Sydney AFL

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Two ruckmen contest the bounce in a Sydney AFL game between the East Coast Eagles AFC and Campbelltown Kangaroos AFC
Two ruckmen contest the bounce in a Sydney AFL game between the East Coast Eagles AFC and Campbelltown Kangaroos AFC

The Sydney AFL is an Australian rules football League, based in metropolitan Sydney, Australia.

It has three senior divisions and an under 18s competition.

Until recently, the league played only 16 on the field at a time, which is 2 players less than standard Australian football leagues and results in less physical, less congested and more open running play.

Contents

[edit] History

The Sydney AFL began as the NSW Australian Football Association in 1903. In 1980 it became known as the Sydney Football League. It was renamed the Sydney AFL in 1998.

11 clubs contested the opening season in 1903, with East Sydney taking out the first premiership with a 6-point win over North Shore. 100 years later, similar to the repeated result of the centenary cricket Test in 1977; in the centenary season in 2003, East Sydney (by now known as UNSW-Eastern Suburbs) again defeated North Shore by 6 points. Over the years many clubs have come and gone, with the turnover of teams continuing to the present day. By 1998 the league consisted of 7 teams - Balmain, Pennant Hills, North Shore, St George, East Sydney, Western Suburbs and Baulkham Hills.

In 1999, Campbelltown returned to the Sydney AFL after a 3-year stint in AFL Canberra. The Blues, as they were then known, were an exceptionally strong club at the time and dominated the league in their first year back in Sydney. In the grand final, Campbelltown 18.5 (113) were far too good for Balmain 13.13 (91) to take out the premiership by 22 points.

In 2000, after the AFL's reserve grade competition was abolished, the Swans fielded a team in the Sydney AFL, known as the Redbacks. This move didn't turn out to be succesful, with the existing clubs unable to compete against full-time professional footballers who had far superior training resources. The games were generally one-sided, to the point where the rules were changed half-way through the season to allow other clubs to field an extra player against the Redbacks. The Redbacks finished top of the ladder, but elected not to compete in the finals; and in their absence Pennant Hills took out their first premiership with a 15.12 (102) to 12.7 (79) win over North Shore in the grand final. During the 2000 season, several Sydney AFL clubs had formed strategic alliances with clubs in the AFL. As part of this, some Sydney AFL clubs were to change their identity over the next few years. North Shore had always been black and red but took on the Bombers nickname of Essendon. St George renamed themselves the St George Crows and began wearing the navy, gold and blue strip of Adelaide. But the biggest change in identity was Baulkham Hills, who changed their colours to blue and gold and took on the new name of the East Coast Eagles. Other clubs were to follow suit. Another change in 2000 was the merger of traditional powerhouse East Sydney with the University of NSW club to form the UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs.

In 2001, with the Redbacks concept having not been considered a success, the Swans entered an alliance with Port Melbourne in the VFL and fielded their reserves with Port Melbourne. They continued to field a Redbacks team for the next 2 years, mainly as a junior development and talent-spotting team; but the Redbacks were never to make the top 4 again. Instead it was North Shore who led from start to finish in 2001, and although the grand final was tight the Bombers got critical goals when it mattered to record a 12.12 (84) to 10.9 (69) victory over Campbelltown.

2002 saw a resurgent Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs team return to the top, and despite a strong challenge from North Shore the Bulldogs finished the season as minor premiers. But the Bulldogs would have to go the long way into the grand final after North Shore came from behind to beat them by 3 points in the major semi-final. But UNSW-ES bounced back to win the preliminary final and earn a grand final berth, something that no major-final loser has managed to do in the 4 years since. On grand final day, despite the bright sunshine and perfect conditions, no side was able to score for the first 17 minutes as the defences of both teams held tight. But eventually it was to be North Shore that cracked, and although they fought back in the third term to come into the last break only a few points behind, they never led. Instead, it was UNSW-ES who ran away with the game in the last quarter to record a 16.10 (106) to 11.6 (72) win and their first premiership since the merger. This was the last grand final to be played at Macquarie University.

The Redbacks finally withdrew from the Sydney AFL in 2003 and the competition was reduced to 8 teams. North Shore got the season off to a flying start and were undefeated for the first 14 rounds, the Bombers losing only 2 home & away games all season. Campbelltown returned to form early in the season, but after being badly beaten by North Shore at Gore Hill in round 7 they fell away and only just scraped into the finals and have yet to make the finals since. Instead it was St George that came in 2nd, with reigning premiers UNSW-ES coming third. North Shore qualified first for the grand final, while UNSW-ES elminated Campbelltown. In the prelim final, St George were held goal-less in the second half and for the 4th year in a row had been defeated in the prelim final. And so the grand final in the league's centenary year, which was played at Monarch Oval in Campbelltown, would involve the same teams that played in the first grand final. And the result was to repeat. North Shore went in as the hottest of favourites, but poor kicking and excellent pressure from the Bulldogs saw them pull off a stunning upset. UNSW-ES 12.10 (82) defeated North Shore 10.16 (76), an exact repeat of the very first Sydney AFL grand final.

