North West Football Union


The North West Football Union was an Australian rules football competition which ran from 1910 to 1986. In its time it was one of the three main leagues in Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Football League and Northern Tasmanian Football Association representing the rest of the state. Burnie, Latrobe and Ulverstone were the most successful clubs with 12 premierships each.
The league disbanded after the 1986 season after major clubs such as Cooee and Devonport defected to the TFL Statewide League. In 1987 the NWFU merged with the Northern Tasmanian Football Association to form the Northern Tasmanian Football League, which exists today as the North West Football League.

NWFU premierships

Winners by year

YearPremiersYearPremiers
1910Ulverstone1952Wynyard
1911Mersey1953Ulverstone
1912Mersey1954Burnie
1913Latrobe1955Ulverstone
1914Devonport1956Ulverstone
1915Devonport1957Ulverstone
1916-19-1958Burnie
1920Latrobe1959Burnie
1921Diggers1960Burnie
1922Latrobe1961Cooee
1923Ulverstone1962Burnie
1924Latrobe1963Burnie
1925Devonport1964Cooee
1926Latrobe1965Cooee
1927Burnie1966Burnie
1928Burnie1967Wynyard
1929Circular Head1968East Devonport
1930Latrobe1969Latrobe
1931Latrobe1970Latrobe
1932Penguin1971Latrobe
1933Latrobe1972Latrobe
1934Devonport1973Cooee
1935Ulverstone1974Burnie
1936Devonport1975Wynyard
1937Burnie1976Ulverstone
1938Devonport1977Penguin
1939Burnie1978Cooee
1940-44-1979Wynyard
1945APPM1980Penguin
1946East Devonport1981Devonport
1947Ulverstone1982Cooee
1948East Devonport1983Smithton
1949APPM1984Cooee
1950Ulverstone1985Penguin
1951Ulverstone1986Ulverstone

Most premierships

ClubPremierships
Burnie12
Latrobe12
Ulverstone12
Cooee7
Devonport7
Penguin4
Wynyard4
East Devonport3
APPM2
Mersey2
Circular Head1
Diggers1
Smithton1

Tasmanian State Premiership

This was contested semi regularly between the premiers of the Tasmanian Football League, Northern Tasmanian Football Association and the NWFU.
The six winners from the NWFU were -
The Wander Medal was awarded annually to the best and fairest player in the NWFU, every year from 1948 to 1986. Prior to 1948, the league's best and fairest award was known under various names and given out semi regularly. From 1945 to 1947, an award was given to best and fairest player from the western region but the name of it is unknown. Len Hayes won it in the first two years and Alan Crawford the last.
Wander Medal
Cheel Medal
Royal Medal

Awarded only to players from the eastern region of the NWFU
Wright Medal

Awarded only to players from the western region of the NWFU
Alford Medal