Yarra Junior Football League Explained

Yarra Junior Football League
Formerly:Doncaster & Districts Junior Football League + Hawthorn Districts Junior Football League
Sport:Australian rules football
Founded:1997
Ceo:Tim Murray
President:Jeff Hooper
Teams:30
Venue:AFL Victoria
Continent:or
Continents:-->
Sponsor:Hiredepot, VRGF, TAC, Collingwood FC
Website:https://www.yarrajfl.org.au/

The Yarra Junior Football League (YJFL) is the largest junior Australian rules football league in Australia.[1] [2] [3] The league has a total of 30 clubs, who are based around northern, eastern and north-eastern Melbourne.[4] There is a total of 66 divisions throughout the league.[5]

History

The YJFL was formed through the merging of the Doncaster & Districts Junior Football League (DDJFL) and the Hawthorn Districts Junior Football League (HDJFL) in 1997.[6] The league began with a total of 4628 registered players. They were spread out between 180 teams and 25 foundation clubs.[7] Since then, the number of players is over double the original number, with 10,614 players participating in 2019. It has also grown to 508 teams between 30 clubs, as per data gathered in 2019.[8]

In 2000, the Heidelberg Tigers moved into the YJFL after a major club reform. Over the next ten years, 5 teams joined the league, those teams being the Preston Bullants in 2001, the North Brunswick Giants in 2005 (at that time known as the 'Bulls'), the Parkside Devils and certain divisions from the Ashburton Redbacks in 2006, the Boroondara Hawks and the rest of the divisions from the Ashburton Redbacks in 2008, and the Brunswick Dragons in 2010.

In 2011, the first Youth Girls divisions were launched, with some teams given the support of the AFL.[9]

In 2015 and 2016, the league witnessed spikes in growth after they introduced an under-8s competition and the new South Yarra Junior Football Club.

In January 2020, the presidents from the former Greythorn Falcons and Balwyn Tigers decided to merge their clubs into the Balwyn Greythorn Jets Junior Football Club, to create a more powerful club, as they were already located very close together.[10]

Clubs

Current clubs

ClubColoursMoniker Home groundFormer leagueJoined
YJFL
Associated senior club
AquinasBloodsJW Manson Reserve, Wantirna20132015Aquinas - VAFA
AshburtonRedbacksBurwood Reserve and Ferndale Reserve, Glen Iris19712006None
BalwynTigersBalwyn Park, Balwyn and Gordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North20232024Balwyn - EFNL
BanyuleBearsBeverley Road Reserve and AJ Burkitt Oval, Heidelberg19671997Banyule - NFNL
Beverley HillsLionsZerbes Reserve, Doncaster East19671997Doncaster East - EFNL
BrunswickDragonsGillon Oval, Brunswick19632010Brunswick - VAFA
Bulleen TemplestoweBullantsTed Ajani Reserve, Templestowe Lower19901997Bulleen Templestowe - VAFA
BundooraBullsN J Telfer Reserve, Bundoora19611997Bundoora - NFNL
CamberwellSharksLynden Park, Camberwell19971997None
CanterburyCobrasCanterbury Sportsground, Canterbury19971997Canterbury - VAFA
DoncasterCatsSchramms Reserve, Doncaster19681997Doncaster - EFNL
FitzroyLionsCox and Olney Ovals, Fairfield; Alfred Crescent and W.T. Peterson Ovals, Fitzroy North; Ramsden Street Reserve, Clifton Hill; Victoria Park, Abbotsford19931997Fitzroy - VAFA
Glen IrisGladiatorsT.H. King and Righetti Oval, Glen Iris19871997None
Hawthorn CitizensCitzVictoria Road and Rathmines Road Reserves, Hawthorn East; Glenferrie Oval, Hawthorn19921997Hawthorn AFC - VAFA
HeidelbergTigersHeidelberg Park and Warringal Park, Heidelberg20002000Heidelberg - NFNL
IvanhoeHoesIvanhoe Park, Ivanhoe19661997Ivanhoe - NFNL
KewCometsVictoria Park, Kew19711997Kew - VAFA
Kew RoversRoversStradbroke Park, Kew East19711997Kew - VAFA
MacleodEaglesMacleod Reserve, Macleod; Greensborough College, Greensborough; De Winton Reserve, Rosanna19681997Macleod - NFNL
NorthcoteCougarsMcDonnell Park, Northcote1962NFNL2020Northcote Park - NFNL
North BrunswickGiantsAllard Park, Brunswick East20052005North Brunswick - VAFA
Parade St DamiansSaintsBinnak Park, Watsonia North19791997None
Park Orchards
North Ringwood Parish
SharksDomeney Reserve and Stintons Reserve, Park Orchards19911997Park Orchards - EFNL
ParksideDevilsPitcher Park, Alphington20052006Parkside - VAFA
Preston BullantsBullantsH P Zwar Park, Preston20002001Preston Bullants - VAFA
RichmondTigersCitizens Park, Richmond and Kevin Bartlett Complex, Burnley19731997Richmond Central - VAFA
St Marys Greensborough BurrasWhatmough Park, Greensborough19731997St Marys - NFNL
Surrey ParkPanthersSurrey Park, Box Hill19941997Surrey Park - EFNL
TemplestoweDockersTemplestowe Reserve, Templestowe19691997Templestowe - EFNL
WarrandyteBloodsWarrandyte Reserve, Warrandyte19751997Warrandyte - EFNL
WhitehorseColtsSpringfield Reserve, Box Hill North19971997Whitehorse Pioneers - EFNL

