Limestone Coast Football Netball League

Limestone Coast Football Netball League

Sport	Australian rules football
Founded	2023; 1 year ago (2023)
First season	2024
No. of teams	6
Country	Australia
Related competitions	SANFL
Official website	lcfnl.com.au

The Limestone Coast Football Netball League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Lower South East region of South Australia, and south-western border region of Victoria. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League. The league used to be regarded as the premier country football league in South Australia, and a leading country Victorian league, however the number of clubs and standard has declined in recent years.

In 1964, after almost a decade of discussions, the Western District Football League in Victoria and the South-East & Border Football League in South Australia merged to form the Western Border Football League. The founding 12 clubs were Casterton, Coleraine, East Gambier, Hamilton, Hamilton Imperials, Heywood, Millicent, North Gambier, Penola, Portland, South Gambier and West Gambier.^[1][2]

Hamilton and Millicent both had jumpers similar to Collingwood's, so an agreement was made that the team that finished lower on the ladder for 1964 had to change jumpers. Hamilton finished ninth, while Millicent finished 11th of 12, so Millicent was forced to change to the St Kilda strip.

Penola left and joined the Kowree-Naracoorte Football League in 1988; Coleraine left and joined the South West District Football League in 1995.

In 2011, the Heywood Football Club left the Western Border Football League due to the club struggling to compete with the larger town clubs in the league. Their first application to leave was rejected, so they were forced to go to higher levels at the VCFL to resolve issues between the League and the Heywood Football Netball Club.

In 2012, the Hamilton and Hamilton Imperials club merged upon recommendation from the VCFL and competed in the Hampden Football Netball League from 2013. Portland also transferred to the Hampden Football Netball League for 2013, leaving just 6 teams in the competition today. Casterton merged with neighbouring club Sandford (from the South West District Football League) in 2014.

When the VFL had zoning from 1968 to 1986, the league was allocated to Collingwood.

Some famous players that have played in the Western Border Football League have been Billy Picken, Matthew Clarke, Nick Daffy, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Mal Michael, John Mossop, Wally Lovett, and Brad Close.

In late 2023, it was announced that the WBFL would be wound up and replaced by the Limestone Coast Football Netball League for the 2024 season. It was also announced that for the 2025 season, one club each from the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League and the Mid South Eastern Football League would transfer to the competition.^[3]

Club	Colours	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in LCFNL	LCFNL Senior Premierships
							Total	Years
Casterton-Sandford		Cats	Island Park, Casterton	WBFL	2014	2024–	0	–
East Gambier		Bulldogs	McDonald Park, Mount Gambier	WBFL	1938	2024–	0	–
Millicent		Saints	McLaughlin Park, Millicent	WBFL	1946	2024–	0	–
North Gambier		Tigers	Vansittart Park, Mount Gambier	WBFL	1926	2024–	0	–
Penola		Eagles	McCorquindale Park, Penola	KNTFL	1865	2025–	0	–
South Gambier		Demons	Blue Lake Sports Park, Mount Gambier	WBFL	1926	2024–	0	–
West Gambier		Roos	Malseed Park, Mount Gambier	WBFL	1938	2024–	1	2024

Club	Colours	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in WBFL	WBFL Senior Premierships
							Total	Years
Casterton-Sandford		Cats	Island Park, Casterton	–	2014	2014–2023	0	–
East Gambier		Bulldogs	McDonald Park, Mount Gambier	SEBFL	1938	1964–2023	9	1965, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1988, 2017
Millicent		Saints	McLaughlin Park, Millicent	SEBFL	1946	1964–2023	5	1984, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023
North Gambier		Tigers	Vansittart Park, Mount Gambier	SEBFL	1926	1964–2023	9	1964, 1979, 1987, 1989, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019
South Gambier		Demons	Blue Lake Sports Park, Mount Gambier	SEBFL	1926	1964–2023	12	1974, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2015
West Gambier		Roos	Malseed Park, Mount Gambier	SEBFL	1938	1964–2023	3	1971, 2010, 2011

Club	Colours	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in WBFL	WBFL Senior Premierships		Fate
							Total	Years
Casterton		Cats	Island Park, Casterton	WDFL	1920s	1964–2013	2	1969, 1990	Merged with Sandford to form Casterton-Sandford in 2014
Coleraine		Maroons	Silvester Oval, Coleraine	WDFL	1900s	1964–1994	1	1967	Transferred to the South West District FL in 1995
Hamilton		Magpies	Melville Oval, Hamilton	WDFL	1874	1964–2012	4	1968, 1970, 1981, 2004	Merged with Hamilton Imperials to form Hamilton Kangaroos in the Hampden FL in 2013
Hamilton Imperials		Bulldogs	Melville Oval, Hamilton	WDFL	1948	1964–2012	6	1977, 1978, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2001	Merged with Hamilton to form Hamilton Kangaroos in the Hampden FL in 2013
Heywood		Lions	Heywood Recreation Reserve, Heywood	WDFL	1920s	1964–2011	0	-	Transferred to the South West District FL in 2012
Penola		Eagles	McCorquindale Park, Penola	SEBFL	1865	1964–1987	0	-	Transferred to the Kowree Naracoorte FL in 1988
Portland		Tigers	Hanlon Park, Portland	WDFL	1876	1964–2012	8	1966, 1985, 1986, 1991, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008	Transferred to the Hampden FL in 2013

• John Gill, Barry Gill, Max Rooke, Alan Richardson, Russell Johnston, Don Whitten, Laurie Nash, Reg Burgess, David Robbie – Casterton Sandford
• Brian Gray, Les Kaine, John Vickery, Eric Moore, Barry McKenzie, Michael Horsburgh – Coleraine
• Gary Lazarus, Simon Feast, Stephen Jankowicz – East Gambier
• Phil Walsh, Alan Atkinson, Paul Cranage, Tony Russell, Shannon Watt, Adam Campbell, Marcus Picken, Liam Picken – Hamilton
• Ian Ridley, John McMillan, Michael Edmonds, Mark Orval, Josh Thurgood – Hamilton Imperials
• Denis Zeunert, Billy Picken, Wally Lovett, Justin Perkins, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Mal Michael, Courtney Johns, Justin Perkins – Heywood
• Bob Clifford, Brian Roberts, Neil Sutherland, Mason Redman, Richard Nixon Andrew Nitschke, Triple League medalist – Millicent
• Nick Daffy, Dwaine Kretschmer, Glen Keast, Lucas Herbert, Nathan Stark, Brad Close – North Gambier
• John Mossop, Michael Graham, Colin Graham – Penola
• Stuart Spencer, Clyde Laidlaw, Peter Hogan, Leo King, Wayne Blackwell, Ian Hampshire, Winis Imbi, Brodie Atkinson – Portland
• Max James, Doug Long, Robin McKinnon, Oscar Adams – South Gambier
• John Yeates, Mark Yeates, Jason Walscgott, Tim O'Brien, Matthew Clarke, Robin White – West Gambier

• Encyclopedia of South Australian country football clubs compiled by Peter Lines. ISBN 9780980447293
• South Australian country football digest by Peter Lines ISBN 9780987159199

• Western Border FL on Facebook
• Fixtures and results on PlayHQ