Footy FAQ: Other Australian Football Leagues

4. Other Australian Football Leagues

What other Australian leagues exist?
Non-Australian Australian Football Leagues
Probability of an Aussie Rules "Super League"

What other leagues exist?

Each state has its own elite level of competition. As stated previously, the VFL, which was the strongest competition, has expanded and become the AFL. The original Victorian Football Association (VFA), which was left behind when the former VFL was formed in 1896, took the name Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1997 and now stands as the premier league in Victoria. For more information on the VFL, go here.

There are two other leagues which have provided the majority of non-Victorian players. These are the West Australian Football League (WAFL), which was known as Westar Rules for several years before reverting to its original name, based in Western Australia, and the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) based in South Australia. ("National football" and "Victorian Rules" were archaic names for Aussie Rules.) Contact addresses for each of these leagues as well as the other state leagues are provided below:

South Australian National Football League (SANFL)

South Australian National Football League. Inc.
Adelaide Oval
Level 2, Riverbank Stand
War Memorial Drive
North Adelaide, SA 5006

Phone:(08) 8424 2200
Fax: (08) 8445 7385

Mailing Address:
SANFL
PO Box 606
Tynte Street
North Adelaide, SA 5006

Website: http://sanfl.com.au/

The SANFL currently has 10 teams:

Adelaide Football Club
Central Districts Bulldogs
Glenelg Tigers
North Adelaide Roosters
Norwood Redlegs
Port Adelaide Magpies
South Adelaide Panthers
Sturt Double Blues
West Adelaide Bloods
Woodville-West Torrens Eagles

Victorian Football League (VFL)

Anthony Stanguts Communications Manager
email: anthony[ dot }stanguts[at)aflvic[ dot }com[ dot }au
Victoria Football League
GPO Box 4337
Melbourne
Vic 3001
Websites: http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-118-0-0-0
Twitter: @VFLnews

Phone: (03) 8341 6000
Fax: (03) 9380 1076
General email address: vflnews[at)aflvic[ dot }com[ dot }au

The present VFL is the former Victorian Football Association (VFA), whose oldest league was formed in 1877.
The name change was made in 1996, several years after the current AFL abandoned the name.
The league was restructured in 2000

The current 15 teams in the Peter Jackson Victorian Football League are:

Box Hill Hawks (Hawthorn)
Casey Scorpions (Melbourne)
Coburg Tigers
Collingwood
Essendon
Footscray
Frankston Dolphins
Geelong Cats
North Ballarat Roosters (North Melbourne)
Northern Blues (Carlton)
Port Melbourne Borough
Richmond
Sandringham Zebras (St Kilda)
Werribee Tigers (North Melbourne)
Williamstown Seagulls

West Australian Football League

West Australian Football League
Gate 6 Domain Stadium
Subiaco Road
Subiaco, WA
6008

Mailing Address:
WAFL
PO Box 275
Subiaco
WA 6904

E-mail: reception[at)wafc[ dot }com[ dot }au
Telephone: +61 8 9381 5599

Website: http://www.wafootball.com.au/

The WAFL currently has 9 teams:

Claremont Tigers
East Fremantle Sharks
East Perth Royals
Peel Thunder
Perth Demons
South Fremantle Bulldogs
Subiaco Lions
Swan Districts Swans
West Perth Falcons

Australian Football League Canberra (AFLC)

David Wark
PO Box 3759
Manuka
ACT 2603

Website: http://websites.sportstg.com/comp_info.cgi?c=1-1051-0-346896-0-0-0
Email: David[ dot }Wark[at)aflact[ dot }com[ dot }au
Phone: (02) 6228 0337

The six teams that compete in the First Division AFLC are:

Belconnen Magpies
Eastlake Demons
Queanbeyan Tigers
Ainslie Tricolours
Tuggeranong Hawks
Gungahlin Jets

The are additional divisions in Canberra

Sydney Australian Football League (SAFL)

Matthew Graham
NSW Australian Football League
PO Box 333
Strawberry Hills
NSW 2012
Phone: (02) 8333 8021
Fax: (02) 9360 2255
E-mail: /mspooner[at)aflnswact[ dot }com[ dot }au">matthew[ dot }graham[at)aflnswact[ dot }com[ dot }au
Website: http://www.sydney.com.au/
http:www.foxsportpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?assoc=1047&pID=1
http://aflnswact.com.au/

Sydney AFL 9 Premier Division teams are:

East Coast Eagles
North Shore Bombers
Pennant Hills Demons
St. George Dragons
Sydney University
Manly Warringah Giants
UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs
UTS Bats
Western Suburbs Magpies

Sydney also has 5 additional Divisions.

