Central Highlands Football League

The Central Highlands Football League (CHFL) is an Australian Rules Football League in the Ballarat region. The league organizes games for Senior, Reserve, Under 18, Under 15, and Under 12 grades. It is known for its passion, competition, and strong sense of community pride.

History

The CHFL was formed in 1979 from the merger of the Clunes Football League and the Ballarat Bacchus Marsh Football League. This merger brought together a rich history and created a strong, competitive league.

In 2011, the CHFL grew by admitting four new clubs from the Lexton Plains Football League, increasing the number of clubs to 18. In 2014, Illabarook changed its name to Smythesdale to better reflect the town where it plays its home games.

Clubs

Here are the clubs in the CHFL and some key details:

Current Clubs

Club	Nickname	Home Ground	Established	Joined	Premierships Won	Premiership Years
Ballan	Blues	Ballan Recreation Reserve, Ballan	1885	1979	2	1980, 1981
Beaufort	Crows	Goldfields Recreation Reserve, Beaufort	1880	1994	3	1995, 1996, 2018
Bungaree	Demons	Bungaree Recreation Reserve, Bungaree	1904	1979	2	1991, 2014
Buninyong	Bombers	Buninyong Recreation Reserve, Buninyong	1875	1979	1	2002
Carngham Linton	Saints	Carngham Recreation Reserve, Snake Valley	1969	2011	0	–
Clunes	Magpies	Ligar Street Reserve, Clunes	1869	1979	3	1979, 1993, 1997
Creswick	Wickers	Doug Lindsay Reserve, Creswick	1886	1979	1	1987
Daylesford	Bulldogs	Victoria Park, Daylesford	1877	2006	3	2007, 2009, 2012
Dunnstown	Towners	Dunnstown Recreation Reserve, Dunnstown	1894	1979	3	1994, 1998, 1999
Gordon	Eagles	Gordon Recreation Reserve, Gordon	1962	1979	3	1988, 2022, 2023
Hepburn	Burras	Hepburn Recreation Reserve, Hepburn	1919	1979	9	1985, 1986, 1989, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2017
Learmonth	Lakies	Learmonth Recreation Reserve, Learmonth	1889	1979	0	–
Newlyn	Cats	Newlyn Recreation Reserve, Newlyn	1900	1979	2	1992, 2003
Rokewood Corindhap	Grasshoppers	Rokewood Recreation Reserve, Rokewood	1932	2011	0	–
Skipton	Emus	Skipton Recreation Reserve, Skipton	1873	2011	0	–
Springbank	Tigers	Wallace Recreation Reserve, Wallace	1925	1979	5	1990, 2000, 2001, 2015, 2016
Waubra	Roos	Waubra Recreation Reserve, Waubra	1910	1979	4	1982, 2006, 2011, 2019

Former Clubs

Club	Nickname	Home Ground	Established	Years Active	Premierships Won	Premiership Years	Fate
Darley	Devils	Darley Park, Darley	1919	1979–1985	1	1984	Moved to Riddell District Football Netball League, now in Ballarat Football League
Korweinguboora		Korweinguboora Recreation Reserve, Spargo Creek	1920s	1979–1981	0	–	Folded in 1982
Smythesdale (formerly Illabarook)	Bulldogs	Smythesdale Recreation Reserve, Smythesdale	1925	2011–2018	0	–	Entered recess following 2018 season
Wendouree		C.E. Brown Reserve, Wendouree	1920s	1979–1994	1	1983	Merged with Ballarat YCW to form Lake Wendouree in Ballarat Football League

Records and Statistics

Here are some impressive records from the CHFL:

Highest Score: 436 – Gordon 69.22.436 vs. Smythesdale 1.1.7 (2015)
Most Goals in a Game: 22 – Paul McMahon, Springbank vs. Smythesdale (Round 17, 2016)
Most Goals in a Season: 149 – Ian McBain, Dunnstown (1982)
Most Wins in a Row: 32 – Dunnstown (1994–1995)
Most Losses in a Row: 83 – Smythesdale (Illabarook) (2011–2015)

Community Engagement and Future Plans

The CHFL is more than just football. It brings communities together, creating bonds and social opportunities. Matches boost the local economy and offer fun and excitement for everyone. Clubs like Waubra, Buninyong, and Daylesford have strong community support.

Looking to the future, the CHFL plans to grow and develop. They aim to create more opportunities for youth and improve facilities. The league also wants to increase fan engagement with innovative marketing and better matchday experiences.

The CHFL is committed to excellence in community sports and looks forward to exciting advancements for players, supporters, and stakeholders alike.

For more detailed information visit Central Highlands Football League Wikipedia Page.