These clubs are in prime position to taste unprecedented success in the search for premiership joy
These clubs are aiming to break their duck and win their first premiership in their current league. Find out who is in contention.
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For some clubs in Victorian football the premiership feeling has been hard to attain in recent years.
But it could change this season with several around the state in contention to finally gain the ultimate success after decades of trying.
We list the clubs which have never won a premiership in their current competition and how likely they are for a title this year.
We are only listing those who stand a reasonable chance of 2022 being the first year they can win the flag in their current league.
Sebastopol – Ballarat Football Netball League
The Burras have won premierships in their 129-year history but not one in the Ballarat Football Netball League (BFNL).
The club entered the BFNL in 1978 after playing in the Ballarat District Football League, since 1947, and the Clunes Football League.
In the 31 years of playing in the BDFL the Kookaburras won nine premierships.
Since being in the BFNL the team has made three grand finals, losing to North Ballarat in 1985, Melton in 2000 and East Point in the most recent grand final in the competition in 2019.
Sebastopol is currently fourth and is on a four-game winning streak, putting them in a good position to chase premiership glory.
Learmonth – Central Highlands Football League
The Lakies have not won a premiership in the Central Highlands Football since being a foundation member of the competition when it started in 1979.
Learmonth has won premierships before in three other competition -, the Learmonth Football Association, Burrumbeet Football Association and the Clunes Football League.
The team has got close in recent years in the CHFL, losing the 2015 and 2017 grand finals.
Learmonth is currently seventh and will play finals in the CHFL’s top eight format. They may need a Western Bulldogs-like run to make and win a grand final, but, stranger things have happened.
Skipton – Central Highlands Football League
The Emus have been successful in the past two decades, just not in the Central Highlands Football League.
Skipton moved to the competition after the Lexton Plains Football League folded at the end of the 2010 season.
Since entering the CHFL the team has struggled and has only made the finals once, in 2019.
This season Skipton, sitting in fifth position, is on track for its highest ever CHFL finish and could win its first ever final in a couple of weeks.
Pyramid Hill – Loddon Valley Football Netball League
It’s been a case of so close, yet so far, for Pyramid Hill in the Loddon Valley Football Netball League.
The Bulldogs entered the competition in 1995 and has made the top five most years.
In the last full season the team could have ended the drought but lost the grand final to Mitiamo.
They also made the grand final in 2011 but were unable to win.
This year it is in prime position again to get their first premiership.
Pyramid Hill currently sits in second but will face challenges from ladder leaders Marong and Mitiamo in the finals.
Lexton Tigers – Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League
Lexton have won premierships in other competitions but never won one in the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League (MCDFNL).
The Tigers entered the competition in 2011 after joining from the Lexton Plains Football League and have not won a premiership since.
In fact, it’s been 30 years since the team won a premiership, claiming the 1992 Lexton Plains Football League title.
The closest Lexton has got to premiership glory in the MCDFNL was in 2013 when thy roared into a grand final.
The Tigers currently sit eighth in the competition, the last spot in finals, and need to win both of their remaining two games to ensure finals action.
They would then need to win four games after the regular season to create their own history.
A tough ask.
Cohuna Kangas – Central Murray Football Netball League
If Covid didn’t interrupt last year’s season the Kangas might not be on this list.
Cohuna led the competition after 10 rounds, losing just once, before the Central Murray Football Netball League was abandoned for the season.
The Kangas haven been in the competition since 1997.
The closest they have been was in 2013 when they lost to Kerang in the grand final.
The team is in contention again this year for a premiership, currently sitting second on the ladder with 13 wins for the season.
The Kangas have one game to go before finals.
Fish Creek, Foster, Meeniyan Dumbalk United, Stony Creek, Tarwin and Toora and District – Mid Gippsland Football League
After the Alberton Football League dissolved in 2020 these six clubs moved to the Mid Gippsland Football League for the 2021 season.
So one of them could win for the first time this year.
Tarwin looks the most likely sitting two games clear at the top of the ladder with one game in hand.
Foster, who could end the regular season in second, is also a seious contender.
This weekend is the final regular round before the finals.
All clubs in the list have won a premiership in the old Alberton Football League.
Yallourn Yallourn North – North Gippsland Football League.
The Bombers could win two premierships in a row in two different competitions if successful over the next month.
Yallourn Yallourn North won the 2019 premiership in the Mid Gippsland Football League before transferring last year to the North Gippsland Football League.
The team started life in the new competition well, sitting in second before the season was cancelled due to Covid.
This year they are again the benchmark, sitting on top after just one loss in 15 matches.
They are two games clear of the rest of the competition heading into the final round this weekend.
Woodside – North Gippsland Football League
The Wildcats are another club rueing last year’s lost season because of Covid.
The teams was on top of the ladder when the competition was cancelled.
Formed in 2008 as a stand alone club, they have had moderate success, only making the finals four times before this season.
Sadly, they are winless in all finals so far.
Woodside is currently in fifth and will play finals later this month.
Geelong West Giants – Geelong and District Football League
The Giants entered the Geelong and District Football League in 2017 after the merger of Geelong West Sporting Club and Geelong West St Peters Football Club.
Currently in fifth, the team will play finals for the second time in their history after making it in 2018.
The recently combined team, counting the history of both former clubs, has won premierships before in the GDFL, claiming six titles as Geelong West Sporting Club.
Their last success was in 1987.
Congupna Football Club – Murray Football Netball League
It’s been a long time since The Road has been anywhere near the last day of the competition in the Murray Football Netball League (MFNL).
Congupna joined the MFNL competition in 1997 from the Tungamah Football League and made the grand final the next year in their only appearance in a decider to date.
