The competition will celebrate its 125th year at round 12 matches, with founding members Tatura, Kyabram, Shepparton and Mooroopna battling against each other highlighting the action.
The Bulldogs face the Bombers at Tatura Park, while the Bears and Cats clash at Deakin Reserve, with the quartet — alongside the Shepparton Ramblers and Undera — making up the initial clubs of the then Goulburn Valley Football Association in 1894.
At the league’s Hall of Fame evening this month its illustrious 125-year history was celebrated with a special presentation, and those commemorations will continue this weekend.
It gives the league and its supporters a great chance to look back on everything the competition has achieved since its inception in the 19th century.
But being able to do so easily — thanks largely to the interactive honour boards at AFL Goulburn Murray headquarters at Kialla — is an achievement in itself.
‘‘Freddo McMahon, who we recently elevated to legend status in the Hall of Fame, has been the man who realised it’s not much good having history if you don’t get out and display it,’’ league stalwart Don Kilgour said.
Kilgour has been involved with the competition since the 1960s and has seen plenty of history in the making himself, but highlighted a select few points in the league’s timeline that have made it one of Victorian country football’s powerhouses, including winning the inaugural Winfield Country Football Championships in 1978.
‘‘Since I’ve been involved — since 1968 — I think the most standout things that have happened is that a number of teams dropped off, like Nagambie, Murchison, Tongala and Rushworth, and were replaced by the likes of Rochester, Euroa, Seymour and Echuca, and later on Benalla and Mansfield,’’ he said.
‘‘It made a massive difference to the league.
‘‘The GV had always been the (lesser) cousin to the Ovens and Murray and Bendigo leagues, but beating Bendigo on the way to winning the first ever Country Championships after the new teams had come in showed that they made the competition stronger.
‘‘They gave the league the opportunity to be among the top leagues in the state and it has stayed one of those for the most part since then.
‘‘I think the league has settled into (a make-up of) teams who can be competitive, maybe not all of the time, but certainly some of the time.
‘‘Becoming a part of the AFL has been really important as well, that’s one of the other big things that I think has ensured the league’s future success.’’
Those in the Goulburn Valley have never shied away from leading the charge into a brave new world, highlighted by the league being the first to introduce numbers on the back of player jumpers to help identify them.
The organisation was also the first country league to appoint a full-time secretary when it moved Keith Wellman up from the part-time role he began in 1977.
‘‘The Goulburn Valley league hasn’t been afraid to do things that are innovative and new in football,’’ Kilgour said.
‘‘Operators of clubs and leagues change all the time and you don’t often have long-term people. The league was very lucky with Keith Wellman, (who was either secretary or general manager for almost three decades).’’
The GVFA became the Goulburn Valley Football League in 1913 before recently merging with the Goulburn Valley Netball League, which was itself established in 1983, to become one entity under the Goulburn Valley League title.
Reserves football began in 1950, with thirds following in 1966, while there is also a book on the league — Great Goals by Shepparton historian Ron Michael.
‘‘The GV deserves the credit it gets as one of the best leagues in Victoria,’’ Kilgour said.