Northern Territory Football League (NTFL)

Mr Robert Kingston (CEO)

Northern Territory Football League
PO Box NTFL 1
Casuarina
NT 0811
Competition Manager Darryl Griffiths Phone: 08 8980 4807
email: ntfooty[at)aflnt[ dot }com[ dot }au
website: http://www.aflnt.com.au
http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?assoc=2860

The NTFL currently has 8 teams in their Premier League

Buffaloes
Nightcliff
Palmerston
Southern Districts
St. Marys
Tiwi Bombers
Wanderers
Waratah

Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL)

Mr Michael Conlan (CEO)
Queensland Australian Football League (Inc)
Postal Address;
PO Box 3132
Yeronga LPO
Qld 4104
Physical Address:
Queensland Administration and Training Centre
Cansdale Street
Yeronga
QLD 4104
website: http://www.aflq.com.au
http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-109-0-0-0

The QAFL Senior Division currently has 10 teams:

Broadbeach
Labrador
Morningside
Mt Gravatt
Palm Beach Currumbin
Sandgate
Surfers Paradise
University of Queensland
Western Magpies
Wilston Grange

Other divisions include:

QWAFL 7 teams
QFA (North) Seniors 7 teams
QFA (South) Seniors 9 teams
QAFA (A) Seniors 11 teams
QWAFA 6 teams
Colts North 9 teams
Colts South 8 teams

Australian Football League Tasmania (AFLT)

AFL Tasmania - South
Blundstone Arena
15 Derwent Street
Bellerive
PO Box 405
Rosny, TAS 7018
Phone: (03) 6282 1800

AFL Tasmania - North
Aurora Stadium at York Park
Invermay Road
Launceston
PO Box 1896
Launceston, TAS 7250
Phone (03) 6333 0842
Fax: (03) 6333 0842

AFL Tasmania Northwest
Ulverstone Football Bround
Victoria Street
Ulverstone
PO Box 40
Burnie, TAS 7320
Phone: (03) 6425 1755
Fax: (03) 6425 4603

Media Inquires:
Shaun Young
TSL General Manager
Phone: 0438 437 456
email: shaun[ dot }young[at)aftlas[ dot }com[ dot }au

Website: http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-3385-0-0-0
Website: http://www.afltas.com.au
Website: http:/tasmanianstateleague.com.au

There are currently Ten AFLT clubs:

Burnie
Clarence Roos
Devonport
Glenorchy Magpies
Hobart City
Lauderdale Bombers
Launceston
North Lauderdale
Tigers
Western Storm

Other helpful addresses:

Australian Football League
140 Harbour Esplanade
Docklands, VIC 3008
Membership Postal Address:
GPO Box 5275
Melbourne, VIC 3001
PH: (03) 9643 1999
Website: http://www.afl.com.au

Australian Amateur Football Council (AAFC)
Bill Armstrong Secretary/Treasurer
Email: ncouch[at)wafc[ dot }com[ dot }au
Website: http://www.aafc.com.au
Phone: 08 9381 5599
Postal Address:
C/-WAAFL
P.O. Box 275
Subiaco, WA 6904

Non-Australian Australian Football Leagues

The AFL provides financial or practical assistance to Leagues in Britain, Canada, Denmark, Japan and New Zealand. Respective details of several of these leagues are:

AFL Europe

Website: http://www.afleurope.org
Address:
3rd Floor Australia Centre
Strand
London WC2B 4LG England, UK
Phone: +44 7 952 873 813
email: admin[at)afleurope[ dot }org

AFL Europe is affiliated with the following leagues:
To contact the individual clubs go to: http://www.afleurope.org/play/how-to-join/ and click on the list of countries.

