Southern Football League (Tasmania)
The Southern Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Tasmania, Australia.
History
Beginning and growth
The Southern Tasmanian Football League was founded in 1996. The league's original clubs were those of the recently defunct Tasmanian Amateur Football League and two clubs from the Huon Football Association.In the first season, the competing clubs from the Tasmanian Amateur Football League were Mangalore, Lauderdale, Lindisfarne, Claremont, Sorell and Lachlan, and those from the Huon Football Association were Kingston and Channel.
Despite the lopsided results in many of the matches in its first two seasons, the STFL soon began to rival its long-established counterpart, the TFL Statewide League for attendances, community involvement, players, and money, as players and fans alike became tired of the politics and negativity that permeated the floundering TFL at that time.
With the demise of the 114-year-old Huon Football Association at the end of the 1997 season, and financially crippled former TFL club Hobart opting to pull out of the Statewide League at the end of the same season and voting to join the STFL, the league was ready for an influx of new teams as one of its foundation clubs, Lachlan, went out of business at the end of 1997.
Kermandie and Cygnet were forced to change playing uniforms and emblems owing to clashes with already established clubs Brighton and Claremont.
Huonville Bulldogs merged with fellow Huon Football Association rival Franklin Lions to become the Huonville Lions and thus joined the STFL in 1998. Hobart were forced to change their emblem and playing strip owing to a clash with Kingston.
From 1998, the STFL became known as the Southern Football League. As the league continued to go from strength to strength, the TFL was sinking as crowds continued to slide and clubs sank further into the financial mire.
New Norfolk District Football Club, a member of the TFL since 1947, left the TFL at the end of 1999 and joined the SFL in 2000 as the New Norfolk 'Derwent' Hawks.
In early 1999 the Australian Football League funded a new governing body of Tasmanian football under recommendations through the AFL-instigated Biggs Report into the substantial crises facing Tasmanian football at that time, with the TFL being liquidated due to massive debts.
The new governing body was known as Football Tasmania and it was to control and fund the new TSFL competition and a year later, a new SWL competition.
In December 2000, the Burnie Dockers pulled out of the SWL to rejoin the NTFL, as did Devonport and Northern Bombers, leaving Football Tasmania little choice but to close down the Statewide competition as the AFL decided to redistribute its funding into placing a Tasmanian team in the Victorian Football League in 2001 which left Clarence, Glenorchy and North Hobart Football Clubs without a competition to participate in.
After numerous meetings and much debate it was decided to accept the three orphaned clubs into the league in early 2001 to create a 15-team competition for that season.
Premier League and Regional League split
In 2002 the SFL split into two conferences – Premier League and Regional League.The Premier League consisted of former TFL clubs Clarence, Glenorchy, North Hobart, Hobart and New Norfolk along with Kingston, Brighton and Sorell.
The Regional League consisted of Cygnet, Channel, Huonville Lions, Kermandie, Claremont, Lauderdale, Lindisfarne and former Tasman Football Association club Dodges Ferry, admitted into the league after the TFA folded at the end of the 2001 season.
In early 2003 the Sorell Football Club was forced to leave the Premier League after the club was unable to find enough volunteers to run the club and therefore went into recess for that season, its Premier League position was taken over by Lauderdale the following year.
Two new additions to the SFL Regional League in 2006 saw former Oatlands District Football Association clubs Oatlands, Kempton and Bothwell merge to create the Central Hawks while east coast club Triabunna also were included.
Six clubs leave the SFL to join the State League and OSFA
In 2008 AFL Tasmania announced plans to reintroduce the Tasmanian State League starting in 2009.Under the plan Clarence, Glenorchy, North Hobart, Hobart and Lauderdale Football Clubs from the Premier League were targeted to join.
After subsequent meetings it was put to a vote of each club's members who accordingly voted affirmatively to leave the SFL and join the State League subject to individual conditions being met. Kingborough Football Club also made a plea to join the TSL but was turned down by AFL Tasmania due to its poor facilities and poor standard home ground at Kingston Beach Oval.
