North East Australian Football League


The North East Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. The league was formed in November 2010, and its inaugural competition was in 2011. It is a second division league, sitting below the national Australian Football League and features the reserves teams of the region's four AFL clubs playing alongside six non-AFL affiliated NEAFL senior teams.

History

The NEAFL was formed at the end of 2010 primarily as an amalgamation of the two major football leagues in Australia's north-east - the Queensland Australian Football League, based in South-East Queensland and including one team from the Northern Territory, and AFL Canberra, based around ACT, and including one team from Sydney. The two leagues were converted to NEAFL conferences: the Northern Conference, serving Queensland and the Northern Territory, and the Eastern Conference, serving New South Wales and the ACT. Teams from the two conferences played matches against each other throughout the home-and-away season, before each conference staged a separate finals competition to determine both a northern premier and an eastern premier. The two premiers then played each other in the NEAFL Grand Final.
Two new teams also joined the competition for its inaugural season in 2011: the reserves team of Gold Coast Football Club ; and the senior team of the Greater Western Sydney Giants, which was preparing to join the AFL in 2012. These two clubs would have joined the QAFL and AFL Canberra respectively, had the NEAFL not been formed.
In 2012, two more clubs joined the Eastern Conference from the AFL Sydney competition: Sydney Hills and Sydney University. With 's senior team joining the AFL, its NEAFL side became a reserves team in partnership with, and under the name of the University of Western Sydney.
On 11 May 2013, the NEAFL Northern Conference played an interstate game against South Australia who represent the South Australian National Football League. The game, played at the City Mazda Stadium in Adelaide resulted in a 21.14 to 9.4 win over the NEAFL North, with SA's higher fitness level the main difference between the two sides.
On 8 June 2013, the NEAFL Eastern Conference played an interstate game against Tasmania who represent the TSL. Tasmania won 15.11 - 8.13.
A major restructure of the league was announced for the 2014 season. Five clubs left the competition and the conference system was abolished. Broadbeach, Labrador, Morningside and Mt. Gravatt joined a re-constructed Queensland Australian Football League, while Tuggeranong went back to the AFL Canberra Division One competition. The possibility of a North Queensland side entering the competition for 2014 was considered but ruled out.
Due to the financial challenges of participating in the competition and a proposal from the AFL for the existing Canberra clubs to contribute to a single Canberra team, Belconnen, Queanbeyan and the Sydney Hills Eagles chose to leave the NEAFL at the end of the 2014 season. The ongoing desire by the AFL for a single Canberra team led Ainslie to withdraw at the end of the 2015 season. Both Canberra clubs - Ainslie and Eastlake - had a NEAFL licence until the end of 2016, but Ainslie withdrew from the competition after the AFL rejected their proposal to be Canberra's sole team from 2017. The AFL wanted Canberra's team to be either a combined Ainslie-Eastlake side or a representative team funded largely by all the local clubs in the Canberra area.
Two teams changed their names prior to the 2016 season. Eastlake's NEAFL side started to play as the Canberra Demons in an attempt to be seen as Canberra's representative team in the NEAFL competition. The club wishes to provide a clear AFL pathway for local talent and to get rid of the baggage between other clubs in the ACT. As part of this decision the team also adopted a blue and gold guernsey for home games, reflecting the territory's traditional colours. The team still wears Eastlake's red and black colours in away matches. The Greater Western Sydney reserves team became known as the Western Sydney University Giants to reflect the re-branding of the University of Western Sydney.
At the end of the 2019 season, AFL Northern Territory announced the disbanding of the NT Thunder, citing financial and logistical difficulties. The competition scope therefore decreased to capture Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

Clubs

Current clubs (2020)

;Notes

Former clubs

League awards

Current league awards have been instituted since 2014.

Premiers

NEAFL MVP award

NEAFL Rising Star

NEAFL leading goal kicker

NEAFL coach of the year

Former league awards

Grogan Medal (2011–2013)

Awarded to the best and fairest players in the Northern Conference.
SeasonWinnerClubVotes
2011Matthew Payne
Cameron Ilett		Southport
NT Thunder		23
2012Ryan Davey
Fraser Pope
Tom Salter		Labrador
Southport
Redland		14
2013Haydn KielSouthport21

Mulrooney Medal (2011–2013)

For the best and fairest players in the Eastern Conference.
SeasonWinnerClubVotes
2011Daniel Currie
Jarred Moore		Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans		16
2012Shane HarrisBelconnen16
2013James BennettBelconnen21

NEAFL (Northern) Rising Star award (2011–2013)

Awarded to an outstanding young player in the Northern Conference.
SeasonWinnerClub
2011Ross TungatalumNT Thunder
2012Andrew BostonBroadbeach
2013Josh SmithMorningside

NEAFL (Eastern) Rising Star award (2011–2013)

Awarded to an outstanding young player in the Eastern Conference
SeasonWinnerClub
2011Hayden ArmstrongEastlake
2012Liam FlahertyEastlake
2013Brent MacleodTuggeranong

Ray Hughson Medal (2011–2013)

Highest goalkicker award for player in Northern Conference
SeasonWinnerClubGoals
2011Darren EwingNT Thunder115
2012Tom KavanaghQueanbeyan92
2013Darren EwingNT Thunder94

Most successful clubs

ClubYear establishedLeaguesPremiership yearsPremierships
Southport Football Club1961GCAFL 1961–1982

QAFL 1983–2010

NEAFL 2011–		Gold Coast Australian Football League: 1961, 1962, 1966, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980

Queensland Australian Football League: 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008

North East Australian Football League: 2018		22
Canberra Football Club1926CANFL 1926–1974

ACTFL 1975–1999

AFLC 2000–2010

NEAFL 2011–		Canberra Australian National Football League: 1928, 1930, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1942, 1945, 1948, 1957, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1972

Australian Capital Territory Football League: 1976, 1978

AFL Canberra: 2001		19
Aspley Football Club1964SQAFA 1964–1992
BAFL 1993–2008

QAFL 2009–2010
NEAFL: 2011–		South Queensland Australian Football Association: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992

Brisbane Australian Football League: 2002
North East Australian Football League: 2014		9
Sydney University Football Club1948NSWANFL 1948–1957, 1962–1968

SFA 1971–1987, 1995–2006

SFL 1988–1994

SAFL 2007–2011

NEAFL 2012–		Sydney Football Association: 1981, 1986, 1987, 1997, 2003, 2005

Sydney Football League: 1992		7
Brisbane Lions 1998QAFL 1998–2010
NEAFL 2011–		Queensland Australian Football League: 2001

North East Australian Football League: 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019		5
Redland Football Club1966SQAFA 1966–1992

BAFL 1993–1999

QAFL 2000–2010

NEAFL 2011–		South Queensland Australian Football Association: 1975, 1987

Brisbane Australian Football League 1998, 1999		4
Sydney Swans 1874VFL 1877–1990

VSFL1991–1999

SAFL 2000

AFLC 2003–2010

NEAFL 2011–		AFL Canberra: 2005, 2006, 2007, 20084
Northern Territory Football Club2008QAFL 2009–2010

NEAFL 2011–		North East Australian Football League: 2011, 20152
Gold Coast Football Club 2011NEAFL 2011–nil0
Greater Western Sydney Giants 2011NEAFL 2011–North East Australian Football League: 20161