Horsham & District Football League

The Horsham District Football League is an amateur Australian rules football league based in the Wimmera area of Western Victoria.

Horsham District Football League
SportAustralian rules football
Founded1935; 89 years ago (1935)
No. of teams11
CountryAustralia
Most recent
champion(s)
  • Seniors: Harrow Balmoral (2024)
  • Reserves: Laharum (2024)
Official websitewww.playhq.com/afl/org/horsham-district-football-netball-league/708fa229
Records
Highest Score 356 – Homers 56.20.356 (v Gerang-Kiata 1.0.6) –

17 August 1991

Most goals in a game 25 goals Kevin Smith Homers v College – 1965

24 goals Rob Maynard Homers v Gerang Kiata –

17 August 1991

Most goals in a season 170 – Geoff Parish – Homers – 1992, Paul Morgan – Rupanyup – 1998
Most flags in a row 5 – Kalkee – 2008–2012
Most wins in a row 45 – Kalkee – 2008–2010
Most losses in a row 46 – Natimuk – 1999–2002

History

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The league in its present form was created in 1946. Prior to World War 2 a number of local leagues existed around Horsham, shrinking to one in 1934. The clubs that played in the previous incarnation in 1934 were Green Park (which won the premiership), CYMS, Quantong, Adelphians, Church of England, Longerenong and Pimpinio Seconds. The clubs that played in 1946 were Kalkee (which won the premiership), Horsham Homers, Wonwondah, Jung, Wail, Laharum, RSL, Longerenong College, Taylors Lake and YCW.

In 1982 the league expanded after the West Wimmera Football League disbanded and five clubs joined: Goroke, Noradjuha, Douglas-Harrow-Miga Lake, Gerang - Kiata, and Netherby-Lorquon. This brought the total to sixteen clubs. Since then all of these West Wimmera clubs have gone into recess, and Imperials-Wonwondah moved to the Wimmera Football League in 1983.

In 2000, after the folding of the Ararat & District Football Association, Stawell Swifts and Great Western joined the competition.

Edenhope-Apsley joined from the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League in 2007. Natimuk and Horsham Diggers (Wimmera Football League) voted on a merger for 2014 season and beyond under the banner of Natimuk United Football Netball Club. The club wore the Natimuk jumper for home games and Horsham Diggers jumper for away games. They kept scheduling a match on Anzac Day.[1][2]

Swifts were premiers in 2014 after defeating the previously undefeated Laharum in the grand final.[3]

Laharum defeated Kalkee in the 2015 grand final.[3]

Jeparit-Rainbow transferred from the Mallee Football League for the 2015 season. This caused the Mallee League to fold at the end of the 2015 season.

Consequently, Hopetoun and Beulah merged to form the Southern Mallee Giants and transferred to the Horsham & District League in 2016. They dominated the competition for two seasons without losing a game before transferring to the Wimmera Football League.

The league did not play any games in 2020 due to Victorian restrictions for the COVID-19 pandemic. Kaniva-Leeor United joined the Horsham & District League in 2020 from the Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara League, as state border restrictions made it difficult for Kaniva, a Victorian club, to play in the South Australian league. Some of the season was played in 2021; however, there were no finals due to lockdowns in August.

Jeparit Rainbow left the league at the end of 2023 after merging with the Southern Mallee Giants in the Wimmera Football Netball League, leaving the Horsham & District League with 11 clubs.

