Hampden Football Netball League - History

History

The Hampden Football League was formed in 1930, when the four founding clubs broke away from the Western District FL. Terang and Camperdown did not want to continue to travel to Hamilton because their players were farmers who could not spend all day away from the farm to play football, as they had cows to milk. Mortlake agreed with Camperdown and Terang and resigned from the WDFL. Cobden was left with a predicament, and requested admittance to the new league.

In 1933, South Warrnambool and Warrnambool joined the league, as takings at the gate had been greater when playing Camperdown or Terang that against any team in the WDFL.

Colac and Port Fairy were admitted in 1949. Memories for the politics that caused the rift in 1930 meant that the founding clubs were reluctant to allow the shift in power westward. So they allow one club to the west and one to the east. This was repeated in 1961, when they again admitted one western club (Koroit) and one from the east (Coragulac).

Colac and Coragulac merged to form Colac-Coragulac in 1980. In 1986 they dropped Coragulac from the club's name, then in 2001 Colac left the Hampden league to join the Geelong FL.

North Warrnambool were admitted to the league in the 1997 season.

In 1999, Mortlake and Derrinallum merged to form the Western Lions, however the club was not successful and folded during the 2000 season. Mortlake then attempted a new merger with Terang, which has proven successful and continues to the current day, with matches played in both towns.

In 2013 teams from regional centres Hamilton and Portland will compete.