The North Western Football Association was formed at a meeting at the Formby Hotel in 1894 and is the oldest continuously running football competition in the state of
Tasmania. The first clubs were
Devonport,
Latrobe, Mersey and
Ulverstone.
The NWFA was the senior football body on the coast until a break away group of teams formed the
NWFU in 1910.
The NWFA was then looked upon as a junior competition feeding the
NWFU and later the
TFL Statewide League until their demise and later the
NTFL teams.[1]
The competition has seen more than fifty teams participate in its history from all parts of the North West Coast indicating the rise and fall and changing fortunes of many towns throughout history. Clubs such as
Burnie Tigers,
Cooee Bulldogs,
Penguin, Mole Creek, Wilmot, Barrington, Don,
East Devonport, Moriarty, Sassafras, Melrose and Gowrie Park are among many to have played in the NWFA.
From mid-1938 until it went into recess during World War II, the NWFA played under
VFA rules, a code of rules established by the
Victorian Football Association as a rival to the national rules. This most notably meant that throwing the ball was legal during those years. The NWFA was one of the highest level competitions outside the VFA to play under those rules.[2] Upon its resumption after World War II, the NWFA returned to playing under the traditional rules.[3]
The Association currently operates as a nine club competition and the medal awarded to the Association's Best & Fairest player is the Les Hicks Medal.
Sheffield Seniors – 69.29 (443) vs Rosebery Toorak 0.0 in 2021. Rosebery-Toorak set an unfortunate new NWFA benchmark with an all-time low percentage in the 2021 season of 1.635% (68 points scored, 4160 points conceded in 15 games). 60% of their points were scored in one match against West Ulverstone, when they only lost by five goals. For the other 14 games, they kicked 1.0.6 four times, 0.1.1 three times, and went scoreless seven times. Their leading goalkicker was Nick McElwee with two goals, both against West Ulverstone. It was the only time he played for the club all year.[5]
Forth Reserves – 66.24 (420) vs Spreyton 0.0 in 2013.
NWFA Individual Goalkicking Record (Match)
Jamie Auton – (31) – East Ulverstone v West Ulverstone in 2006.
Note: This is a current Tasmanian state record.[6]
The North Western Football Association was formed at a meeting at the Formby Hotel in 1894 and is the oldest continuously running football competition in the state of
Tasmania. The first clubs were
Devonport,
Latrobe, Mersey and
Ulverstone.
The NWFA was the senior football body on the coast until a break away group of teams formed the
NWFU in 1910.
The NWFA was then looked upon as a junior competition feeding the
NWFU and later the
TFL Statewide League until their demise and later the
NTFL teams.[1]
The competition has seen more than fifty teams participate in its history from all parts of the North West Coast indicating the rise and fall and changing fortunes of many towns throughout history. Clubs such as
Burnie Tigers,
Cooee Bulldogs,
Penguin, Mole Creek, Wilmot, Barrington, Don,
East Devonport, Moriarty, Sassafras, Melrose and Gowrie Park are among many to have played in the NWFA.
From mid-1938 until it went into recess during World War II, the NWFA played under
VFA rules, a code of rules established by the
Victorian Football Association as a rival to the national rules. This most notably meant that throwing the ball was legal during those years. The NWFA was one of the highest level competitions outside the VFA to play under those rules.[2] Upon its resumption after World War II, the NWFA returned to playing under the traditional rules.[3]
The Association currently operates as a nine club competition and the medal awarded to the Association's Best & Fairest player is the Les Hicks Medal.
Sheffield Seniors – 69.29 (443) vs Rosebery Toorak 0.0 in 2021. Rosebery-Toorak set an unfortunate new NWFA benchmark with an all-time low percentage in the 2021 season of 1.635% (68 points scored, 4160 points conceded in 15 games). 60% of their points were scored in one match against West Ulverstone, when they only lost by five goals. For the other 14 games, they kicked 1.0.6 four times, 0.1.1 three times, and went scoreless seven times. Their leading goalkicker was Nick McElwee with two goals, both against West Ulverstone. It was the only time he played for the club all year.[5]
Forth Reserves – 66.24 (420) vs Spreyton 0.0 in 2013.
NWFA Individual Goalkicking Record (Match)
Jamie Auton – (31) – East Ulverstone v West Ulverstone in 2006.
Note: This is a current Tasmanian state record.[6]