The Geelong Football League is an Australian rules football league in Victoria, Australia. It is the highest quality league in the Geelong area, with numerous former AFL players playing for various clubs.
The league was formed in 1979 when twelve clubs broke away from the Geelong & District Football League. The city and country clubs of the old GDFL were divided into the major league competition of the GFL and the minor league of the GDFL. Many of the teams in the lower league wanted a system of promotion and relegation, which was fought by the GFL until the early 1980s when the Victorian Country Football League held a hearing in Melbourne. As a result, a trial promotion-relegation system was put into place on a voluntary basis. Today, the GDFL is opposed to the promotion-relegation system, with a three-division, three league competition of the Geelong FL, Bellarine FL and Geelong & District FL in place in the Geelong region.
North Shore - 11
South Barwon - 8
St Mary's - 4
Bell Park - 4
Newtown & Chilwell - 3
Lara - 2
St Albans - 2
St Joseph's - 2
Colac - 1
Leopold - 1
2016 Nathan Deans (Grovedale)
2015 Stephen Paulke (Bell Park)
2014 Guy O'Keefe (Leopold)
2013 Stephen Paulke (Bell Park)
2012 Tim Sheringham (Bell Park) & Daniel Lovick (St. Joseph's)
2011 James Byrne (North Shore) & Daniel Lovick (St. Joseph's)
2010 Ben Lavars (St. Mary's)
2009 Nick Batchelor (Bell Park)
2008 Torin Baker (St Joseph’s) & Paul Carson (GWSP)
2007 David Mensch (Grovedale) & Mark Corrigan (South Barwon)
2006 Tony Brown (Leopold)
2005 Christian Shaw (North Shore)
2004 Danny O'Brien (North Shore)
2003 Rick Wilde (Leopold)
2002 Rick Wilde (Leopold)
2001 Chris Huxtable (North Shore)
2000 Glen Wallace (South Barwon)
1999 Tom Hall (North Shore)
1998 Mark Stewart (St Albans)
1997 Ricky O'Toole (St Joseph’s)
1996 Matt Bruhn (Grovedale)
1995 Shane Korth (South Barwon) & Alister Ford (St Albans) & Jason McGowan (North Shore) & Glenn Keast (North Shore)
1994 Mark Dahlhaus (Leopold)
1993 Brian Hinkley (Bell Park)
1992 Rene Peters (Lara) & Dennis Pacor (South Barwon)
1991 Glen Keast (St Albans)
1990 Paul Keating (Nth Shore)
1989 John Williams (St Mary’s)
1988 John Williams (St Mary’s)
1987 Mark Dahlhaus (St Albans) & Paul Keating (North Shore)
1986 John Williams (Barwon)
1985 Basil Flynn (Newtown & Chilwell)
1984 Vin Todd (North Shore) & Rod Barrett (St Mary’s)
1983 John Pickering (St Peters)
1982 Brent Dew (St Albans)
1981 Alan Woodman (St Albans)
1980 Alex Rizun (Bell Park)
1979 Ray Pawley (Bell Park)
In 2015, The Geelong Advertiser football writer, Nick Wade, led a panel of some of the biggest names over the history of GFL footy, including Peter Kelly, Arthur Hodgson and John Fitzgerald, to compile 'the top 50 Geelong Football League players of all time' for those who had played at least 100 GFL games since 1979. North Shore and St Mary's onballer Frank Fopiani was named the best of the top 50 GFL greatest players.
2016 Jordan Erskine (Grovedale) 78
2015 Jase Perkins (St.Albans) 87
2014 Jacob McGuane (Colac) 78
2013 Shaydon Bloomfield (Lara) 96
2012 Russell Robertson (St. Joseph's) 69
2011 Russell Robertson (St. Joseph's) 80
2010 Dale Carson (St Joseph's) 56
2009 Tim McLean (St Mary's) 70
2008 Jarrod Garth (Bell Park) 86
2007 Dale Carson (Geelong West St Peters) 56
2006 Tim McLean (St Mary’s) 65
2005 Aaron Greeves (St Josephs) 84
2004 Jay Bett (Newtown &Chilwell) 64
2003 Zvonimir Suto (St Mary’s) 84
2002 Zvonimir Suto (Lara) 59
2001 Zvonimir Suto (Lara) 83
2000 Zvonimir Suto (Lara) 100
1999 Tom Hall (Nth Shore) 88
1998 Shane Lowther (Lara) 73
1997 Aaron Greaves (St Josephs) 86
1996 Wayne Tyquin (St Albans) 103
1995 Matthew Kershaw (Lara) 78
1994 Ian Tompkins (South Barwon) 74
1993 Ray Sarcevic (Bell Park) 107
1992 Wayne Tyquin (North Shore) 117
1991 Dean Holyroyd (Grovedale) 52
1990 Dean Holyroyd (Grovedale) 74
1989 Chris Doyle (St Josephs) 76
1988 Wayne Tyquin (St Albans) 114
1987 Russell Webber (Newtown &Chilwell) 86
1986 Russell Webber (Newtown & Chilwell) 95
1985 John Scarlett (Newtown &Chilwell) 104
1984 Bill Higgins (St Peters) 102
1983 Bill Higgins (St Peters) 103
1982 Kevin Higgins (Newtown & Chilwell) 131
1981 Ross Aylmer (North Shore) 89
1980 Stephen Bentley (Grovedale) 82
1979 Rod Aylmer (North Shore) 71
Cat Country - History of Football In The Geelong Region - John Stoward - ISBN 978-0-9577515-8-3
