AFL Victoria Country is an Australian rules football governing body with jurisdiction over the state of Victoria outside metropolitan Melbourne on behalf of AFL Victoria. As well as administering and promoting the code in the regions, it often arbitrates disputes in areas such as player clearances and club movements between country leagues, and may also be called upon as a higher authority of appeal. The organisation was formed as a result of a merger between Victorian Country Football League (VCFL) and AFL Victoria in November 2012.
The then-VCFL aired telecasts beginning in 2010 on C31 Melbourne, along with Geelong Football League and Geelong & District Football League. The women's netball coverage also was broadcast on community TV in 2010.
Victorian Country Championships The VCFL originally organised the interleague Victorian Country Football Championships back in 1954.
In 1958, the VCFL initiated the Centenary Championships, to mark the 100th anniversary of the inception of Australian Rules football. The 15 major leagues of Victoria and southern NSW were divided into four districts, with each pool conducting a championships.
Caltex had the naming rights of the Victorian Country Championships matches in the 1960s. The 16 league series would run over a two-year period, with knock out matches in the first season, followed by semi finals and a grand final in the following season.
The Country Championship were discontinued from 1975 before being re-established in 1978.
From 2004 to 2006 the championships were decided at a carnival round-robin competition at one venue over a single weekend, with each of the four sides playing the others in matches of two twenty-minute halves. The team on top of the ladder, based on points (4 for a win, 2 for a draw) and then percentage (points scored over points conceded) after these three matches, were declared the winner. Leagues not represented in the top four pools of four participated in other interleague matches organised by the VCFL. In 2007, there was no statewide VCFL Championships, just a rivalry round was played between close by leagues, (with the O&MFL playing the GVFL), with the round robin format returning in 2008.
In 2009, the championships reverted to head-to-head full matches on a rankings scale per year.
In 2020, the championships matches were cancelled due to COVID-19 and have since been discontinued. The Goulburn Valley Football League and the Ovens & Murray Football League continue to play each other once a year.
The Ash - Wilson Trophy was formed in 2001 and is only for matches involving the Goulburn Valley Football League and the Ovens & Murray Football League, In honour of former players, Stephen Ash and Mick Wilson.
VCFL - Division 1 Champions
1954: Ovens & Murray FL d Bendigo FL at Ballarat 1955: Ovens & Murray FL d Ballarat FL at Albury 1956: Ballarat FL d Ovens & Murray FL at Bendigo 1957: Ovens & Murray FL d Ballarat FL at Albury 1958: ? 1959: ? 1960: ? 1961/62: Bendigo FL d Wimmera FL at Horsham 1963/64: South West FL (NSW) d Hampden FL at Narrandera 1965/66: Hampden FL d Ovens & Murray FL at Wangaratta 1967/68: Ovens & Murray FL d Wimmera FL at Horsham 1969/70: Hampden FL d Ovens & Murray FL 1971/72: Bendigo FL d Murray FL at Cobram 1973/74: North Central FL d Hampden FL 1975: VCFL Country Championships discontinued in 1975. Re-established in 1978. 1976: N/A 1977: N/A 1978: Goulburn Valley FL d Hampden FL at Colac. 