Metropolitan and country zones

[Supermercado]

Thread for all zoning questions and information, but my opening request is a list of the country leagues that were zoned around the VFL in 1968. Have tried to source via the newspapers and have seen a general list of assigned leagues (see belong) but trying to find more information.

By 1978 the MFC annual report was showing "clubs from our zoned area" who won premierships in the:

Goulburn Valley FL (described as the 'major country zone')
Kyabram District FL
Riddell District FL
South-West Gippsland FL (don't understand this one because Berwick are shown as premiers - but that's where Michael Tuck came from, so not sure if they switched leagues or the boundaries changed between '72 and '78)
Federal Football League (though given this was a suburban league it wouldn't have been a specifically MFC zone).
Mornington Peninsula FL (assume same rules as Federal League)

By the 1984 report the leagues listed are:
Goulburn Valley FL
Kyabram District FL
Riddell District FL (2nd division - don't know why the 1st division premiers didn't get a mention)
Tungamah FL

By 1986 the Riddell District league had disappeared from the list and it showed Goulburn Valley, Kyabram District, Tungamah and Mornington Peninsula League again.
Mooroopna FL
Merrigu

There's a list on Wikipedia showing the major zones, but no indication of whether this was the situation from day 1 or whether there were changes. Also no mention of the lower leagues.

Bendigo Football League to Carlton
Western Border Football League to Collingwood
Wimmera Football League to Essendon
Hampden Football League to Fitzroy
Gippsland Football League and Latrobe Valley Football League to Footscray
Geelong & District Football League, Murray Football League and Mid Murray Football League to Geelong
Mornington Peninsula Football League and West Gippsland Football League to Hawthorn
Goulburn Valley Football League and Riddell District Football League to Melbourne
Ovens & Murray Football League to North Melbourne
Sunraysia Football League to Richmond
Riverina Football League to South Melbourne
Ballarat Football League to St Kilda

And on Metropolitan Zoning, which was introduced before the 1916 season, here's convoluted instructions for the original zone allocated to Melbourne, even though they couldn't use it until returning to the league in 1919:

Commencing at a point at the junction of Victoria-street and Elizabeth-street, thence easterly along Victoria street and Victoria-parade to Hoddle-street; thence southerly along Hoddle-street and Punt-road to the River Yarra; thence easterly along the River Yarra to the Gardiner's Creek; thence easterly along the Gardiner's Creek to Back Creek; thence easterly along Back Creek to Glen Iris-road; thence southerly along Glen Iris-road to Ferndale-road; thence easterly along Ferndale-road to Summer Hill-road; thence southerly along Summer Hill-road to Baker-parade; thence easterly along Baker-parade to the Outer Circle railway line thence southerly by the Outer Circle railway line to High-street; thence easterly along High-street to Boundary-road; thence southerly along Boundary-road and Warragul-road to the Gippsland railway line to its junction with the Outer Circle railway line; thence northerly along the Outer Circle railway line to its junction with the Glen Iris railway line; thence northerly along the Glen Iris railway line to the a point opposite Wattletree-road; thence westerly along Wattletree-road to the Caulfield railway line; thence northerly along the Caulfield railway line to High-Street; thence westerly along High-street to St Kilda-road; thence northerly along St. Kilda-road and Swanston-street to Flinders-street thence westerly along Flinders-street to Elizabeth-street; thence northerly along Elizabeth St to the commencing point.

 

[footyfan1978]

Thread for all zoning questions and information, but my opening request is a list of the country leagues that were zoned around the VFL in 1968. Have tried to source via the newspapers and have seen a general list of assigned leagues (see belong) but trying to find more information.

I am not sure leagues were assigned to a club as such. For example as a kid I grew up in Carlton zone in Yarra Valley but some people played at other clubs than Carlton from our league. Collingwood must have had a zone close to ours because Gordon Sumner up near Warburton and Damian Monkhurst played for Collingwood whilst Wayne Johnston from Wandin North played for Carlton. All from same league but a Carlton and Colingwood zone must have been somewhere in between.

 

[Supermercado]

I am not sure leagues were assigned to a club as such. For example as a kid I grew up in Carlton zone in Yarra Valley but some people played at other clubs than Carlton from our league. Collingwood must have had a zone close to ours because Gordon Sumner up near Warburton and and Damian Monkhurst played for Collingwood whilst Wayne Johnston from Wandin North played for Carlton. All from same league but a Carlton and Colingwood zone must have been somewhere in between.

Quite possible, but also have to rule out players who had their rights swapped by other sides. For instance Alan Ezard was a Melbourne zone player but we flogged his rights to Essendon for cash. Also Steve O'Dwyer was a Footscray metro zone player but came in the swap for Les Bamblett. Not saying any of the players above fit that criteria but it did happen.

