The Murray Valley Football Netball League (MVFNL) is an Australian rules football League located in South Australia 's Riverland region. The league features clubs from the smaller towns of the Riverland and Upper Murray region.
The league was born out of the ashes of the Riverland Independent Football League , which, after disassociating from the Riverland Football League following the conclusion of the 2022 season, combined with the Riverland Independent Netball Association to create a new administration and competition.[ 1]
History
The origins of this league came in 1909 when Lyrup, Renmark Town and Fairview Rovers founded the Murray Football Association. Lyrup won the first ever premiership.
The competition reformed in 1919 as the Upper Murray Football Association and in 1923 split into A and B grade competitions. In 1952, the Association became the Upper Murray Football League (UMFL), not to be confused with the league of the same name located around Corryong, Victoria .
In 1971, the league's B Grade division split out into its own competition as the Riverland Independent B-Grade Football Association . It was renamed the Riverland Independent Football League (RIFL) the following season, while the UMFL underwent its own renaming to the Riverland Football League .
Ramco joined the RIFL in 2009 from the Mid Murray Football Association (MMFA), as did Blanchetown/Swan Reach in 2010, and the MMFA disbanded.
At the conclusion of the 2022 season, the Mallee Football League disbanded and Murrayville applied for admittance to the new MVFNL competition.
Clubs
Murray Valley FNL (2023–)
Current clubs
Riverland Independent FL (1971–2022)
Final clubs
Club
Jumper
Nickname
Home Ground
Former League
Est.
Years in RIFL
RIFL Premierships
Total
Years[ 2]
Blanchetown-Swan Reach
File:Blanchetown-Swan Reach Football Club colours.jpg
Redbacks (formerly Bulldogs )
Blanchetown Oval, Blanchetown and Swan Reach Oval, Swan Reach
MMFA
1972
2010–2014, 2016–2022
2
2012, 2022
Browns Well
File:Hawthorn Football Club colours.jpg
Bombers
Paruna Oval, Paruna
1969
1971–2022
10
1972, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1985–86, 1988, 2000, 2016–17
Paringa
File:Yeppoon Swans Football Club colours.png
Swans
Paringa Oval, Paringa
1961
1971–2022
8
1979, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2018
Sedan-Cambrai
File:Surrey Park Football Club.jpg
Magpies
Cambrai Sports Club, Cambrai
HFL
1922
2016–2022
1
2019
Ramco
File:Ramco Football Club colours.jpg
Roosters
Ramco Sporting Facility, Ramco
MMFA
1909
2009–2022
1
2021
Wunkar
File:Wunkar Football Club colours.jpg
Bulldogs
Wunkar Oval, Wunkar
–
1971
1971–2022
2
1974, 1976
Former clubs
Club
Jumper
Nickname
Home Ground
Former League
Est.
Years in RIFL
RIFL Premierships
Fate
Total
Years[ 2]
Browns Well 2
File:Hawthorn Football Club colours.jpg
Bombers
Paruna Oval, Paruna
1969
1971–1976
0
-
Folded in 1977
Chaffey
File:Chaffey Football Club colours.svg
Blues
1971–1973
0
-
