Upper Murray Football Netball League


The Upper Murray Football Netball League is an Australian rules football and netball competition based in the rural Victorian town of Corryong. The UMFNL contains four clubs from around the townships and farming districts of the greater Upper Murray area, including two of the three founding clubs from 1893.
The UMFNL features three grades in the Australian rules football competition, with these being Senior-Grade, Under 14's, with Under 10's as Auskick. In the netball competition, there are six grades, with these being A-Grade, B-Grade, C-Grade, D-Grade, Under 15's, with Under 11's as Netta. Results from Auskick & Netta are normally not recorded and final series are normally not played, instead, emphasis is put on having fun while playing sport and improving their skills.
There are many pieces of league memorabilia scattered throughout the Upper Murray region, including some photos & trophies away from clubroom and sporting grounds. Some notable locations include Bridge Hotel, Corryong Hotel Motel, Corryong Sporting Complex, Courthouse Hotel, Hotel Cudgewa, Khancoban Country Golf Club, Koetong Pub, Riley's Restaurant, The Man from Snowy River Museum, Tintaldra Hotel, and Walwa Hotel.

History

In May 1884, a meeting at the Corryong Hotel was held to form the Corryong Football Club, with the club colours being scarlet and black jersey and hose, silk blue knickers and a red cap. Mr W Sullivan was elected president, Mr Griffin - Secretary and Mr Thompson - Treasurer.
Another football club that was formed in the Upper Murray region was the Tintaldra Football Club in 1884 and initial scratch matches were played on an makeshift oval behind the Corryong Hotel.
In June 1892, four Australian Rules Football were formed in the Upper Murray area - Corryong, Cudgewa, Indi and Walwa.

Establishment (1892/93)

During the 1892/1893 summer three of the regions cricket clubs agreed to the establishment of a competition in order to keep their players fit during the winter break. The three founding clubs were Corryong, Cudgewa, and Mount Elliot and in early 1893 an unofficial local football competition was established.
The league is one of the oldest Football Leagues in Victoria still active today. It was established 19 years after the first Victorian Football Association season in 1877, three years after the Ovens & Murray Football Association in 1893, one year before the first Victorian Football League season in 1897 and seven years before the first Ovens & King Football Association season in 1903.

Corryong Football Association (1893–1895)

During the first five years of the association only the three founding clubs competed in the competition, and the "championship" was awarded to the club that finished in 1st position on the ladder. The early "champions" included Corryong and Mount Elliott and Cudgewa.
There appears to be no evidence / references of an official Corryong Football Association existing between 1893 and 1895.

Upper Murray Football Association (1896 - )

In April 1896, the Corryong Courier published an article that a discussion took place at the 1896 Corryong FC annual general meeting about establishing a local football competition and a motion was passed to arrange for the Corryong FC secretary to communicate with kindred clubs suggesting that delegate's be appointed to meet and discuss the formation of a local football competition.
In May 1896, the Upper Murray Football Association was formed at Master's Hotel, with Mr G Bishop as the Association's first President and Mr F M'Donough as the Secretary and an official fixture arranged.
In early 1897, a local article had the association title as the Corryong Football Association., but a later article referred to local football as the Upper Murray premiership competition.
Was there an official competition in 1898 and 1899? These two articles make reference that there should be an official football association to put a stop to umpire abuse by certain players.
In 1899, there is evidence of plenty of matches played between clubs and match reviews printed in the Corryong Courier newspaper, but no newspapers reports of ladders or Delegate's Meetings.
At the start of the 1898 season, the competition expanded for the first time in its short history to include a fourth football club, Walwa FC, representing the township of Walwa, Victoria. The addition of the Walwa FC to the competition was seen as a success, and during their second season they finished in second position on the 1899 Ladder, while Cudgewa was in recess in 1899.
The same season, 1899, the competition included a new football club, Khancoban FC representing the township of Khancoban, New South Wales, who wore the yellow and black colours. However, the addition of the Khancoban FC to the competition was less successful. Only lasting two seasons, they finished in third and fourth respectively.

Upper Murray Football Club Association (1900–1901)

At the start of the 1900 season the competition renamed itself to the Upper Murray Football Club Association
The Mount Elliott "Miners" did not compete in the UMFCA in 1900 and "the remains of the old Mount Elliott team" joined up with Khancoban FC in 1900, while Cudgewa returned after being in recess in 1899.
After the 1900 season the Khancoban FC went into recess for the first time.
In 1901, the Mount Elliot FC renamed itself to the Federal FC to celebrate the Federation of Australia and moved to be fully based at Corryong around the same time.
In 1901, Cudgewa FC pulled out of the competition, leaving only three teams in 1901, but they did return in 1902.

