The Ballarat Football League (BFL) is an Australian rules football competition that operates in the Ballarat region of Victoria.
The competition formed in 1893 as the Ballarat Football Association and was renamed Ballarat Football League in 1908 and was briefly known as the Ballarat-Wimmera Football League between 1934 and 1936.
History In 1880, a Ballarat and Western Districts Football Association was formed, but it appears no teams were entered or a draw was made up.
Between 1883 and 1892, there was an unofficial Ballarat / Western Districts football competition, with local Ballarat papers recording a list of premierships teams during this period.
The Ballarat Football Association (BFA) was established in 1893 with three member clubs: Ballarat, South Ballarat, and Ballarat Imperial. The latter was the dominant club in the BFA, winning the first premiership in 1893 and eleven premierships between 1893 and 1906. In 1908, the BFA changed its name to the Ballarat Football League (BFL) and Golden Point Football Club joined the competition. Maryborough and Ararat joined in 1924, followed by Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh several years later.
The BFL briefly amalgamated with the four clubs of Wimmera Football League from 1934 to 1936, when it was known as the Ballarat-Wimmera Football League.
The league was restructured into six teams in 1938 when it merged with the Ballarat District Football League, with several club mergers taking place. Ballarat Imperials FC then merged with the East Ballarat FC and played as Ballarat Imperials, finishing runner up to Sebastopol. Ballarat FC and North Ballarat FC also merged in 1938, to represent the "Lake Ward" of the new football competition.
Sebastopol played in the Clunes Football Association in 1939 and Ballarat CYMS teams pulled out of the Ballarat FL in 1939. The Ballarat Imperials went into recess just prior to the start of the 1939 Ballarat District Football League season.
World War II brought Redan Football Club and the RAAF and Army teams into the league.
The Henderson Medal is the league's seasonal best and fairest award. It was established in 1954 in honour of W. L. Henderson, who served as President from 1943 to 1959.
The BFL is now known as the Ballarat Football Netball League (BNFL), and consists of eleven football netball clubs and nine junior football netball clubs. In 2023, the Herald Sun dubbed North Ballarat Football Club "country footy's most dominant club over the last several decades"; the club had played in the Victorian Football League and the Bendigo Football Netball League before rejoining the BNFL in 2006.
Competition Timeline 1880 - Ballarat and Western Districts Football Association 1883 - 1892: Unofficial Ballarat / Western Districts Football Competition 1893 - 1907: Ballarat Football Association 1908 - 1914: Ballarat Football League 1915 - 1918: In recess due to World War One 1919 - 1933: Ballarat Football League 1934 - 1936: Ballarat - Wimmera Football League 1937 - Ballarat Football League 1938 - 1940: Ballarat District Football League 1941: In recess due to World War Two 1942 - 2019: Ballarat Football League 2020: In recess due to COVID-19 2021 - 2024: Ballarat Football League
Overview
The league features 11 senior clubs. The BFL is a strong league for grass roots football with 9 junior clubs consisting of 63 teams from U/10 through to U/16.5 (Ballarat, Bacchus Marsh, Darley, East Ballarat, Lake Wendouree, Mount Clear, North Ballarat, Redan and Sebastopol).
The Ballarat Football League season normally commences in early April with the regular season matches finishing in late August.
Upon Daylesford's withdrawal from the competition at the end of the 2005 season competing clubs played the opposition clubs twice in the regular season, once at home, once away. This reverted upon North City's admission to the competition in 2008.
The finals series is conducted in September with the Grand Final to decide the premiers for season having been historically held at the Ballarat City and Eastern Ovals. The match attracts crowds of 5000 to 9000 people, with notable attendances of 14602 at the Ballarat City Oval and 8,800 at the Eastern Oval for the 1949 and 1977 Grand Finals respectively.
In 2017, the BFL announced that from 2017 the Grand Final would be played at Mars Stadium with other finals series games remaining at the Eastern and City Ovals.
Governance The management of the BFNL is overseen by an independent board of directors. The 2024 chairman is Adrian Bettio.
In 2024, the operations manager is Gemma Murphy, while the general manager is Shane Anwyl, along with two other staff members.