1979: Latrobe Valley: 15.13 - 103 d Bendigo: 9.15 - 69 at Bendigo 1980: Latrobe Valley FL d Ovens & Murray FL at Sale 1981: Ballarat FL: 21.18 - 144 d Western Border: 11.18 - 84 at Colraine 1982: Ballarat FL: 13.19 - 97 d Ovens & Murray FL: 8.20 - 68 at Eastern Oval, Ballarat 1983: Ballarat FL: 16.15 - 111 d Goulburn Valley: 13.5 - 83 at Shepparton 1984: Goulburn Valley FL d Geelong FL 1985: Ovens & Murray FL d Ballarat FL at Wangaratta 1986: Ballarat FL: 11.12 - 78 d Goulburn Valley: 6.5 - 41 at City Oval, Ballarat 1987: Ovens & Murray FL d Sunraysia FL at Mildura 1988: Geelong FL: 20.7 - 127 d Bendigo FL: 8.10 - 58 at St. Albans Reserve, Geelong 1989: Bendigo FL d Geelong FL at Bendigo 1990: Latrobe Valley FL d Bendigo FL at Sale 1991: Hampden FL d Geelong FL 1992: Geelong FL d LaTrobe FL at Geelong 1993: Geelong FL d Bendigo FL at Bendigo 1994: Goulburn Valley FL d ? 1995: Gippsland Latrobe FL d Mid Murray FL at Swan Hill 1996: Ovens & Murray FL d Geelong FL at Wodonga 1997: Ovens & Murray FL d Geelong FL at Geelong 1998: Ovens & Murray FL d Geelong FL at Wodonga 1999: Ovens & Murray FL d Gippsland LaTrobe FL at Moe 2000: Geelong FL d Gippsland Latrobe FL at Geelong 2001: Ovens & Murray FL d Goulburn Valley FL at Lavington, NSW 2002: Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL d Hampden FL 2003: Geelong FL d Goulburn Valley FL at Shepparton 2004: 1st: Geelong FL at Shepparton 2005: 1st: Goulburn Valley FL at Kardinia Park, Geelong 2006: 1st: Ovens & Murray FL at Lavington Sports Ground, NSW 2007: No VCFL Championships in 2007. A rivalry round was played. 2008: 1st: Ovens & Murray FL at Shepparton 2009: Ovens & Murray defeated Goulburn Valley FL at Shepparton 2010: Goulburn Valley FL defeated Ovens & Murray FL at Lavington 2011: Goulburn Valley FL defeated Ballarat FL at Shepparton 2012: Goulburn Valley FL defeated Mornington Peninsula FL at Shepparton 2013: Geelong FL defeated Goulburn Valley FL at Geelong 2014: Geelong FL defeated Peninsula FL at Geelong 2015: Geelong FL defeated Goulburn Valley FL at Shepparton 2016: Geelong FL defeated Eastern FL at Geelong 2017: Geelong FL defeated Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL at MCG, Jolimont 2018: Eastern FL defeated Geelong FL at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne 2019: Northern FL d Geelong FL at KFC Oval, Geelong
Most Division 1 Country Championship wins / Runners Up ClubMost ChampionshipsRunners upOvens & Murray FL 14 6Geelong FL 10 10Goulburn Valley FL 7 7 Ballarat FL 5 4 Bendigo FL 3 5 Hampden FL 3 1 LaTrobe Valley FL 3 Eastern FL 1 Gippsland LaTrobe FL 1 Mornington Pensula FL 1 North Central FL 1 South Western FL 1 Benalla Tungamah FL 1 Murray FL 1Sunraysia FL 1
*Country Championships: Division 2
1984 - Riverina FL: 12.11 - 83 d West Gippsland: 8.12 - 60 1985 - Western Border FL 1986 - Sunraysia FL 1987 - Western Border FL 1988 - Wimmera FL 1989 - Hampden FL 1990 - Riverina FL d North Central 1991 - Ballarat FL 1992 - Mid Murray FL 1993 - Hampden FL 1994 - Ovens & Murray FL d North Central FL 1995 - Ballarat FL 1996 - Murray FL 1997 - Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL 1998 - Western Border FL 1999 - West Gippsland FL 2000 - Bendigo FL 2001 - Ballarat FL d Central Murray FL 2002 - Bendigo FL d Central Murray FL 2003 - Ballarat FL d Central Murray FL 2004 - Ballarat FL 2005 - West Gippsland LaTrobe FL 2006 - Hampden FL
*Country Championships: Division 3 1994 - Bellarine FL 1995 - Riddell FL 2004 - Wimmera FL 2005 - Bellarine FL 2006 - Bendigo FL
*Country Championships: Division 4 / Pool D 2004 - Bellarine FL 2005 - Murray FL 2006 - Sunraysia FL
Representative Sides On occasion, a Victoria Country representative side may be selected to play in one-off fixtures against other representative teams such as interstate counterparts or the Victorian Amateur Football Association, as well as the Australian Country Football Championships.