Clubs

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Current

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Club Colours Nickname Home Ground Former League Est. Years in comp HDFNL Senior Premierships
Total Years
Edenhope-Apsley
 
Saints Edenhope Showgrounds, Edenhope KNTFL 1999 2007– 0 -
Harrow Balmoral
 
Kangaroos Harrow & District Recreation Reserve, Harrow and Balmoral Recreation Reserve, Balmoral 1997 1997– 8 1999, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024
Kalkee
 
Kees Kalkee Recreation Reserve, Kalkee CWFL 1890 1945–1948, 1954–1958, 1960– 15 1946, 1947, 1948, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1989, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Kaniva Leeor United
 
Cougars Kaniva Recreation Reserve, Kaniva KNTFL 1996 2020– 0 -
Laharum
 
Demons, Mountain Men Cameron Oval, Laharum CWFL 1923 1936– 10 1938, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1987, 1995, 2013, 2015
Natimuk United
 
Rams Natimuk Showgrounds, Natimuk 2014 2014– 0 -
Noradjuha-Quantong
 
Bombers Quantong Recreation Reserve, Quantong 1997 1997– 0 -
Pimpinio
 
Tigers Pimpinio Sporting Complex, Pimpinio CWFL 1909 1968– 2 2005, 2006
Rupanyup
 
Panthers Rupanyup Recreation Reserve, Rupanyup WFNL 1870s 1981– 8 1985, 1986, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2022
Swifts
 
Baggies North Park, Stawell ADFA 1913 2000– 2 2003, 2014
Taylors Lake
 
Lakers Dock Lake Recreation Reserve, Drung 1946 1946– 1 1952

Past Clubs

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Club Colours Nickname Home Ground Former League Est. Years in comp HDFNL Senior Premierships Fate
Total Years
Adelphians HJFA c.1930s 1936 0 - Folded
Ararat Eagles
 
Eagles Alexandra Oval, Ararat 2000 2000 0 - Moved to Lexton Plains FL in 2001
Armoured Car 1939 1939 0 - Folded when HDFL went into recess during WWII
Cannum LSFA c.1880s 1969–1970 0 - Folded in 1971
Dimboola Seconds
 
Roos Dimboola Recreation Reserve, Dimboola DDFA 1880s 1936-1937 1 1937 Moved to Wimmera FL in 1938
Douglas-Harrow-Miga Lake
 
Cats Harrow Recreation Reserve, Harrow and Wombelano Recreation Reserve Wombelano WWFL 1970 1982–1996 0 - Merged with Balmoral in 1997 to form Harrow Balmoral
Gerang-Kiata
 
(1982-90s)
 
(Late 90s)
Highway Men Kiata Recreation Reserve, Kiata WWFL 1962 1982–1999 0 - Folded in 2000
Goroke
 
Magpies Goroke Recreation Reserve, Goroke WWFL c.1890s 1982–1998 0 - Folded in 1999 and absorbed by Border Districts in Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara FL
Great Western
 
Lions Great Western Recreation Reserve, Great Western ADFA 1880s 2000–2010 0 - Recess in 2011, re-formed in Mininera & District FL in 2012
Green Park HJFA c.1890s 1936-1938 1 1936 Folded
Haven Haven Recreation Reserve, Haven HJFA c.1920s 1939, 1948–1955 1 1939 Folded in 1956
Homers

(North Horsham in 1998)

 
Pigeons Oatlands Park, Horsham 1945 1945–1998 2 1965, 1992 Folded in 1999
Horsham RSL Diggers 1945 1946–1961 0 - Folded in 1962
Horsham Imperials Horsham City Oval, Horsham c.1890s 1962–1975 1 1966 Merged with Wonwondah in 1976 to form Imperials-Wonwondah
Horsham YCW 1945 1945-1946 0 - Folded
Imperials–Wonwondah
 
Diggers Horsham City Oval, Horsham 1976 1976–1982 1 1980 Moved to Wimmera FL in 1983 as Horsham United
Jeparit Rainbow
 
Storm Sir Robert Menzies Park, Jeparit and Rainbow Recreation Reserve, Rainbow MFL 1996 2015–2023 0 - Merged with Southern Mallee Giants to form Southern Mallee Thunder in the Wimmera FL in 2024
Jung
 
Jung Recreation Reserve, Jung c.1890s 1946–1973 2 1954, 1968 Folded in 1974
Longerenong College
 