AFL England

Adam Bennett, President
E-mail: info[at)aflengland[ dot }org
Website: http://www.aflengland.org

AFL GB became AFL England in 2011.
AFL England is affiliated with AFL Europe

The clubs:

AFL Central & Northern England

Birmingham Bears
Huddersfield Rams
Leeds Minotaurs (currently not active)
Manchester Mosquitoes
Nottingham Scorpions
Sheffield Thunder
Tyne Tees Tigers
Wolverhampton Wolverines
Merseyside Saints

AFL London

London Swans
North London Lions
Putney Magpies
Reading Kangaroos
South East London Giants
Wandsworth Demons
West London Wildcats
Wimbledon Hawks

AFL South

Bournemouth Demons
Surrey Stags
Portsmouth Pirates
Southampton Titans
Sussex Swans

English Clubs in Welsh League (WARFL)

Chippenham Redback
Bristol Dockers

University Clubs

University of Birmingham
Cambridge University
University of Gloucester
Newcastle University
Newmans University
Oxford University
Exeter University

Aussie Rules UK

Website: http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-3912-0-0-0

Danish Australian Football League (DAFL)

President Simon Malone (Farum)
Vice President Gavin Ward (Odense)
E-mail: /marks[at)dafl[ dot }dk">exec[at)dafl[ dot }dk
Website: http://www.dafl.dk
Twitter: @danskafl

Season runs from late April to late August for 14 rounds, with three weeks off in July, depending on the conference.
McIntyre Final Four system is used for finals; Grand Final to be held September 12.

The DAFL is comprised of three conferences and one area league:

Jutland Conference Teams:

Aalborg Kangaroos
Randers Dockers

Funen Conference Teams:

Odense Australian Football Lions

Zealand Conference Teams:

Copenhagen Barracudas
Copenhagen Giants
Farum Cats

Sweden Conference Teams:

Port Malmo Maulers

The origins of Australian football in Scandinavia are the stuff of legend. Mick Sitch, an expatriate Aussie, was missing the footy so much that he placed an ad in a Copenhagen newspaper in 1989 offering a kick to all comers. He got two responses the first time out. But the game attracted so much interest from the locals that a three-team league was in operation just two years later, and is now a seven-team international league.

AFL Russia

AFL Espana

AFL Germany

Website: http://www.aflg3013.de
Website: http://www.styriandownunderdogs.com/

Welsh Australia Rules Football League

Website: http://www.warfl.org.uk

Netherland Dutch Australian Football Association

Website: http://www.aussierules.nl

Norway

France CNFA France Football Australien

Website: http://www.football-australien.fr

AFL Scotland

Website: https://www.facebook.com/AFLScotland

AFL Sweden

Website: http://www.aflsweden.se/2/

Portugal

Finland

Czech Republic

Belgium

Austria

Andorra

Canadian Australian Football Association (CAFA)

Website: http://www.aflcanada.com This website will forward you to the following:
http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-7259-0-0-0

There is also information on the following website:
http://www.australianrulesfootball.com.au/pages/AFLCanada
This page does not appear to be updated frequently.

Ontario Australian Football League

AFL Ontario Executive
E-mail: exec[at)aflontario[ dot }com
Website: http://www.aflontario.com
Add'l Website: http://www.foxsportspulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?assoc=7394
Add'l website: http://www.oafl.com

10 team competition, formed in 1989. Season runs from end of May to start of October, for 14 rounds (play every other team twice with two byes.) McIntyre Final Four system is used for finals.

The clubs:

Toronto Eagles
Toronto Dingos
Ottowa Swans
Grand River Gargoyles
Broadview Hawks
Hamilton Wildcats
Toronto Rebels
Central Blues
Etobicoke Kangaroos
High Park Demons

Australian Football League of Quebec
Website: http://www.aflquebec.ca/

Nova Scotia Australian Football League (NSAFL)
Website: http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-9666-0-0-0

British Columbia Australian Football League (BCAFL)
Website: http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-7994-0-0-0

Alberta Australian Football League (AAFL)
Website Calgary: http://www.foxsportspulse.com/club_info.cgi?client=1-7993-111808-0-0
Website Edmonton: ?

See the North American Footy Links page to get the links for all Canadian clubs.

Japan Australian Football Association (JAFA)

Telephone: 03-4520-9930
E-mail: info[at)jafl[ dot }org
Website: http://www.jafl.org/en/
Additional information check AFL Japan on Twitter

Tokyo Bay Suns
Tokyo Goannas
Eastern Hawks
Senshu Powers
R246 Lions
Komazawa Magpies
Shonan Poseidons
Osaka Digoes (not active in 2015)
Nagoya Redbacks (not active in 2015)

New Zealand Australian Football League (NZAFL)

Postal Address:
C/-Sports House
P.O. Box 300633
Albany, Auckland
New Zealand 0752
Physical Address:
Sports House
Stadium Drive
Albany, Auckland
New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 448 0305
Fax: +64 9 415 4594
E-mail: playafl[at)aflnz[ dot }co[ dot }nz
Website: http://aflnz.co.nz/
Twitter: @aflnz