Folded in 1974, merged with Renmark Rovers to become Renmark-Chaffey in 1981
Cobdogla
File:West Coast Eagles 2018 colours.png
Eagles
Cobdogla Oval, Cobdogla
1919
1971–2021
11
1981, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2008
Folded in 2022
East Murray
File:East Murray Football Club colours.jpg
Tigers
East Murray Community Complex, Mindarie
1971
1994–2014
1
2003
Folded in 2015
Gerard
Red, white and black
Hawks
1948
1971–1972, 1974–1984, 1987–1989
0
-
Folded in 1990
Lyrup
File:Lyrup Football Club colours.jpg
Lions
Lyrup Sporting Complex, Lyrup
1909
1971–2013, 2014–2021
8
1973, 1980, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2015
Folded in 2022
Moorook-Kingston
File:Moorook-Kingston Football Club colours.jpg
Warriors
Moorook Oval, Moorook
1963
1971–2016
7
1971, 1977, 1983, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2014
Folded in 2017
Renmark-Chaffey
File:AFL North Melbourne Icon.jpg
Rovers
–
1981
1981–1986
0
-
Folded in 1987
Riverland United
File:Stjoseph fc icon.png
Saints
–
1997
1997–2001, 2003
0
-
Suspended mid-season 2001, returned in 2002 and folded in 2004
2022 Ladder
Riverland Independent
Wins
Byes
Losses
Draws
For
Against
%
Pts
Final
Team
G
B
Pts
Team
G
B
Pts
Blanchetown/Swan Reach
15
0
0
0
1419
596
70.42%
30
1st Semi
Wunkar
9
13
67
Browns Well
9
8
62
Sedan Cambrai
11
0
3
0
1475
822
64.21%
22
2nd Semi
Sedan Cambrai
13
5
83
Blanchetown/Swan Reach
10
2
62
Wunkar
8
0
7
0
1050
952
52.45%
16
Preliminary
Blanchetown/Swan Reach
16
13
109
Wunkar
6
10
46
Browns Well
4
0
9
0
884
1136
43.76%
8
Grand
Blanchetown/Swan Reach
10
7
67
Sedan Cambrai
8
6
54
Ramco
3
0
11
0
794
1389
36.37%
6
Paringa
2
0
13
0
721
1448
33.24%
4
2023 Ladder
Murray Valley
Wins
Byes
Losses
Draws
For
Against
%
Pts
Final
Team
G
B
Pts
Team
G
B
Pts
Sedan Cambrai
12
0
0
0
1540
331
82.31%
24
1st Semi
Murrayville
12
8
80
Ramco
15
9
99
Browns Well
8
0
4
0
1095
626
63.63%
16
2nd Semi
Sedan Cambrai
21
11
137
Browns Well
6
10
46
Murrayville
8
0
4
0
936
817
53.39%
16
Preliminary
Browns Well
14
11
95
Ramco
8
5
53
Ramco
6
0
6
0
640
933
40.69%
12
Grand
Sedan Cambrai
13
13
91
Browns Well
8
5
53
Blanchetown/Swan Reach
3
0
9
0
518
836
38.26%
6
Wunkar
3
0
9
0
643
1090
37.10%
6
Paringa
2
0
10
0
416
1155
26.48%
4
2024 Ladder
Murray Valley
Wins
Byes
Losses
Draws
For
Against
%
Pts
Final
Team
G
B
Pts
Team
G
B
Pts
Blanchetown/Swan Reach
13
0
1
0
1087
709
60.52%
26
1st Semi
Browns Well
8
6
54
Wunkar
4
6
30
Murrayville
9
0
5
0
1211
735
62.23%
18
2nd Semi
Murrayville
16
11
107
Blanchetown/Swan Reach
12
5
77
Browns Well
9
0
5
0
1075
665
61.78%
18
Preliminary
Browns Well
12
14
86
Blanchetown/Swan Reach
6
6
42
Wunkar
6
0
8
0
850
932
47.70%
12
Grand
Murrayville
22
10
142
Browns Well
9
6
60
Ramco
5
0
9
0
852
995
46.13%
10
Sedan Cambrai
4
0
10
0
756
1101
40.71%
8
Paringa
3
0
11
0
511
1205
29.78%
6
Notable players
Premiers
Riverland Independent FL (1971–2022)
1971 Moorook-Kingston 11 14 80 Def Browns Well 10 16 76
1972 Browns Well 11 12 78 Def Paringa 7 10 52
