The AFL South Coast is an Australian rules football competition in the Shoalhaven and Illawarra regions of New South Wales. The AFLSC has two divisions of senior men's football and one division of senior women's football. In 2012 The South Coast AFL became "AFL South Coast" incorporating the three leagues of South Coast AFL Seniors, Shoalhaven Juniors and Illawarra Juniors.

South Coast Australian Football League
SportAustralian rules football
Founded1969
No. of teams10
CountryAustralia
Most recent
champion(s)
Figtree Kangaroos
Official website[1]

The competition is technically South Coast's division of the New South Wales Australian Football League.

History

edit

The South Coast AFL was formed in 1969, composed of players from the military bases of HMAS Albatross, HMAS Creswell, and the cities of Nowra and Wollongong. In 1970 the Bomaderry club was formed and in 1972 Dapto joined the competition.

In 1975, Wollongong and Dapto left the league to create the Illawarra Australian Football League. They were joined by Bulli-Woonona (now known as Northern Districts), Port Kembla and Shellharbour, three clubs who had run junior programs but were introducing senior football. The sixth foundation club of the senior league was the University of Wollongong.

In 1988, the Wollongong Lions moving to the Sydney Football League causing the league to disband and the remaining clubs joining the South Coast AFL, which was renamed the Leisure Coast Australian Football League. The league returned to the name "South Coast AFL" in 2002.

In 2012 The South Coast AFL became "AFL South Coast" incorporating the three leagues of South Coast AFL Seniors, Shoalhaven Juniors and Illawarra Juniors.

Clubs

edit
 
 
15km
10miles
 
 
Ulladulla
 
Port Kembla
 
Bay & Basin
 
Wollongong Bulldogs
 
 
Shellharbour City Suns
 
Northern Districts
 
Kiama Power
 
Figtree
 
Bombaderry
Locations of the teams home grounds (Yellow = reserves only)

Teams are listed by their highest grade.

Emblem Club Nickname Home Ground Founded Years in competition Web Page
Seniors
 
Bomaderry Tigers Artie Smith Oval 1969 1970- Official site
 
Figtree Kangaroos (Men) &
Saints (Women)
Harry Graham Park 1999 1999- Official site
 
Kiama Power Bonaira Playing Field 1999 2002- Official site
 
Northern Districts
(formerly Bulli-Woonona)
Tigers Hollymount Park 1971 1988- Official site
 
Shellharbour City Suns Myimbarr Community Park 2011 2011– (Reserve)
2013– (Senior)
Official site
 
Wollongong Lions North Dalton Park 1966 1971–1974, 2015– Official site
 
Wollongong Bulldogs Keira Oval 2008 2008– (Reserve)
2010– (Senior)
Official site
Reserves
 
Bay & Basin Bombers Bay & Basin Leisure Centre 1999 2019, 2023-
 
Port Kembla Blacks Kully Bay Oval 1966 1975–
(Illawarra AFL 1975–1988)
Official site
 
Ulladulla Dockers West Ulladulla AFL Field 2009 2009– (Reformed)
(Reserve Grade only)
Official site

Clubs with Juniors only

edit
  • Shellharbour Swans
  • Shoalhaven Giants

Previous

edit
Colours Club Mascot Years in Competition Fate
 
Albatross

(formerly HMAS Albatross)

Demons 1969–2014 Merged with Nowra after 2014 season to form Nowra Albatross
 
Albion Park Crows 2019–2021 Folded
 
Camden Cats SCAFL 1996–2007 Moved to AFL Sydney after 2008 season
Goulburn-Bargo Hawks 1997–98 Folded
HMAS Creswell 1969 Folded
 
Dapto Hawks SCAFL 1972–1974

IAFL 1975–1988, 1989

Folded
 
Dapto City Stallions 2015–2019 Folded
East Nowra 1980–1987 Folded
 
Nowra Blues 1969–2014
Merged with Albatross
Merged with Albatross after 2014 season to form Nowra Albatross
 
