The Southern Districts Football Association was an Australian rules football competition based in southern Tasmania.
History The competition began as the Glenorchy Suburban Football Association, founded in 1924. In its early years the competition catered to clubs located in Glenorchy and the surrounding Hobart suburbs, with teams including Claremont, Moonah, Montrose, Derwent Rovers, Lenah Valley and Glenorchy Flyers participating. The competition underwent a shift from a suburban association to a district-based system in the early 1930s as many of the suburban clubs departed and strong regional clubs such as Bridgewater and Bellerive were admitted. After New Norfolk were admitted in 1934 the competition was renamed the Southern Districts Football Association. Glenorchy dominated the 1930s, winning 5 premierships, but left the association for a year in 1938 as the club felt it was being unfairly treated at committee meetings. The SDFA went into recess in 1941 due to WWII.
The competition re-formed in 1945 with 3 clubs - Bridgewater, Bellerive and New Norfolk. 1946 saw Bothwell join for the first time and Bellerive change its name to Clarence. Both Clarence and New Norfolk accepted invitations to join the Tasmanian Football League in 1947 and were replaced with Glenorchy and Bagdad-Mangalore Rovers. Bothwell won 6 premierships in 7 years between 1947 and 1953. After the competition was reduced to 3 clubs before the 1953 season following the departure of Upper Derwent three new clubs were admitted to bolster numbers - Forcett and South Hobart from the Clarence Sub-District FA and the newly-formed Brighton club. These three clubs would only participate for a brief period. Forcett left South Hobart went into recess during the 1954 season due to injuries and "other influences", Forcett left for the East Coast Football Association after 1955 and Brighton folded after the 1956 season. Glenorchy also departed after the 1956 season, merging with New Town in order to join the TFL.
Many of the smaller leagues in the Derwent Valley began to collapse in the 1950s which saw Hamilton and Upper Derwent join from the Derwent Valley FA in 1955 and Maydena and Ouse-Wayatinah from the Tyenna FA in 1959. The SDFA's days became numbered in the late 1960s. Hamilton folded after the 1966 season and Bridgewater moved to the TAFL Southern Division in 1968. After the 1970 season it was decided that the four remaining clubs join the South East District Football Association the following year.
Clubs
Final ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years inSDFASDFA Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsBothwell(1952)(?-1970)RabbitsBothwell Recreation Reserve, BothwellDVFA18801946-1970121947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1970Moved to South East District FA in 1952Maydena-Westerway(1959-?)(?-1970)BulldogsMaydena Sports Ground, MaydenaTFA19521959-1964, 1966–19700 -Recess in 1965. Moved to South East District FA in 1971Ouse MagpiesOuse Football Ground, OuseTFA19351959-19701 1967Moved to South East District FA in 1952Upper Derwent GretnaDVFA19041948-1952, 1955–197031961, 1962, 1969Played in Derwent Valley FA in 1953–54. Moved to South East District FA in 1971
