The Bass Valley-Wonthaggi District Football League was an Australian rules football league based in the Bass Coast region of West Gippsland, Victoria.
History The Bass Valley-Wonthaggi District Football League was formed from a merger of the Bass Valley Football Association and the Wonthaggi District Football League before the 1955 season. The founding clubs were Bass, Bena, Dalyston, East Wonthaggi, Glen Alvie, Inverloch, Korumburra Butter Factory, Loch, Nyora, Phillip Island and Shop Assistants. The early years of the competition were marked by change. After the inaugural season, the Butter Factory team disbanded and East Shops (later Wonthaggi Rovers) was formed by way of a merger of East Wonthaggi and Shop Assistants. Prior to the 1957 season Nyora were forced into recess due to their inability to field a reserve-grade side. Inverloch merged with Kongwak due to a lack of club officials and Bass merged with Kilcunda.
The BVWDFL entered a period of stability after the 1957 season. The league's numbers were boosted by the addition of Lang Lang from the West Gippsland Football League in 1967 and Wonthaggi Blues from the South Gippsland Football League in 1969. The 1971 grand final between Wonthaggi Blues and Wonthaggi Rovers - the first grand final meeting between the two crosstown rivals - was drawn, with the Blues winning the replay.
Lang Lang returned to the West Gippsland FL in 1981, with Korumburra taking their place a few years later in 1984. An increasing gap between the larger towns and smaller, rural areas proved to be the league's downfall. Glen Alvie folded after the 1987 season and Loch after 1993. Wonthaggi Blues sought to join the higher-standard Gippsland Latrobe Valley Football League, a request which was granted in 1994, leaving the BVWDFL with only 7 teams. Following a VCFL review, the BVWDFL was disbanded after the 1995 season. Phillip Island and Kilcunda-Bass joined the West Gippsland FL and the remaining 5 clubs joined the Alberton Football League.
Clubs
Final ClubJumperNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in compBVWDFL Senior PremiershipsFateTotalMost recentBena(1955-60s)(1960s-95)Bulls, BeanmenKorumburra Showgrounds, KorumburraBVFA19211955-199511984Moved to Alberton FL after 1995 seasonDalystonMagpiesDalyston Recreation Reserve, DalystonW&DFL18981955-199561958, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1976, 1989Moved to Alberton FL after 1995 seasonInverloch-KongwakDemonsInverloch Recreation Reserve, Inverloch–19571957-199571957, 1966, 1968, 1973, 1983, 1985, 1986Moved to Alberton FL after 1995 seasonKilcunda-BassCatsBass Recreation Reserve, Bass–19571957-199531960, 1969, 1980Moved to West Gippsland FL after 1995 seasonKorumburraBullantsKorumburra Recreation Reserve, KorumburraWGFL19111984-199511992Moved to Alberton FL after 1995 seasonPhillip IslandBulldogsCowes Recreation Reserve, CowesW&DFL19321955-199541962, 1964, 1981, 1990Moved to West Gippsland FL after 1995 seasonWonthaggi Rovers TigersWonthaggi Recreation Reserve, Wonthaggi–19561956-199581956, 1974, 1975, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1994, 1995Moved to Alberton FL after 1995 season