Nowra-Albatross Vikings 2015–2023 Official site
 
Wollondilly Knights 2008–2013 Folded, reformed in AFL Sydney

Premierships

edit
  • 1969 Wollongong
  • 1970 Wollongong
  • 1971 Albatross
  • 1972 Albatross
  • 1973 Nowra
  • 1974 Nowra
  • 1975 Albatross
  • 1976 Nowra
  • 1977 Nowra
  • 1978 Albatross
  • 1979 Albatross
  • 1980 Nowra
  • 1981 East Nowra
  • 1982 Nowra
  • 1983 Albatross
  • 1984 Albatross
  • 1985 Batemans Bay
  • 1986 Batemans Bay
  • 1987 Batemans Bay
  • 1988 Batemans Bay
  • 1989 Bomaderry
  • 1990 Albatross
  • 1991 Albatross
  • 1992 Albatross
  • 1993 Port Kembla
  • 1994 Bomaderry
  • 1995 Albatross
  • 1996 Albatross
  • 1997 Albatross
  • 1998 Nowra
  • 1999 Port Kembla
  • 2000 Bomaderry
  • 2001 Nowra
  • 2002 Nowra
  • 2003 Camben
  • 2004 Bomaderry
  • 2005 Camben
  • 2006 Bomaderry
  • 2007 Bomaderry
  • 2008 Bomaderry
  • 2009 Kiama
  • 2010 Bomaderry
  • 2011 Kiama
  • 2012 Wollongong University
  • 2013 Wollongong University
  • 2014 Wollongong University

Premier Division

  • 2015 Wollongong Bulldogs
  • 2016 Wollongong Lions
  • 2017 Wollongong Lions
  • 2018 Kiama
  • 2019 Wollongong Lions
  • 2020 Figtree
  • 2022 Figtree
  • 2023 Figtree

First Division

  • 2015 Figtree
  • 2016 Wollongong Bulldogs
  • 2017 Kiama
  • 2018 Bomaderry
  • 2019 Wollongong Bulldogs
  • 2020 Figtree
  • 2022 Wollongong Bulldogs
  • 2023 Wollongong Bulldogs

Second Division

  • 2018 Bomaderry
  • 2019 Ulladulla
  • 2020 Figtree
  • 2022 Wollongong Bulldogs
  • 2023 Wollongong Bulldogs

Womens Premier

  • 2018 Bomaderry
  • 2019 Wollongong Bulldogs
  • 2020 Wollongong Saints
  • 2022 Wollongong Lions
  • 2023 Wollongong Lions

Womens Division One

  • 2019 Ulladulla
  • 2020 Shellharbour
  • 2022 Northern Districts Tigers
  • 2023 Kiama Power

Honours

edit

Life Members

edit
  • Ray Tunbridge, 1975
  • Alan Blacker, 1977
  • Tom Smith, 1979
  • John Collier, 1980
  • Stewart Stephens, 1981
  • Ian Biggs, 1983
  • Eddie Smith, 1985
  • Greg Perry, 1987
  • John Ford, 1996
  • D. Cornish, 1997
  • K. Blundell, Reg Douglas and N. Hickmott, 1998
  • K. Bright, L. Bright and J. Tatnell, 2005
  • Terry Ashton, 2011
  • Max Avery, 2009

Tom Smith Memorial Trophy

edit

A lightning premiership played at the start of the season.

  • 1977 Bomaderry
  • 1978 Albatross
  • 1979 Nowra
  • 1980 East Nowra
  • 1981 Nowra
  • 1982 Nowra
  • 1984 Albatross
  • 1990 Bomaderry
  • 1991 Bomaderry
  • 1992 Albatross
  • 1993 Port Kembla
  • 1994 Bomaderry
  • 1995 Nowra
  • 1996 Bomaderry
  • 1997 Bomaderry
  • 1998 Port Kembla
  • 1999 Camden
  • 2001 Albatross
  • 2002 Bomaderry
  • 2003 Camden
  • 2004 Albatross
  • 2005 Albatross
  • 2006 Camden
  • 2007 Nowra
  • 2008 Bomaderry
  • 2009 Kiama
  • 2010 Northern Districts
  • 2011 Wollongong University
  • 2012 Kiama
  • 2013 Kiama
  • 2017 Figtree

Hall of Fame

edit
  • 2017 Neville Hickmott
  • 2018 Ray Tunbridge
  • 2019 Tom Smith

AFL players

edit
  • Arthur Chilcott had a short career with the Sydney Swans between 1984 and 1985. He played 13 games and scored 14 goals.
  • Aidan Riley was rookie listed by the Adelaide Crows via the NSW scholarship program, making his debut in 2011 in their round 19 match against Port Adelaide. In 2014 he joined the Melbourne Football Club and after playing the 2014 and 2015 seasons returned to Adelaide to play with the Sturt Football Club in the SANFL. Aidan Riley retired from Sturt in 2019.
  • James Bell played his debut game for the Sydney Swans in 2019 against Port Adelaide. A former Shellharbour Junior, James signed with the Swans as a Rookie in 2017.

See also

edit

References

edit
edit