Contents

Adelaide Footy League

Adelaide Footy League

Sport	Australian rules football
Founded	8 March 1911; 113 years ago (1911-03-08)
First season	1911
No. of teams	67 (Men) 17 (Women)
Country	Australia
TV partner(s)	Nine Network (2018)
Official website	adelaidefootyleague.com

The Adelaide Footy League, formerly known as the South Australian Amateur Football League (SAAFL),^[1] is a semi-professional^[2] Australian rules football competition based in Adelaide, South Australia. Comprising sixty-seven member clubs playing over one hundred and ten matches per week, the SAAFL is one of Australia's largest Australian rules football associations.

The league currently provides competition across eight Senior divisions with Reserves grades, accompanied by a separate C grade competition, all from Divisions 1 to 7.

History[edit]

The league was officially formed on 8 March 1911 and the first match was played on 6 May 1911. With the exception of recesses during the two World Wars, the competition has been continuous since that time.

The South Australian Football Association (later to be renamed to South Australian National Football League) had existed as a competition since 1877, but in 1897 was restructured on an "electorate system" where players were zoned to clubs on the basis of their residential address for electoral enrolment. Adelaide University Football Club was keen to field a team in the SAFA competition and applied each year from 1906 to 1910. Each time the application was rejected as it was felt the inclusion of a university team would threaten the electorate system.

In 1910 the Adelaide University Sports Association thought the case for admission to SAFA would be strengthened if the University had a team playing successfully in regular competition. It was felt that this could be achieved by forming a purely amateur league with other clubs not already in an association.^[3] By late 1910 Glenferrie, Marlborough and St. Bartholomew clubs had agreed to join with University to form the new association based on amateur principles. By 1911, as preparations were in hand for the inaugural season, the four clubs had become five with the inclusion of St. Francis Xavier. The clubs also had agreed to admit late applicant Semaphore Central for the 1912 season.

In that first season only three ovals were used for matches – Jubilee Oval (Adelaide), Price Oval and University Oval. Price Oval (now known as Hawthorn Oval) in Mitcham and University Oval (at the corner of Sir Edwin Smith Avenue and War Memorial Drive) both still exist today. The Jubilee Oval however was built upon by University of Adelaide in 1946.

Throughout the history of the league there have been many clubs join and leave the league. Affiliation peaked in 2001 with 72 clubs.^[4] Of the founding clubs, only Adelaide University remains.

The 2010 season marked the 100th year of the league, with the last day in September won by Henley, who won their first Division 1 premiership in history.

In 2017 the league decided to change its name from the South Australian Amateur Football League to the Adelaide Footy League.^[1]

Division 1[edit]

Club-by-club summary[edit]

This table summarises the total Division 1 premierships and grand finals from 1911 to 2023.

Notes

Grand Finals[edit]

The following list summarises the Division 1 Grand Finals from 1911 to 2023.^[6]

Current Clubs[edit]

The following table summarizes the member clubs of the league for the 2023 season.

