Australian Football

Wodonga

Wodonga was already a successful club when it joined the Ovens and Murray Football League in 1936 having won three premierships in the Chiltern and District Football League over the preceding half a dozen seasons. It soon proved competitive in its new environment, but breaking through for a flag proved problematical. In 1939, 1949, 1951, 1958, and 1960 the club was runner-up. Finally, in 1967 it claimed its first OMFL premiership with an 11.17 (83) to 9.11 (64) grand final defeat of Wangaratta Rovers. Another losing grand final followed in 1968 before the Bulldogs enjoyed further premiership success at the expense of Wangaratta in 1969.

The 1970s proved to be a barren decade as far as grand final victories were concerned. The closest the club got was runner-up to Wangaratta Rovers in 1979. The 1980s by contrast, proved quite productive with the Bulldogs contesting four grand finals for wins in 1981 against Albury and 1987 against Lavington. The 1987 triumph was especially memorable as Wodonga amassed an all time record score for an OMFL grand final and won at a canter by 107 points. Final scores were Wodonga 29.22 (196) defeated Lavington 13.11 (89).

The Bulldogs’ success continued into the 1990s which brought grand final victories at the expense of Lavington in 1990 and Corowa Rutherglen two years later. The 1992 triumph was followed by three successive grand final losses at the hands of Wangaratta Rovers (twice) and Albury.

Since the turn of the century Wodonga’s senior grade side has qualified for two grand finals, losing to Corowa Rutherglen by 35 points in 2003 and overcoming North Albury by 41 points a year later. Overall, the club has won seven senior grade OMFL premierships and finished runner-up a competition record thirteen times. Recent performances have tended to be somewhat unexceptional and the Bulldogs last qualified for the finals in 2009. In 2018 they slumped to the wooden spoon. Wodonga’s reserves meanwhile have fared exceptionally well, amassing the highly impressive total of nineteen flags from twenty-eight grand finals.