Geelong Regional Football Association

Geelong Regional Football Committee ("GRFC") (previously Geelong Region Football Association (GRFA) and previously Western Victoria Soccer Association) is the governing body of soccer in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is a sub-committee of governing body Football Victoria (previously Football Federation Victoria).

It organises local Geelong community competitions which consist of Miniroos & MiniTillies from ages 7 to 9 years plus Junior Divisions from ages 11 to 18. Member Clubs also contain Mens & Womens teams; both Senior and Reserve team.

GRFC's representative squads compete in the Annual tournament of the Country Championships, an annual Junior tournament established in 1978 by the Country Leagues Football Association (CLFA). It attracts both male and female regional representative players aged 11 years to 17 years old, coaches, officials and spectators over 3 days of competition, to determine and crown State Champions. The Event takes place each year in June on the King's Birthday long weekend. Each year Geelong competes against teams from all over Regional Victoria including Bendigo, Shepparton, Moama-Echuca, Albury/Wodonga, Gippsland, Goulburn, Latrobe Valley, Swan Hill, South West Victoria and Sunraysia.

## GRFC clubs

[edit]

* Armstrong United FC
* Barwon Soccer Club
* Barwon Heads Soccer Club
* Bellarine Sharks
* Bell Park
* Breakwater Eagles
* Colac Otway Rovers
* Corio
* Corio Bay
* Drysdale SC
* Geelong SC
* Geelong Galaxy
* Deakin University
* Geelong Rangers
* Golden Plains FC
* FC Leopold
* Lara United
* Ocean Grove SC (formerly Surfside Waves)
* North Geelong Warriors
* Surfcoast FC

### Former Teams

[edit]

* Geelong Celtic FC
* Geelong United FC
* East Geelong FC
* International Harvester FC
* Industrial Service Engineers Pty Ltd FC
* Bacchus Marsh SC League Winners & Cup Winners 3 years in total played in WVSA
* Brintons SC
* Elcho Park Cardinals
* Kardinia International College
* Corio Cloverdale
* Lovely Banks FC

### Current ranking

[edit]

Position  | Team  | Division

|
|

1 | North Geelong Warriors FC | National Premier Leagues Victoria 2
2 | Geelong SC | National Premier Leagues Victoria 3
3 | Corio Soccer Club | Victorian State League Division 2 North-West
4 | Geelong Rangers | Victorian State League Division 2 North-West
5 | Surf Coast | Victorian State League Division 4 West
6 | Bell Park | Victorian State League Division 4 West
7 | Golden Plains | Victorian State League Division 4 West
8 | Lara Soccer Club | Victorian State League Division 5 West
9 | Deakin University | Victorian State League Division 5 West
10 | Barwon Soccer Club | Victorian State League Division 5 West
11 | Breakwater Eagles | Geelong Division 1
12 | Surfside Waves S.C. | Geelong Division 1
13 | Drysdale S.C | Geelong Division 1
14 | Barwon Heads F.C. | Geelong Division 2
15 | Corio Bay F.C. | Geelong Division 3
16 | Colac Otway Rovers F.C. | Geelong Division 3

## Timeline of football in Geelong

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (September 2024)

|

* 1884\. An exhibition match of by the Anglo-Australian Football Association is played between Carlton and Richmond club at Corio oval.[1][2]
* 1914\. Geelong City club is formed. Their first match is played against the Naval College team (Osbourne house, North Geelong).[3][4]
* 1914\. Geelong City play Fitzroy, then play Yarraville at the Federal Woollen Mills ground in North Geelong. A match is arranged with Melbourne Thistle at Baker's oval in Geelong West[5][6][7]
* 1920\. 'Some two thousand people' watch a charity match on Monday, 26 April, 1920. It was played at Geelong Oval between a team from the crew from warship HMAS Platypus and the Victorian Amateur British Football Association team Windsor.[8]

* 1923\. Geelong United soccer club is formed.[8]
* 1924\. Geelong United plays its first league match against Melbourne Welsh at the Hope Street ground in Geelong West.[9]
* 1926\. The Geelong and District Soccer League is formed. There are seven teams in the Geelong league: Geelong City, Ford Recreation Club, Valley Worsted Mills, Overseas Club, Queenscliff Garrison, HMAS Brisbane and North Geelong. Geelong United who were playing in the Melbourne competition are disbanded to get the league launched [10]
* 1927\. New clubs Caledonians and Union Jack are formed.

A football pitch used by the Federal Woollen Mills team in North Geelong. Photo circa 1925/1935

* 1929\. Federal Woollen Mills and Geelong Wanderers entered the league.