Colours	Club	Nickname	Men's Grades	Women's Grades	Home Ground	Founded	Joined	Senior Premierships	Most recent
	Adelaide Lutheran	Bulldogs	6, 6R, C6		Park 21 (Mirnu Wirra), Adelaide	1969	1985	7	2019
	Adelaide University	Blacks	2, 2R, C2, C4, C5, C7, C8	3	Park 12, University Oval, North Adelaide	1906	1911	34	2010
	Angle Vale	Owls		3	Angle Vale Sport Complex, Angle Vale	1998	2020	0	-
	Athelstone	Raggies	2, 2R, C2,	5	Max Amber Sportfield, Paradise	1904	1996	2	2019
	Blackfriars Old Scholars	Hounds	5, 5R		Park 2, St Dominics Oval (Pardipardinyilla), North Adelaide	2005	2006	3	2014
	Brahma Lodge	Tigers	7, 7R, C6		Brahma Lodge Oval, Brahma Lodge	1962	1996	4	2021
	Brighton Districts and Old Scholars	Bombers	1, 1R, C1,	3	Brighton Oval, Brighton	1991	2017	4	2017
	Broadview	Tigers	1, 1R, C1,	1,1R	Broadview Oval, Broadview	1928	1964	20	2022
	CBC Old Collegians	Dolphins	3, 3R, C4		Park 15, King Rodney Park (Ityamai-Itpina), Adelaide	1978	1978	8	2023
	Central United	Bulldogs	6, 6R		Mofflin Reserve, Elizabeth Vale	1962	1995	2	2006
	Colonel Light Gardens	Lions	5, 5R, C5		Mortlock Park, Colonel Light Gardens	1931	1931	8	2007
	Eastern Park	Demons	6, 6R, C6	3	Dwight Reserve South, Elizabeth Park	1962	1995	3	2010
	Edwardstown	Towns	2, 2R, C2	5	Edwardstown Oval, Edwardstown	1919	2016	3	2005
	Elizabeth	Eagles	6, 6R		Elizabeth Oval, Elizabeth	1956	1995	2	2021
	Fitzroy	Lions	6, 6R,	4	Sam Johnson Sportsground, Renown Park	1987	1987	4	2019
	Flinders Park	Reds	2, 2R, C2	2	Flinders Park Oval, Flinders Park	1927	1933	14	2023
	Flinders University	Double Blues	7, 7R		Flinders University Oval, Bedford Park	1966	1966	5	2002
	Gaza	Eagles	4, 4R		Klemzig Oval, Klemzig	1921	1962	9	2011
	Gepps Cross	Rams	4, 4R, C4,	3	Duncan Fraser Reserve, Northfield	1952	1984	8	2006
	Glenunga	Rams	1, 1R, C1		Webb Oval, Glenunga	1954	1960	11	2019
	Golden Grove	Kookaburras	1, 1R, C1, C5, C7	1, 1R	Harpers Field, Golden Grove	1995	1996	6	2023
	Goodwood Saints	Saints	2, 2R, C2	1, 1R	Goodwood Oval, Millswood	1985	1985	15	2020
	Greenacres	Dragons	5, 5R, C5		LJ Lewis Reserve, Northfield	1967	1973	8	2023
	Hackham	Hawks	7, 7R		Hackham Sports Complex, Morphett Vale	1976	2016, 2021	0	-
	Happy Valley	Vikings		2, 2R	Happy Valley Oval, Aberfoyle Park	1951	2017	0	-
	Hectorville	Hounds	4, 4R, C4	2, 2R	Daly Oval, Hectorville	1961	1990	8	2022
	Henley	Sharks	3, 3R, C3, C5, C8	1, 1R	Henley Oval, Henley Beach	1906	1920	6	2017
	Hope Valley	Demons	3, 3R, C3	2, 2R	Hope Valley Sporting Club, Hope Valley	1906	1987	3	2019
	Houghton Districts	Raiders	6, 6R, C6	6	Houghton Memorial Oval, Houghton	1995	1995	1	1999
	Ingle Farm	Bulldogs	6, 6R, C6	6	Rowe Park, Ingle Farm	1968	1989	5	2023
	Kenilworth	Kookaburras	4, 4R, C4,		St. Marys Park, St Marys	1907	1924	8	2013
	Kilburn	Chics	4, 4R, C4	5	Blair Athol Reserve, Blair Athol	1923	1958	20	2023
	Lockleys	Demons	3, 3R, C3, C8	2, 2R	Lockleys Oval, Lockleys	1951	1986	3	2020
	Loreto OS			4	Campbelltown Memorial Oval, Paradise	2022	2022	1	2023
	Marion	Rams	5, 5R, C5	6	Marion Oval, Marion	1891	2018	1	2018