Former ClubJumperNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in compBVWDFL Senior PremiershipsFateTotalMost recentBassBass Recreation Reserve, BassW&DFL19101955-19560 -Merged with Kilcunda to form Kilcunda-Bass after 1956 seasonEast WonthaggiWonthaggi Recreation Reserve, WonthaggiW&DFL1920s19550 -Merged with Shop Assistants to form East Shops after 1955 seasonGlen Alvie(1955-68)(1969-87)HawksGlen Alvie Recreation Reserve, Glen AlvieBVFA19001955-19870 -Folded after 1987 seasonInverlochLight with dark sashInverloch Recreation Reserve, InverlochW&DFL19261955-195611955Merged with Kongwak to form Inverloch-Kongwak after 1956 seasonKilcundaW&DFL19101955-19560 -Merged with Bass to form Kilcunda-Bass after 1956 seasonKorumburra Butter FactoryBVFA19550 -Folded after 1955 seasonKongwakRN Scott Reserve, KongwakBVFA19201955-19560 -Merged with Inverloch to form Inverloch-Kongwak after 1956 seasonLang LangBluesLang Lang Showgrounds, Lang LangWGFL19001967-19810 -Returned to West Gippsland FL after 1981 seasonLochDark with light vee (c.1955-64)(c.1965-93)SaintsLoch Recreation Reserve, LochBVFA1890s1955-199321965, 1967Folded after 1993 seasonNyoraNyora Recreation Reserve, NyoraBVFA1880s1955-19560 -Entered recess after 1956 season due to lacking a reserve side. Re-formed in Ellinbank & District FL in 1967.Shop AssistantsWonthaggi Recreation Reserve, WonthaggiW&DFL1930s19550 -Merged with Wast Wonthaggi to form East Shops after 1955 seasonWonthaggi BluesBluesWonthaggi Recreation Reserve, WonthaggiSGFL19501969-199471971, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1991, 1993Moved to Gippsland-Latrobe Valley FL after 1994 season
Premierships YearPremiersScoreRunners-upNotesRef.1955Inverloch15.9 (99) - 13.8 (86)Phillip Island1956East Shops6.4 (40) - 4.12 (36)Dalyston1957Inverloch-Kongwak13.13 (91) - 13.11 (89)Kilcunda-Bass1958Dalyston12.15 (87) - 6.10 (46)Phillip Island1959DalystonWonthaggi Rovers1960Kilcunda-Bass12.16 (88) - 13.8 (86)Phillip Island1961Dalyston10.10 (70) - 8.7 (55)Glen Alvie1962Phillip Island7.11 (53) - 6.10 (46)Inverloch-Kongwak1963Dalyston8.8 (56) - 7.11 (53)Phillip Island1964Phillip Island6.15 (51) - 4.5 (29)Inverloch-Kongwak1965Loch15.6 (96) - 10.13 (73)Inverloch-Kongwak1966Inverloch-Kongwak9.9 (63) - 6.4 (40)Wonthaggi Rovers1967Loch12.12 (84) - 10.13 (73)Inverloch-Kongwak1968Inverloch-Kongwak10.15 (75) - 5.10 (40)Wonthaggi Rovers1969Kilcunda-BassInverloch-Kongwak1970?Kilcunda-Bass1971Wonthaggi Blues9.12 (66) - 10.6 (66)Wonthaggi RoversDrawn grand finalWonthaggi Blues11.15 (81) - 9.9 (63)Wonthaggi RoversReplay1972Wonthaggi Blues13.19 (97) - 10.11 (71)Inverloch-Kongwak1973Inverloch-Kongwak1974Wonthaggi Rovers10.6 (66) - 5.10 (40)Kilcunda-Bass1975Wonthaggi Rovers1976Dalyston11.12 (78) - 8.15 (63)Lang Lang1977Wonthaggi Blues15.21 (111) - 15.7 (97)Glen Alvie1978Wonthaggi Blues16.15 (111) - 6.14 (50)Inverloch-Kongwak1979Wonthaggi Blues14.11 (95) - 9.14 (68)Kilcunda-Bass1980Kilcunda-Bass22.13 (145) - 16.9 (105)Phillip Island1981Phillip Island14.10 (94) - 12.12 (84)Wonthaggi Blues1982Wonthaggi Rovers17.12 (114) - 6.17 (53)Bena1983Inverloch-Kongwak12.17 (89) - 6.7 (43)Bena1984Bena18.11 (119) - 4.7 (31)Dalyston1985Inverloch-Kongwak11.5 (71) - 8.9 (57)Dalyston1986Inverloch-Kongwak1987Wonthaggi Rovers16.9 (105) - 12.15 (87)Korumburra1988Wonthaggi Rovers7.13 (55) - 7.9 (51)Dalyston1989Dalyston17.12 (114) - 6.9 (45)Wonthaggi Rovers1990Phillip Island15.9 (99) - 13.8 (86)Wonthaggi Blues1991Wonthaggi Blues17.16 (118) - 18.10 (118)Phillip IslandDrawn grand finalWonthaggi Blues13.14 (92) - 12.15 (87)Phillip IslandReplay1992Korumburra11.14 (87) - 6.11 (47)Dalyston1993Wonthaggi Blues20.9 (129) - 12.13 (85)Inverloch-Kongwak1994Wonthaggi Rovers10.13 (73) - 10.11 (71)Phillip Island1995Wonthaggi Rovers15.17 (107) - 14.7 (91)Phillip Island
References