The Essendon District Football League (EDFL) is a semi-professional Australian rules football league competition based in Essendon, Victoria, consisting of teams based in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne. Founded in 1930, the men's competition consists of three divisions: Premier Division, Division 1 and Division 2, with 10 clubs in each division at present. While the women's competition consists of two divisions: Premier Division and Division 1 with 9 clubs and 12 clubs in each respectively.
Promotion and relegation between these divisions occurs, with the lowest-placed clubs in the Premier Division and Division 1 being relegated at the end of each season replaced in their respective divisions by the winners of Division 1 and Division 2 premierships respectively Each men's team also fields a reserves side and an under-18 side that play fixtures mirroring that of the senior side.
Since 2017, the league has also run a competition for women's Australian rules football. In its inaugural year, this was a joint competition featuring teams from the EDFL as well as the Western Region Football League (WRFL). In 2018, 13 teams competed in a single division season, expanding to 19 teams and two divisions in 2019. Several EDFL clubs set up women's sides to compete in the NFNL prior to this league being set up including Keilor, Pascoe Vale and Deer Park.
The league consists of clubs spanning as far north as Sunbury (East Sunbury Football Club), as far south-east as Moonee Ponds (Moonee Valley), and as far west as Hillside (Hillside Football Club). The furthest distance between two clubs is Moonee Valley Football Club and Sunbury Kangaroos totalling a travel distance of 35.2 km.
A number of junior players from the EDFL play for Calder Cannons in the Coates Talent League due to the geography of being based at Highgate Recreation Reserve, Craigieburn and consequently receiving the majority of players from teams in the Northern and North-West Suburbs. A smaller number of players represent Western Jets, being based at Burbank Oval, Williamstown which receive a number of players from clubs based in the western suburbs of Melbourne.
The men's competition is set for a restructure in the 2027 season as Parkside Football Club have completed a transfer from the WFNL to the EDFL, and will absorb Ascot Vale's junior teams in doing so. It is yet to be confirmed which division they will be placed in. Additionally, current thirds only clubs Hume Bombers and Merrifield Panthers are expected to capitalise on the growth of Melbourne's outer north and seek to join the EDFL senior competitions in coming years.
Clubs The league consists of clubs spanning as far north as Sunbury (Rupertswood), as far south as Ascot Vale (Ascot Vale) or Moonee Ponds (Moonee Valley) at a senior level, as far east as Coburg (Coburg) or Fawkner (Northern Saints), and as far west as Hillside (Hillside Football Club). The furthest distance between two clubs is Moonee Valley Football Club and Sunbury Kangaroos totalling a travel distance of 35.2 km.
The league borders the RDFNL to the north and north-west, WFNL to the south and west, and the NFNL to the east and north-east. A number of clubs have transferred to and from these various leagues throughout their respective existences.