	Mawson Lakes	Saints	7, 7R		Mawson Lakes Oval, Mawson Lakes	1978	1993	0	-
	Mitcham	Hawks	5, 5R, C5	4	Price Memorial Oval, Hawthorn	1908	1968	4	1996
	Mitchell Park	Lions	7, 7R	6	Mitchell Park Oval, Mitchell Park	1969	2001	3	2015
	Modbury	Hawks	2, 2R, C2, C7	4	Modbury Oval, Ridgehaven	1862	1988	15	2016
	Morphettville Park	Roos	4, 4R, C4	1, 1R,	Kellett Reserve Oval, Morphettville	1958	2017	1	2021
	North Haven	Magpies	3, 3R, C3	5	Largs North Oval, Largs North	1935	1980	2	2021
	Old Ignatians	Iggies	2, 2R, C2	2, 2R	Park 25, Karen Rolton Oval (Narnungga), Adelaide	1972	1972	8	2021
	O'Sullivan Beach/Lonsdale	Lions	7, 7R		Lonsdale Oval, Morphett Vale	2001	2018	0	-
	Para Hills	Big Reds	7, 7R, C6, C8		The Paddocks, Para Hills West	1974	1995	4	2015
	Payneham Norwood Union	Falcons	1, 1R, C1,	1, 1R	Payneham Oval, Payneham	1995	1996	6	2019
	Pembroke OS	Kings	3, 3R, C3	3	Haslam Oval, Kensington Park	1932	1932	11	2022
	PHOS Camden	Phantoms	2, 2R, C2,		Camden Oval, Novar Gardens	1994	1994	8	2015
	Plympton	Bulldogs	4, 4R, C4		Plympton Oval, Plympton Park	1937	1996	3	2023
	Pooraka	Bulls	4, 4R		Lindblom Park, Pooraka	1920	1996	4	2021
	Port District	Magpies	1, 1R, C1, C7	3	Largs Reserve, Largs Bay	1979	1984	9	2022
	Portland	Thunder	5, 5R		Allen Iversen Reserve, Port Adelaide	1997	1997	3	2013
	Prince Alfred OC	Reds	1, 1R, C1, C7, C8		Park 9, Bundey's Paddock (Tidlangga), North Adelaide	1926	1926	13	2023
	Pulteney	Navy Blues	5, 5R	3	Park 20, Morgan Oval, Adelaide	1936	1936	11	2017
	Rosewater	Bulldogs	6, 6R, C7		Eric Sutton Reserve, Rosewater	1885	1949	8	2003
	Rostrevor OC	ROCS	2, 2R, C2, C8		Campbelltown Memorial Oval, Paradise	1923	1974	12	2017
	Sacred Heart OC	SHOCs	1, 1R, C1, C8		Sacred Heart College Champagnat Campus, Mitchell Park	1968	1968	4	2011
	Salisbury	Magpies	6, 6R, C6	5	Salisbury Oval, Salisbury	1883	1995	3	2007
	Salisbury North	Hawks	2, 2R, C2	6	Salisbury North Oval, Salisbury North	1953	1996	1	1998
	Scotch OC	None	3, 3R, C3	4	Scotch College Oval, Torrens Park	1929	1929	10	2018
	Seaton Ramblers	Rams	3, 3R, C3		Pedlar Oval, Seaton	1958	1961	8	2006
	Smithfield	Panthers	7, 7R	6	Smithfield Oval, Smithfield	1965	1995	2	2015
	SMOSH West Lakes	Lions	3, 3R, C3	1, 1R	Jubilee Reserve, West Lakes Shore	1996	1996	3	2007
	St Paul's OS	SPOS, Saints	6, 6R, C6		St. Paul's College, Gilles Plains	2015	2015	0	-
	St. Peters OC	SPOCs	1, 1R, C1, C7		The Caterer Oval, St Peter's College, Hackney	1928	1928	14	2018
	Tea Tree Gully	Gullies, Wolves	1, 1R, C1, C7	2, 2R	Pertaringa Oval, Banksia Park	1862	1988	8	2020
	Trinity OS	Lions	5, 5R, C5		Trinity College Gawler Campus, Evanston South	2006	2006	2	2022
	Unley Mercedes Jets	Jets	3, 3R, C3		Kingswood Oval, Kingswood	1970	1970	5	2015
	Walkerville	Cats	4, 4R, C4		Walkerville Oval, Walkerville	1901	1936	14	2020
	West Croydon	Hawks	5, 5R C5	5	Fawk Reserve, Athol Park	1961	1974	6	2010
	Westminster OS	Dragons	4, 4R	2	Glandore Oval, Glandore	1969	1969	6	2016
	Woodville South	Cats	5, 5R, C5	4	Ledger Reserve, Woodville South	1890	1979	10	2016

