Ballarat Football League

The Ballarat Football League (BFL) is an Australian rules football competition that operates in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia. 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 1934-36. [ [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/ballarat_football_league.htm Ballarat Football League] from Full Points Footy] .

The league features 11 senior clubs. North City Football Club have joined the league for the 2008 season raising the number of teams to 11. North City previously played in the Bendigo Football League for the past two seasons prior to joining. The BFL is also 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, East Ballarat, Golden Point, Lake Wendouree, Mount Clear, North Ballarat, Redan & Sebastopol). [ [http://www.bfl.vcfl.com.au/ Official Ballarat Football League] ]

The Ballarat Football League season normally commences in early April with the regular season matches finishing in 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 held at the Eastern Oval. The match regularly attracts crowds in excess of 5000 people.

Being the major Australian Rules competition in the region, the BFL receives substantial media coverage with match reports in Ballarat daily newspaper The Courier as well as match radio coverage on radio stations 979fm and Apple FM via the program BFL Game of the Round.

The Chief Executive Officer of the BFL is Rod Ward. Ward is a former BFL player with the Darley Football Club, later becoming Secretary of the club. Prior to his appointment to CEO's role in 2002, Ward worked for the Victorian Country Football League, the organisation that oversees the sport in country Victoria. The headquarters of the league, Saxon House, is located at the City Oval in Ballarat.

Current Clubs

*Ballarat Football Club
*Bacchus Marsh Football Club [http://www.cobras.bacchusmarsh.net.au/ Official Site]
*Darley Football Club
*East Point Football Club
*Lake Wendouree Football Club [http://www.lakers.vcfl.com.au/ Official Site]
*Melton Football Club [http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~coddie/ Official Site]
*Melton South Football Club
*North City Football Club
*Redan Football Club [http://www.redanfc.com.au/ Official Site]
*Sebastopol Football Club
*Sunbury Football Club [http://www.sfsc.com.au/ Official Site]

Former Clubs

*Army Football Club
*Beaufort Football Club
*Daylesford Football Club
*East Ballarat Football Club
*Geelong West Football Club
*Golden Point Football Club
*Learmonth-Waubra Football Club
*Maddingley Football Club
*Maryborough Football Club
*Military Hospital Football Club
*North Ballarat City Football Club
*RAAF Football Club
*Smeaton Football Club
*Waubra Football Club
*Wendouree Football Club

References

External links

* [http://www.bfl.vcfl.com.au/ Official Ballarat Football League website]
* [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/ballarat_football_league.htm Full Points Footy profile of the Ballarat Football League]
* [http://www.footypedia.com/00001059.htm Footypedia records for the Ballarat Football League]