The South Burnie Football Club is an Australian rules football club, based in the town of Burnie, Tasmania. It currently competes in the Darwin Football Association (DFA), and is the most successful club in DFA history. The club was initially known as APPM (for Associated Pulp and Paper Mills Ltd.), and was formed in 1941, five years after the Burnie pulp factory itself. After competing in the DFA in 1941, the disbanding of the league in 1944 resulted in the club being admitted to the North West Football Union (NWFU) in 1945. The club rejoined the reformed DFA as a founding member in 1951, deciding to change its name from APPM to South Burnie in 1956. After a two-year stint in the Northern Tasmanian Football League (NTFL) in 1997–1998, the hawks returned to the DFA and enjoyed a sustained period of success. From 2000 to 2019, the senior team reached the finals every season, playing 11 Grand Finals and winning 7 premierships. The club's reserves team in the same period played in 17 Grand Finals, winning 14 premierships including an incredible unbeaten streak of 11 flags from 2006 to 2016. The club holds the most senior premierships in the DFA with 16.
History
The club was nicknamed ‘the pulp’ after being born from the APPM paper mill in 1941, its colours being maroon and gold. The club first competed in the DFA for season 1941, the Emu Bay Association in 1942, the Burnie Junior Association in 1943, and once again in the DFA in 1944.Darwin Football Association: Fifty Seasons of Football: 1951-2000: Jubilee Record Then from 1945 until 1951 the club competed in the NWFU. Its 1945 debut season in the NWFU saw APPM claim its first ever premiership with a 31-point, 13.16 (94) to 8.15 (63) Grand Final defeat of East Devonport. Four years later in 1949 it again tasted premiership success, this time at the expense of Ulverstone, winning on this occasion by 27 points after trailing at three-quarter time, 14.12 (96) to 9.15 (69).Devaney, John. (2008). The Full Points Footy Encyclopedia of Australian Football Clubs Volume 1. Full points Publications, Great Britain. Two years later in 1951 the club joined the reformed DFA as a founding member, in the end spending only six seasons in the NWFU, but reaping 2 premierships during that tenure.
After rejoining the DFA, success soon followed with the pulp claiming the 1954 premiership after finishing fourth on the ladder, winning by the closest possible margin of 1 point against top side Montello 6. 9. (45) to 6. 8. (44). This was the last flag won by APPM, after a decision was taken by the club to change its name two seasons following this maiden DFA premiership. “The name change of South Burnie occurred at the start of the 1956 season, when it was obvious that more players would come from different areas of employment and it made sense to identify with the surrounding suburb.” In addition the club changed its strip from maroon and gold to brown and gold, while representing themselves as the hawks.
This appears to have been a good decision, as the club went on to win the 1959 premiership against Yeoman by 14 points, followed by a successful run in the sixties, winning 3 premierships. The first of those was in 1962 against Cam (now Somerset) by 17 points, 11. 12. (78) to 8. 13. (61). Five seasons later the club won back-to-back premierships at the expense of Ridgley, beginning with the 1967 victory of 31 points 15. 11. (101) to 11. 4. (70). The 1968 rematch was won by a margin of 39 points, 14. 9. (93) to 8. 6. (54). This was however to be the last time South Burnie would taste glory for another two and a half decades, the seventies proving the worst period in club history with three wooden spoons (last place). The eighties proved slightly better, with a Grand Final appearance in 1984 though losing by 22 points to a Yolla team that dominated that decade. The reserves team however earned its first premiership with a 33-point victory over Yolla in 1987, going back-to-back with a narrow 5 point victory over the same club in 1988. It was not until the nineteen nineties that South Burnie would overcome this unsuccessful, frustrating era.
In season 1994, and after 26 years without a senior Grand Final victory, the hawks finally broke their premiership drought in style with convincing back-to-back flags in 1994–1995, first dispatching Somerset by 51 points, 15.18. (108) to 8.9. (57), backed up by an 87-point hammering of West Ulverstone, 22.16. (148) to 7.19. (61), the club's greatest ever winning margin in a Grand Final, and also the DFA record margin at that time.Footypedia Shortly after these successes the club decided to try its luck at a higher level in the NTFL for season 1997, however, this venture proved unsuccessful and difficult to sustain, and following the end of the 1998 season, the hawks returned to the DFA for season 1999.Darwin Football Association
The turn of the millennium coincided with the club gaining momentum to what would become the most dominant period in its history, beginning with a grand final appearance in 2001 although losing heavily to a dominant Natone by 86 points, 18.20. (128) to 6.6. (42). The Under 17 youth team, however, collected its maiden premiership defeating Yeoman. In 2003 the club was again facing off in a grand final, though losing again albeit narrowly in a dour, low-scoring affair to Myalla, 4.5. (29) to 3.3. (21).