VCFL v VAFA matches 1984: VAFA: 15.10 - 100 d VCFL: 11.15 - 81 at the QE Oval, Bendigo 1985: VCFL: 18.9 - 117 d VAFA: 7.15 - 57 at Mildura Oval 1987: VCFL: 18.11 - 119 v VAFA: 7.13 - 55 at Lavington, NSW. 21/06/87 1993: VAFA: 13.14 - 92 d VCFL: 13.12 - 90 at Elsternwick Park Oval 1995: VAFA: 11.12 - 78 d VCFL: 10.10 - 70 at Morwell 1997: VCFL: 23.16 - 154 d VAFA: 8.9 - 57 at Elsternwick Park Oval 1999: VCFL: 19.14 - 128 d VAFA: 13.12 - 90 at Shell Stadium, Geelong 2001: VAFA: 23.14 - 152 d VCFL: 14.8 - 92 at Elsternwick Park 2003: VAFA: 14.11 - 95 d VCFL: 10.9 - 69 at Barooga, NSW 2005: VCFL: 13.13 - 91 d VAFA: 8.14 - 62 at Elsternwick Park 2007: VCFL: 11.11 - 77 d VAFA: 11.10 - 76 at Eastern Oval, Ballarat 2009: VCFL: 17.8 - 110 d VAFA: 15.16 - 106 at Junction Oval, St. Kilda 2011: VAFA: 13.14 - 92 d VCFL: 13.8 - 86 at Deakin Reserve, Shepparton 2013: VAFA: 11.16 - 82 d AFL Victorian Country: 11.13 - 79 at Junction Oval, St. Kilda 2015: AFL Victorian Country: 17.15 - 117 d VAFA: 8.7 - 55 at QE Oval, Bendigo 2017: VAFA: 24.8 - 152 d AFL Victorian Country: 10.10 - 70 at Frankston City Oval 2019: AFL Victorian Country: 11.15 - 81 d VAFA: 9.10 - 64 at Ikon (Princes) Park, Carlton 2021: No rep football due to COVID-19 2023: ?
VCFL v VFA 1992: VFA: 32.7 - 199 d VCFL: 15.7 - 97. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 26 May 1992.
Affiliated Boards & Leagues Note:http://www.aflvic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Review_of_Country_Football_Report_Master_FINAL1.pdf Page 12 "Major Leagues" are shown in Bold / "District Leagues" are shown in Italics.
Ballarat Ballarat Football League (Est. 1893) Central Highlands Football League (Est. 1979)
Bendigo Bendigo Football League (Est. 1880) Heathcote District Football League (Est. 1907) Loddon Valley Football League (Est. 1903) Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League (Est. 1907)
Geelong Bellarine Football League (Est. 1971) Geelong Football League (Est. 1979) Geelong & District Football League (Est. 1879)
Gippsland & Latrobe Valley Alberton Football Netball League (Est. 1946) East Gippsland Football League (Est. 1974) Ellinbank & District Football League (Est. 1937) Gippsland Football League (Est. 1902) Mid Gippsland Football League (Est. 1935) North Gippsland Football League (Est. 1955) Omeo & District Football League (Est. 1893)
Goulburn Murray Goulburn Valley Football League (Est. 1894) Kyabram & District Football League (Est. 1932) Murray Football League (Est. 1931) Picola & District Football League (Est. 1934)
North East Border Ovens & King Football League (Est. 1903) Ovens & Murray Football League (Est. 1893) Tallangatta & District Football League (Est. 1945) Upper Murray Football Netball League (Est. 1893)
Mallee Central Murray Football League (Est. 1997) North Central Football League (Est. 1930)
South East Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League (Est. 1987) Outer East Football Netball League (Est. 2018)
South West Mininera & District Football League (Est. 1925) South West District Football League (Est. 1970) Colac & District Football League (Est. 1937) Hampden Football Netball League (Est. 1930) Warrnambool District Football League (Est. 1946)
Sunraysia Millewa Football League (Est. 1926) Sunraysia Football League (Est. 1945)
Wimmera Horsham & District Football League (Est. 1937) Wimmera Football League (Est. 1937)
References
External links Official AFL Victoria Country website VCFL History: 1927 to 2011 1982 - VCFL Division One Premiers: Ballarat FL team photo