Jump to content

Victorian FIDA Football League

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Victorian FIDA Football League
SportAustralian rules football
Founded1990
AdministratorAFL Victoria
No. of teams28
CountryAustralia
Related
competitions
Official websitefida.org.au

The Victorian FIDA (Football Integration Development Association) Football League (VFFL or simply FIDA) is an Australian rules football based in Victoria. The competition provides people with an intellectual disability the chance play football at a competitive level.[1][2]

The league is mix-gendered and open to people aged 14 and over, with four regional conferences, the largest being in metropolitan Melbourne.[1][3]

As of 2022, FIDA has 28 clubs and approximately 800 players.[4] The competition is supported by the Hawthorn Football Club, Box Hill Hawks, Coburg Football Club and Williamstown Football Club.[4]

History

[edit]

Origins and formation

[edit]

On 18 June 1989, a football clinic for people with an intellectual disability was run by the Hawthorn Football Club and the Hawthorn City Council.[5] Hawthorn players Peter Curran and Rob Dickson were among those conducting the clinic.[6]

A skills and match day was held a year later on 21 October 1990 following a steering committee, where the "Football Integration Development Association" name was agreed on.[6]

The first FIDA matches were held on 7 March 1991. Six clubs – Chadstone Chargers, Werribee Blues, Mitcham Tigers, Hawthorn, Royal Magpies and Heidelberg – participated in the first round, with Broadmeadows and Keilor Saints joining the competition later in the year.[6]

The 1991 grand final was held at Glenferrie Oval, with Chadstone (who were undefeated for the season) defeating Mitcham 19.14 (128) to 2.5 (17). Former Hawthorn coach John Kennedy Sr, whose son Bernard played for Chadstone, presented the trophy and medallions.[6]

Four new clubs entered the competition in 1992, and it was expanded to a multi-division format with Division 1 and Division 2.[6]

[edit]

In 1993, FIDA established relations with the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), who agreed to house the FIDA co-ordinator at VAFA headquarters at Elsternwick Park. The VAFA agreed to promote FIDA, with the VAFA Umpires Association also supplying umpires to the competition.[6]

The links with the VAFA were formally established in 1995, supporting FIDA to grow further. The same year, Bendigo also entered the competition as its first regional-based club.[6]

Recent growth

[edit]

FIDA employed a General Manager in 2009, which saw the competition develop rapidly.[5] By the end of the 2015 season, FIDA had more than 600 players, and the running of the competition was taken over by AFL Victoria.[5]

No season was held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 season was curtailed because of COVID-19 restrictions.[5][7]

Clubs

[edit]

Metropolitan Conference

[edit]
Club Colours Nickname Est. First season
AJAX
Jackas 1957 2023[8]
Ballarat Bulldogs
Bulldogs 2016 2016[9]
Carrum Downs
Jets ???? ????
Coburg
Lions 1891 2017[10]
Cranbourne
Eagles 1889 2021[11]
Eltham
Panthers 1904 20??
Ferntree Gully
Eagles 18?? 2012[12]
Fountain Gate Gators
Gators ???? 2023
Kananook Bulls
Bulls ???? 2017
Keon Park
Tigers 1965 2024
Lower Plenty
Bears 1962 2016
Mazenod Panthers
Panthers 2005 2005
Monash Demons
Demons 2020 2020
Parkside
Devils 2017 2017
Ringwood Spiders
Spiders 1992 2021
Sandown Cobras
Cobras 2010 2010[13]
St Albans
Saints 1946 2015
Williamstown
Seagulls 2011 2011[14]
Wyndham Tigers
Tigers 2010 2010
  • Monash Demons was known as Mount Waverley Demons in 2020

Northern Conference

[edit]
Club Colours Nickname Est. First season
Benalla
Saints 1871 2024[15]
Echuca Moama
Rockets 2010 2010[16]
GV Stars
Stars 2014 2016
North Albury
Hoppers 1943 2023
Wangaratta
Magpies 1875 2021[17]
Wodonga
Bulldogs 1878 2???

