The North Western Football Association was formed at a meeting at the Formby Hotel in 1894 and is the oldest continuously running football competition in the state of Tasmania. The first clubs were Devonport, Latrobe, Mersey and Ulverstone.
The NWFA was the senior football body on the coast until a break away group of teams formed the NWFU in 1910.
The NWFA was then looked upon as a junior competition feeding the NWFU and later the TFL Statewide League until their demise and later the NTFL teams.
The competition has seen more than fifty teams participate in its history from all parts of the North West Coast indicating the rise and "fall and changing fortunes of many towns throughout history." Clubs such as Burnie Tigers, Cooee Bulldogs, Penguin, Mole Creek, "Wilmot," Barrington, "Don," East Devonport, Moriarty, Sassafras, Melrose and Gowrie Park are among many to have played in the "NWFA."
From mid-1938 until it went into recess during World War II, the NWFA played under VFA rules, a code of rules established by, the Victorian Football Association as a rival to the national rules. This most notably meant that throwing the ball was legal during those years. The NWFA was one of the highest level competitions outside the VFA to play under those rules. Upon its resumption after World War II, the NWFA returned to playing under the traditional rules.
The Association currently operates as a nine club competition and the medal awarded to the Association's Best & Fairest player is the Les Hicks Medal.
Seniors Premierships※
List of NWFA Seniors Premiership teams.
1894 Devonport
1895 Barrington
1896 Barrington
1897 Devonport
1898 Mersey
1899 Mersey
1900 Ulverstone
1901 Mersey
1902 Mersey
1903 Ulverstone
1904 Mersey
1905 Mersey
1906 Ulverstone
1907 Latrobe
1908 Mersey
1909 Mersey
1910 Wesley Vale
1911 no details
1912 Don
1913 no details
1914 no details
1915 Competition in Recess Due to WWI
1916 Competition in Recess Due to WWI
1917 Competition in Recess Due to WWI
1918 Competition in Recess Due to WWI
1919 Competition in Recess Due to Influenza Epidemic
Sheffield Seniors – 69.29 (443) vs Rosebery Toorak 0.0 in 2021. Rosebery-Toorak set an unfortunate new NWFA benchmark with an all-time low percentage in the 2021 season of 1.635% (68 points scored, 4160 points conceded in 15 games). 60% of their points were scored in one match against West Ulverstone, when they only lost by five goals. For the other 14 games, they kicked 1.0.6 four times, 0.1.1 three times. And went scoreless seven times. Their leading goalkicker was Nick McElwee with two goals, both against West Ulverstone. It was the only time he played for the club all year.
Forth Reserves – 66.24 (420) vs Spreyton 0.0 in 2013.
NWFA Individual Goalkicking Record (Match)※
Jamie Auton – (31) – East Ulverstone v West Ulverstone in 2006.