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 at the helm.[2]