In January 2009, the Channel Football Club was granted permission to join the Old Scholars Football Association. After struggling on and off the ground for several years the Saints feared that they would be no match for former Premier League clubs rejoining the same competition as them, and that the resulting beatings they would've suffered could well have spelled the end of the Channel Football Club's existence so therefore, made a submission to join the more social OSFA competition.
Demise of Kermandie
Only weeks prior to the start of the 2009 season, Kermandie Football Club announced that it would be going into recess for the immediate future due to a lack of players, and despite a fresh attempt at reviving the club over the summer period of 2009/10, it was revealed that the club was again suffering from a chronic shortage of players and that Kermandie's demise was imminent.Despite a late attempt to discuss a possible merger with fellow Huon club Cygnet, who at the time were also suffering from player shortages, the Cygnet Football Club expressed their wishes to continue on in their own right and therefore the Kermandie Football Club was set to go out of existence in March 2010 after a history spanning 123-years.
However, a faction within the club led by senior coach Paul Allison had signed up former Sydney Swan and Brisbane Bears forward Warwick Capper, only days later Mark 'Jacko' Jackson was also signed up to try to breathe life into the club, these signings did however create much controversy within the Kermandie/Geeveston region with many supporters feeling that it was turning the club into a circus rather than a serious football club.
SFL President Paul Harriss remained unconvinced and the League had already printed out the season's roster without Kermandie's involvement. A meeting on 17 March 2010 discussed terms on the future of Kermandie Football Club and their involvement with the SFL, with a vote of all club delegates set to decide their fate, however the Kermandie Football Club delegate had already been instructed to advise that the club would not be seeking a return to the SFL in 2010 and as a result, the club was wound up and went out of existence.
Triabunna becomes East Coast Bombers
In 2011, the Triabunna Football Club became known as the East Coast Bombers in a deal with TSL club Lauderdale which will see them send players from their reserves list to play for the former Roos senior team, which had been struggling badly since it entered the SFL in 2006.Central Hawks in recess
In 2013 the Central Hawks were forced to go into recess because of a lack of player numbers. The Hawks first entered the SFL in 2006 as a combination of former ODFA clubs Oatlands, Bothwell and Kempton. But Bothwell has re-entered the ODFA for this year in its own right. It will be a ten team competition with a final five format.Clubs
Current clubs
| Club | Stadium | Establ. | First season | Prem. |
| Brighton | Pontville Oval | 1885 | 1996 | 1 |
| Claremont | Abbotsfield Park | 1924 | 1996 | 2 |
| Cygnet | Cygnet Oval | 1906 | 1998 | 3 |
