The AFL Wide Bay is a regional body that coordinates

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 Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

competitions in the

Wide Bay–Burnett Wide Bay–Burnett is a region of the Australian state of Queensland, located between north of the state capital, Brisbane. The area's population growth has exceeded the state average over the past 20 years, and it is forecast to grow to more ...

and northern

Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast may refer to: * Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia **Sunshine Coast Region, a local government area of Queensland named after the region **Sunshine Coast Stadium * Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), geographic subregion of the Br ...

regions of

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The competition currently features teams from the cities of

Bundaberg Bundaberg () is the major regional city in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of the state of Queensland, Australia. It is the List of cities in Australia by population, ninth largest city in the state. The Bundaberg central business district is situa ...

, Maryborough,

Hervey Bay Hervey Bay () is a city on the coast of the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is located on the bay of the same name open to ...

Gympie Gympie ( ) is a city and a Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. Located in the Greater Sunshine Coast, Gympie is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River ( ...

and the town of Pomona. AFL Wide Bay operates men's senior, reserves and women's competitions as well as underage competitions including mixed and junior boys teams. Beginning as the Bundaberg-Wide Bay Australian Football League in 1987 through the merger of the "Bundaberg Australian Football League" and "Wide Bay Australian Football League". The competition was temporarily managed by

AFL Queensland AFL Queensland Limited (AFLQ) is the governing body of Australian rules football in Queensland formed in 2000 and based at Leyshon Park in the Brisbane suburb of Yeronga. AFL Queensland has over 216,000 participants (including Northern River ...

as part of its

South East Queensland South East Queensland (SEQ) is a Bioregion, bio-geographical, Megalopolis, metropolitan and Statistics, statistical Regions of Queensland, region of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland in Australia, with a population of ...

structure for the 2017 season before resuming under the current banner in 2018. The representative team was known as the "Tigers", wearing guernseys similar to those of the

Richmond Tigers The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers or colloquially the Tiges, is a professional Australian rules football team competing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Founded in 1885 in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, the club comp ...

AFL Wide Bay origins: the merger

In 1985, the WBAFL played a five team competition which included teams from Hervey Bay (2), Cooloola Coast and Gympie (2), with Maryborough fielding junior grades. The BAFL played a four team competition which included the three main clubs, Wests, Norths, and Souths (2) with Burnett Heads fielding Reserves and juniors only. In 1986, the WBAFL played a four team competition, but finished the season with just two clubs, Hervey Bay and Gympie, who fielded just one senior club each that year. Maryborough and Cooloola Coast folded. The BAFL had only three senior teams, Wests, Norths and Souths (with Souths fielding just one A Grade team that year only), and so with backing of the Queensland Australian Football League, the two Leagues merged. In 1987, the Bundaberg Wide Bay Australian Football League was formed with the five remaining senior clubs, Hervey Bay, Gympie, Norths, Wests and Souths, and the addition of Burnett Heads for a few senior games, before being relegated to the Reserves after five rounds. In 1988, Maryborough joined the competition to resume a six team competition.

Clubs

* Formed from the merger of North Bundaberg Kangaroos and South Bundaberg/ATW Magpies

Former Senior Teams

A Grade Senior Premiers

Bundaberg Wide Bay AFL * 1987 West Bundaberg Bulldogs * 1988 Hervey Bay Bombers * 1989 Hervey Bay Bombers * 1990 Hervey Bay Bombers * 1991 Hervey Bay Bombers * 1992 Hervey Bay Bombers * 1993 Fraser Coast Lions * 1994 Hervey Bay Bombers * 1995 West Bundaberg Bulldogs * 1996 Hervey Bay Bombers * 1997 ATW Bundaberg Eagles * 1998 ATW Bundaberg Eagles * 1999 ATW Bundaberg Eagles AFL Bundaberg Wide Bay * 2000 Hervey Bay Bombers * 2001 ATW Bundaberg Eagles * 2002 Hervey Bay Bombers * 2003 ''In recess'' * 2004 Hervey Bay Bombers * 2005 Hervey Bay Bombers * 2006 ATW Bundaberg Eagles * 2007 Hervey Bay Bombers * 2008 ATW Bundaberg Eagles AFL Wide Bay * 2009 Hervey Bay Bombers * 2010 Brothers Bulldogs * 2011 ATW Bundaberg Eagles * 2012 Hervey Bay Bombers * 2013 Hervey Bay Bombers * 2014 ATW Bundaberg Eagles * 2015 ATW Bundaberg Eagles * 2016 ATW Bundaberg Eagles * 2017 ''In recess'' * 2018 Gympie Cats * 2019 Bay Power * 2020 ATW Bundaberg Eagles * 2021 Hervey Bay Bombers * 2022 Hervey Bay Bombers * 2023 Hervey Bay Bombers * 2024 Hervey Bay Bombers

Years in recess: 2003 and 2017 summary

In 2003, four out of the eight clubs that played in a Brisbane League Division Three, were from AFL Bundaberg Wide Bay. They were Hervey Bay Bombers, Maryborough Bears, Across The Waves Bundaberg, and Brothers Bulldogs from Bundaberg. Gympie Cats and Pomona Demons had also previously played in the Wide Bay League. It was a competition which lasted only one season before the above mentioned six clubs, with the addition of new club, Bay Power, resulted in a revamped seven club League reforming the AFL Bundaberg Wide Bay competition the following year. Hervey Bay Bombers won the Division Three Flag in 2003 beating ATW Bundaberg Eagles, with Maryborough Bears finishing third. The other two clubs in the competition were Bribie Island Bulldogs and Glasshouse Lions. In 2017, a very similar set up to the 2003 Season took place. Hervey Bay Bombers, Across The Waves Bundaberg, Brothers Bulldogs and Bay Power, joined Sunshine Coast clubs, Maroochydore Roos, Gympie Cats and Pomona Demons, to form QFA Wide Bay-Sunshine Coast for just one season. Maroochydore Roos defeated Brothers Bulldogs in the Grand Final, played at Gympie. The AFL Wide Bay Reserves and Youth/Junior Grades continued under the banner of AFL Wide Bay. Gympie returned to play in the AFL Wide Bay competition in 2018, before leaving the competition once again.

2009 AFL Wide Bay Ladder and Finals Results

2010 AFL Wide Bay Ladder and Finals Results

2011 AFL Wide Bay Ladder and Finals Results

2012 AFL Wide Bay Ladder and Finals Results

2013 Ladder

2014 Ladder

2015 Ladder

2016 Ladder

AFL Wide Bay A Grade Senior Mens Grand Finals

NOTE: In both seasons of 2003 and 2017 all of the AFL Bundaberg Wide Bay Clubs participated in a Brisbane Competition before resuming the Regional League the following year.

AFL Wide Bay A Grade Senior Mens Grand Final Summary List 1987-2023

AFL Wide Bay Best and Fairest Award (Stedman Medal)

NOTE: The Stedman Medal was awarded in both seasons of 2003 and 2017, as all AFL Wide Bay clubs were playing each other, plus other teams from South East Queensland, but not under the banner of the AFL Wide Bay for those two seasons.

AFL Wide Bay Reserve Grade Mens Grand Finals

AFL Wide Bay Reserves Mens Grand Final Summary List 1987-2023

Note: The Reserve Grade Seniors Season was suspended after Round 8 in 2002, and was not contested from 2003-2004.

References

External links

Official site
{{Aussie Rules in Queensland Australian rules football competitions in Queensland Wide Bay–Burnett