The league recruits a number of current players listed on VFL lists from the Northern and Western Suburbs of Melbourne, such as Coburg, Essendon, Werribee, and Williamstown
Premier Division Club Colours Moniker Former league(s) Years in EDFL EDFL Premierships *Premier ^Division 1 +Division 2 Total Most recent Abers, Gorillas Clifton Park, Aberfeldie — 19481948- 8 2018*Deer ParkLionsJohn McLeod Reserve, Deer ParkWRFL19252023-12023^ Stars Nipper Jordan Oval, Essendon VFL 19461946- 20 2015^ Jets Greenvale Recreation Reserve, Greenvale — 19901996- 5 2013*SharksHillside Reserve, Hillside—19992005-22025^ Blues Keilor Recreation Reserve, Keilor KBFL 18771932- 12 2024* Lions Maribyrnong Park, Moonee Ponds — 19801980- 5 2024^ Panthers Raeburn Reserve, Pascoe Vale VFL SD 19181952- 3 2011^ Mores Lebanon Reserve, Strathmore — 19541957- 12 2026*BurgersShore Reserve, Pascoe Vale SouthVFA SD19271954-172026^
Division 1 Club Colours Moniker Former league(s) Years in EDFL EDFL Premierships *Premier ^Division1 +Division 2 Total Most recentEaglesHansen Reserve, Airport West—19611962-72022^ Heights Canning Reserve, Avondale Heights — 19651967- 5 2004^ Eagles D.S. Aitken Reserve, Craigieburn RDFNL 19702001- 3 2019^ Moonee Valley Valley Ormond Park, Moonee Ponds — 19331933- 7 2021+ Kangaroos J.P. Fawkner Reserve, Oak Park — 19571960- 5 2023+ParksideMagpiesHenry Turner Reserve, FootscrayWFNL18972027–0__ Rupertswood Sharks Salesian College, Sunbury RDFNL 19842021- 1 2025+St Albans SaintsKings Park Reserve, Kings ParkWRFL19472023-0__ Lions Lionheart Reserve, Taylors Lakes — 19891993- 2 2024+ Demons Leo Dineen Reserve, Tullamarine — 19741974- 8 2003^TigersWillowbrook Reserve, Westmeadows—19701977-22026*
Division 2 Club Colours Moniker Former league(s) Years in EDFL EDFL Premierships *Premier ^Division1 +Division 2 Total Most recent Burnside Heights Bears Burnside Heights Recreation Reserve,Burnside Heights — 20122014- 0 — Coburg Districts Lions Cole Reserve, Pascoe Vale NMFL, WRFL 19511981-1987, 2013- 0 — East Sunbury Thunder John McMahon Reserve, Sunbury RDFNL 19992013-2021, 2023- 0 —CougarsOverland Reserve, East Keilor—19671971-72021^ Wallabies Sewell Reserve, Glenroy — 19461946- 14 2017^ Hadfield Hawks Martin Reserve, Hadfield — 19611971- 4 2015+ Keilor Park Devils Keilor Park Recreational Reserve, Keilor Park — 19741986-2017, 2019- 3 2022+ Northern Saints Saints Charles Mutton Reserve, Fawkner — 20072008- 1 2013^ Roxburgh Park Magpies Lakeside Resereve, Roxburgh Park — 20022005- 1 2018+ KangaroosEric Boardman Reserve, SunburyRDFNL19872019-12019+
Thirds only Club Colours Moniker Former league(s) Years in EDFL Premierships Total Most recent Hume Bombers Kalkallo Reserve, Kalkallo — 2025- 0 — Merrifield Panthers Merrifield Recreation Reserve, Mickleham — 2025- 0 —
+Active AFL playersPlayerAFL club/clubsEDFL club/clubsYear draftedDraft pick no.AFL games1Rory AtkinsAdelaide Football Club and Gold Coast SunsMaribyrnong Park201281133Noah BaltaRichmond Football ClubEssendon Doutta Stars20172585Mark BlicavsGeelong Football ClubTaylors Lakes and Sunbury Lions201254 (R)246Jack BytelSt Kilda Football ClubMaribyrnong Park and Aberfeldie20184122Jordan CroftWestern BulldogsMaribyrnong Park202315 (F-S)0Paul CurtisNorth Melbourne Football ClubKeilor20213536Joe DaniherEssendon Football Club and Brisbane LionsAberfeldie201210 (F-S)172Jayden DaveyEssendon Football ClubMoonee Valley202254 (F-S)0Brandon Ellis Richmond Football Club and Gold Coast SunsWest Coburg201115241Hugo GarciaSt Kilda