The College Longerenong College, Longerenong HJFA c.1900s 1945–1986 4 1951, 1967, 1970, 1971 Folded in 1987
Murtoa Seconds
 
Magpies Murtoa Recreation Reserve, Murtoa DFL 1880s 1938, 1948 1 1938 Moved to Central Wimmera FL in 1939, returned to South Wimmera FL in 1949
Natimuk
 
Rams Natimuk Showgrounds, Natimuk WWFL c.1900s 1973–2014 1 1975 Merged with Horsham United in 2014 to form Natimuk United
Netherby-Lorquon
 
Saints Netherby Memorial Park, Netherby WWFL 1962 1982 0 - Folded in 1983
Noradjuha
 
Grass Parrots Noradjuha Recreation Reserve, Noradjuha WWFL c.1900s 1982–1996 1 1984 Merged with Quantong in 1997 to form Noradjuha-Quantong
Quantong
 
Quantong_club_colours
Bombers Quantong Recreation Reserve, Quantong CWFL c.1910s 1950–1996 10 1955, 1956, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1993, 1994 Merged with Noradjuha in 1997 to form Noradjuha-Quantong
Southern Mallee Giants
 
Giants Beulah Memorial Park, Beulah and Hopetoun Recreation Reserve, Hopetoun 2016 2016–2017 2 2016, 2017 Moved to Wimmera FL in 2018
St Michael's
 
Saints Coughlin Park, Horsham 1945 1945–1954, 1957–1962, 1967–1992 5 1950, 1969, 1981, 1988, 1991 Known as YCW in 1945–1946. Moved to Wimmera FL in 1993, now known as Horsham Saints
Wail DDFA c.1920s 1945–1948 1 1945 Folded in 1949
Wonwondah
 
Wonwondah Recreation Reserve, Wonwondah CWFL c.1920s 1946–1975 3 1949, 1953, 1957 Merged with Horsham Imperials in 1976 to form Imperials-Wonwondah

Senior Football Premiership Winners

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League Awards

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Year League Best & Fairest Club
1950 David Lear   Longerenong College
1951 Tich Thompson Horsham RSL
Bill Smith Homers
1952 Tich Thompson Horsham RSL
1953 Perc  Eagles Haven
1954 Ken Overall   Quantong
1955 Don Matthews Wonwondah
1956 Jim Bearham Longerenong College
1957 Jim Bearham Longerenong College
1958 Ross Minchen Longerenong College
1959 Royce Dickson Wonwondah
Brian Dunn Laharum
1960 Richard Reid Longerenong College
1961 Gary Epstein Kalkee
1962 Pat Irwin Quantong
1963 Mal Florence Longerenong College
1964 Bruce Martin Homers
1965 Stewart Bennett Longerenong College
1966 Bruce Martin Homers
1967 Rod Morrish Longerenong College
1968 Bruce Martin Homers
1969 Bob Dowdell Laharum
1970 Laurie Bodey Imperials
1971 Kevin Smith Natimuk
1972 Phil Morley Longerenong College
1973 Franz Tursi Longerenong College
1974 Graeme Wood Quantong
1975 Steve Arnott Quantong
1976 Larry Lawless St Michaels
1977 Ron Ward Laharum
1978 Bruce Carr Kalkee
1979 Bruce Carr Kalkee
1980 Bruce Carr Kalkee
1981 Jack Schmidt Natimuk
1982 Ian Kyte Pimpinio
1983 Craig Kimberley Taylors Lake
1984 Stephen Hobbs Noradjuha
1985 Chris Buwalda St Michaels
1986 Paul Block Goroke
1987 Les Wills DHML
1988 Chris Buwalda St Michaels
1989 Tony Lloyd Goroke
1990 Craig Evans Rupanyup
1991 Stephen Hobbs Noradjuha
1992 Trevor Whitworth Goroke
 Mark O'Beirne St Michaels
1993 Stephen Hobbs Noradjuha
1994 Craig Evans Rupanyup
1995 John Kelly Taylors Lake
1996 Wayne Schmidt Natimuk
Paul Brooks Rupanyup
1997 Troy O'Callaghan Harrow Balmoral
1998 Paul Brooks Rupanyup
1999 Stewart Dalziel Laharum
Scott Batchelor Kalkee
2000 Scott Batchelor Kalkee
2001 Scott Batchelor Kalkee
Wayne Schmidt Natimuk
2002 Marcus Anson Noradjuha/Quantong
Scott Bachelor Kalkee
Jarrod Wood Rupanyup
2003 Chris White Harrow Balmoral
2004 Tim Webb Rupanyup
2005 Tim Webb Rupanyup
2006 Dale Hurley Great Western
2007 Matthew Ward Harrow Balmoral
2008 Steve Schultz Kalkee
2009 Steve Schultz Kalkee
2010 Steve Schultz Kalkee
2011 Tim Wade Kalkee
2012 Ricky Whitehead Swifts
2013 Brent Christie Edenhope Apsley
Brent Forsyth Harrow Balmoral
2014 Deek Roberts   Taylors Lake
Brent Christie Edenhope Apsley
2015 Deek Roberts   Taylors Lake
2016 Shannon Argall Laharum
2017 Scott Carey Swifts
2018 Nick Pekin Harrow Balmoral
2019 Nick Pekin Harrow Balmoral
Lachlan Middleton Edenhope Apsley
Jak Ryan   Edenhope Apsley
2021 Scott Carey Swifts
2022 Scott Carey Swifts
2023 Mitchell Gleeson Rupanyup
2024 Jai Thompson Harrow Balmoral