| Dodges Ferry | Dodges Ferry Recreation Ground | 1978 | 2003 | 1 |
| Hobart | TCA Ground | 1944 | 1998 | 1 |
| Huonville Lions | Huonville Recreation Ground | 1998 | 1998 | 1 |
| Lindisfarne | Anzac Park | 1911 | 1996 | 1 |
| New Norfolk | Boyer Oval | 1878 | 2000 | 7 |
| Sorell | Pembroke Park | 1883 | 1996 | – |
Former clubs
| Club | Years |
| Central Hawks | 2006–2012 |
| Channel | 1996–2008 |
| Clarence | 2001–2008 |
| East Coast Bombers | 2006–2010 |
| Kermandie | 1998–2009 |
| Kingborough | 1996–2013 |
| Lachlan | 1996–1997 |
| Lauderdale | 1996–2008 |
| North Hobart | 2001–2008 |
| Triabunna | 2006–2010 |
;Notes
Grand Finals
STFL/SFL Grand Finals (1996–2001; 2009–present)
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Attend. | Venue |
| 1996 | Channel | 12.15 – 11.4 | Kingston | 4,149 | Abbotsfield Park |
| 1997 | Kingston | 10.14 – 8.1 | Claremont | 2,174 | KGV Oval |
| 1998 | Brighton | 10.8 – 10.8 | Cygnet | 1,875 | KGV Oval |
| 1998 | Brighton | 14.24 – 5.12 | Cygnet | 1,985 | KGV Oval |
| 1999 | Hobart | 20.9 – 11.12 | Brighton | 3,896 | Huonville Rec. Ground |
| 2000 | Kermandie | 13.11 – 8.11 | New Norfolk | 5,400 | North Hobart Oval |
| 2001 | Clarence | 17.19 – 11.11 | Glenorchy | 4,801 | North Hobart Oval |
| 2009 | New Norfolk | 15.11 – 10.9 | Lindisfarne | 3,804 | North Hobart Oval |
| 2010 | New Norfolk | 20.18 – 10.6 | Dodges Ferry | 5,203 | KGV Oval |
| 2011 | Kingborough | 22.7 – 13.12 | New Norfolk | 6,907 | KGV Oval |
| 2012 | New Norfolk | 10.18 – 11.7 | Lindisfarne | 4,956 | KGV Oval |
| 2013 | New Norfolk | 15.15 – 9.8 | Claremont | 5,337 | KGV Oval |
| 2014 | New Norfolk | 28.9 – 14.10 | Claremont | 3,900 | KGV Oval |
| 2015 | Claremont | 16.15 – 6.11 | New Norfolk | 4,368 | KGV Oval |
| 2016 | Claremont | 13.13 – 11.17 | Lindisfarne | 4,023 | North Hobart Oval |
| 2017 | New Norfolk | 13.14 – 13.9 | Lindisfarne | 3,330 | North Hobart Oval |
| 2018 | Lindisfarne | 19.15 – 6.9 | Huonville Lions | 4,054 | North Hobart Oval |
| 2019 | Lindisfarne | 17.14 – 7.9 | Huonville Lions | 4,126 | North Hobart Oval |
SFL Premier League Grand Finals: 2002–08
SFL Regional League Grand Finals: 2002–08
Goalkicking
STFL/SFL Leading Goalkickers: 1996–2001 & 2009 – present
● 1996 – Brad Howarth – 123● 1997 – Darren Kaye – 101
● 1998 – Michael Darcy – 119
● 1999 – Dale Hall – 98
● 2000 – Michael McGregor – 114
● 2001 – Robbie Devine – 102
● 2009 – Adrian Burdon – 106
● 2010 – Clint Curtain – 87
● 2011 – Tim Lamprill – 105
● 2012 – Michael Thompson – 101
● 2013 – Ben Halton – 88
● 2014 – Josh Hall – 112
● 2015 – Sean Salter – 101
● 2016 – Sean Salter – 90
● 2017 – Michael Cassidy – 72
● 2018 – Michael Cassidy – 77
● 2019 – Marcus Parker – 85
SFL Premier League Leading Goalkickers: 2002–2008
● 2002 – Robbie Devine – 60● 2003 – Matthew Smith – 67
● 2004 – Sean Salter – 65
● 2005 – Sean Salter – 69
● 2006 – Michael Darcy – 94
● 2007 – Mitchell Williamson – 58
● 2008 – Robbie Devine – 82
SFL Regional League Leading Goalkickers: 2002–2008
● 2002 – Justin Westbury – 81● 2003 – Michael Darcy – 122
● 2004 – Michael Darcy – 117
● 2005 – Michael Darcy – 108