 

[Jane Doe]

Thread for all zoning questions and information, but my opening request is a list of the country leagues that were zoned around the VFL in 1968. Have tried to source via the newspapers and have seen a general list of assigned leagues (see belong) but trying to find more information.

By 1978 the MFC annual report was showing "clubs from our zoned area" who won premierships in the:

Goulburn Valley FL (described as the 'major country zone')
Kyabram District FL
Riddell District FL
South-West Gippsland FL (don't understand this one because Berwick are shown as premiers - but that's where Michael Tuck came from, so not sure if they switched leagues or the boundaries changed between '72 and '78)
Federal Football League (though given this was a suburban league it wouldn't have been a specifically MFC zone).
Mornington Peninsula FL (assume same rules as Federal League)

By the 1984 report the leagues listed are:
Goulburn Valley FL
Kyabram District FL
Riddell District FL (2nd division - don't know why the 1st division premiers didn't get a mention)
Tungamah FL

By 1986 the Riddell District league had disappeared from the list and it showed Goulburn Valley, Kyabram District, Tungamah and Mornington Peninsula League again.
Mooroopna FL
Merrigu

There's a list on Wikipedia showing the major zones, but no indication of whether this was the situation from day 1 or whether there were changes. Also no mention of the lower leagues.

Bendigo Football League to Carlton
Western Border Football League to Collingwood
Wimmera Football League to Essendon
Hampden Football League to Fitzroy
Gippsland Football League and Latrobe Valley Football League to Footscray
Geelong & District Football League, Murray Football League and Mid Murray Football League to Geelong
Mornington Peninsula Football League and West Gippsland Football League to Hawthorn
Goulburn Valley Football League and Riddell District Football League to Melbourne
Ovens & Murray Football League to North Melbourne
Sunraysia Football League to Richmond
Riverina Football League to South Melbourne
Ballarat Football League to St Kilda

And on Metropolitan Zoning, which was introduced before the 1916 season, here's convoluted instructions for the original zone allocated to Melbourne, even though they couldn't use it until returning to the league in 1919:

Commencing at a point at the junction of Victoria-street and Elizabeth-street, thence easterly along Victoria street and Victoria-parade to Hoddle-street; thence southerly along Hoddle-street and Punt-road to the River Yarra; thence easterly along the River Yarra to the Gardiner's Creek; thence easterly along the Gardiner's Creek to Back Creek; thence easterly along Back Creek to Glen Iris-road; thence southerly along Glen Iris-road to Ferndale-road; thence easterly along Ferndale-road to Summer Hill-road; thence southerly along Summer Hill-road to Baker-parade; thence easterly along Baker-parade to the Outer Circle railway line thence southerly by the Outer Circle railway line to High-street; thence easterly along High-street to Boundary-road; thence southerly along Boundary-road and Warragul-road to the Gippsland railway line to its junction with the Outer Circle railway line; thence northerly along the Outer Circle railway line to its junction with the Glen Iris railway line; thence northerly along the Glen Iris railway line to the a point opposite Wattletree-road; thence westerly along Wattletree-road to the Caulfield railway line; thence northerly along the Caulfield railway line to High-Street; thence westerly along High-street to St Kilda-road; thence northerly along St. Kilda-road and Swanston-street to Flinders-street thence westerly along Flinders-street to Elizabeth-street; thence northerly along Elizabeth St to the commencing point.

Interesting article in the Herald Sun this morning about Gerard Healy, Gerard was saying if he was a year or 2 older he would have been zoned to Hawthorn. The zones must have been next to each other, as Hawthorn got the Matthews brothers from Chelsea, Moncrieff from Edithvale Aspendale, Melbourne got Stan Alves and the Healy brothers from Edithvale Aspendale

 

[rbartlett]

Sept 23 1967, country zoning was introduced. The clubs and names were pulled out of the premiership cup!
Here's the results. (from The Age, page 20, Sept 23 1967)

 

[Supermercado]

Sept 23 1967, country zoning was introduced. The clubs and names were pulled out of the premiership cup!
Here's the results. (from The Age, page 20, Sept 23 1967)

Fantastic, thanks very much for this. Good to know we had some interaction with a premiership cup after 1964.

 

[35Daicos]

There was discussion in 1939 regarding changing the boundaries, as some clubs weren't happy with their zones: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12120276


https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204428205 (2 March 1940)

 

[killer]

Early moves to consider metro zoning (1910)

FOOTBALL. - DISTRICT SCHEMES. - Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954) - 22 Jan 1910

At a meeting of the Victorian Football League, held on January 14, the question of District Football was considered, on the report of an informal committee of the League. ...

trove.nla.gov.au

DISTRICT FOOTBALL. - SCHEME GENERALLY APPROVED. - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) - 11 Jan 1910

The announcement in "The Argus" yesterday that a scheme of district football had been prepared by some of the delegates of the Victorian Football League was received ...

trove.nla.gov.au

Henry Skinner....

