The Murray Football Netball League is an Australian rules football and netball league affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League. The league covers a large area of northern Victoria and southern New South Wales from Shepparton in the south to Deniliquin in the north. It covers much the same area as the Picola & District Football League but the teams tend to be based in the larger communities and towns.
History The "Murray Football League" (MFL) was established in 1931, when it superseded the old Goulburn Valley Football Association, with the following clubs, Barooga, Cobram, Numurkah, Strathmerton and Tocumwal.
Nathalia Football Club's admission into the MFL was initially rejected in 1931 by club delegates and they entered the Western and Moira Ridings Football Association. Berrigan, Finley and Nathalia's application for admission into the MFL in 1932 was rejected and they continued to play in their existing competitions. These three clubs were finally admitted into the MFL in 1933.
At a MFL club's delegates meeting in June, 1940, club's decided to abandoned the season and a motion was carried to conclude the season at the completion of the first round of MFL matches (Rd.7), after all teams had played each other once. Nathalia Football Club were undefeated when the season was officially abandoned in 1940.
Between 1941 and 1945 the league went into recess for World War II.
During its first 44 years, the league's administration was very stable, with only four presidents and three secretaries, with Mr. M D "Des" O'Dwyer presiding from 1931 to the late 1950s and Mr. Bill Limbrick of Katunga was secretary from 1949 to 1974 and Mr. D McClelland President from 1966 to 1974. The MFL played in the NSW Australian Football Championships in the mid-1970s. Long time secretary, Les Belt held office from 1930 to 1948.
The senior football goal kicking award was initially known as the Les Belt Trophy (MFL Secretary & donor) in the 1940s, before changing to the Les Mogg Perpetual Trophy in 1962, with Trevor Sutton – Deniliquin holding the record with 227 goals that he kicked in 1982, plus 22 goals in the finals for a total of 249 goals.
In 1958, Berrigan FC proposed that an official MFL Thirds competition be formed and that the Murray League Seconds Eighteen FA be taken over by the MFL. Both proposals were defeated, but the MFL Reserves competition went onto supersede the Murray League Seconds Eighteen FA for the start of the 1959 football season.
In July, 1960, the Murray FL senior football representative side (18.8 - 116), led by Les Mogg defeated St Kilda (15.14 - 104) at Tocumwal.
Former Jerilderie player, Bill Brownless kicked 148 goals and was runner up in the 1985 O’Dwyer Medal, before making his debut with Geelong Football Club in 1986.
In 1995 Cobram football and netball club won seniors, reserves, fourths, and all netball side grand finals. 9 out of 10 grand finals for the season.
Following the disbanding of the Echuca Football League, Echuca United and Moama joined the league in 1997.
In 2006 Tongala and Rumbalara made their debut with the league. Tongala was previously in the Goulburn Valley Football League and Rumbalara was in the now-defunct Central Goulburn Football League.
The 2008 premiership was won by Nathalia to complete 4 in a row premiership wins. Nathalia repeated this effort in 2018 and went one further in 2019, achieving 5 premierships a row.
Nathalia is the only team to complete 5 premierships in a row. Nathalia alongside Deniliquin are the only teams to complete 4 in a row with Nathalia achieving this feat twice.
In 2018 Tungamah, Shepparton East and Katandra joined the Murray Football League after leaving the new merging Picola & District Football League due to their affiliation dispute with AFL Goulburn Murray. Shepparton East moved onto the Kyabram & District Football League at the beginning of the 2019 season.
Clubs Locations
Current ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in MFNLMFNL Senior Premierships Total Years Cobram TigersScott Reserve, Cobram, VictoriaGVFA1887 1937- 13 1931, 1947, 1948, 1955, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1969, 1974, 1984, 1995, 1998, 2025 Congupna The RoadCongupna Recreation Reserve, Congupna, VictoriaTFL, GVFL1956 1997- 2 2024, 2026 Deniliquin RamsHardinge Street Oval, Deniliquin, New South WalesEFL1933 1949- 14 1957, 1966, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1985, 1986, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011 Echuca United EaglesEchuca South Recreation Reserve, Echuca, VictoriaNEFL1994 1997- 1 2013 Finley CatsFinley Recreation Reserve, Finley, New South WalesSRFAc.1890s 1933- 7 1952, 1954, 1958, 1971, 1981, 1982, 1988 Moama MagpiesMoama Recreation Reserve, Moama, New South WalesNEFL1892 1997- 1 2010 Mulwala LionsLonsdale Reserve, Mulwala, New South WalesTFL1882 1987- 3 1990, 2022, 2023 Nathalia PurplesNathalia Recreation Reserve, Nathalia, VictoriaPDFNL, TDFL1887 1933- 14 1939, 1949, 1963, 1978, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Numurkah BluesNumurkah Showgrounds, Numurkah, VictoriaGVFA1882 1931- 13 1932, 1933, 1937, 1938, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1962, 1970, 1977, 1979, 1999, 2000 Rumbalara RumbaRumbalara Recreation Reserve, Shepparton, VictoriaCGFL1997 2006- 1 2014 Tongala BluesTongala Recreation Reserve, Tongala, VictoriaGVFL1894 2006- 0 –
Former clubs ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in MFNLMFNL Senior PremiershipsFate Total YearsBaroogaHawksBarooga Recreation Reserve, Barooga, New South WalesPDFNL18941931-1935, , 1989-202541992, 1993, 1994, 1997Moved to Southern Riverina FA in 1936. Moved to Picola & District FNL in 1959 and 2026BerriganSaintsBerrigan Recreation Reserve, BerriganSRFA18911933-200251934, 1936, 1965, 1968, 1980Moved to Picola & District FNL in 2003BlightyRedeyesBlighty Recreation Reserve, BlightyERFL19490 –Played in Edward River FL between 1959-61. Moved to Coreen & District FL in 1963ColeamballyBluesColeambally Sports Grounds, ColeamballyB&DFLc.1960s1980-19830–Moved to Coreen & District FL in 1984JerilderieDemonsJerilderie Recreation Reserve, JerilderieSRFA, C&DFL18911932-1956, 1964-199331983, 1987, 1989Played in Coreen & District FL between 1957-63. Moved to Picola & District FNL in 1994KatamatiteTigersKatamatite Recreation Reserve, KatamatiteBMFL18911940, 1946-19470–Moved to Picola & District FNL in 1947KatandraKatsKatandra Recreation Reserve, Katandra WestPDFNL19112018-20190–Returned to Picola & District FNL in 2021MuckatahBombersYarroweyah Recreation Reserve, Yarroweyah, VictoriaKDFAc.1880s1932-19390–FoldedShepparton East(1962-67)(2018)Central Park Recreation Reserve, Shepparton EastKDFA, PDFNL19241962-1967, 20180–Moved to Tungamah FL in 1968. Moved to Kyabram & District FNL in 2019StrathmertonBulldogsStrathmerton Recreation Reserve, StrathmertonGVFA, PDFNL18941931-1935, 1938-199321956, 1964Moved to Picola & District FNL in 1936 and 1994TocumwalBloodsTocumwal Recreation Reserve, TocumwalGVFA, PDFNL18911931-2013, 202351935, 1946, 1967, 1991, 2009Moved to Picola & District FNL in 2014 and 2024TungamahBearsTungamah Recreation Reserve, TungamahPDFNL18822018-20190–Returned to Picola & District FNL in 2021
Senior Football Premierships In 1938, Mr E Coxon of Numurkah donated a premiership trophy and whose sons Mick and Jack Coxon would later on donate the same trophy.