The Road have won premierships in the Tungamah Football League, Benalla Tungamah Football League and the Kyabram District Football Association in their history.
The club has started to bounce back after lean years recently and sit in fifth, the last spot in finals, entering the last two rounds of the regular season.
The club is every chance of making the finals for the first time in 10 years.
Tongala Football Club – Murray Football Netball League
The last full season of the Murray Football Netball League (MFNL) was the closest Tongala has been to winning a first title in the competition.
Tongala entered the competition in 2006 after competing in the Goulburn Valley Football League (GVFL) from 1946 to 2005.
The team won four premierships in the GVFL with their last success coming in 1984.
Since being in the MFNL the team has only made the grand final once, in 2019, losing to Nathalia in the decider.
The Blues have a good chance of ending their drought this year and sit one game behind top spot in third on the ladder.
Portland Tigers – Hampden Football Netball League
The Tigers will make their first finals appearance this year in the Hampden Football Netball League (HFNL) since joining the competition in 2013.
The 146-year-old club has won premierships before, including eight in the Western Border Football League, but none so far in the HFNL.
Currently they sit in fourth and could finish as high as third, which would give them a double chance in the finals.
North Warrnambool – Hampden Football Netball League
The past few years for North Warrnambool has seen the club go close without getting to the ultimate glory in the Hampden Football Netball League (HFNL).
The team joined the HFNL in 1997 after forming as a club in 1986 and initially competing in the Warrnambool District Football League (WDFL).
The Eagles won a premiership in the WDFL in 1994.
Since then the club has been unable to win a premiership despite coming so close when making the grand final in 2016.
The team has also made preliminary finals in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
The Eagles are third this season and have put themselves in a good position to potentially win their first title.
Trafalgar Football Club – Ellinbank & District Football League
The Bloods made the move to the Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL) last year and are on track to have success in the competition in just their second year.
The team, created in 1888, sit third with two rounds to go and could move as high as second if results go their way.
Trafalgar moved to the EDFL after playing in the Mid Gippsland Football League for more than 50 years and winning nine premierships.
Their last success came in 2018.
Benalla All Blacks – Ovens and King Football League
This year provides the best chance for the All Blacks to win their first premiership in the Ovens and King Football League (OKFL).
Since entering in 2005 the team has been unable to translate their premiership success from other competitions into the OKFL.
The closest the team has got was in 2016 when it made the grand final.
This year the All Blacks are the ones to beat, losing just one game, and sitting three games clear of the rest of the competition.
Benalla hasn’t won a premiership since 1981 when it was in the Tungamah Football League.
Bonnie Doon – Ovens and King Football League
If the Benalla All Blacks don’t win for the first time in the Ovens and King Football League (OKFL), it might be Bonnie Doon who do.
The town, with all its serenity, might be famous for a certain movie but their football team has done all right over the past few seasons as well.
Bonnie Doon won seven premierships in the Benalla and District Football League before it was shut down in 2009.
Since then the club has been in the OKFL but hasn’t been able to win a premiership.
The team’s best performance so far was in 2016 when it made the preliminary final.
Currently they sit in second as the best of the rest behind the Benalla All Blacks.
Goorambat – Ovens and King Football League
Goorambat is another side who haven’t been able to win since moving from Benalla and District Football League into the Ovens and King Football League (OKFL) in 2010.
But it faces a stern test to break their duck.
Goorambat is fifth with one round to go and is guaranteed finals in the top six finals format.
The team could move as high as third if results go their way but the side faces the ladder leader Benalla All Blacks this weekend.
A likely loss puts Goorambat in fifth, or potentially sixth, which puts them in an elimination final in the first week of the finals.
Chiltern – Tallangatta and District Football League
The Chiltern Swans are in prime position this year to end their premiership hoodoo in the Tallangatta and District Football League (TDFL).
For the past 110 years the Swans have been able to win plenty of premierships, claiming 12 in the Chiltern and District Football Association and 10 in the Ovens and King Football League.
But since entering the TDFL in 2003 only dust has gathered in the premiership cabinet.
The closest the team has got was a nine-point loss in the 2006 grand final.
This year the Swans are on top, one game clear of the rest with two rounds to go.
The club is one of four in the competition to not win a premiership and will be the only side in contention to break the drought.
The other three clubs, Rutherglen, Wahgunyah and Wodonga Saints won’t make the finals.
Ararat Eagles – Mininera and District Football League
The Eagles are in prime position to not only win their first premiership in the Mininera and District Football but their first in seniors as a club.
Formed in 2000 the team has competed in three competitions without reaching the pinnacle.
The team started in the Horsham and District Football League before joining the Lexton Plains Football League until 2010.
It’s been in the Mininera and District Football League since and is currently on top, one game clear of the field with one game to go.
The team has been dominant, losing just once and having a percentage of more than 400 per cent.
Woorndoo-Mortlake – Mininera and District Football League
Similar to the Ararat Eagles, the Woorndoo-Mortlake Tigers have not won in the Mininera and District Football League (MDFL) after 21 years of playing.
The team was created in 2000 after Woorndoo and Mortlake merged, joining the MDFL in 2001.
Currently the team sits in fourth and is guaranteed a finals spot with one round to go.
But an elimination final will await the team in the first week of the finals.
Jeparit Rainbow – Horsham and District Football League
Formed in 1995 after a merger between clubs Jeparit and Rainbow the team has won just one premiership in their history, claiming the Mallee League title in 1997.
Since then, there have been fewer reasons to cheer.
They joined the Horsham and District Football League in 2015 after competing in the Mallee League for 18 seasons.
Currently in fourth, the team will make finals but need to overcome challenges from Rupanyup, Kalkee and Harrow who have lost just five games between the all season.
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