July 3 2017, updated August 3 2020

(This report will be updated with further detail as more snippets of information is found)

Last weekend games were played between Moonacullah and Cummeragunga (also written as Cummeragunja) in Mathoura as part of the 2017 NAIDOC Football Netball Celebration Game.

NAIDOC Week runs from July 2 to July 9 with special events held throughout the country.

The earliest record on Trove of Cummeragunga was in 1890 and the last record was in 1946 when delegates for the club apologised for not being able to attend a meeting to re-establish the Echuca League competition.

Cummeragunga entered the Echuca League in 1939 and played Moama in their first game and were defeated 11.12 – 78 to 4.8 -32.

The side managed to make the finals that year but were eliminated in the First Semi-Final, sadly the competition ended in 1940 due to World War 2 taking away both players and crowds.

The earliest available record of Moonacullah was in 1914 when they took on Deniliquin Railway and were defeated 9.2 – 66 points to 8.8 – 56.

A 1922 report reported a meeting of the Deniliquin Football Association asking for Moonacullah and Cummeragunga to be excluded from competition.

A July 25 1924 report said Moonacullah were ‘Blue & White’ in their game against Deniliquin, a game they won 3.4 – 22 to 2.3 – 15.

Moonacullah in 1932 were accepted into the Deniliquin Football Association along with North Deniliquin (Blue & Gold) and South Deniliquin (Maroon with Blue knickers), Moonacullar colours were changed to Maroon & Blue.

Moonacullah defeated North Deniliquin 6. 9 – 45 to 5.12 – 42 in the opening match of the 1932 Season.

Later that season, a truck carrying members of the North Deniliquin team crashed on its way to play Moonacullah in Morago, the match was delayed until August that year.

Moonacullah and Cummeragunga played a special match between each other in September 1932 with Moonacullar winning 16.22 – 118 to 10.7 – 77.

Moonacullah went on the win the premiership against South Deniliquin 5.13 – 43 to 3.12 – 30 to become owners of the Peter Dawson Cup.

Cummeragunga got revenge on Moonacullah by 1 point in October 1932 winning 7.15 – 57 to 7.14 – 56

A game was played in July 1937 with Cummerangunga winning 8.13 – 61 to 8.10 – 58 after being down at half time.

Moonacullah  played Deniliquin in August 1937.

Moonacullah played Tatt’s Deniliquin and the Air Force in August and September 1941, Moonacullah lost the Air Force game 11.16 – 82 to 3.10 – 28.

The last online report on Moonacullah was in 1946 when they were defeated by a Deniliquin team, the end of records may be because the Deniliquin Independent ceased publication that year.

Fast forward 71 years to last Sunday and the two sides played each other again with Moonacullah winning both Football and Netball competitions in Mathoura, photos from all the action can be seen here.

We apologise for the lateness of our report as winter has bitten us hard forcing delays of a day.