THE Mininera and District Football League (MDFL) celebrates 100 years today, with the early foundations of the competition dating back to 1920.
A two-team competition between Westmere and Streathem concluded with a ‘grand final’ at Westmere with the home team winning by two points.
In 1921, the Streatham and District Football Association was formed with Westmere, Mininera, Carranballac and Streatham all foundation clubs, before the league expanded in 1926 to include Tatyoon.
In the years to follow, Lake Bolac, Wickliffe, Willaura, Glenthompson, Dunkeld, Woorndoo, Caramut, Penshurst and Hawkesdale also joined, along with Lismore-Derrinallum, Ararat United and Great Western.
Over time, mergers have forced clubs to join forces with Hawkesdale-Macarthur, Glenthompson-Dunkeld, Wickliffe-Lake Bolac and Moyston-Willaura all competing under new club names, while Ararat United now competes as the Ararat Eagles.
The league has also undergone multiple name changes with the competition renamed the Tatyoon and District Football Association when the Hawks joined in 1926, before transitioning to the Mininera and District Football Association in 1930.
A final change in 1956 saw the MDFL become the league’s name, which has carried through until the current 2022 season.
The MDFL is the only stand-alone football competition in the region with the Hampden and South West competitions combined football and netball leagues.
The league is made up of a senior, reserves and Under-16.5 competition in the 2022 season and it looks to remain that way for the foreseeable future.
Recent figures show At least 4,500 players and patrons per week benefit from this league and the netball association, which runs alongside the MDFL.
They operate in parts of five local government areas, at 16 venues, with nine teams (three football and six netball) participating every weekend of the season.
Streatham football club is one of the longest serving teams, founded in 1873 and has remained part of the MDFL and its predecessor leagues ever since.
It won the 1926 premiership and eventually merges with Mininera and Westmere Rovers for form SMW Rovers, making their debut under the new name in 1954 and have played their home games at Mininera ever since.
UNDERAGE PREMIERS
Under-16
1960 SMW Rovers
1961 Dunkeld
1962 Willaura
1963 Dunkeld
1964 Willaura
1965 Dunkeld
1966 Dunkeld
Under-17
1967 Dunkeld
1968 Dunkeld
1969 Dunkeld
1970 Dunkeld
1971 Hawkesdale
1972 Dunkeld
1973 Tatyoon
1974 Dunkeld
1975 Willaura
1976 Dunkeld
1977 Dunkeld
1978 Dunkeld
Under-15
1979 Willaura
1980 Willaura
1981 Hawkesdale
1982 SMW Rovers
1983 SMW Rovers
1984 Caramut
1985 Hawkesdale
1986 Hawkesdale
Under-16
1987 Hawkesdale
1988 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
1989 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
1990 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
1991 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
1992 Hawkesdale
1993 Hawkesdale
1994 Caramut
1995 Hawkesdale
1996 Glenthompson
1997 Tatyoon
1998 Hawkesdale
1999 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
2000 Tatyoon
2001 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
2002 Penshurst
2003 Tatyoon
2004 Tatyoon
2005 Glenthompson-Dunkeld
2006 Penshurst
2007 Penshurst
2008 Glenthompson-Dunkeld
2009 Penshurst
2010 Penshurst
2011 Penshurst
2012 Tatyoon
2013 Ararat
2014 Ararat
2015 Penshurst
2016 Glenthompson-Dunkeld
2017 Penshurst
2018 Moyston-Willaura
2019 Hawkesdale-Macarthur
RESERVES PREMIERS
1979 Hawkesdale
1980 Hawkesdale
1981 Hawkesdale
1982 Penshurst
1983 Lake Bolac
1984 Dunkeld
1985 Glenthompson
1986 Penshurst
1987 Penshurst
1988 Caramut
1989 Penshurst
1990 Penshurst
1991 Caramut
1992 Hawkesdale
1993 Woorndoo
1994 Penshurst
1995 Tatyoon
1996 Penshurst
1997 Tatyoon
1998 Woorndoo
1999 Woorndoo
2000 SMW Rovers
2001 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
2002 Lismore-Derrinallum
2003 Penshurst
2004 Glenthompson-Dunkeld
2005 Tatyoon
2006 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
2007 Tatyoon
2008 Hawkesdale-Macarthur
2009 Hawkesdale-Macarthur
2010 Tatyoon
2011 Tatyoon
2012 Tatyoon
2013 Great Western
2014 Tatyoon
2015 Tatyoon
2016 Penshurst
2017 SM&W Rovers
2018 Moyston Willaura
2019 SMW Rovers
SENIOR PREMIERS
1923 Mininera
1924 Mininera
1925 Lake Bolac
1926 Streatham
1927 Streatham
1928 Carranballac
1929 Lake Bolac
1930 M&W Rovers
1931 Streatham
1932 Carranballac
1933 M&W Rovers
1934 M&W Rovers
1935 Carranballac
1936 Streatham
1937 M&W Rovers
1938 Streatham
1939 M&W Rovers
1945 Streatham
1946 Tatyoon
1947 M&W Rovers
1948 Lake Bolac
1949 Lake Bolac
1950 Lake Bolac
1951 Willaura
1952 Tatyoon
1953 Willaura
1954 Lake Bolac
1955 Lake Bolac
1956 Lake Bolac
1957 Lake Bolac
1958 Willaura
1959 Wickliffe
1960 SMW Rovers
1961 Willaura
1962 Willaura
1963 SMW Rovers
1964 SMW Rovers
1965 Lake Bolac
1966 Willaura
1967 SMW Rovers
1968 SMW Rovers
1969 Glenthompson
1970 Penshurst
1971 Caramut
1972 Tatyoon
1973 Penshurst
1974 Glenthompson
1975 Willaura
1976 Dunkeld
1977 Hawkesdale
1978 Glenthompson
1979 Penshurst
1980 Tatyoon
1981 Penshurst
1982 Glenthompson
1983 Glenthompson
1984 Wickliffe
1985 Glenthompson
1986 Penshurst
1987 SMW Rovers
1988 Hawkesdale
1989 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
1990 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
1991 Penshurst
1992 Penshurst
1993 Penshurst
1994 Caramut
1995 Tatyoon
1996 Tatyoon
1997 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
1998 Tatyoon
1999 Caramut
2000 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
2001 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
2002 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
2003 SMW Rovers
2004 SMW Rovers
2005 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
2006 Tatyoon
2007 Tatyoon
2008 Tatyoon
2009 Penshurst
2010 Glenthompson-Dunkeld
2011 Tatyoon
2012 Penshurst
2013 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
2014 Moyston-Willaura
2015 Lismore-Derrinallum
2016 Tatyoon
2017 Lismore Derrinallum
2018 Wickliffe-Lake Bolac
2019 Great Western
