Avenel is located on the
Hume Highway in Central
Victoria, Australia, not far from
Seymour, Victoria and the
Avenel Football Club is an
Australian rules football club that was established in 1881 with evidence of a match against Seymour and many more games against other local towns up until the late 1890s when it first competed in the North East Football Association in 1898. Avenel first competed in the
Waranga North East Football Association in 1913. The club is known as the 'Swans'. The Swans have won 16 senior premierships in their history. Between 1956 and 1976 Avenel merged with Longwood and were Avenel-Longwood Football Club. The club currently competes in the
Kyabram District Football League, where it has been one of the more successful clubs winning six premierships over the last thirty years, including back to back premierships in 1978 & 1979 and 1984 & 1985. Avenel shares a fierce rivalry with neighbours Nagambie. With the two clubs' Under 18 football sides playing for the Tabilk Cup each year. The Cup is donated by the Tabilk Junior Football Club, where the junior footballers under the age of 16 from both Avenel and Nagambie play jointly for the one club. The Swans also share a rivalry, along with a piece of silverware with Violet Town; the Scott Kanters-Peter Ryan Cup, which the two clubs play for annually. The cup is awarded to the team that wins the game between the two sides each year. If the two clubs play each other twice during the home and away season, then the cup is contested when the team presently holding the cup hosts the other club. The most notable footballer of recent times to have played for Avenel Football Club is former AFL footballer
Barry Hall, who played 289 games with
St Kilda,
Western Bulldogs and
Sydney Swans, having previously played in the club's 1994 Under 18 premiership. ;Football Timeline • 1881 - 1890: An active club that played against other local teams / towns. • 1891 - 1912: North East Football Association • 1913 - 1938:
Waranga North East Football Association • 1939 - Club in recess • 1940 -
Goulburn Valley Football League • 1941 - 1945:
Goulburn Valley Football League in recess due to
World War Two • 1945 - 1946:
Euroa District Football Association • 1947 - 1955:
Waranga North East Football Association. • 1956 - 1975:
Waranga North East Football Association. Merged with
Longwood Football Club & were known as the Avenel / Longwood Football Club. • 1976 - 2024: Reformed as a stand alone club in 1976 & joined the
Kyabram District Football League. ==Football Premierships==