DISTRICT FOOTBALL. - SCHEME LAPSES. MR. SKINNER'S CRITICISM. - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) - 5 Feb 1910

Consideration was given at a special meeting of the Victorian Football League last night to the proposed scheme of district football details of which have already ...

trove.nla.gov.au

Henry Skinner's statue

Henry H. Skinner | Monument Australia

<p>The statue commemorates Henry Hawkins Skinner, (1851 - 1912), who was a caterer, sportsman and politician.<br /> <br /> Skinner built up a catering empire based, at first, on the supply of liquor to sporting events; eventually he acquired a monopoly of the Melbourne trade and came to be...

monumentaustralia.org.au

And a later call for Country Zoning (1935):

Co-operation Would Help To Revive Country Football - DISTRICT SCHEME SUGGESTED How It Could Be Worked - Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954) - 10 Aug 1935

In the interest of the Australian code of Football it is important that both city and country interests should get together in a round table conference if the game is to be restored to prosperity in Victorian country centres. ...

trove.nla.gov.au

 

[footyfan1978]

Quite possible, but also have to rule out players who had their rights swapped by other sides. For instance Alan Ezard was a Melbourne zone player but we flogged his rights to Essendon for cash. Also Steve O'Dwyer was a Footscray metro zone player but came in the swap for Les Bamblett. Not saying any of the players above fit that criteria but it did happen.

Yes, certainly there would have been plenty of players cleared to another VFL club via some inducement despite being from other clubs zone.
But Monkhorst was from Woori Yallock and Sumner Warby-Millgrove and both in same league as Wayne Johnston although he played there about a decade before them. Wandin North was where he was from so I think there must have been a border in there somewhere to have two players play for Collingwood in similar time period. But also Yea was in this league then and a long way from these towns so I suspect Yarran Valley Mountain and Districts Football League was not tied to the one club back then. Most of it was Carlton zone but I suspect the part closer to Warburton than Wandin was maybe Collingwood's to have two players there goto Pies.

Actually you just reminded of some rule I heard somewhere. If a club had not claimed a kid by 16.5 years old to their zone, anyone could have them. Maybe that is what happened to Monky possibly ? Meaning if they not playing in your under 19's team at some point they a virtual free agent at some stage when they are 19 or 20 ?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I am not sure leagues were assigned to a club as such. For example as a kid I grew up in Carlton zone in Yarra Valley but some people played at other clubs than Carlton from our league. Collingwood must have had a zone close to ours because Gordon Sumner up near Warburton and Damian Monkhurst played for Collingwood whilst Wayne Johnston from Wandin North played for Carlton. All from same league but a Carlton and Colingwood zone must have been somewhere in between.

Not sure but perhaps that particular location was a factor as it’s kind of on the fringe. Metro zoning was based on the players home address while country zoning based on the league. Maybe players around that area might’ve actually lived in a metro zone?

 

[footyfan1978]

Not sure but perhaps that particular location was a factor as it’s kind of on the fringe. Metro zoning was based on the players home address while country zoning based on the league. Maybe players around that area might’ve actually lived in a metro zone?

Monkhurst lived in Woori Yallock... He has never moved as far as I know...lol

Wayne Johnston still lived in Wandin North when he was playing with Prahran in VFA.

Gordon Sumner lived up in either Millgrove or Warburton.

All played in same league but obviously Dominator was in VFA in late 70's after he stopped playing for Wandin in Yarra Valley league.

Brett Ratten played for Yarra Glen and went to Carlton but cannot recall if Yarra Glen was in EDFL which would be considered suburban league or was in Yarra Valley second division.

Fraser Brown was from Lilydale. Also ended up at Carlton.

Ringwood was more Essendon suburban zone as Salmon came from that area.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Monkhurst lived in Woori Yallock... He has never moved as far as I know...lol

Wayne Johnston still lived in Wandin North when he was playing with Prahran in VFA.

Gordon Sumner lived up in either Millgrove or Warburton.

All played in same league but obviously Dominator was in VFA in late 70's after he stopped playing for Wandin in Yarra Valley league.

Brett Ratten played for Yarra Glen and went to Carlton but cannot recall if Yarra Glen was in EDFL which would be considering suburban league or was in Yarra Valley second division.

Fraser Brown was from Lilydale. Also ended up at Carlton.

Ringwood was more Essendon suburban zone as Salmon came from that area.

According to this, Yarra Glen left the EFL in 1984. A few years before Ratten’s time.

Affiliate Member History | Eastern FNL

CLUB NAME JOINED LEAGUE PREVIOUS LEAGUE GENERAL INFORMATION Balwyn 2007 - present Reporter District Football League, Southern FL Club formed in 1917 Balwyn Combined 1996 - 1996 Victorian Amateur FA Club disbanded after moving after only one season in EDFL Bayswater 1962 - present Croydon Ferntre ...

efl.org.au