Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club


Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club is a Gold Coast based club competing in the AFL Queensland QAFL Australian rules football competition.

History

The league's official inaugural season commenced in 1962 with home ground was situated in Beach Road. The senior team won their first Premiership in 1963, consecutive premierships followed in 1967, 1968 & 1969.
More premierships followed in 1972 and 1974.
In 1983, the club moved to the Sir Bruce Small Park. The club sneak into the 1983 Grand Final, and were runners up to Coolangatta. They bounced back to win the 1984 premiership at Carrara but lost in 1985 by five points.
Max McMahon was appointed senior coach in 1992 and he secured a Premiership in his first year. It was followed by a five-point loss in the 1993 Grand Final. The 1992 forward line that included Andrew Gibson a former Williamstown star forward, Gibson kicked 525 goals for the club in 78 senior games, an average of 6.5 goals per game. Half Forward Barry Oates starred in the 1992 finals series kicking 17 goals including 8 goals in the Preliminary Final against Burleigh Heads. Oates also went on to win the league's Most Valuable Player award voted by the League's coaches. Centreman Rod Brewster capped off a great season with selection into the Queensland state side. Ruckman Paul Hams won the club Best & Fairest Award with Oates runner up.
During 1996, the then Captain/Coach David Cameron kicked twenty-five goals in a game.
As a senior club the Demons have a total of 10 Premierships and 10 runners up
In 2000, The Gold Coast division was wound up and clubs played in an enlarged AFL South Queensland competition, after two seasons in which the club fell on hard times and the club was restructured to become The Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club Inc. It was relegated to Division two.
In 2005, Qld Australian Football was restructured into two divisions. Surfers Paradise was promoted back into the Pineapple Hotel Cup competition. Another restructure in 2012 saw the AFL Pineapple Hotel Cup become SEQAFL Division 1 Pineapple Hotel Cup

Premierships

Gold Coast Australian Football League
AFLQ Gold Coast Division
Queensland Australian Football League
The juniors were formed in 1962 as one of six foundation members of the Gold Coast Juniors Football League and in 1964 the under 16s won the premiership. The Under 18s/ 17s won eight consecutive premierships from 1965 to 1972.
The Junior and Senior clubs have delivered fourteen players to the AFL.

Notable junior players