AFL FAQs - Other Major Football Leagues in Australia

Australian Football is played in every Australian state and territory, with the 'real' football states being south of the Murray River. The game started in Victoria in the 1850s and quickly spread south to Tasmania and west to South Australia and Western Australia. In addition to the AFL, each state has its own football body and its own competition

The Victorian Football League (VFL) as we know it today originated from the Victorian Football Association (VFA) which was established in 1877.

Over the years the composition of the league has continually changed with the most dramatic occurring in 1897 when a break away group of clubs formed the forerunner of today's AFL, the Victorian Football League (VFL).

The formation of the AFL in 1987 eventually led to the Victorian Football Association renaming its competition the VFL in 1996, and in 1999 the Victorian Football Association changed its name to Football Victoria Ltd.

Today Football Victoria Ltd operates the Victorian Football League (VFL).

The 16 VFL Football clubs are:

Sandringham Zebras
North Ballarat Roosters
Carlton
Geelong
Williamstown Seagulls
Box Hill Hawks
Springvale Scorpions
Werribee Tigers
Essendon
Frankston Dolphins
Port Melbourne
Murray Kangaroos
Coburg Tigers
Northern Bullants
Bendigo Diggers
Tasmania

The South Australian National Football League Inc (SANFL), is the representative body of the nine SANFL Clubs and administrator of football in South Australia. The nine League Clubs are:

Central District Bulldogs
Glenelg Tigers
North Adelaide Roosters
Norwood Redlegs
Port Adelaide Magpies
South Adelaide Panthers
Sturt Double Blues
West Adelaide Bloods
Woodville-West Torrens Eagles

The first known football match in South Australia was played by some Irishmen on St Patrick's Day in 1848.

The South Australian Football Association began in 1877. Clubs which played for the Association were South Park, Willunga, Port Adelaide, Adelaide, North Adelaide, Prince Alfred College, Gawler, Kapunda, Bankers, Woodville, South Adelaide and Victorian.

The South Australian Football Association became known as the South Australian Football League in 1907, later to become the SANFL.

1980 saw the South Australian National Football League Grand Final covered Nationally for the first time. The SANFL's first club competing in the AFL, the Adelaide Football Club (The Crows), commenced playing in 1991. SA's second AFL club, the Port Adelaide Football Club (The Power), commenced playing in 1997.

The premier competition is known as AFL Queensland and consists of the following 10 clubs:

Morningside Panthers
Southport Sharks
Mt Gravatt Vultures
Lion Cubs
Northern Eagles
Broadbeach Cats
Labrador Tigers
Redlands Sharks
Mayne Tigers
Western Magpies

In 1879 the first Queensland club, the Brisbane Australian Football Club, was formed. In 1883 a controlling body was formed to administer the game in Queensland. In 1884 Queensland sent delegates to the lntercolonial Football Conference which formed the Australian Football Council. Queensland boasted more than 300 football teams.

Australian football continued to grow, with leagues being established in Townsville (1955), Cairns (1957), Mt Isa (1958), Ipswich (1962), Gold Coast (1963), Sunshine Coast (1970), Mackay (1971), the Darling Downs (1972) and Rockhampton (1975).

Success followed on the field. In 1975 Queensland won its first ever NFL Division 2 Championship. Two years later Queensland recorded its first ever victory over a major football state, defeating Tasmania. In 1980 Queensland scored its first ever win over the VFA and in 1983 became the first State to go through a NFL Second Division interstate series undefeated. In 1985 the Queensland team captured its third NFL Second Division interstate series.

VFL footy came to Queensland in 1986 when a private consortium was granted a licence to field a Brisbane club - the Brisbane Bears - in the VFL competition in 1987. Based on the Gold Coast, the new club struggled for success, although winning the AFL Reserve Grade Premiership in 1991.

In 1993 the Brisbane Bears moved to the Gabba. Success came quickly and they qualified for their first ever AFL finals series in 1995. The following year saw them finish in 3rd spot on the ladder with Michael Voss sharing the Brownlow Medal with Essendon's James Hird.

In 1997 the Queensland Australian Football Council became the governing body of football in Queensland. The Queensland State Football League (QSFL) was established as the senior domestic competition comprising a Premier Division and a Gold Coast Division.

In 1999 the AFL established a review committee to look into the future of Australian Football in Queensland. In 2000 the QSFL was renamed AFL Queensland.

The Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) is the premier footy competition in the Northern Territory. It is based in the capital city, Darwin. Unlike the rest of Australia, the playing season runs from October to March, also known as the wet season.

The foundation clubs of the NTFL are Darwin, Wanderers and Waratahs, having all joined the League in the 1917 season. Nightcliff and Saint Marys were established in the early 1950's, North Darwin early 1970 and Southern Districts in 1987.

Many exciting Aboriginal players have gone on to play AFL football, including Michael McLean and Norm Smith medallists Maurice Rioli, Michael Long and Andrew McLeod.

The seven clubs of the Northern Territory Football League are:

Darwin Buffaloes
Palmerston Magpies
Nightcliff Tigers
Saint Marys Saints
Southern Districts Crocs
Wanderers Eagles
Waratahs Warriors

AFL matches were played at both the WACA (Western Australian Cricket Association) and Subiaco. However a phased redevelopment of Subiaco Oval including its resurfacing and the construction of CTV lighting, has resulted in all AFL matches now being played at Subiaco.

The WAFL teams are:

Claremont Tigers
East Fremantle Sharks
East Perth Royals
Peel Thunder
Perth Demons
South Fremantle Bulldogs
Subiaco Lions
Swan Districts
West Perth Falcons

The Australian Capital Territory Australian Football League (ACTAFL) is based in the nation's capital, Canberra. The ACTAFL clubs are:

Belconnen Magpies
Eastlake Demons
Queanbeyan Tigers
Ainslie Tricolours
Tuggeranong Cowboys
Weston Creek Wildcats

AFL New South Wales is a new entity, replacing the old Sydney Football League. The NSWAFL clubs are:

Pennant Hills
North Shore
St George
Balmain
Western Suburbs
East Sydney
Baulkham Hills
Sydney Swans

Apparently, the controlling body is Football Tasmania, which runs (used to run?) the State Wide League (SWL). The SWL teams are (were?):

Burnie Dockers
Devonport Power
North Launceston Bombers
Glenorchy Magpies
Clarence Roos
North Hobart Demons

Footy in Tassie appears to be a mess.