There are several Australian rules football leagues in regional Queensland.
The sport of
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
has a rich history in
Queensland which dates back to the 1860s, however the game outside of
South East Queensland was slower to take off than in
Brisbane.
In 1913, a team of servicemen briefly existed on Thursday Island, but was short-lived. In 1944, a league of servicemen was formed around the
Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia.
The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tina ...
. Teams represented included Wongabel, Wondelca,
Kairi,
Mareeba
Mareeba is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba in Far North Queensland, Australia. Between 2008 and 2013, it was within the Tablelands Region. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning ''meeting of the waters'' ...
and
Ravenshoe
Ravenshoe ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Ravenshoe had a population of 1,400 people.
Geography
Ravenshoe is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. It is located south w ...
. The league was a precursor to the nearby
Cairns
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
,
Queensland league.
In 1955, the Townsville Australian Football League began. Two years later the Cairns Australian Football League was formed. AFL was also introduced to
Mount Isa. In the early 1970s, organised leagues started appearing in
Mackay Mackay may refer to:
*Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives
Mackay may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Mackay Region, a local government area
** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region
*** Mackay Airport ...
, the
Darling Downs and
Central Queensland.
The
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...
has occasionally played pre-season matches in
Cairns
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
and there have been semi-regular premiership matches on the
Gold Coast.
Current competitions
AFL Cairns
AFL Cairns is a semi-professional league that includes clubs from the
Cairns
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
region in
Queensland,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. It is widely regarded as the strongest regional Australian rules football league in Queensland and has a large base at
Cazaly's Stadium
Cazalys Stadium is a sports stadium in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It is situated in the suburb of Westcourt. The stadium is named after the social club which abuts the oval, Cazalys, which itself was named after Australian rules footballe ...
which has staged pre-season
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...
matches.
The league has significant coverage in local media such as
The Cairns Post. Each year the
Grand Final attracts between 2,000–3,000 spectators.
AFL Capricornia
AFL Capricornia is an amateur competition played in the areas of
Rockhampton
Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...
,
Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
and
Yeppoon
Yeppoon is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Livingstone, Queensland, Australia. Yeppoon is renowned for its beaches, tropical climate, and the islands out on the bay. Located from the city of Rockhampton, Yeppoon is the seat of the ...
between the months of March and September in the cooler seasons of the
Central Queensland climate.
The league is covered primarily by the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin in the local print media.
AFL Darling Downs
AFL Darling Downs is an amateur competition formed as the Darling Downs Australian Football League in 1971. It is based around the city of
Toowoomba west of
Brisbane. The senior representative team is known as the Demons and wear guernseys modelled on the Melbourne Demons guernseys. The Under 18 representative team who participate in the AFLQ Under 18 competition are known as the "Crows" and wear guernseys modelled on the Adelaide Crows guernseys.
AFL Mackay
AFL Mackay is an amateur competition formed as the Mackay Australian Football League in 1970. It is based around the city of
Mackay Mackay may refer to:
*Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives
Mackay may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Mackay Region, a local government area
** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region
*** Mackay Airport ...
with further clubs in
Airlie Beach,
Sarina
Sarina is a rural town and coastal locality in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Sarina had a population of 5,522 people.
Geography
Sarina lies just inland of the east coast of Queensland, south of the city of Mackay, and a ...
,
Alligator Creek,
Pioneer Valley and
Moranbah
Moranbah is a coal mining town and locality in the Isaac Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Moranbah had a population of 8,735 people.
In addition to the permanent population, Moranbah also has a large fly-in fly-out popula ...
. The representative team is known as the Crows.
AFL Mount Isa
AFL Mount Isa is an amateur competition formed as the North West Australian Football League in 1967, changing its name to the Mount Isa AFL in 1969. Prior to this the game was played but was not organised. It is based around the city of
Mount Isa.
Current Clubs
Premiers
North West Australian Football League (1967-1968) / Mount Isa AFL (1969-1999) / AFL Mount Isa (2000-''present'')
* 1967: Hawks
* 1968: Rovers
* 1969: Saints
* 1970: Saints
* 1971: Tigers
* 1972: Hawks
* 1973: Tigers
* 1974: Saints
* 1975: Hawks
* 1976: Rovers
* 1977:
Mary Kathleen
Mary Kathleen was a mining settlement in north-western Queensland, Australia. It is located in the Selwyn Range between Mount Isa and Cloncurry.
History
Mary Kathleen was first settled during the 1860s. Uranium was first discovered at Mary Ka ...
* 1978:
Mary Kathleen
Mary Kathleen was a mining settlement in north-western Queensland, Australia. It is located in the Selwyn Range between Mount Isa and Cloncurry.
History
Mary Kathleen was first settled during the 1860s. Uranium was first discovered at Mary Ka ...
* 1979:
Mary Kathleen
Mary Kathleen was a mining settlement in north-western Queensland, Australia. It is located in the Selwyn Range between Mount Isa and Cloncurry.
