The Ararat Football Club, nicknamed the Rats, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the city of Ararat, Victoria. The football team currently competes in the Wimmera Football League (WFL). History Formed in 1871, Ararat won eight premierships in the Wimmera and District Football Association during the early 20th century. From 1924 to 1928, they played in the Ballarat Football League. They did not return to the Wimmera league until 1930, as they were forced to sit out of the competition for a year as punishment for their earlier defection. From 1934 to 1936 they took part in Ballarat-Wimmera FL. The Wimmera Football League was reformed in 1937 and Ararat have participated since the beginning. They are the second most successful club in the league in terms of premierships, behind Horsham. Their greatest era came in the 1950s when they won four consecutive premierships, under former Essendon player Percy Bushby. Premierships Wimmera Football League (11): 1949, 1951, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1971, 1975, 1986, 1999, 2001 VFL/AFL players Ted Brown - AFC 1911-13, 20 games > Carlton 1914-20, 95 games Dave Crone - AFC 1913, 8 games > Fitzroy 3 games > Carlton 1917-20, 22 games Tom Byrne - AFC 1927, 18 games > Carlton 1929, 4 games > Hawthorn 1935-39 61 games Henry Thomson - AFC 1925-28, 58 games > Carlton 1930, 1 game Jim Williamson - AFC 1928, 30-31 38 games > Carlton 1930, 1 game Henry Ogilvie - AFC 1958-61, 64, 55 games > Carlton 1962-63, 2 games Tom Williamson - AFC 2014-15, 12 games > Carlton 2017-, 18 games Alan Young - AFC 1952-53, 19 games > Collingwood 1954, 3 games Barry Price - AFC 20 games > Collingwood 1966-75, 79, 158 games Lex Pritchard - AFC 1971-74, 23 games > Colloingwood 1976-77 3 games Neil Peart - AFC 1976, 80, 29 games > Collingwood 1982, 13 games > Richmond 1983-84, 86, 40 games > Footscray 1985, 9 games Chris Dalkin - AFC 1978-81, 86, 93, 61 games > Collingwood 1982-83, 85, 18 games William Harvey - AFC 1911 8 games > Essendon 1912, 3 games Doug Tassell - AFC 1967-69 84 games > Essendon 1969-70, 20 games Barry Grinter - AFC 1969 15 games > Essendon 1971-72, 74-76, 78 games > Richmond 1978, 6 games Lauchlan Dalgleish - AFC 2009-11, 12 games > Essendon 2013, 3 games Daryl Peoples - AFC 1962-65,