Current clubs
ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in BFNLBFL Senior Premierships Total Years Bacchus Marsh CobrasMaddingley Park, Maddingley– 19791979- 1 2016 Ballarat SwansAlfredton Recreation Reserve, AlfredtonVFA 1860 1893- 20 1897, 1898, 1908, 1923, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1962, 1971, 1988, 2008, 2026 Darley DevilsDarley Park, DarleyRDFNL 1919 1997- 4 2015, 2017, 2023, 2025 East Point KangaroosEastern Oval, Ballarat East– 2001 2001- 2 2018, 2019 GisborneBulldogsGardiner Reserve, GisborneBFNL18792027-0 - Lake Wendouree LakersC.E. Brown Reserve, Wendouree– 19941995- 1 2010 Melton BloodsMacPherson Park, HarknessRDFNL 18791997- 5 2000, 2001, 2005, 2022, 2024 North Ballarat RoostersEureka Stadium, WendoureeVFL 1882 1951 17 1963, 1970, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 ; 2013, 2014 Redan LionsCity Oval, Lake Wendouree– 1871 1943- 11 1946, 1952, 1975, 1976, 1977, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 Sebastopol BurrasMarty Busch Reserve, SebastopolBFA, CFL, BBMDFL 18931893-1995, 1938, 1940, 1978- 0 - Sunbury Lions Clarke Oval, SunburyRDFNL 18791997- 5 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2012
Notes *Won in the Ballarat FL B-grade/District League competition, which ran separately from the A-Grade competition
BFL Women's ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in BFNLBFL Senior Premierships Total Years Bacchus Marsh Cobras Maddingley Park, MaddingleyVWFL 19791979- 0 - BallaratSwansAlfredton Recreation Reserve, AlfredtonVFA18602026-0 - Carisbrook Redbacks Carisbrook Recreation Reserve, Carisbrook– c.1900s 2023- 0 - Darley Devils Darley Park, Darley– 1919 1997- 3 2023, 2024, 2025 East Point Dragons Eastern Oval, Ballarat East– 2001 2001- 0 - Lake Wendouree Lakers C.E. Brown Reserve, Wendouree– 19941995- 0 - Redan Lions City Oval, Lake Wendouree– 18711943- 1 2022
Junior-only clubs ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundEst.Years in BFNLSouthernMountiesMount Clear Recreation Reserve, Mount Clear19971997-Woady YaloakWarriorsWoady Yaloak Recreation Reserve, Smythesdale20192019- Former clubs ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in BFNLBFL Senior PremiershipsFate Total Years Ararat Rats Alexandra Oval, AraratWDFL 1871 1924-1928, 1934-1936 0 - Recess in 1929. Moved to Wimmera FNL in 1930 and 1937.Bacchus MarshTigersMaddingley Park, MaddingleyWBMFA18811929-1930 0 -Moved to Geelong Junior FA in 1931Ballarat CYMSCity Oval, Lake Wendouree –19380 -Folded prior to 1939 season Ballarat Imperial Imps VFA 1876 1893-1938 16 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1905, 1906, 1922, 1929, 1935, 1936, 1937 Entered recess in 1939, re-formed in Ballarat FL B Grade in 1948Ballarat StormStormAlfredton Recreation Reserve, Alfredton–20172017-2024Juniors onlyIntegrated with Ballarat Swans from 2025.BeaufortCatsGoldfields Recreation Reserve, BeaufortLFL1880s1966-199311969Moved to Central Highlands FL following 1993 season DaylesfordDemonsVictoria Park, DaylesfordKDFA, CDFL19191929-1931, 1952-200511961Moved to Midland FL in 1932. Moved to Central Highlands FL following 2005 seasonEast BallaratBulldogsEastern Oval, Ballarat EastBDFA18851945-200061949, 1950, 1964, 1989, 1990, 1993Merged with Ballarat Imperials in 1938, then later merged with Golden Point to form East Point following 2000 seasonGeelong WestRoostersWest Oval, North GeelongGDFNL18781946-196241956, 1957, 1958, 1959Moved to Victorian Football Association following 1962 season Golden Point KangaroosEastern Oval, Ballarat East– 1902 1905-2000 15 1910, 1914, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1939, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1966, 1967, 1980, 