● 2006 – Jamie Tubb – 77
● 2007 – Michael Darcy – 103
● 2008 – Chris Joyce – 136
Medal Winners
Horrie Gorringe Medal Winners
● 2002 – Nick Davey
● 2003 – Robbie Devine
● 2004 – Tim Geappen
● 2005 – Michael Thompson
● 2006 – Jeremy Sharpen
● 2007 – Brad Curran
● 2008 – Damian McIver
Tony Martyn Medal Winners
● 2002 – Gordon Shaw
● 2003 – Heath Dillon
● 2004 – Grant Clark
● 2005 – David Reynolds
● 2006 – Jamie Curran
● 2007 – Anthony Baker
● 2008 – Darren Garth
Gorringe-Martyn Medal Winners
● 2009 – Sam Hall
● 2010 – Matthew Smith
● 2011 –
● 2012 – Brad Carver
● 2013 – Nathan Ross
● 2014 – Nathan Ross
● 2015 – Nathan Matthews
● 2016 – Braden Barwick
● 2017 – Jason Laycock
● 2018 – Michael Cassidy
● 2019 – Brad Tennick
Hodgman Medal Winners – STFL/SFL/SFL Regional League
● 1996 – Jason Gulliver● 1997 – Tim Blanden
● 1998 – Andrew Beveridge
● 1999 – Jason Philp
● 2000 – Brendan Browning
● 2001 – Damien Dillon - Awarded a William Leitch Medal
● 2002 – Brad Marsland
● 2003 – Danny Noonan
● 2004 – Jeremy Brereton
● 2005 – Craig McLeod & Michael Gowans
● 2006 – Nick Doyle
● 2007 – Andrew Nash
● 2008 – Jamie Curran
Horrie Gorringe Medal Winners – SFL Premier League
● 2002 – Matthew Jones - Awarded a William Leitch Medal● 2003 – Brendon Bolton - Awarded a William Leitch Medal
William Leitch Medal Winners – SFL Premier League (2004–2008) & SFL (2009 – present)
● 2004 – Brock Ackerley & Roger Belcher● 2005 – David Newett
● 2006 – Jesse Crouch
● 2007 – Brad Carver
● 2008 – Shane Piuselli
● 2009 – Roger Belcher
● 2010 – James Lange
● 2011 – Nathan Ross
● 2012 – Michael Thompson
● 2013 – Nathan Ross
● 2014 – Caden Wilson
● 2015 – Nathan Brown
● 2016 – Troy Cunliffe
● 2017 – Troy Cunliffe
● 2018 – Jarrod Lawler
● 2019 – Mitchell Walker
SFL Records
SFL Record Highest Scores
● 396 – Channel 60.36 d Lachlan 1.0 - Snug Park● 362 – Huonville Lions 57.20 d Triabunna 0.3 - Huonville
● 311 – Channel 48.23 d Sorell 4.5 - Snug Park
● 311 – Huonville Lions 47.29 d Triabunna 4.4 - Huonville
● 293 – Brighton 45.23 d Sorell 4.3 - Pontville
● 276 – Claremont 43.18 d Huonville Lions 2.1 - Abbotsfield Park
● 276 – New Norfolk 40.36 d Triabunna 4.5 - Triabunna
SFL Record Lowest Scores
● 3 – Brighton 0.3 v North Hobart 19.22 - Pontville● 3 – Triabunna 0.3 v Huonville Lions 57.20 - Huonville
● 4 – Triabunna 0.4 v Cygnet 29.22 - Cygnet
● 5 – Channel 0.5 v Brighton 22.17 - Pontville
● 6 – Lachlan 1.0 v Channel 60.36 - Snug Park
● 6 – Hobart 1.0 v Claremont 38.27 - TCA Ground
SFL Record Highest Margin
● 390 – Channel 60.36 d Lachlan 1.0 - Snug Park● 359 – Huonville Lions 57.20 d Triabunna 0.3 - Huonville
● 283 – Huonville Lions 47.29 d Triabunna 4.4 - Huonville
● 282 – Channel 48.23 d Sorell 4.5 - Snug Park
● 266 – Brighton 45.23 d Sorell 4.3 - Pontville
● 263 – Claremont 43.18 d Huonville Lions 2.1 - Abbotsfield Park
SFL Record Highest Match Aggregate
● 402 – Channel 60.36 d Lachlan 1.0 - Snug Park● 365 – Huonville Lions 57.20 d Triabunna 0.3 - Huonville
● 340 – Channel 48.23 d Sorell 4.5 - Snug Park
● 339 – Huonville Lions 47.29 d Triabunna 4.4 - Huonville
● 330 – New Norfolk 33.21 d Lindisfarne 17.9 - Anzac Park