Former clubs

ClubColoursMoniker Home GroundFormer LeagueJoined
YJFL
Final
season
Associated senior clubCurrent status
BalwynTigersBalwyn Park, Balwyn and Gordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North20012020Balwyn - EFNLMerged
2020 with Greythorn
Balwyn-GreythornJetsBalwyn Park, Balwyn and Gordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North201920202023Balwyn - EFNLMerged
2023 with Boroondara
Bayswater BombersBombersMarie Wallace Bayswater Park, Bayswater20122012NoneFolded
BoroondaraHawksGordon Barnard Reserve, Balwyn North200820082023NoneMerged
2023 with Balwyn-Greythorn
Chirnside ParkPanthersKimberley Reserve, Chirnside Park197820112015Chirnside ParkEFNLEFNL
East Brighton VampiresVampiresHurlingham Reserve, Brighton East194820152015East Brighton - SFNLSMJFL
East MalvernKnightsBasil Reserve, Malvern East198620112015East MalvernSFNLSMJFL
Eastern DevilsDevilsBulleen Park, Bulleen1999201120??Eastern DevilsEFNLEFNL
GreythornFalconsGreythorn Park, Balwyn North20012020NoneMerged
2020 with Balwayn
HealesvilleBloodsDon Road Sporting Complex, Healesville188820112014Healesville − OEFNLOEFNL
HighettBulldogsPeterson Street Reserve, Highett198820152015Highett - SFNLSMJFL
MontmorencyMagpiesMontmorency Park, Montmorency196819972022Montmorency - NFNLNFNL
Seville RangesRangersWandin East Recreation Reserve, Wandin East20??20112015Seville Ranges - VWFLFolded
20??
South YarraLionsLeigh Park, Balwyn North201520162021South Yarra - SFNLFolded
2022
St PetersBulldogsCentenary Park, Bentleigh East195720152015NoneSMJFL

Girls football

Beginnings

The first girls division was introduced in the 2011 season as a "Youth Girls" (under-18s) division, which had a total of 10 teams participating. This division also included teams from other leagues that did not have any girls-only divisions.[12] In 2012, a girls under-12s division was formed, with 5 clubs fielding teams in the division. The "Youth Girls" division grew to a total of 12 teams, up two from the year before.[13] One year later, an under 14 girls division was formed to help bridge the gap between the Youth Girls and under 12 girls divisions. It had a total of 4 teams participating in its first year.[14] The number of teams in these divisions nearly doubled in 2014, rising from 17 to 31.[15]