In 2004, the Sydney AFL adopted Henson Park as its finals venue. In later years, the Marrickville ground which also hosts the Newtown Jets in the NSW Rugby League would play a bigger role in Sydney football and be the venue for representative fixtures and night matches. North Shore were again front-runners, remaining undefeated until the second half of the season and again losing only 2 home & away games. Tennis ace Patrick Rafter played a few reserve grade games for the Bombers during this season but was never picked in the senior team. North Shore finished top after the home & away season, with UNSW-ES finishing 2nd. But this time the Bulldogs were to miss out on a grand final berth and instead St George finally broke through the preliminary final hurdle to qualify for the big day. Having lost the previous 2 grand finals the Bombers were nervous, and even more so when St George led by 4 points at half time. But the Bombers pulled away with the wind in the third term and the Crows were unable to respond when they had the win in the last quarter. So it was North Shore who took out the premiership, with a 10.11 (71) to 7.4 (46) victory.

In 2005, the Wollongong Lions were admitted to Premier Division, creating a 9-team league. The Lions are well-run off the field, and proved competitive on it. Western Suburbs and Pennant Hills were the leaders for much of the season, Wests remaining undefeated until round 9 and Pennant Hills until round 10. The round 9 loss was to be Wests' only loss in the home & away season. Pennant Hills lost much of their edge after captain Barnaby Howarth suffered a stroke after training and was unable to play again, but bounced back to finish 2nd after the home & away season. Wests and Pennant Hills were a long way in front of other teams and were widely fancied to play in the grand final. Wests made it through in the major semi-final, but in a stunning upset Pennant Hills went down in the preliminary final to reigning premiers North Shore. The Bombers were to turn on an even more stunning upset in the grand final, getting on top after half-time to record a 13.9 (87) to 6.10 (46) win over Wests and take out back-to-back flags.

Before the 2006 season, East Coast Eagles recruited heavily in a bid to get to the top. The Eagles had been close to the finals for years without making it into the top 4, but this was to change in 2006 and the Eagles took all before them in an undefeated home & away season. Sydney's drought had a major bearing on this season, with several grounds being hardened dustbowls and the turf on many grounds going out of shape; so that even small amounts of rain caused puddles to form and the grounds to be closed. All clubs faced rising injury tolls due to the ground conditions. After an undefeated home & away season and an easy win in the major semi-final, East Coast Eagles went into the grand final at Henson Park against Pennant Hills as the hottest of favourites. But this was the day the drought was to break, with conditions more resembling water polo than football. The Eagles' running game was negated by the conditions and by Pennant Hills' pressure tactice, while the Demons' tactic of peppering the goals from a distance and keeping the scoreboard paid dividends. Although the Eagles scored 2 more goals, the constant scoring got Pennant Hills over the line, 5.20 (50) to 7.6 (48). There have been many upsets in recent years in Sydney AFL grand finals, but this one more so than any of the others.

In 2007, Sydney University have been re-admitted to Premier Division, making a 10-team competition.

[edit] Audience

Attendances for the Sydney AFL are very small in comparison to state level leagues elsewhere in Australia, however Grand Final crowds sometimes reach as high as 3,000.

In 2007, in a first for Australian rules football in Sydney, it was announced that Foxtel would be televisiong an edited match of the week and a magazine-style segment on the Aurora Community Television Channel.[1]

[edit] Premier Division

[edit] First Division

[edit] Second Division

[edit] External links

Australian rules football in New South Wales
Governing Body

AFL NSW/ACT
Professional Clubs

Sydney Swans (AFL)
Sydney Metropolitan Leagues

Sydney AFL | Sydney Football Association
Regional Leagues

Black Diamond | Broken Hill | Central West | Coreen & District | Farrer | Golden Rivers | Hume | South Coast | Murrumbidgee Valley | Newcastle | North Coast | Northern Riverina | Ovens & Murray | Picola & District | Riverina | Sapphire Coast | Summerland | Tamworth
Junior Metropolitan Leagues

Sydney South West | Sydney West | Sydney North | Sydney South | Sydney City
Regional Junior Leagues

Central Coast | Newcastle | Illawara | North Coast | Northside | Far North Coast | Mide North Coast | Broken Hill | Campbelltown/McArthur | Cootamundra | Mid North Coast | South West | St George/Sutherland | Wagga & Districts
Women's Leagues

Sydney Women's AFL
Masters Leagues

Masters Australian Football NSW | Hunter Masters | Riverina Masters
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