1981, 1987 Merged with East Ballarat to form East Point following 2000 seasonHorshamDemonsHorsham City Oval, HorshamWDFL18921934–19360 -Moved to Wimmera FNL following 1936 seasonMaddingleySpidersMaddingley Park, MaddingleyBBMDFL190919780 -Merged with Bacchus Marsh following 1978 seasonMaryboroughMagpiesPrinces Park, MaryboroughBFL18721924-1928, 1931, 1946-199191924, 1925, 1927, 1931, 1960, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1974Recess in 1929-30. Moved to Bendigo FL following 1931 and 1991 seasonMelton CentralsBluesArnolds Creek Recreation Reserve, Melton WestVWFL199620210 -Women's team only, in recessMelton SouthPanthersMelton Recreation Reserve, MeltonRDFNL19731997-20240 -Returned to Riddell District FNL in 2025RAAF–19401940–19450 -FoldedSmeatonSmeaton Football Ground, SmeatonCDFL1910s1944–19450 -Returned to Clunes DFL following 1945 seasonSouth BallaratVFA18771893–193991904, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1926, 1934, 1938 Merged with Sebastopol in 1940South Sebastopol–194019400 - Merger of South Ballarat & Sebastopol in 1940StawellRedlegsCentral Park, StawellWDFL18741934–19360 -Moved to Wimmera FNL following 1936 seasonSt. Patrick's–19391939-19400 -FoldedWarracknabealLionsAnzac Park, WarracknabealWDFL1870s1934–19360 -Moved to Wimmera FNL following 1936 season
Notes *Won in the Ballarat FL B-grade/District League competition, which ran separately from the A-Grade competition
Football Premiers Seniors
Ballarat / Western Districts 1883 South Ballarat 1884 Ballarat Imperial 1885 South 1886 South 1887 Ballarat 1888 Ballarat & South tied 1889 Ballarat 1890 Ballarat & Imperial tied 1891 Ballarat Imperial 1892 Ballarat Imperial Ballarat Football Association 1893 Ballarat Imperial 1894 Ballarat Imperial 1895 Ballarat Imperial 1896 Ballarat Imperial 1897 Ballarat 1898 Ballarat 1899 Ballarat Imperial 1900 Ballarat Imperial 1901 Ballarat Imperial 1902 Ballarat Imperial 1903 Ballarat Imperial 1904 South Ballarat 1905 Ballarat Imperial 1906 Ballarat Imperial 1907 South Ballarat Ballarat Football League 1908 Ballarat 1909 South Ballarat 1910 Golden Point 1911 South Ballarat 1912 South Ballarat 1913 South Ballarat 1914 Golden Point 1915–1918 In recess > WW1 1919 Golden Point 1920 Golden Point 1921 Golden Point 1922 Ballarat Imperial 1923 Ballarat 1924 Maryborough 1925 Maryborough 1926 South Ballarat 1927 Maryborough 1928 Ballarat 1929 Ballarat Imperial 1930 Ballarat 1931 Maryborough 1932 Ballarat 1933 Ballarat Ballarat - Wimmera Football League 1934 South Ballarat 1935 Ballarat Imperial 1936 Ballarat Imperial Ballarat Football League 1937 Ballarat Imperial (undefeated) 1938 South Ballarat 1939 Golden Point 1940 Ballarat 1941 In recess > WW2 1942 Ballarat 1943 Ballarat 1944 Ballarat 1945 Golden Point 1946 Redan 1947 Golden Point 1948 Golden Point 1949 East Ballarat 1950 East Ballarat 1951 Ballarat 1952 Redan 1953 Golden Point 1954 Ballarat 1955 Ballarat 1956 Geelong West 1957 Geelong West 1958 Geelong West 1959 Geelong West 1960 Maryborough 1961 Daylesford 1962 Ballarat 1963 North Ballarat 1964 East Ballarat 1965 Maryborough 1966 Golden Point 1967 Golden Point 1968 Maryborough 1969 Beaufort 1970 North Ballarat 1971 Ballarat 1972 Maryborough 1973 North Ballarat 1974 Maryborough 1975 Redan 1976 Redan 1977 Redan 1978 North Ballarat 1979 North Ballarat 1980 Golden Point 1981 Golden Point 1982 North Ballarat 1983 North Ballarat 1984 North Ballarat 1985 North Ballarat 1986 North Ballarat 1987 Golden Point 1988 Ballarat 1989 East Ballarat 1990 East Ballarat 1991 North Ballarat 1992 North Ballarat 1993 East Ballarat 1994 North Ballarat 1995 North Ballarat 1996 North Ballarat 1997 Sunbury 1998 Sunbury 1999 Sunbury 2000 Melton 2001 Melton 2002 Redan