South Australian Amateur Football League

The South Australian Amateur Football League (SAAFL) is an amateur Australian rules football competition based in Adelaide, South Australia. Comprising sixty-eight member clubs playing over one hundred and ten matches per week, the SAAFL is one of Australia's largest and strongest Australian rules football associations.

The league currently provides competition across 10 Senior divisions with Reserves grades in Divisions 1 to 8 and an A (Northern) and B (Southern) grade in Divisions 9 and 10. There are also three Junior Divisions - two Under 18 Divisions and an Under 17 grade.

In 2006 D1 (Division 1) clubs were Adelaide University, Broadview, Edwardstown, Gaza, Goodwood Saints, Henley, Port District, Rostrevor OC, Salisbury North and Seaton Ramblers. The 2006 D1 premiers were Goodwood Saints (18.11 119) who defeated Adelaide University (10.12 72) at Alberton Oval on Saturday, 23 September 2006.

History

The league was officially formed on March 8th, 1911 and the first match was played on May 6th the same year. 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 by the early 1900's was structured on an "electorate system" where players qualified for clubs on the basis of electoral boundaries. 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 [http://www.saafl.asn.au/history/formation.php] . 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, 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 the university in 1946.

Throughout the history of the league there have been many clubs join or leave the league. Affiliation peaked in 2001 with 72 clubs, and currently there are 68 member clubs. [http://www.saafl.asn.au/history/b06.php] Of the founding clubs only Adelaide University remains, having fielded a team in the top division during every season of competition.

The following list summarises the Division 1 premierships won from 1911 to 2007. [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/south_australian_amateur_football_league.htm]
* 23 Adelaide University/University
* 12 Semaphore Central
* 7 Adelaide College/Teachers' College
* 6 Broadview
* 5 Exeter
* 4 Goodwood Saints
* 3 Kilburn, Riverside
* 2 Flinders Park, Greek Camden, Kenilworth, Kingswood, Payneham, PHOS Camden, Underdale United, Walkerville, West Adelaide United
* 1 Gaza, Greek, Greenacres, Port District, Rosewater, St Peter's Old Collegians, Seaton Ramblers, Woodville

Current Clubs

The following table summarises the member clubs of the league as at season 2006.

ee also

* Australian rules football in South Australia
* SANFL

External links

* [http://www.saafl.asn.au South Australian Amateur Football League website]
* [http://wiki.saafl.asn.au South Australian Amateur Football League wiki]
* [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/south_australian_amateur_football_league.htm Full Points Footy]