SHEPPARTON & DISTRICTS JUNIOR FOOTBALL COMPETITION
History of League at 3rd August 2006
The Shepparton & Districts Junior Football Competition has been in existence since the early fifties and has run under different age groups and formats during this period of time.
In 1982 it was decided to play all games on a Sunday, to give boys the best possible conditions to play in whilst being such important years in their development and to also assist in availability of umpires.
In 1989 the League reverted to a school zoned competition with players having to play for the school they attend. This saw the inclusion of South Tech (now McGuire College), North Tech. and Shepparton High into the competition along with existing teams from Wanganui, Mooroopna, Tatura and Notre Dame. Tatura being given an exemption to the school zoning as they were already an existing team.
In 1991 the league was approached by the Goulburn Campaspe executive re expanding our competition to include the under 16 teams from their league. As a result of these discussions teams from Echuca, Kyabram, Rochester and Tongala joined our competition in 1992 along with a team from Seymour. Tongala were given a residential zone as they were an existing club and did not have a secondary school.
Seymour only stayed in the competition for three years due to lack of parent support and North Tech folded when the school closed. Since 1996 Kyabram have fielded 2 Under 16 teams and in 2001 Echuca started to field 2 teams in the Under 16 Division.
With the change to the age of children starting school, there has seen a decrease in the number of boys being eligible for the under 13 competition, hence seeing its demise in 2002. Most clubs now field two teams in the under 14’s with Notre Dame fielding 3. This has also created an 11-team fixture instead of only 6 in one division and 5 in the other giving teams more variety of opposition instead of playing the same side three times a year.
Over a period of time it has been noted that there is a drop out of boys going from the under 14 Division into Under 16’s mainly because boys felt they were too small. In 2005 it was decided to field an extra Division in the Under 16 age group, to encourage these boys to stay in the game. This has had an overwhelming response with Echuca, Mooroopna, Notre Dame, Tatura and Wanganui all fielding another side and McGuire also back into the Under 16 Division. There has also been an increase of new registrations in this age group. To date there has been an increase of 128 players into the League.
We believe, two years down the track, outlying Leagues will benefit from this program as there will be more numbers coming out of the Under 16 age group and boys having more confidence after playing in their own age group.
Although our clubs are school zoned, the parents of the players organize the management of clubs. Assistance from League clubs is always appreciated and this is most noted by providing players to be coaches and taking training sessions. Several people who have come through our ranks have gone on to be coaches in surrounding Leagues or taken on administration roles in senior Leagues.
Lucy Scott
Secretary
S.D.J.F.C.
HISTORY - 28 November 1999
- First formed asan Under-17 Competition in 1952 on Saturday mornings.
- In 1953 an Under-15 age group joint the Competition.
- 1964 saw the implementation of G.V.F.L. 3rds.
- S.D.J.F.C. continued with Under-16 and Under-14’s.
- In 1982 an Under-13 age group was introduced to the competition as well and the Competition was switched to Sunday afternoon football.
- In 1989 the Competition changed to a “School Based” Competition following an inquiry into Junior Football by the Goulburn Valley District Board in 1986 and a further internal inquiry by the S.D.J.F.C. in 1988.
- In 1992 the Under-16 age group expanded when it took in the Under-15’s from Goulburn Campaspe Juniors and an Under-16 team was also entered from Seymour.
- In 1994 Seymour left the Competition due to lack of support to administer the team, although still had plenty of players.
- In 1996 a second team from Kyabram was entered into the Competition.