GNFL History

THE moment of conception for the Great Northern Football League (GNFL) or to be precise, the Great Northern National Football League (GNNFL) as it was originally known, was Wednesday, March 29, 1961. The venue was the Meeting Room of the Murchison Inn (Camel Bar).

There had been talk of a Geraldton-based competition for many years and truth be told, the steady population decline in the Geraldton hinterland which began in the 1950s and never reversed made it inevitable.

The first known suggestion of a Geraldton-based league incorporating Chapman Valley and Northampton was made around 1911 and there were, it is thought, steps taken towards this end. But that was 50 years ahead of its time.

In 1960, the year before amalgamation, there were several leagues in the Mid West or Victoria District as this region was then known. 

These were the Geraldton National Football Association (GNFA), which that year had five teams (but four prior to 1960), the four-team Northampton-Upper Chapman Football Association (NUCFA) and the three-team Mullewa Football Association (with another one or two sides previously). 

There was also contact with a Morawa-based competition that drew players from as far south as Perenjori.  An Irwin Football League existed in the ‘50s with four teams but died when the two Mingenew teams joined the North Midlands Football League leaving Dongara and Walkaway with no choice but to unite and enter the GNFA as Irwin in 1960.

Going back two years earlier, and on July 2 1959, NUCFA, Irwin and Dongara delegates in Geraldton for an inter-association carnival, met with GNFA officials at a conference chaired by GNFA president Jerry Clune.

The Dongara and Irwin party said they would not leave the two Mingenew teams (called Wanderers and Rovers) ’out on a limb’ as they were uninterested in joining because of the travel involved.

The Guardian reported, ‘The general feeling was the league must eventuate and that it would have the effect of stimulating both the standard of football and public interest.’ Indeed, some delegates felt it should start in 1960.

There were concerns NUCFL Life Members would be forgotten (they were in fact added to the GNFL list in 1962) but all agreed the Recreation Ground would be the league’s headquarters and grand final venue.

Another meeting was held on August 13 1959 when three of the four NUC clubs declined a union with only Northampton Towns in favour though ‘with considerable difference of opinion’ among its members.

The consensus of the other clubs was that ’It was doubtful the move would be of benefit to football in the (NUC) district, too much travelling would be involved and a number of players would be forced out of the game’ with four teams condensed into two.

But by 1961, the time was right to embrace the future and on that March 29 evening GNFA and the NUCFA representatives ironed out final terms.

NUC’s envoys were Trevor Pexton, Herbert Bridgeman, Doug Criddle and Owen (Tip) Reynolds. The GNFA’s delegation was Phil Cooper, Jim Hunt, Norm Cobley and George Norton.

The first season of the new GNNFL featured seven teams which as it turns out has generally been the case.  From Geraldton there were Railways, Rovers, Brigades and Towns plus Irwin while Northampton was formed from Northampton Towns and Northampton Rovers with Chapman Valley fused from Nabawa and Yuna.

There were other notable moments of development. On March 1 1961, NUC officials met one last time to discuss amalgamation and decided to retain a separate identity for a two-year trial.  It was also agreed 30 percent of profits from finals would be placed in NUC coffers.

Clune was elected president of the new league.  Popular and respected, he ensured the new competition’s first years were the foundation of many more.  He remains one of the GNFL’s greatest leaders and the league’s highest individual honour, the JJ Clune Medal, carries his name.

On March 6, plans for the new league were discussed in detail with the opening round set for May 7.  It was decided the first season would consist of two home and away rounds meaning 12 matches followed by the usual finals system with the Grand Final on September 10.  All finals would be at the Rec. 

This system was also used in 1962 but a still record 19 qualifying matches were played in 1963 when Mullewa came in.  The usual number is 16-18 with as few as 14.

Venues were Northampton, Nabawa, Yuna, Dongara, Walkaway and the Rec.  St Patricks College nominated two teams in the Seconds and matches in that grade were also staged at St Pats and Maitland Park.