History
Mary Kathleen was first settled during the 1860s. Uranium was first discovered at Mary Ka ...
* 1980: Rovers
* 1981: Rovers
* 1982: Rovers
* 1983: Tigers
* 1984: Rovers
* 1985: Rovers
* 1986: Rovers
* 1987: Saints
* 1988: Rovers
* 1989: Tigers
* 1990: Rovers
* 1991: Rovers
* 1992: Buffaloes
* 1993: Rovers
* 1994: Buffaloes
* 1995: Buffaloes
* 1996: Rovers
* 1997: Rovers
* 1998: Tigers
* 1999: Tigers
* 2000: Rovers
* 2001: Rovers
* 2002: Lake Nash, Mighty Bats
* 2003: Lake Nash, Mighty Bats
* 2004: Rovers
* 2005: Rovers
* 2006: Tigers
* 2007: Rovers
* 2008: Rovers
* 2009: Rovers
* 2010: Rovers
* 2011: Tigers
* 2012: Rovers
* 2013: Rovers
* 2014: Tigers
* 2015: Tigers
* 2016: Tigers
* 2017: Buffaloes
* 2018: Buffaloes
AFL Townsville
AFL Townsville is an amateur competition formed as the Townsville Australian Football League in 1955, the first AFL competition to be formed in Queensland outside of the South East. It is based around the city of
Townsville. For a short period in the 1980s, the competition was played during the summer months. The representative team is known as the Eagles and they wear similar guernseys to the Zillmere Eagles old white and blue guernsey's.
AFL Wide Bay
The AFL Wide Bay competition was formerly known as the Bundaberg-Wide Bay Australian Football League which was formed in 1987 through the merger of the Bundaberg Australian Football League and Wide Bay Australian Football Leagues. The competition currently features teams from the cities of
Bundaberg
Bundaberg is a city in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia, and is the tenth largest city in the state. Bundaberg's regional area has a population of 70,921, and is a major centre of the Wide Bay–Burnett geographical region. The Bun ...
,
Maryborough and
Hervey Bay. The representative team is known as the Tigers wearing guernseys similar to those of the Richmond Tigers.
Clubs
Premiers
Bundaberg Wide Bay AFL (1987-1999) / AFL Bundaberg Wide Bay (2000-2009) / AFL Wide Bay (2010-''present'')
* 1987: West Bundaberg
* 1988: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 1989: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 1990: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 1991: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 1992: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 1993: Fraser Coast
* 1994: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 1995: West Bundaberg
* 1996: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 1997: ATW Bundaberg
* 1998: ATW Bundaberg
* 1999: ATW Bundaberg
* 2000: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 2001: ATW Bundaberg
* 2002: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 2003: ''
League in recess''
* 2004: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 2005: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 2006: ATW Bundaberg
* 2007: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 2008: ATW Bundaberg
* 2009: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 2010: Brothers Bulldogs
* 2011: ATW Bundaberg
* 2012: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 2013: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 2014: ATW Bundaberg
* 2015: ATW Bundaberg
* 2016: ATW Bundaberg
Defunct competitions
Bundaberg AFL
The Bundaberg Australian Football League was an amateur competition formed in 1972 and continued until 1986, before merging with the Wide Bay Australian Football League, starting a new competition called the Bundaberg Wide Bay Australian Football League in 1987, now known as AFL Wide Bay.
The four foundation clubs were Burnett Heads, Southern Suburbs (South Bundaberg), Western Suburbs (West Bundaberg), and North Bundaberg.
Clubs
Premiers
Bundaberg AFL (1972-1986)
* 1972: North Bundaberg
* 1973: Western Suburbs
* 1974: Western Suburbs
* 1975: North Bundaberg
* 1976: North Bundaberg
* 1977: Hervey Bay
* 1978: North Bundaberg
* 1979: North Bundaberg
* 1980: West Bundaberg
* 1981: South Bundaberg
* 1982: Hervey Bay
* 1983: Hervey Bay
* 1984: Urangan
* 1985: West Bundaberg
* 1986: West Bundaberg
Central Highlands AFL
The Central Highlands Australian Football League was an amateur competition formed in 1983 and ceased operations after the 1997 season. Most of the previous clubs still exist and operate
Auskick programs, including
Dysart and
Emerald
Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr. and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991) ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York, p ...
. The
Moranbah Bulldogs
Moranbah is a coal mining town and locality in the Isaac Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Moranbah had a population of 8,735 people.
In addition to the permanent population, Moranbah also has a large fly-in fly-out popula ...
moved to the
AFL Mackay
AFL Mackay is an amateur Australian rules football competition formed as the Mackay Australian Football League in 1970. It is headquartered in the city of Mackay with further clubs in Airlie Beach, Sarina, Alligator Creek, Pioneer Valley and Mo ...
after the league folded.