Football ClubTaylors Lakes and Greenvale2023500Luke GregoWest Coast EaglesKeilor2024480Nick HindSt Kilda Football Club and Essendon Football ClubKeilor20185480Isaac KakoEssendon Football ClubNorthern Saints and Pascoe Vale2024130Buku KhamisWestern BulldogsSt Albans2018Category B Rookie10Jayden LaverdeEssendon Football ClubKeilor201420110Keighton Matofai-ForbesGeelong Football ClubHillside, Burnside, Keilor2024690Matthew McLeod-AllisonSt Kilda Football ClubStrathmore2020260Jake MelkshamEssendon Football Club and Melbourne Football Club200910221Brody MihocekCollingwood Football ClubMaribyrnong Park201822 (R)126Touk MillerGold Coast SunsMaribyrnong Park201429173Reilly O'BrienAdelaide Football ClubMoonee Valley20149 (R)100Harry O'FarrellCarlton Football ClubMaribyrnong Park2024400Dion PrestiaGold Coast Suns and Richmond Football ClubGreenvale20109212Cameron RaynerBrisbane LionsHillside and Essendon Doutta Stars20171111Brandon RyanHawthorn Football Club and Brisbane LionsMaribyrnong Park and Aberfeldie201212 (M-S) (R)3Luke RyanFremantle Football Club Moonee Valley and Maribyrnong Park201666132Adam SaadGold Coast Suns, Essendon Football Club and Carlton Football ClubWest Coburg201525 (R)177James SicilyHawthorn Football ClubKeilor201356134Joel SmithMelbourne Football ClubMaribyrnong Park and Taylors Lakes201441 (R)42Curtis TaylorNorth Melbourne Football ClubKeilor and Rupertswood20184657Zac TaylorAdelaide Football Club2021440Rhylee WestWestern BulldogsStrathmore201826 (F-S)25Peter WrightGold Coast Suns and Essendon Football ClubMoonee Valley20148 +Active AFLW playersPlayerAFLW club/clubsEDFL club/clubsYear draftedDraft pick no.AFLW games1Alana BarbaGold Coast Suns and Essendon Football ClubRoxburgh Park and Pascoe Vale2022 -12Charlotte BaskaranHawthorn Football ClubAberfeldie2022910Lauren CarusoRichmond Football ClubKeilor2022 -1Monique ContiWestern Bulldogs and Richmond Football ClubEssendon Doutta Stars, Melbourne Uni and Aberfeldie2017461Sarah DarganCollingwood Football Club, Richmond Football Club and Sydney Football ClubStrathmore and Pascoe Vale20172034Zali FriswellGeelong Football ClubAberfeldie2021730Elisabeth GeorgostathisWestern BulldogsVU Western Spurs2019934Tahlia GillardMelbourne Football ClubMoonee Valley and Essendon Doutta Stars20214228Montana HamSydney Football ClubHillside and Keilor20221Isabel HuntingtonWestern Bulldogs and Greater Western Sydney GiantsMelbourne Uni2017120Madeline KerykCarlton Football Club, Geelong Football Club and Port Adelaide Football ClubAberfeldie and VU Western Spurs201611547Abbey McDonaldGeelong Football Club Aberfeldie, Sunbury Kangaroos and Sunbury Lions2022554Georgia PatrikiosSt Kilda Football ClubWest Coburg and Pascoe Vale2019535Krstel PetrevskiMelbourne Football Club and West Coast EaglesPascoe Vale20197810Georgie PrespakisGeelong Football ClubSunbury Lions2021219Maddy Prespakis Carlton Football Club and Essendon Football ClubSunbury Lions2018355Amelia RadfordEssendon Football ClubMoonee Valley2022 -7Tahlia ReadFremantle Football Club and Carlton Football ClubMaribyrnong Park2022850Nicola StevensCollingwood Football Club, Carlton Football Club and St Kilda Football ClubPascoe Vale2016659Emelia YassirRichmond Football ClubPascoe Vale20211619 Notes (R) denotes that the player was selected in the rookie draft. (F-S) denotes that the player was selected as a father-son pick. (M-S) denotes that the player was selected in the mid-season draft. 1 Playing statistics correct as of the end of the 2023 season.
Former clubs