1973 Lyrup 15 13 103 Def Moorook-Kingston 11 9 75
1974 Wunkar 10 13 73 Def Browns Well 8 14 62
1975 Browns Well 11 7 73 Def Wunkar 9 17 71
1976 Wunkar 13 13 91 Def Moorook-Kingston 9 10 64
1977 Moorook-Kingston 18 11 119 Def Wunkar 9 13 67
1978 Browns Well 13 7 85 Def Wunkar 11 8 74
1979 Paringa 16 15 111 Def Gerard 9 13 67
1980 Lyrup 11 12 78 Def Paringa 10 14 74
1981 Cobdogla 14 17 101 Def Paringa 5 17 47
1982 Browns Well 13 11 89 Def Paringa 10 15 75
1983 Moorook-Kingston 14 7 91 Def Browns Well 10 10 70
1984 Cobdogla 14 18 102 Def Browns Well 9 11 65
1985 Browns Well 25 18 168 Def Cobdogla 6 4 40
1986 Browns Well 22 9 141 Def Paringa 11 6 72
1987 Cobdogla 18 14 122 Def Paringa 8 13 61
1988 Browns Well 7 10 52 Def Paringa 6 7 43
1989 Cobdogla 9 12 66 Def Browns Well 7 10 52
1990 Browns Well 13 10 88 Def Cobdogla 12 15 87
1991 Cobdogla 12 14 86 Def Wunkar 8 4 52
1992 Moorook-Kingston 15 10 100 Def Cobdogla 14 15 99
1993 Moorook-Kingston 21 18 144 Def Lyrup 14 12 96
1994 Moorook-Kingston 13 10 88 Def East Murray 13 9 87
1995 Paringa 11 14 80 Def Browns Well 7 16 58
1996 Lyrup 18 13 121 Def Paringa 11 15 81
1997 Paringa 26 20 176 Def Browns Well 10 13 73
1998 Cobdogla 21 16 142 Def Wunkar 9 10 64
1999 Cobdogla 17 9 111 Def East Murray 16 8 104
2000 Browns Well 10 15 75 Def Wunkar 8 5 53
2001 Lyrup 7 9 51 Def Cobdogla 7 8 50
2002 Paringa 12 11 83 Def Lyrup 6 7 43
2003 East Murray 18 7 115 Def Moorook-Kingston 10 4 64
2004 Lyrup 18 10 118 Def Moorook-Kingston 9 6 60
2005 Paringa 14 15 9 Def Cobdogla 12 12 84
2006 Cobdogla 13 16 94 Def Paringa 5 8 38
2007 Cobdogla 18 16 124 Def Lyrup 12 11 83
2008 Cobdogla 18 14 122 Def Lyrup 5 7 37
2009 Paringa 18 14 122 Def Wunkar 17 12 114
2010 Lyrup 13 9 87 Def East Murray 7 17 59
2011 Lyrup 13 5 83 Def Paringa 8 4 52
2012 Blanchetown/SR 16 11 107 Def Ramco 6 8 44
2013 Paringa 19 13 127 Def Blanchetown/SR 19 10 124
2014 Moorook-Kingston 12 11 83 Def Blanchetown/SR 8 9 57
2015 Lyrup 15 16 106 Def Browns Well 11 14 80
2016 Browns Well 19 8 122 Def Ramco 8 5 53
2017 Browns Well 10 8 68 Def Paringa 5 9 39
2018 Paringa 9 8 62 Def Sedan-Cambrai 8 12 60
2019 Sedan-Cambrai 17 6 108 Def Paringa 6 10 46
2021 Ramco 6 7 43 Def Sedan-Cambrai 4 10 34
2022 Blanchetown/SR 10 8 68 Def Sedan-Cambrai 8 6 54
Murray Valley FNL (2023–)
2023 Sedan-Cambrai 13 13 91 Def Browns Well 8 5 53
2024 Murrayville 22 10 142 Def Browns Well 9 6 60
References
Books
Encyclopedia of South Australian country football clubs / compiled by Peter Lines. ISBN 9780980447293
South Australian country football digest / by Peter Lines ISBN 9780987159199
External links
Governing body Representative side Professional clubs (AFL ) Semi-professional league Metropolitan league Metropolitan junior leagues Current regional leagues Former metropolitan leagues Former regional leagues Representative competitions Women's leaguesPrincipal venues Significant events Major individual awards Former individual awards Other articles