The league was a once flourishing competition with Clubs competing in Seniors, Reserves and juniors in Under 16's, 14's, and 12's. Around 1994, the mines in the area shifted from a five-day week into a seven-day 12-hour roster, which in turn limited teams' playing rosters. The league then changed onfield playing numbers from 18 to 13 with unlimited bench players. Unfortunately this still did not help and most clubs were forced to cease operations due to lack of playing numbers and not of financial matters.
Prior to the formation of the competition, Dysart, Middlemount and Moranbah had played in the Mackay competition.
Clubs
Premiers
Central Highlands AFL (1983-1997)
* 1983: Dysart
* 1984: Dysart
* 1985: Moranbah
* 1986: Moranbah
* 1987: Middlemount
* 1988: Emerald
* 1989: Emerald
* 1990: Blackwater
* 1991: Blackwater
* 1992: Blackwater
* 1993: Emerald
* 1994: Emerald
* 1995: Emerald
* 1996: Emerald
* 1997: Emerald
Gold Coast AFL
The Gold Coast Australian Football League was a competition that operated from at least 1961 to 1996 before being absorbed by the Queensland AFL as its Gold Coast Division.
Clubs
Premiers
Gold Coast AFL (1961-1996) / AFLQ - Gold Coast Division (1997-1999)
* 1961: Southport
* 1962: Southport
* 1963: Surfers Paradise
* 1964: Southport
* 1965: Palm Beach-Currumbin
* 1966: Southport
* 1967: Surfers Paradise
* 1968: Surfers Paradise
* 1969: Surfers Paradise
* 1970: Labrador
* 1971: Palm Beach-Currumbin
* 1972: Surfers Paradise
* 1973: Palm Beach-Currumbin
* 1974: Surfers Paradise
* 1975: Southport
* 1976: Southport
* 1977: Southport
* 1978: Coolangatta
* 1979: Southport
* 1980: Southport
* 1981: Coolangatta
* 1982: Coolangatta
* 1983: Coolangatta
* 1984: Surfers Paradise
* 1985: Palm Beach-Currumbin
* 1986: Labrador
* 1987: Broadbeach
* 1988: Coolangatta
* 1989: Coolangatta
* 1990: Surfers Paradise
* 1991: Labrador
* 1992: Surfers Paradise
* 1993: Labrador
* 1994: Labrador
* 1995: Palm Beach-Currumbin
* 1996: Broadbeach
* 1997: Palm Beach-Currumbin
* 1998: Surfers Paradise
* 1999: Palm Beach-Currumbin
Maryborough AFL
The Maryborough Australian Football League was an amateur competition that lasted two full seasons in 1981 and 1982. In 1983, there was only a limited number of fixtures, and due to lack of players, the competition folded after the season was over.
In 1983, Biggenden played in both the Bundaberg AFL and the Maryborough competition. Biggenden 2 lost to Cooloola Coast in the 1983 MAFL Grand Final, as their seniors did the previous year.
Clubs
Premiers
Maryborough AFL (1981-1983)
* 1981 Biggenden
* 1982 Cooloola Coast
* 1983 Cooloola Coast
Sunshine Coast AFL
The Sunshine Coast Australian Football League was an amateur competition that was formed in 1970 and continued until 1992. The three foundation clubs were Noosa, Maroochydore and Nambour.
In 1993, the clubs from the competition played in the Brisbane Australian Football League, and later split up into various AFL South Queensland Divisions.
Clubs
Premiers
Sunshine Coast AFL (1970-1992)
* 1970: Maroochydore
* 1971: Maroochydore
* 1972: Maroochydore
* 1973: Noosa
* 1974: Maroochydore
* 1975: Noosa
* 1976: Noosa
* 1977: Noosa
* 1978: Maroochydore
* 1979: Maroochydore
* 1980: Noosa
* 1981: Noosa
* 1982: Maroochydore
* 1983: Maroochydore
* 1984: Maroochydore
* 1985: Noosa
* 1986: Maroochydore
* 1987: Caloundra
* 1988: Caloundra
* 1989: Maroochydore
* 1990: Nambour
* 1991: Caloundra
* 1992: Caloundra
Wide Bay AFL
The Wide Bay Australian Football League was a short-lived amateur competition that was formed in 1985 as a result of a breakaway from the Bundaberg AFL. It only lasted two years before merging with the league it broke away from.
Clubs
Premiers
Wide Bay AFL (1985-1986)
* 1985: Hervey Bay Bombers
* 1986: Hervey Bay Bombers
See also
*
Australian Rules football in Queensland
References
External links
Leagues
Official AFL Cairns WebsiteOfficial AFL Capricornia SiteOfficial AFL Darling Downs SiteOfficial AFL Mackay WebsiteOfficial AFL Mount Isa WebsiteOfficial AFL Townsville WebsiteOfficial AFL Wide Bay Website
Clubs
Brothers Roos Rockhampton WebsiteTwin City Lions TownsvilleThuringowa Bulldogs AFL Club site
{{Aussie Rules in Queensland
Australian rules football competitions in Queensland