Western Eyre Football League

Western Eyre Football League

Most recent season or competition: 2023
Formerly	County of Way Football Association (1909–1948) Murat Bay Football League (1949–1961) Far West Football League (1962–2020)
Sport	Australian rules football
Founded	1909
First season	1909
No. of teams	6
Most recent champion(s)	Western United (12th Premiership) (2024)
Most titles	Koonibba (37 Premierships)
Related competitions	Mortlock Shield, SANFL
Official website	https://www.wefl.web.afl/

The Western Eyre Football League (WEFL), formerly Far West Football League (FWFL), is an Australian rules football competition based in the Ceduna area of the Eyre Peninsula region of South Australia, Australia. As of March 2021, the league includes clubs in Ceduna, Thevenard, Koonibba Aboriginal community, Penong (Western United FC), Streaky Bay (West Coast Hawks) and Wirrulla.

It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League.

Brief history

The County Of Way Football Association was formed in 1909, with founding clubs including Charra, Denial Bay, Goode, Koonibba, Murat and Penong. Fowlers Bay also wished to join the league but was denied entry due to excessive travel distance.

In 1948 the league changed its name to Murat Bay Football League changed and then Far West Football League in 1962.

The Koonibba Roosters are the oldest continuing Aboriginal football club in Australia, having named their Team of the Century in 2009.[1]

The West Coast Hawks of Streaky Bay and Wirrulla club joined the league in March 2021, after the Mid West Football League was wound up permanently. Around the same time, the Far West Football League changed its name to the Western Eyre Football League.[2]

Clubs

Current

Club	Jumper	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in comp	WEFL Senior Premierships
							Total	Years[3]
Ceduna Blues [note 1]		Blues	Ceduna Sports Club, Ceduna	–	1989	1989–	5	1997, 1999, 2009, 2016, 2022
Koonibba		Roosters	Far West Aboriginal Sporting Complex, Thevenard	–	1906	1909–1940, 1946–	37	1910, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017
Thevenard		Magpies	Thevenard Oval,Thevenard	–	1927	1927–	23	1959, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2013, 2015
Western United		Tigers	Penong Sports Ground, Penong	–	1974	1974–	12	1980, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024
West Coast		Hawks	Streaky Bay Community Complex Oval, Streaky Bay	MWFL	1999	2021–	1	2021
Wirrulla		Bombers	Wirrulla Football Ground, Wirrulla	MWFL	1919	2021–	0	-

Former

Club	Jumper	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in comp	WEFL Senior Premierships		Fate
							Total	Years[3]
Athenna				–	1922	1922-1925	1	1923	Folded in 1925
Bonython				–	1910	1910-1914	0	-	Folded in 1914
Bookabie				–			1	1937	Folded
Ceduna [note 2]		Eagles	Ceduna Sports Club, Ceduna	–	1907	1909-1988	16	1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1924, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1946, 1950, 1965	Merged with Smoky Bay in 1989 to form Ceduna Blues
Charra				–	1907	1909-1929, 1960-1973	1	1964	Merged with Charra to form Charra-Denial Bay in 1931. Folded in 1948. Merged with Penong in 1974 to form Western United
Charra-Denial Bay				–	1931	1931-1933	0	-	De-merged into Charra and Denial Bay in 1934
Denial Bay				–	1907	1909-1930, 1934-1936, 1940-1948	0	-	Merged with Charra to form Charra-Denial Bay in 1931. Folded in 1948
Goode				–	1906	1909-1914, 1927-1930, 1934-1948	0	-	Merged with Maltee to form Maltee Goode United in 1931. Folded in 1949
Maltee				–	1925	1925-1930, 1934-1939	0	-	Merged with Goode to form Maltee Goode United in 1931. Folded in 1939
Maltee Goode United				–	1931	1931-1933	0	-	De-merged into Maltee and Goode in 1934
Merghiny		Stars		–	1910	1911-1914	0	-	Folded in 1914
Penong			Penong Sports Ground, Penong	–	1908	1909-1914, 1961-1970, 1972-1973	2	1962, 1966	Merged with Charra in 1974 to form Western United
Rovers				–	1955	1955-1958	1	1958	Folded in 1959
Smoky Bay			Smoky Bay Oval, Smoky Bay		1954	1971-1988	0	-	Merged with Ceduna in 1989 to form Ceduna Blues
United				–	1940	1940-1952	1	1940	Folded in 1952
Wandana				–	1922	1922-1924	0	-	Folded in 1924
Yalata				–	1960s	1964	0	-	Folded in 1964

Notes

1. Known as Ceduna-Smoky Bay until 1999 and Blues until 2022
2. Known as Murat Bay until 1933

Premiers

List of Premiership teams of the Western Eyre Football League.[4]

