The
Ovens & King Football League (
OKFL) was formed on 13 June 1903 after a handful of men met at The Bulls Head Hotel in Wangaratta to consider forming a football competition. One week later, the first matches of the Ovens & King Football Association were played. The competition changed its name to the Ovens and King Football League after the 1928 season. Today, more than 100 years later, teams from Benalla, Bright, Greta, King Valley, Milawa, Moyhu, North Wangaratta, Tarrawingee and Whorouly participate in seniors, reserves and five netball grades. Located in the rich
Ovens Valley and
King Valley of northeast Victoria, the league has produced a number of elite football who have gone on to play in the
AFL, including the cousins
Nigel (Brisbane Lions) and
Matthew Lappin (St Kilda/Carlton), ruckman
Mark Porter (Kangaroos/Carlton) and most recently
Michael Newton (Melbourne), Ben Reid (Collingwood) and Sam Reid (Sydney Swans). Community support is strong in the Ovens and King districts with crowds attending games usually greater than most neighbouring competitions. The local football is an important social outlet for many local communities and finals matches draw especially strong crowd numbers. In 2010, the league added Tatong, Swanpool, Goorambat and Bonnie Doon, who had previously played in the now-defunct
Benalla & District Football League. After four years of heavy losses, Swanpool and Tatong were thrown out of the competition by AFL County Victoria, ending nearly 100 years of tradition. A two-way merge proposed by the clubs was rejected, as was a transfer to the Picola District FL. In 2019 Glenrowan were forced into recess following a player, coach and volunteer shortage.
Names history == Clubs ==