found on their website at sites.google.com/view/rfchistory. A plan to turn the PHFL into a third division of the DVFL following the 1987 season fell through and the league subsequently folded, with Hurstbridge, Panton Hill and Reservoir Rovers joining the DVFL, Keon Park and Heidelberg Colts joining the Melbourne North FL and Coolaroo Rovers folding.
Final clubs ClubJumperNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in PHFLPHFL Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsCoolaroo Rovers(1982-?)(?-1987)RoversProgress Reserve, CoolarooVAFA1970s1982, 1984–19870 -Recess in 1983. Seniors folded after 1987 season, juniors continued.Heidelberg ColtsColtsOlympic Park, Heidelberg WestPDJFA19671984-19870 -Entered recess in 1988, re-formed in Melbourne North FL in 1989HurstbridgeBridges, BluesBen Frilay Memorial Oval, HurstbridgeDVFL19141932-1935, 1939–198751935, 1948, 1952, 1965, 1968, 1970Played in Diamond Valley FL in 1936, recess in 1937–38. Moved to Diamond Valley FL in 1988Keon ParkTigers, ParkersJ C Donath Reserve, ReservoirYCWFA19611982-198711987Entered recess in 1988, re-formed in Melbourne North FL in 1989Panton HillRedbacksCracknell Reserve, Panton HillDVFL19261931-198721934, 1955Moved to Yarra Valley Mountain District FL in 1988Reservoir RoversRoversC T Barling Reserve, ReservoirYCWFA19870 -Merged with Thornbury to form Thornbury Rovers in Diamond Valley FL after 1987 season
Former clubs ClubJumperNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in PHFLPHFL Senior PremiershipsFateTotalMost recentBundooraBunnies, BullsYulong Reserve, Bundoora–197411980Moved to Diamond Valley FL following 1980 seasonDonnybrookBrookersJohn Laffan Reserve, DonnybrookHHFL19101948-198051953, 1956, 1961, 1962, 1963Folded after 1980 seasonFlowerdaleSpring Valley Recreation Reserve, FlowerdaleYJFA1890s1949-19550 -Folded after 1955 seasonKilmoreBluesJJ Clancy Reserve, KilmoreRDFL18871985-19860 -Returned to Riddell District FL following 1986 seasonKinglakeLakersKinglake Memorial Reserve, KinglakeBEFL19251931-1936, 1939–198021939, 1940Was in recess in 1937–38. Folded after 1980 season, re-formed in Yarra Valley Mountain District FL in 1990La Trobe University(Reds)(Blacks)Trobers (1967) Reds and Blacks (1968–69)Tony Sheehan Oval, Bundoora–196711969 (won by Blacks)Moved to VAFA following 1969 seasonLalorBloodsLalor Reserve, Lalor–19551964-196721966, 1967Moved to Diamond Valley FL following 1967 seasonLower PlentyHawksMontmorency Park, South Oval, MontmorencyESCFA19611983-19850 -Returned to Eastern Suburban Churches FA in 1986Mernda (1975–86) MerndaBEFL18911932-1936, 1940–1986111936, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1964, 1971, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986Moved to Diamond Valley FL following 1986 seasonNorthcote ParkCougarsMcDonell Park, NorthcoteMFL19521973-198031977, 1978, 1979Moved to Diamond Valley FL following 1980 seasonResearchBulldogsEltham Lower Park, Eltham–19581958-198521984, 1985Moved to Diamond Valley FL following 1985 seasonReservoirMustangsCrispe Park, ReservoirMFL19231971-198031972, 1975, 1976Moved to Diamond Valley FL following 1980 seasonSt Andrews (1931–34)(1947–84)TigersSt Andrews Recreation Reserve, St Andrews–0 -In recess between 1935–1946, 1949–58, 1965–66 and 1973–76. Folded after 1984 seasonSt George’s ReservoirCH Sullivan