Notable Players

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Edenhope-Apsley

Harrow Balmoral

Jung

Kalkee

Longerenong College

Homers

Horsham Imperials

2014 Ladder

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Horsham DFL Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts
Laharum 18 0 0 0 2641 716 368.85% 72 Elimination Edenhope-Apsley 10 6 66 Harrow Balmoral 7 20 62
Kalkee 14 0 4 0 2129 1057 201.42% 56 Qualifying Kalkee 11 15 81 Stawell Swifts 8 8 56
Stawell Swifts 14 0 4 0 1943 1035 187.73% 56 Semi Stawell Swifts 12 14 86 Edenhope-Apsley 12 7 79
Harrow Balmoral 13 0 5 0 1796 1207 148.80% 52 Semi Laharum 19 14 128 Kalkee 9 9 63
Edenhope-Apsley 11 0 7 0 1713 1154 148.44% 44 Preliminary Stawell Swifts 20 8 128 Kalkee 10 13 73
Noradjuha-Quantong 6 0 12 0 1437 1898 75.71% 24 Grand Stawell Swifts 15 5 95 Laharum 10 6 66
Natimuk United 6 0 12 0 1304 1738 75.03% 24
Taylors Lake 5 0 13 0 1411 2145 65.78% 20
Rupanyup 3 0 15 0 994 2208 45.02% 12
Pimpinio 0 0 18 0 644 2854 22.56% 0

2015 Ladder

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Horsham DFL Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts
Laharum 16 2 0 0 2517 588 428.06% 72 Elimination Taylors Lake 8 7 55 Jeparit-Rainbow 5 12 42
Kalkee 14 2 2 0 2086 878 237.59% 64 Qualifying Harrow Balmoral 12 20 92 Kalkee 11 5 71
Harrow Balmoral 11 2 5 0 1614 932 173.18% 52 Semi Kalkee 16 16 112 Taylors Lake 14 11 95
Taylors Lake 10 2 6 0 1780 1245 142.97% 48 Semi Laharum 17 16 118 Harrow Balmoral 4 8 32
Jeparit-Rainbow 10 2 6 0 1483 1235 120.08% 48 Preliminary Kalkee 18 10 118 Harrow Balmoral 6 9 45
Stawell Swifts 7 2 9 0 1227 1840 66.68% 36 Grand Laharum 14 14 98 Kalkee 7 8 50
Edenhope-Apsley 6 2 10 0 1023 1632 62.68% 32
Noradjuha-Quantong 5 2 11 0 1018 1787 56.97% 28
Rupanyup 4 2 12 0 766 1732 44.23% 24
Pimpinio 3 2 13 0 839 1747 48.03% 20
Natimuk United 2 2 14 0 891 1628 54.73% 16