* 1930/31. The Great Depression takes hold across Australia. Only four teams remain in the league in 1930, the league folds in 1931.[11]
* 1934\. Geelong United is revived to play in the Melbourne metropolitan competition.
* 1950\. Geelong United, Geelong Celtic, International Harvester and Industrial Service Engineers play in the league. [12]
* 1952\. A club named Geelong was founded.
* 1954/1955 seasons that Geelong club became the IAMA club (Italian Australian Migrants Association).
* 1955\. Geelong Scottish formed - later to become Geelong Rangers.[13]
* 1956\. Corio SC is formed by German migrants
* In 1957 Footscray's Croatia club was brought to Geelong for a short period.
* By 1958 there were eight teams; British, Corio(German), Olympia 1 and 2 (Dutch), DSG (Dutch Society of Geelong), Ukrania, Scottish and Toldi (Hungarian).
* 1958\. Geelong Macedonia Soccer Club is established, based out of Harold Hurst Reserve in Herne Hill - later known as Geelong SC.
* 1959\. Bell Park Sports Club was founded by Frank Vanjek and Gino Tromba.
* 1964\. Brintons Soccer Club formed that would later become Breakwater Eagles.[14]
* 1964 and 1965. Bell Park are the undefeated champions.
* 1965\. West Geelong, the second local Macedonian club was formed.[12]
* 1967\. North Geelong Croatia is formed.[15]
* 1978\. Deakin Ducks Football Club established.[16]
* 1981\. Councillor Gerry Smith presided over the formation of The Association of Geelong Soccer Clubs. Aiming to create a National Soccer League team in Geelong.
* 1986\. Corio Bay Sports Cub (soccer and cricket) formed.
* 1987\. Corio SC merges with Geelong United.
* 1989/90/91. North Geelong win Division Two and then Division One of the State League.
* 1992\. North Geelong win the Victorian Premier League coached by Branko Culina.[17]
* 1996\. Surfside Waves is founded - later renamed Ocean Grove Soccer Club.[18]
* 1999\. Lara Soccer Club is founded.
* 2004\. Bellarine Sharks A.F.C.is formed.[19]
* 2008\. Barwon Heads Soccer club formed.[20]
* 2016\. Leopold FC is established.[21]
* 2016\. Geelong Galaxy United FC is formed.[22]
* 2018\. Armstrong Creek United enters the local league.[23]

## See also

[edit]

Australian football (soccer) league system

## External links

[edit]

* Official Website
* Football Victoria

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION". Geelong Advertiser. 2 July 1884. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
2. ^ "THE ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION". Geelong Advertiser. 8 July 1884. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
3. ^ "SPORTING". Geelong Advertiser. 18 June 1914. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
4. ^ "BRITISH v. NAVAL COLLEGE". Geelong Advertiser. 7 August 1914. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
5. ^ "BRITISH ASSOCIATION GAME". Geelong Advertiser. 4 June 1914. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
6. ^ "BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL". Geelong Advertiser. 25 August 1914. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
7. ^ "FOOTBALL". Geelong Advertiser. 12 September 1914. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
8. ^ a b "The Story of Football in Victoria: Part 4 | Football Victoria". www.footballvictoria.com.au. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
9. ^ Hay, Roy (1994). "Geelong Soccer between the Wars" (PDF). Investigator.
10. ^ "Geelong Soccer League Formed". Geelong Advertiser. 22 January 1926. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
11. ^ "The Story of Football in Victoria: Part 4 | Football Victoria". www.footballvictoria.com.au. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
12. ^ a b Hay, Roy (1994). "Post war soccer in Geelong" (PDF). Investigator.
13. ^ "Club History". Geelong Rangers. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
14. ^ Hui, Jin (30 January 2023). "Eagles set to fly to new nest". Geelong Independent. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
15. ^ "Club history". North Geelong Warriors Football Club. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
16. ^ "Club History". Deakin Ducks Football Club. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
17. ^ "Club history". North Geelong Warriors Football Club. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
18. ^ Oorschot, Vinnie van (7 May 2024). "Ocean Grove Soccer Club born out of name change". Geelong Times. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
19. ^ "Bellarine Sharks Soccer Club | PBDA". 9 May 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
20. ^ "Our Club". Kids & Adult Soccer - Barwon Heads Soccer Club. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
21. ^ "Our Club". FC LEOPOLD. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
22. ^ Reserved, Copyright The Corner Flag © 2020 All Rights. "Spiranovic unveiled as inaugural Galaxy signing – Corner Flag". Retrieved 3 September 2024.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
23. ^ Taylor, James (11 October 2018). "Armstrong Creek United earmarks home in new pavilion". Bellarine Times. Retrieved 3 September 2024.

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