● 326 – Lindisfarne 39.9 d Channel 13.5 - Anzac Park
SFL Record Most Behinds Kicked In A Match
● 36 – Channel 60.36 d Lachlan 1.0 - Snug Park● 36 – New Norfolk 40.36 d Triabunna 4.5 - Triabunna
● 35 – Brighton 23.35 d Lindisfarne 6.3 - Pontville
● 35 – Dodges Ferry 23.35 d Triabunna 4.4 - Port Arthur
● 32 – Claremont 35.32 d Huonville Lions 5.3 - Huonville
● 31 – Hobart 21.31 d Lindisfarne 6.7 - TCA Ground
● 31 - Lauderdale 14.31 d Lindisfarne 10.6 at Anzac Park
● 31 – Huonville Lions 33.31 d Triabunna 3.6 - Triabunna
● 31 – Dodges Ferry 8.31 dw Brighton 12.7 - Shark Park
● 31 – Dodges Ferry 26.31 d Brighton 5.5 - Shark Park
SFL Record Highest Score Kicked In A Quarter
● 117 – Channel 18.9 v Lachlan - Snug Park● 105 – Channel 16.9 v Lachlan - Snug Park
● 100 – Channel 15.10 v Lachlan - Snug Park
● 98 – Huonville Lions 16.2 v Triabunna - Huonville
● 96 – Kingston 15.6 v Lachlan - Kingston Beach
● 96 – New Norfolk 15.6 v Sorell - Boyer Oval
● 96 – Huonville Lions 15.6 v Triabunna - Huonville
● 90 – Brighton 14.6 v Sorell - Pontville
● 90 – Kingston 14.6 v Lachlan - Kensington Park
● 90 – Huonville Lions 14.6 v Triabunna - Huonville
SFL Record Most Goals Kicked In A Match (Individual)
● 18 – Brad Howarth v Sorell - Snug Park● 18 – Brendan Fevola v Huonville Lions - Boyer Oval
● 16 – Brendan Fevola v Brighton - Boyer Oval
● 15 – Byron Howard Jr v Lindisfarne - Anzac Park
● 15 – Michael McGregor v Lindisfarne - Kermandie
● 15 – Robbie Devine v Lindisfarne - Anzac Park
● 15 – Michael Darcy v Channel - Cygnet
SFL Record All-Time Leading Goalkicker (Individual)
● 983 – Michael Darcy - 1998-2017Ladders
2010
FINALS| Final | Team | G | B | Pts | Team | G | B | Pts |
| Elimination | Huonville | 19 | 17 | 131 | Lindisfarne | 6 | 3 | 39 |
| Elimination | Kingborough | 16 | 23 | 119 | Central Hawks | 12 | 12 | 84 |
| 1st Semi | Huonville | 7 | 7 | 49 | Kingborough | 5 | 7 | 37 |
| 2nd Semi | New Norfolk | 8 | 12 | 60 | Dodges Ferry | 6 | 8 | 44 |
| Preliminary | Dodges Ferry | 15 | 13 | 103 | Huonville | 8 | 8 | 56 |
| Grand | New Norfolk | 20 | 18 | 138 | Dodges Ferry | 10 | 6 | 66 |
2011
FINALS| Final | Team | G | B | Pts | Team | G | B | Pts |
| Elimination | Dodges Ferry | 22 | 15 | 147 | Brighton | 4 | 10 | 34 |
| Elimination | Huonville | 13 | 15 | 93 | Lindisfarne | 6 | 13 | 49 |
| 1st Semi | Huonville | 18 | 17 | 125 | Dodges Ferry | 16 | 12 | 108 |
| 2nd Semi | New Norfolk | 17 | 16 | 118 | Kingborough | 15 | 6 | 96 |
| Preliminary | Kingborough | 16 | 21 | 117 | Huonville | 6 | 9 | 45 |
| Grand | Kingborough | 22 | 7 | 139 | New Norfolk | 13 | 12 | 90 |
2012
FINALS| Final | Team | G | B | Pts | Team | G | B | Pts |
| Elimination | Dodges Ferry | 18 | 12 | 120 | Claremont | 9 | 18 | 72 |
| Elimination | Kingborough | 25 | 11 | 161 | Brighton | 14 | 4 | 88 |
| 1st Semi | Kingborough | 17 | 14 | 116 | Dodges Ferry | 6 | 10 | 46 |
| 2nd Semi | Lindisfarne | 11 | 10 | 76 | New Norfolk | 7 | 13 | 55 |
| Preliminary | New Norfolk | 13 | 17 | 95 | Kingborough | 3 | 9 | 27 |
| Grand | New Norfolk | 10 | 18 | 78 | Lindisfarne | 11 | 7 | 73 |