2016 Ladder

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Horsham DFL Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts
Southern Mallee Giants 16 0 0 0 2317 809 286.40% 64 Elimination Harrow Balmoral 11 11 77 Laharum 11 8 74
Jeparit-Rainbow 14 0 2 0 1987 988 201.11% 56 Elimination Kalkee 9 5 59 Edenhope-Apsley 5 12 42
Laharum 12 0 4 0 1677 902 185.92% 48 Semi Harrow Balmoral 12 14 86 Kalkee 10 8 68
Kalkee 11 0 5 0 2016 1031 195.54% 44 Semi Southern Mallee Giants 22 15 147 Jeparit-Rainbow 8 7 55
Edenhope-Apsley 11 0 5 0 1815 1069 169.78% 44 Preliminary Harrow Balmoral 11 13 79 Jeparit-Rainbow 4 10 34
Harrow Balmoral 10 0 6 0 1799 845 212.90% 40 Grand Southern Mallee Giants 11 14 80 Harrow Balmoral 9 1 55
Taylors Lake 7 0 9 0 1687 1622 104.01% 28
Stawell Swifts 5 0 11 0 1174 2022 58.06% 20
Pimpinio 4 0 12 0 1045 2052 50.93% 16
Noradjuha-Quantong 2 0 14 0 899 2105 42.71% 8
Rupanyup 14 0 2 0 717 1917 37.40% 48
Natimuk United 2 0 14 0 794 2565 30.96% 8

2017 Ladder

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Horsham DFL Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts
Southern Mallee Giants 16 0 0 0 2556 529 483.18% 64 Elimination Stawell Swifts 7 14 56 Natimuk United 8 4 52
Harrow Balmoral 14 0 2 0 2653 478 555.02% 56 Elimination Jeparit-Rainbow 12 15 87 Lahuarum 5 5 35
Stawell Swifts 13 0 3 0 1799 992 181.35% 52 Semi Jeparit-Rainbow 10 11 71 Stawell Swifts 7 8 50
Jeparit-Rainbow 10 0 4 2 1514 955 158.53% 44 Semi Southern Mallee Giants 13 8 86 Harrow Balmoral 7 15 57
Laharum 9 0 7 0 1470 1133 129.74% 36 Preliminary Harrow Balmoral 29 13 187 Jeparit-Rainbow 5 8 38
Natimuk United 9 0 7 0 1450 1221 118.76% 36 Grand Southern Mallee Giants 11 7 73 Harrow Balmoral 8 13 61
Edenhope-Apsley 7 0 8 1 1476 1212 121.78% 30
Kalkee 6 0 10 0 1289 1580 81.58% 24
Noradjuha-Quantong 5 0 11 0 993 1830 54.26% 20
Rupanyup 4 0 12 0 1071 1613 66.40% 16
Taylors Lake 1 0 15 0 554 3221 17.20% 4
Pimpinio 0 0 15 1 451 2512 17.95% 2

References

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  1. ^ "Horsham, Natimuk football clubs may merge". Dimboola Courier. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Natimuk and Horsham Diggers Merge". AFL Victoria. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  3. ^ a b Venosta, Jeremy (12 September 2015). "Laharum v Kalkee: 2015 HDFNL grand final". Dimboola Courier. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
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