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Official name
Wallan Football Club
Known as
Wallan
Nickname
Magpies
Former name
Midland Rovers
Formed
1904
Colours
Black and white
Associated clubs
Wallan WFC
Affiliation (Current)
Riddell District Football Netball League (RDFNL) 1947–1953, 1965–2001, 2008–2024
Affiliations (Historical)
Bourke Evelyn Football League (BEFL) 1923–1931; Hume Highway Football Association (HHFA) 1935–1946; Panton Hill Football League (PHFL) 1954–1964; Northern Football Netball League (NFNL) 2002–2007
Senior Premierships
RDFL Division One - 1985 (1 total); Division Two - 1977, 1989, 1992 (3 total)
Postal Address
P.O. Box 127, Wallan, Victoria 3756
The Midland Rovers Football Club was formed in 1904 but does not appear to have taken part in any organised competition prior to world war one. In 1919 and 1920 the club played in the Mernda Football Association before embarking on something of a peripatetic existence during the remaining inter-war years. There were no premierships, but in 1927 Midland Rovers reached the Bourke Evelyn Football Association grand final which was lost by just 2 points to Whittlesea.
After world war two Wallan joined the Riddell District Football League and, with the exception of two brief interludes, it has maintained its affiliation ever since. The interludes were the period from 1954 to 1964 when the Magpies competed in the Panton Hill Football League, and 2002 to 2007 during which the club was a member of the Diamond Valley Football League and its successor competition the Northern Football League.[1] The 2008 season saw Wallan resuming in the Riddell District Football League, the only competition in which it has achieved senior grade premiership honours. Three of its premierships - in 1977, 1989 and 1992 - came in the now defunct RDFL second division, with the Magpies’ sole first division flag being procured in 1985 at the expense of Melton.
In recent seasons the Magpies have tended to struggle although there were promising signs in 2016 when they won 8 of their 16 matches to finish just one place adrift of finals qualification. A year later they improved slightly, winning 10 games to miss out on finals participation only on percentage before qualifying for the finals and ultimately finishing fifth in 2018.
1. The DVFL was replaced by the NFL in 2007.
John Devaney - Full Points Publications