The NZAFL is broken into five different leagues. Visit the league site to get a listing and contact details of the clubs:

Auckland AFL
Canterbury AFL
Waikato AFL
Wellington AFL
Otago AFL

United States Australian Football League (USAFL)

Doren James Operations Manager
E-mail: operations[at)usafl[ dot }com
Phone: 872-228-7235
Website: http://www.usafl.com/

The USAFL currently has 36 teams across the country. Clubs play regional footy during the season (such as the Mid-America Australian Football League, or MAAFL) with results contributing to a team's overalll USAFL standing at the end of the season, which in turn determines its ranking at the annual National Tournament. Several years ago, many cities with USAFL registered teams also established a "Metro Footy League" which does not compete in the USAFL, but allows USAFL players and players not interested in playing USAFL games to compete at a lower level.

Teams marked with an * also have a Women's team:

USAFL Leagues:

Southern California Australian Football League- http://calfooty.com/
Mid-American Australian Football League- http://www.midfooty.com/

USAFL Clubs:

Arizona Hawks*
Altanta Kookaburras
Austin Crows
Baltimore Washington Eagles*
Baton Rouge Tigers
Boise Australian Football Club
Boston Demons*
Chicago Swans Football Club
Cincinnati Dockers
Cleveland Cannons
Columbus Jackaroos ARFC*
Dallas Magpies
Denver Bulldogs*
Des Moines Roosters
Fort Lauderdale Fighting Squids
Golden Gate Roos*
Houston Lonestars
Indianapolis Giants
Kansas City Power
Kentucky Fury
Los Angeles Dragons
Louisville Kings
Milwaukee Bombers
Minnesota Freeze*
Nashville Kangaroos
New York Magpies*
North Carolina Tigers
Orange County Bombers
Philadelphia Hawks
Portland Steelheads*
Sacramento Suns*
Saint Louis Blues
San Diego Lions*
Seattle Grizzlies
Tampa Bay Larrikins ARFC
Tulsa Buffaloes*

USAFL National Teams

USA Revolution Established in 1999 competes in the International cup held every three years in Australia
USA Freedom is the Women's National Team Established in 2007

Probability of an Aussie Rules "Super League"

The Australian Rugby League experienced massive upheaval in 1997 as Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd. started a new Rugby League competition - the Super League - in direct competition with ARL, and offered massive contracts to Rugby League players. Massive division resulted, with threatened expulsion of teams from the ARL - and a substantial real exodus - and threatened extinction of others. News Ltd. broadcast Super League matches over its pay-TV empire. (Murdoch has already done this in the UK with Premier League soccer, and Murdoch's Fox network televises National Football Conference NFL games here in the USA.)

There was speculation a few years ago that the AFL might be the next target for a Super League. This never happened, and is unlikely for many reasons:

a) Australian Rules Football is very much a tribal game - the allegiances are to your specific team.
b) Clubs leaving the AFL can't use their name, logo, uniform, etc., for two years afterwards - the AFL retains the rights to them.
c) The AFL has exclusive playing licenses for practically all major football grounds in the country.
d) Murdoch already owns part of the Channel Seven Network which owned the broadcast rights for 45 years. They lost those rights in 2001 to a Channel 9/Channel Ten/Fox consortium, but regained the rights when they outbid the consortium in 2006 in a partnership with Channel Ten, which abandoned its partnership with the consortium during the negotiations. Seven and Ten held the rights for the next 5 years, 2007-2011. The situation has remained in a similar state since with Seven and Foxtel owning rights.
e) AFL doesn't have the broad international appeal on pay TV that would justify the massive expenditure of setting up a Super League.
f) AFL clubs receive much higher dividends from the AFL than ARL clubs from their league.
g) Player contracts revert to the AFL if a team happens to leave the League (originally in place to protect players should a team fold).
h) AFL don't have private ownership in the way other sports have.

The rugby Super League in fact bled mass quantities of money and failed, and the 20-odd former ARL clubs reunited to form the National Rugby League. The Hunter club in the suburbs of Sydney failed, and the Perth club became the Melbourne Storm. NRL eventually reduced the number of clubs.

Article last changed on Thursday, September 07, 2017 - 12:00 AM EDT

Footy FAQ: Other Australian Football Leagues

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