1909 Murat Bay 1910 Koonibba 1911 Murat Bay 1912 Murat Bay 1913 Murat Bay 1914 Murat Bay 1915-1921 Recess 1922 Koonibba 1923 Athenna 1924 Murat Bay 1925 Koonibba 1926 Koonibba 1927 Koonibba 1928 Koonibba 1929 Murat Bay 1930 No Competition 1931 Murat Bay 1932 Murat Bay 1933 Ceduna 1934 Ceduna 1935-1936 Recess 1937 Bookabie 1938 Ceduna 1939 Goode 1940 United 1941-1945 Recess due to WW2 1946 Ceduna 1947 Koonibba 1948 Koonibba 1949 Koonibba 1950 Ceduna

1951 Koonibba 1952 Ceduna 1953 Ceduna 1954 Koonibba 1955 Ceduna 1956 Koonibba 1957 Koonibba 1958 Rovers 1959 Thevenard 1960 Koonibba 1961 Koonibba 1962 Penong 1963 Koonibba 1964 Charra 1965 Ceduna 1966 Penong 1967 Thevenard 1968 Thevenard 1969 Thevenard 1970 Thevenard 1971 Thevenard 1972 Thevenard 1973 Thevenard 1974 Thevenard 1975 Koonibba 1976 Thevenard 1977 Koonibba 1978 Thevenard 1979 Koonibba 1980 Western United 1981 Thevenard

1982 Koonibba 1983 Thevenard 1984 Thevenard 1985 Thevenard 1986 Thevenard 1987 Thevenard 1988 Koonibba 1989 Thevenard 1990 Koonibba 1991 Thevenard 1992 Thevenard 1993 Thevenard 1994 Koonibba 1995 Koonibba 1996 Koonibba 1997 Blues 1998 Koonibba 1999 Blues 2000 Western United 2001 Koonibba 2002 Koonibba 2003 Western United 2004 Western United 2005 Western United 2006 Western United 2007 Western United 2008 Western United 2009 Blues 2010 Koonibba 2011 Koonibba 2012 Koonibba

2013 Thevenard 2014 Koonibba 2015 Thevenard 2016 Blues 2017 Koonibba 2018 Western United 2019 Western United 2020 Recess due to COVID-19 2021 West Coast Hawks 2022 Blues 2023 Western United 2024 Western United

Ladders

2011 Ladder

Far West	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Koonibba	11	0	1	0	1470	520	73.87%	22		1st Semi	Thevenard	11	13	79	Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues	5	14	44
Western United	9	0	3	0	1401	729	65.77%	18		2nd Semi	Koonibba	19	11	125	Western United	10	2	62
Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues	3	0	9	0	545	1539	26.15%	6		Preliminary	Western United	19	25	139	Thevenard	7	7	49
Thevenard	1	0	11	0	684	1312	34.27%	2		Grand	Koonibba	17	11	113	Western United	11	2	68

2012 Ladder

Far West	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Koonibba	10	0	2	0	1438	840	63.13%	20		1st Semi	Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues	14	12	96	Thevenard	10	11	71
Western United	8	0	4	0	1239	871	58.72%	16		2nd Semi	Koonibba	20	14	134	Western United	13	6	84
Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues	6	0	6	0	992	1154	46.23%	12		Preliminary	Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues	13	8	86	Western United	11	5	71
Thevenard	0	0	12	0	723	1527	32.13%	0		Grand	Koonibba	24	17	161	Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues	12	9	81

2013 Ladder

Far West	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Western United	8	0	4	0	1278	820	60.92%	16		1st Semi	Koonibba	36	17	233	Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues	11	9	75
Thevenard	7	0	5	0	1227	989	55.37%	14		2nd Semi	Thevenard	12	9	81	Western United	10	7	67
Koonibba	7	0	5	0	1347	1089	55.30%	14		Preliminary	Koonibba	19	17	131	Western United	6	11	47
Ceduna-Smoky Bay Blues	2	0	10	0	790	1744	31.18%	4		Grand	Thevenard	12	17	89	Koonibba	10	22	82

References

1. "Koonibba unveils 100-year team - Aboriginal Football". Aboriginal Football : The Indigenous Game. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
2. "Mid West Football League has folded". BigFooty. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
3. Country Footy 2010 Archived 2012-07-22 at archive.today
4. "A Grade Premiers - Western Eyre Football League".

Further reading

• Country Footy
• Encyclopedia of South Australian country football clubs, compiled by Peter Lines. ISBN 9780980447293
• South Australian country football digest, by Peter Lines ISBN 9780987159199