Upper Murray Football Association (1902–1904)

At the start of the 1902 season the league name changed again, to the Upper Murray Football Association .
In June 1903 UMFA Delegate's discussed the possibility of the Towong FC joining the competition.
In April 1904, the UMFA - AGM was held, with office bearers elected and a fixture established, with round one taking place on Saturday, 7 May 1904.
In May 1904, due to a dispute over the football premiership trophy, the Federal FC withdrew from the UMFA and Walwa FC was of the opinion that the new trophy should not be accepted. Subsequently, the season was abandoned in May 1904.
Then in June 1904, a meeting of local football supporters was held and a new association was formed and arrangements made by the old association were abandoned and Mr P Wills was elected as president and a new fixture was drawn up, which included the newly formed Towong Football Club.

Corryong District Association (1904–1906)

In June 1904, the UMFA was taken over by a new committee of management and was the Corryong District Association ,
When this new association was formed in June 1904, both Federal FC and Walwa FC were not included in the updated draw for the remainder of the 1904 season.
The Federal FC relocated from Mount Elliot, Vic to Corryong, Vic.
The Federal FC went into recess did not compete in any local competition between 1904 and 1908.
The Khancoban FC relocated from Khancoban, NSW to Towong, Vic in 1904 and became the Towong FC before renaming to Towong Wanderers FC in 1905.
In April, 1906 the Thougla Football Club was established and formed part of the three team CDFA in 1906.
Then in 1906 they apparently relocated again to Thougla and became the Thougla FC, this move would result in the club's first premiership success, Thougla 4.6 defeating Corryong 2.8.

Upper Murray Football Association (1907–1952)

In 1907 Cudgewa won the right to challenge the minor premiers, Corryong, in the grand final, but Corryong refused to play because an umpire for the grand final was not sourced from Albury, NSW.
By 1908, with a re-found form of success, Thowgla FC relocated back to Khancoban, NSW and renamed back to Khancoban FC and were runners-up in 1908, this was to be the last grand final match for the club. By 1910 the Corryong FC won its fourth straight premiership; 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910.
In 1909, both Federal FC and Walwa FC returned to the UMFA after being absent for five season, since 1904.
From 1912 to 1913 Khancoban FC relocated to Tintaldra, Vic and became known as Tintaldra FC.
After the 1914 season the premiers of Tallangatta and Mitta Mitta Football Association, Federated Railways, traveled to Corryong Park to play the Combined Corryong team of both the Corryong & Federal football club's. As reported in the Corryong Courier on Thursday August 20, "The ground was in excellent order, and there was a large attendance of spectators." The Final scores were, Combined Corryong 9 goals & 12 behinds, Federated Railways 6 goals & 10 behinds. As far as records indicate, excluding Inter-League matches, this is the only time that players from the arch-rival football clubs of Corryong & Federal have played together as one club.
In October 1925, a combined Corryong FC and Federal FC team played a match against a combined Granya & District team at Corryong Park, with the Upper Murray team winning 3.12 - 30 to 3.9 - 27.
In 1916, with a lack of players in the region due to the First World War the Upper Murray Football Association went into recess, but there was unofficial junior football played in the region.
In 1917, there was several patriotic fund raising football matches played in the region.
In 1918 the association restarted but the 1918 and 1919 seasons were restricted to half seasons still due to a lack of players after the First World War.
By 1920 the competition was now representing only three townships, with four competing clubs Corryong, Cudgewa, Federal and Walwa.
Mr F J Blair was secretary of the Upper Murray Football Association for 21 years from 1907 to 1927 and was a former captain of Cudgewa. Mr Blair was presented with a gold watch at the 1928 UMFA Ball.
In June 1940 club delegate's made the decision to bring the football finals forward due to player enlistments into the Australian Defence Force due to World War Two.
The Upper Murray Football Association was reformed after World War Two in May 1945 after a meeting, with Mr H O Allen elected as president and Mr Col McClure as Secretary.
In 1950 the round five match between Corryong and Federals saw the gate takings of £30.
The football competition was still known as the Upper Murray Football Association in 1952 and not exactly sure when the title was changed to "League".