Memorial Park, ReservoirESCFA1981-19820 -Folded after 1982 season.ThomastownBearsMain Street Reserve, Thomastown–19761976-19790 -Moved to VAFA following 1979 seasonWallan MagpiesWallan Recreation Reserve, WallanRDFL19041954-19640 -Returned to Riddell District FL following 1964 seasonWallan EastMagpiesHHFL1947-19490 -Merged with Wallan to form Wallan United following 1948 seasonWatsoniaSaintsA K Lines Reserve, Watsonia–19671967-19680 -Moved to Diamond Valley FL following 1968 seasonWhittleseaEaglesWhittlesea Showgrounds, WhittleseaBEFL18961932-1933, 1940, 1947–198681932, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1973, 1974Moved to Diamond Valley FL in 1934 and 1946. Moved to Riddell District FL as Northern Eagles in 1987Yarra GlenRiver PigsYarra Glen Recreation Reserve, Yarra GlenYVFA18881931-193421931, 1933Returned to Yarra Valley FA in 1935
Grand Finals YearPremiersScoreRunners-upLocationRef.1931Yarra GlenKinglakeKinglake1932Whittlesea10.12 (72) - 9.7 (61)Yarra GlenHurstbridge1933Yarra Glen10.9 (79) - 4.11 (41)KinglakeWhittlesea1934Panton Hill11.11 (77) - 9.19 (73)Yarra GlenHurstbridge1935Hurstbridge15.15 (105) - 7.8 (50)KinglakeDoreen1936Plenty Rovers11.9 (75) - 1.8 (14)KinglakeWhittlesea1937-38 - PHFL in recess1939Kinglake11.12 (78) - 10.14 (74)HurstbridgeHurstbridge1940Kinglake7.15 (57) - 7.12 (54)Plenty RoversWhittlesea1941-46 - PHFL in recess due to WWII1947Plenty RoversWhittlesea1948HurstbridgeScore unknown - 9 point marginPlenty RoversWhittlesea1949Plenty RoversWhittlesea1950Plenty RoversWhittlesea1951Plenty RoversWhittlesea1952HurstbridgeWhittlesea1953DonnybrookWhittlesea1954WhittleseaWhittlesea1955Panton Hill7.11 (53) - 7.7 (49)DonnybrookWhittlesea1956DonnybrookWhittlesea1957WhittleseaWhittlesea1958WhittleseaDonnybrookWhittlesea1959WhittleseaWhittlesea1960WhittleseaDonnybrookWhittlesea1961Donnybrook13.12.90 - 12.13.85WallanWhittlesea1962Hurstbridge Plenty RoversWhittlesea1963DonnybrookPlenty RoversWhittlesea1964Plenty RoversWhittleseaWhittlesea1965Hurstbridge15.12.102 - 11.9.75Donnybrook Whittlesea1966Lalor14.8 (92) - 8.11 (59)HurstbridgeWhittlesea1967Drawn match - Lalor 15.11 (101) drew Hurstbridge 15.11 (101) WhittleseaLalor14.11 (95) - 8.10 (58)HurstbridgeWhittlesea1968Hurstbridge9.13.67 - 9.12.66Mernda Whittlesea1969La Trobe University Blacks20.10.130 - 6.10.46MerndaWhittlesea1970Hurstbridge15.5 (95) - 10.15 (75)Panton HillWhittlesea1971Mernda14.10.94 - 7.7.49ReservoirWhittlesea1972Reservoir11.19 (85) - 10.13 (73)DonnybrookWhittlesea1973Whittlesea14.8.92 - 13.9.87Reservoir Whittlesea1974Whittlesea12.11.83 - 13.2.80Northcote Park Whittlesea1975Reservoir13.10.88 - 9.6.60Research Whittlesea1976Reservoir19.13.127 - 16.10.106Northcote Park Whittlesea1977Northcote Park21.14.140 - 10.13.73Reservoir Whittlesea1978Northcote Park17.19.121 - 12.9.81BundooraWhittlesea1979Northcote Park17.14.116 - 15.22.112Bundoora Whittlesea1980Bundoora24.15.159 - 16.20.116Northcote Park Whittlesea1981Mernda13.10.88 - 9.19.73Hurstbridge Whittlesea1982Mernda19.14.128 - 15.14.104Research Whittlesea1983Mernda11.24.90 - 13.6.84Keon Park Whittlesea1984Research23.19.157 - 16.10.106Mernda Whittlesea1985Research13.8.86 - 12.8.80Mernda Whittlesea1986Mernda13.21.99 - 14.12.96Keon Park Whittlesea1987Keon Park16.14.110 - 15.10.100Coolaroo RoversHurstbridge
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