Other meetings between the two leagues were held on March 16 and March 21 with Clune and senior vice-president Harry Walster convening with Nabawa and Yuna officials while junior vice-president John Rock, later to serve as GNNFL president for 12 years, and Jim Hunt met meeting with the two Northampton teams. 

The opening round of the inaugural competition was eventually moved forward to April 30 with a 3pm start for league games except where there were two games scheduled for the Rec in which case the first game was to start at 1pm.

There were two general byes programmed with the first on June 4 for the Annual Geraldton Football Carnival and the other on July 27 for the Northampton Football Carnival, later referred to as the Great Northern Football Carnival. Walster released the official draw on April 5.

Another important date is October 26 1961 when a Special Meeting of Club Delegates was convened to prepare a Constitution which was formally adopted on March 7 1962 at a gathering of 16 Club Delegates.  It was also decided to abandon the two year trial as 1961 had been a roaring success and both the GNFA and NUCFA were officially wound up.

So this October meeting was effectively the first for the new league and JJ Clune was again named President with Neville Calder and Stewart Cream and Senior and Junior Vice-President respectively. 

Much has changed since 1961. Irwin could not continue after 1964 but Mullewa’s admission in 1963, after the Mullewa Football Association folded, made up for that.  Mullewa was an immediate success playing a Grand Final in their debut season and winning one in their fourth year.  Their only regret was not joining earlier.

It’s worth noting, that with the inclusion of the Saints, the competition in 1963 and 1964 featured eight teams.  That did not happen again until 1995 when Dongara entered after a good run in the North Midlands Football League.  Though unconnected with the Irwin team of the ‘60s by anything more than geography, Dongara’s five years in the GNFL were generally unsuccessful.

Unlike Irwin, the club did not die but rather returned to the North Midlands where they again bumped along.  Dongara may have survived had they entered a few years earlier when they had better playing numbers and depth. Irwin Shire’s population is growing at a good rate and perhaps they will have another tilt in the future.

The other teams have remained constant though there have been moments of concern.  Mullewa nominated for the North Midlands Football League in 1972 but were rejected because of distance.  The Saints had not won a game that season and only two games in both 1969 and 1970.  But they endured, as did other clubs such as Chapman Valley and Brigades when they were battling.

It’s hard to make comparisons between now and then.  In the 1960s, there was no television and no AFL, and local football drew excellent crowds.  There were basically two sports for young men, cricket in summer and football in winter though basketball was also popular.

Back then, the WAFL was the big football competition. Sure, if you were good enough you might play in Melbourne in the VFL but getting into the VFL wasn’t easy because of certain restrictions plus there wasn’t huge money then and even the very best players were relatively poorly paid.

Therefore, making the grade with a WAFL club was regarded as a great achievement and many from the GNNFL have done so with Murray Wrensted winning the Sandover Medal in 1985.  

People followed their favourite WAFL side with passion but that has waned and today the WAFL is a second-tier competition with a primary aim of preparing prospective AFL talent.

The WAFL has had to adjust and so has the GNFL which however retains a special place in the Mid West.  Many have made the GNFL a success. Some are named in this book.  One who springs to mind is Eric Giles who managed GNFL representative sides for over 10 years and prior to 1961, looked after GNFA teams for many years.

Then there are administrators at club or league level, some who served for year after year like Clem Penniment who led Rovers through good times and bad for over 30 seasons.  Another is Tommy Smith who ran water for Railways for years.  Smith wasn’t capable of doing anything else as he got older but the players loved him.

There’s the umpires, what a history they have of their own, trainers, coaches, runners, Ladies’ Committees, players who do more than just play, sponsors and of course the real supporters who follow their side win or lose, first or last.

The GNFL still gets written and talked about and most importantly, loved. It has been a reliable producer of a surprising number of quality footballers and each year’s new talent is measured against those of the past and yet to be found wanting.​