2019−present

After only 10 teams in the first year of female-only teams in the Yarra Junior Football League, the total spiked to 122 female-only teams in 2019. There were 2810 female players in the league in 2019, which meant that female-players made up just over a quarter of all players in the league.[16] There are now eight female divisions: Under 10 Girls, Under 11 Girls, Under 12 Girls, Under 13 Girls, Under 14 Girls, Under 15 Girls, Under 16 Girls and the Youth Girls.[17]

Community

North East Link Controversy

The Yarra Junior Football League community rallied against the controversial North East Link project, due to the removal of their headquarters, which was in the path of the proposed road.[18] The North East Link Authority proposed a new headquarters location at Ford Park, Ivanhoe, but met resistance from the league due to worries that Ford Park is too far away for many teams in the league.

Partnership with Collingwood

In early July 2020, it was announced that the Collingwood Football Club would enter a 'Major Community Partnership' with the Yarra Junior Football League. This partnership was formed as a part of an initiative to support grassroots football. Six main projects were announced as part of the partnership, including junior development programs to encourage participation in junior football, sport medical programs and research, fundraising events to raise money, support for talent pathways for junior players through to the elite levels, female football development programs and the development of projects to expand community facilities.[19]

AFL/AFLW players

Many players who went on to play in the Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (AFLW) began their football careers in the YJFL.[20]

Adelaide Football Club

Brisbane Lions Football Club

Carlton Football Club

Collingwood Football Club

Essendon Football Club

Gold Coast Football Club

Greater Western Sydney Football Club

Hawthorn Football Club

Melbourne Football Club

North Melbourne Football Club

Port Adelaide Football Club

Richmond Football Club

St Kilda Football Club

Sydney Swans Football Club

West Coast Football Club

Western Bulldogs Football Club

Notes and References

  1. News: Yarra Junior Football League confirms 2020 season start. Herald Sun. 17 June 2020. en.
  2. News: Australia's biggest junior footy competition to resume in mid-July. The Age. 27 May 2020. Colangelo. Anthony. 17 June 2020. en.
  3. Web site: To infinity and beyond…. 17 June 2020. en.
  4. Web site: YJFL Member Clubs. 13 June 2020. en.
  5. Web site: Fixtures YJFL. 13 June 2020. en.
  6. Web site: Yarra Junior Football League - About. 20 June 2020. en.
  7. Web site: YJFL Annual Report 2016. 21 June 2020. en.
  8. Web site: YJFL Annual Report 2019. 21 June 2020. en.
  9. News: Colts at gallop. Herald Sun. 24 May 2011. Kennedy. Joel. 20 June 2020. en.
  10. Web site: Message From The Presidents - Balwyn and Greythorn. 20 June 2020. en.
  11. Web site: Our Club . 13 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240316102810/https://www.templestowejfc.com.au/our-club/ . 16 March 2024 . In 2014 we changed our name to Templestowe Junior Football Club to reflect our new home and strong pathways program whilst preserving the proud ‘Heighters’ history..
  12. Web site: Yarra JFL 2011 Annual Report . Wayback Machine . Yarra Junior Football League . 21 March 2018.
  13. Web site: 2012 YJFL Annual Report. 20 June 2020. en.
  14. Web site: YJFL Annual Report 2013. 21 June 2020. en.
  15. Web site: 2014 YJFL Annual Report. 21 June 2020. en.
  16. Web site: YJFL Annual Report 2019. 21 June 2020. en.
  17. Web site: YJFL Girls Football- About. 21 June 2020. en.
  18. News: Premier asked to step in to end footy league's North East Link dispute. The Age. 30 October 2019. Colangelo. Anthony. 21 June 2020. en.
  19. Web site: Magpies support grassroots football. 2 July 2020. CollingwoodFC Media. 13 August 2020.
  20. Web site: CURRENT AFL & AFLW Players . Yarra Junior Football League . 13 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240713122523/https://www.yarrajfl.org.au/current-afl-players/ . 13 July 2024.