2024 Adelaide Footy League Division 1[edit]

Brighton Bombers

The following 10 clubs are competing in Division 1 of the Adelaide Footy League 2024 season.

Controversy[edit]

Violence and abuse[edit]

The league has received media publicity over a number of incidents occurring at matches in recent years.

2005

• After the 2005 Division 4 Grand Final, Salisbury West forfeited promotion, had premiership points deducted for the 2006 season and five players received a total of 38 games suspension following a number of violent incidents during their heavy loss to Payneham Norwood Union.^[12]

2011

• Spectators at West Croydon were approached by sex workers during junior games to offer their services.^[13]

2012

• 19 May – Police were called after a spectator wielded a knife and another used a broken beer bottle as a weapon in a fight during a match between Ingle Farm and Trinity Old Scholars. Ingle Farm had to hire security guards and ban drinking in certain areas for their remaining home games of the season.^[14]
• 10 June – Three players were allegedly involved in an incident where their names were signed in permanent marker on a bar whilst representing the SAAFL in Tasmania as part of the Under-23 representative team.^[15]

2013

• 25 May: An alleged brawl involving up to 20 people occurred in the car park during a match involving Smithfield and Ingle Farm.^[16]
• 25 May: A Westminster Old Scholars player was allegedly attacked with a glass bottle during a match.^[16]
• 1 June: A Central United player was banned for life following a 'disgusting' act where he smeared faeces on the door of the umpires' changeroom following a match against Blackfriars Old Scholars.^[17]
• June: One player was sentenced to eight months jail following a "coward punch" against an opponent in a C2 Division match between Adelaide Lutheran and Seaton Ramblers.^[18]
• 15 June: Aboriginal Salisbury North coach Eugene Warrior was racially abused by a Henley supporter.^[19]
• 20 July: Two Smithfield players reported for striking a player and abusing umpires resulted in the Smithfield club being suspended from the league for the rest of the season.^[20]
• 7 September: Police were called after the Division 7 Grand Final between Ingle Farm and Angle Vale was called off with 10 minutes remaining when a wild brawl broke out between spectators.^[21]
• 27 September: A Salisbury North player was banned for life as a result of an incident in the Division 1 Grand Final, and two other Salisbury North players were also suspended.^[22][23]
• Central United had 10 Category A reports during the season, resulting in a combined total of 36 games suspension, with one player banned for life.^[24]
• Salisbury North had eight suspensions for a total of 35 games.^[24]
• Salisbury West punished three players who abused umpires by forcing them to officiate games without pay.^[24]

2014

• Smithfield were reinstated to the competition with stipulations around player behaviour. An incident in its Under 18 team involving umpire abuse and intimidation resulted in that team being withdrawn. Its coach was suspended for 18 months, one player was suspended for 8 matches, two other players suspended for four and two games. The club was also fined $2,000, and the A-Grade and B-Grade teams were penalised 8 premiership points each.^[25][26]
• Central United were deducted nine premiership points as a result of a player being suspended for spitting at and striking another player in a game played on 19 July 2014 against Blackfriars Old Scholars.^[27]
• Salisbury and Ingle Farm's Under 18 teams were each deducted six premiership points for involvement in a wild melee.^[27]
• A North Pines player was suspended for 32 weeks, resulting in a life ban, for attempting to headbutt, threatening and abusing an umpire and racial vilification during a Division 7 Semi-Final against Adelaide University. The match resulted in a forfeit after the North Pines team walked off the field to protest the umpiring and three of its players being reported.^[28] The team's coach was suspended for 12 months, every North Pines player was suspended for 4 games (suspended until the end of the 2017 season) and North Pines was fined $2000.^[29]

2015

• An Eastern Park player was suspended for ten weeks for recklessly knocking out an umpire's tooth in an on-field collision on 12 April 2015.^[30]
• Ingle Farm were forced to forfeit their C4 game against Pulteney on 9 May 2015 as a result of the club having no players available to play after a bench clearing brawl against Rosewater the previous week.^[31] One Ingle Farm player was banned for life after being identified as the instigator by the league's investigation committee.^[32]
• Salisbury's Under-18 Coach was suspended for the rest of 2015 and all of 2016 for failing to stop a melee that occurred during an Under-18 game against Mitcham on 10 May 2015, and for misleading the tribunal during the investigation. The club was also fined $500, one player suspended for six games, and the team was forced to forfeit its following two games due to lack of players.^[33]
• A Rosewater player was suspended for four matches for abusing and threatening an umpire during their 13 June game against Pulteney.^[34]
• Salisbury North were deducted eight premiership points for each of their teams and fined $4,000 following an incident in a C-Grade game against Plympton on 18 July. A player was suspended for 10 games for striking and misconduct, and the C-Grade team was suspended for the remainder of the season.^[35]
• Four people were arrested, including two allegedly armed with knives, following a brawl between two warring families during a junior game between Rosewater and West Croydon.^[36]
• Eastern Park and Salisbury West forfeited their junior games for one week as a result of an incident involving shoving and verbal abuse between parents from both clubs at an under-12 game on 2 August.^[37]