Central Conference

[edit]
Club Colours Nickname Est. First season
Bendigo Suns
Suns 2018 2018[18]
Kyneton
Tigers 1868 2021
Rupertswood
Sharks 1999 2021

Western Conference

[edit]
Club Colours Nickname Est. First season
Grampian Giants
Giants 2017 2017
South Warrnambool
Hurricanes 2013 2013
Wimmera Whippets
Whippets 2016 2016
  • South Warrnambool was known as the Hampden Hurricanes until 2017

Former clubs

[edit]

Source: [6][19][20]

Club Colours Nickname Est. Seasons Fate
Bendigo Warriors
Warriors 19?? 1995−???? Folded
Broadmeadows
19?? 1991−???? Folded
Chadstone Chargers
Chargers 19?? 1991−1996 Merged
1997 with Mitcham Tigers to form Lions
Colac
19?? 1999−????
Footscray Underdogs
(Footscray/Sunshine)
Underdogs 19?? 1992−???? Folded
Geelong
1997 1998−????
Geelong Dragons
Dragons 2018 2018−2023 Folded
2023
Hamilton Boomers
Boomers 2019 2019−2022 Folded
2022
Hawthorn Centrals
Centrals 19?? 1992−???? Folded
Heidelberg
Bomers 19?? 1991−???? Folded
Karingal Bulls
Bulls 19?? 1992−???? Folded
Keilor Saints
Saints 19?? 1991−???? Folded
Lions
Lions 1997 1997−???? Folded
Mambourin Tigers
Tigers 19?? 1999−????
Marlins
Marlins 1996 1996−1997 Folded
1998
Maribyrnong
19?? 199?−???? Folded
Mitcham Tigers
Chargers 19?? 1991−1996 Merged
1997 with Chadstone Chargers to form Lions
North Ballarat
19?? 1999−????
Parkside
19?? 199?−????
Ringwood Blues
Blues 19?? 1992−???? Folded
Royal Magpies
Magpies 19?? 1991−???? Folded
Werribee Blues
Blues 19?? 1991−???? Folded
Werribee Toyota Crows
Crows 19?? 1992−???? Folded

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "FIDA". AFL Central Victoria. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  2. ^ "The Victorian FIDA Football League Is Australia's Biggest And Oldest Disability Football Competition". news.com.au. CODE Sports. 30 March 2023. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Clubs". FIDA. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b Lees, Oliver (4 June 2022). "Push to bring inclusive football to eastern Victoria for people with disability". ABC News. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "THE FIDA STORY". FIDA. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "History". FIDA. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  7. ^ Johnston, Andrew (17 June 2020). "Rockets will not launch in 2020". Shepparton News. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  8. ^ "All-abilities team makes its mark". Australian Jewish News. 9 June 2023. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Home Page". GameDay. Ballarat Bulldogs. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Home". GameDay. Coburg Football Club. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Cranbourne". GameDay. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Home". GameDay. Ferntree Gully Eagles. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Cobras side raring for 2024". Dandenong Star Journal. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  14. ^ "WSFIDA". Williamstown Seagulls FIDA Football Club. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2024. Williamstown Seagulls FIDA Football Club is a football club which was set up in 2011 to provide sporting opportunities for people with Intellectual Disabilities in the Inner Western suburbs of Melbourne.
  15. ^ Ruppert, Simon (6 May 2024). "Great day out at Benalla All-Abilities Footy Carnival". Benalla Ensign. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024. Subsequently, I've moved to Benalla and this is its first-ever team, a FIDA club
  16. ^ "Meet the Rockets, the all-abilities Australian rules team changing lives and a community". ABC News. 22 July 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024. The Rockets were born 12 years ago.
  17. ^ "Merriwa Magpies ready for 2022 Season". Merriwa. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Bendigo enters team into the FIDA Football League". AFL Central Victoria. 24 April 2018. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  19. ^ "CLUBS". FIDA. 5 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  20. ^ "The Amateur Footballer Week 3 1995" (PDF). Victorian Amateur Football Association. 22 April 1995. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.