2004 however saw the club earn its 8th DFA premiership, overcoming Cuprona by 25 points, 12.6. (78) to 7.11. (53). Cuprona controlled the match until halfway through the third quarter, when they had a 20-point lead, but the hawks began to get on top and the margin became seven points at three quarter time. They continued their momentum into the last quarter to come away with the silverware, and many regarded this as the most even, skillful and entertaining Grand Final for years.Darwin Football Association: Decade Number six of a Tasmanian Country Competition They failed to back up their success the following year, although the Under 17 youth team was able to win its second premiership in 2005 defeating Devonport. The club earned a Grand Final berth in season 2006 but again lost the game, on this occasion to Yolla by a margin of 20 points, 10. 11. (71) to 7. 9. (53). From season 2006 however, the club's reserves side began their amazing streak of 11 consecutive premierships, stretching from 2006 to 2016, an achievement which may never be surpassed. The senior side however, although having its share of success and playing finals, frustratingly could not break through to another grand final until the 2012 season.
Following a fifth-place finish in 2011, the hawks finished the regular season in 2012 in second position, and earned a grand final berth against a Ridgley side which had only been beaten on two occasions. Facing a 31-point deficit at quarter time, the club clawed its way back, and then ran over the saints, in the end becoming premiers by 32 points and finally earning the ultimate reward for their consistent finals runs. 2012 also became the season that the club won the double for the first time in its history (both senior and reserves premiers), the reserves side also overcoming Ridgley to win its 7th consecutive flag.
2013 was a more complete season, the hawks dominating finishing atop the ladder. Although stumbling in the semi-final with a 4 Point loss to Ridgley, an 81-point Preliminary final win over Queenstown was backed up with a 50-point Grand Final victory again over the saints. As the reserves continued their premiership streak, the club earned back to back doubles for the first time in club, and DFA history. A dominant history making season for the South Burnie Football Club, and it appeared as though the form would continue into the following season as the club yearned to achieve a three peat. 2014 however saw the hawks attempt cut down. Although dominating the regular season again finishing atop the ladder for the second consecutive year, they could not overcome an inspired Queenstown in a nailbiting semi final, losing by just 2 points. Somerset then ended their season in unceremonious fashion in the preliminary final to the tune of 62 points.
In season 2015 however, the club returned once again to the grand final stage, this time against a skillful Somerset side which had finished the regular season on top of the ladder and dispatched the hawks in the semi-final by 32 points. The grand final itself “will go down in folklore as one of the greatest, if not the greatest.” After a poor first half the hawks were completely outplayed by the roos, and it appeared as though the game was over with a 43-point half time deficit. Halfway into the third quarter however, the hawks began to gain some momentum and couldn't be stopped, piling on the goals to narrow the margin to 10 points at three-quarter time. Early into the last stanza the momentum kept rolling, with the club hitting the front and gaining a 9-point lead before Somerset stemmed the flow, the remainder of the quarter going goal for goal with the roos finally regaining a 3-point lead with 2 minutes left in the match. But the hawks weren't done, and they managed to score a final goal with a minute remaining. The team coolly retained possession of the football in the dying seconds to deny Somerset the flag, and secured one of the greatest ever grand final comebacks to win the 2015 premiership by 3 points. The reserves in contrast dominated their grand final, winning by 81 points en route to their 10th consecutive premiership, and the club's third double in four seasons.
Following the exhilarating 2015 victory, the 2016 season began slowly for the hawks, with Natone surprising the competition, leading the ladder until the final game of the season when an incredible 158 point victory for the hawks over the magpies earned them top spot. From there the premiership was South's to lose. The hawks had incredibly not won a semi-final since 2006 from 6 attempts but with a hoodoo breaking semi-final win over Natone by 78 points, and a Grand Final win of 64 points again against the magpies, secured the club its 12th DFA premiership; its fourth in five years, its fourth double in five years, and assured its current status as the most successful club in DFA history to date. Coach Rohan Baldock capped off a successful season on an individual note, kicking 241 goals for the season, an effort which places him second on the all-time goal kicking record in a season in Australian football.http://ww3.shepnews.com.au/2016/09/12/50295/suttons-record-remains-intact The club also recorded its greatest ever winning margin in a game, 322 points against Yolla in round 18. 2016 thus put an exclamation mark on the most successful period in club history.
Although gun forward and coach Baldock departed the club for the 2017 season, the hawks fourth attempt at achieving the three peat began promisingly with the appointment of state league player Zane Murphy as senior coach. In round 8 Murphy equalled Alan Newman's 1987 record for most goals scored in a single game with 23. In round 16 the hawks' ruthlessness against the demons in recent years went to another level as they smashed their highest ever recorded score to 391 points, and greatest ever winning margin to 377 points. It was also the highest score in the DFA's 67-year history, 62.19 (391), eclipsing Natone's 58.32 (380) in 2001, with Zane Murphy (13 goals) and Kurt Lamprey (19 goals) also becoming the first two players to ever achieve the century goal kicking mark from the same club on the same day.