2016

• A Rosewater player was suspended for eight games for abusing and threatening an umpire during their 18 June game against CBC Old Collegians.^[34]
• A Rosewater player was suspended for 20 years and the club suspended from the competition after he pleaded guilty to striking an umpire in a Division 5 game against Blackfriars Old Scholars on 16 July.^[34][38] Another player was reported for undue rough play in the same game and refused to leave the ground until the umpire asked the Rosewater coach to remove him from the ground.^[34] Further controversy occurred the following weekend when a picture showing players doing an obscene hand gesture with a caption reading "f*** u saafl" was posted by a senior player to social media.^[39]

2017

• North Pines avoided expulsion from the league after a club official ran onto the field during play and twice punched an opposition player. The official was suspended for seven years, and the club was ordered to employ a full-time security guard at all home games.^[40]
• Salisbury North were deducted 6 premiership points after a player was suspended for four matches for abusing and threatening a Division 1 reserves umpire.^[41]

2018

• Salisbury West's captain received a 27-game suspension for four incidents, including breaking an opponent's jaw, during a home Qualifying Final against Trinity Old Scholars which resulted in a life ban; this more than doubled the Adelaide Footy League's threshold of 12 weeks. Despite Salisbury West winning the game by nine points, the club was ejected from the finals and suspended from the league for the rest of the year.^[42]
• Salisbury North were deregistered from the league after a player received an eight-week suspension for striking, and the league suspended all three of Salisbury North's senior teams for the rest of the 2018 season for breaking an amended affiliation agreement (AAA) regarding poor on-field behaviour^[43]

2021

• A Central United player was suspended for 10 matches and deregistered from the competition after striking a runner from the opposition team in a Division 7 game against Adelaide Lutheran.^[44]

2024

• During a Division 3 match between Scotch OC and Pembroke Old Scholars at Norwood Oval, Scotch player Max Marslen was involved in an altercation with a spectator on the boundary line. Marslen was banned for nine weeks and the spectator was given a lifetime ban. ^[45]

Unbalanced competition[edit]

The league received media coverage in 2014 due to extreme scores in a number of games.

• Consideration was given to reorganising the divisional structure after Kilburn Football Club, in Division 3, was beaten by a combined 736 points in their first two games of the season, whilst forfeiting their B-Grade matches on the same two occasions.^[46] Kilburn later forfeited an A-Grade game against Salisbury when a few players misunderstood the start time and a few others could not find their way to the ground.^[47]
• Brahma Lodge were relegated from the Division 4 competition after losing a number of players.^[48]
• Mitchell Park and Flinders University were both reduced to one team each, with Flinders University taking the place of Mitchell Park's reserves in the Division 6 Reserves competition, due to an exodus of players.^[49]
• Blackfriars Old Scholars set a new SAAFL record score when they posted 71.30 (460) in a 429-point win against Angle Vale in Division 6.^[50][51] This resulting in the Angle Vale coach, Peter McMillan, quitting^[52] the following Tuesday night at a crisis meeting^[53] and being replaced by Reserves coach Rob Warren.
• Wingfield Royals forfeited a match in Division 7 against Smithfield on 24 May following six straight losses by an average of 198 points.^[54]
• Both Kilburn (in Division 3 against Pembroke Old Scholars) and Angle Vale (in Division 6 against Ingle Farm) forfeited their A-Grade games on 5 July.^[55]
• Salisbury West requested to be relegated from Division 3 to Division 5 after losing more than half their squad when they did not pay them for the second half of the 2014 season.^[56]

Governance[edit]

An attempt to oust then President Gino Capogreco in October 2013 failed when the vote was defeated at an extraordinary meeting of the league.^[57] Mr. Capogreco was accused of altering a document and physically threatening a board member.^[58][59] Mr. Capogreco was later defeated at the following AGM.

See also[edit]

• Australian rules football in South Australia
• SANFL

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Official website