Former ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years inSDFASDFA Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsANMBoyer Oval, New NorfolkDVFA194719490 -Folded after 1949 seasonBridgewaterSwansWeily Park Oval, BridgewaterBFA18851932-196731938, 1957, 1966Moved to TAFL Southern Division in 1968BrightonUnknown ground in Brighton–19531953-19560 -Folded after 1956 seasonClaremontCadbury Oval, ClaremontC&SFA19241924-1926, 1931–1933, 19380 -Left league after 1926 and 1933 seasons. Entered recess after 1938 season, re-formed in TAFL Southern Division in 1948Clarence (?-1940)(1946–47)RoosBellerive Oval, BelleriveSEFA18851933-194631937, 1940, 1946Moved to TFL in 1947Derwent RoversDark and light hoops–19271928, 1930–193111928Unaffiliated in 1929. Folded after 1931 seasonForcettForcett Recreation Ground, ForcettCSDFA18841953-19550 -Moved to East Coast FA in 1956GlenorchyRovers GlenorchyTFLJ19191924, 1930–1937, 1939–1940, 1947–195691930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1950, 1955, 1956Moved to TFL Juniors in 1925. Recess in 1938 and 1946. Merged with New Town to form Glenorchy District in TFL in 1957.Glenorchy FlyersGlenorchy Oval, Glenorchy–19251925-192611925Moved to Southern Country FA in 1927Glenorchy Homing ClubHomersGlenorchy Oval, Glenorchy–192319240 -FoldedGlenorchy SecondsGlenorchy Oval, Glenorchy–19191926, 1928 (check)0 -Played in GSFA while seniors played in TFL Juniors.GrantonGranton Football Ground, Granton–192919310 -Folded after 1931 seasonHamiltonRabbitsHamilton Showgrounds, HamiltonTFA18861955-196631959, 1960, 1965Folded after 1966 seasonLenah Valley–192419250 -Moved to Hobart Central FA in 1926Mangalore RobinsPontville Oval, PontvilleSEDFA18851947-19510 -Returned to South East District FA in 1952MoonahUnknown ground in Moonah–19141925-1926, 19280 -Left league after 1928 season.MontroseMontrose Recreation Ground, Montrose–19301930-193611932Folded to allow Glenorchy to field a reserves side in 1937.New Norfolk(?-1940)(1945-46)Boyer Oval, New NorfolkSCFA18781934-194621939, 1945Moved to TFL in 1947OatlandsSwansOatlands Oval, OatlandsMFA189719480 -Returned to Midlands FA in 1949RichmondBluesRichmond War Memorial Oval, RichmondRFA18781937-19380 -Entered recess after 1938 season, re-formed without affiliating in 1940.South HobartUnknown ground in South HobartCSDFA18911953-?0 -Most likely folded after 1954 season, which they did not complete.
Premierships YearPremierScoreRunners-upNotes1924?1925Glenorchy Flyers1926?1927No competition1928Derwent Rovers1929No competition1930Glenorchy8.13 (61) - 8.9 (57)Derwent Rovers1931Glenorchy1932Montrose1933Glenorchy7.9 (51) - 6.10 (46)Montrose1934Glenorchy13.5 (83) - 4.9 (33)New Norfolk1935Glenorchy14.13 (97) - 10.12 (72)Montrose1936Glenorchy6.3 (39) - 4.11 (35)Bellerive1937Bellerive12.9 (81) - 10.6 (66)Bridgewater1938Bridgewater15.13 (103) - 11.15 (81)Bellerive1939New Norfolk14.9 (93) - 12.12 (84)Bellerive1940Bellerive11.9 (75) - 7.17 (59)Glenorchy1941-44SDFA in recess (WWII)1945New Norfolk12.12 (84) - 1.5 (11)Clarence1946Clarence11.9 (75) - 8.10 (58)Bothwell1947Bothwell8.8 (56) - 7.11 (53)Glenorchy1948Bothwell12.8 (80) - 6.7 (43)Bridgewater1949Bothwell9.8 (62) - 9.4 (58)Glenorchy1950Glenorchy9.12 (66) - 9.6 (60)Bothwell1951Bothwell10.18 (78) - 4.6 (30)Glenorchy1952Bothwell10.16 (76) - 5.6 (36)Bridgewater1953Bothwell15.12 (102) - 9.12 (66)Glenorchy1954Bothwell9.13 (67) - 2.7 (19)Glenorchy1955Glenorchy12.16 (88) - 12.10 (82)Bothwell1956Glenorchy14.12 (96) - 8.5 (53)Upper Derwent1957Bridgewater15.16 (106) - 9.11 (65)Hamilton1958Bothwell12.14 (86) - 10.22 (82)Hamilton1959Hamilton13.9 (87) - 5.9 (39)Upper Derwent1960Hamilton14.9 (93) - 13.14 (92)Upper Derwent1961Upper Derwent15.15 (105) - 6.9 (45)Bothwell1962Upper Derwent8.6 (54) - 6.7 (43)Maydena1963Bothwell13.20 (98) - 8.10 (58)Hamilton1964Bothwell7.7 (49) - 6.4 (40)Maydena1965Hamilton13.15 (93) - 10.14 (74)Bothwell1966Bridgewater10.7 (67) - 6.15 (51)Maydena1967Ouse13.14 (92) - 8.12 (60)Bothwell1968Bothwell10.8 (68) - 8.9 (57)Ouse1969Upper Derwent16.15 (111) - 8.9 (57)Ouse1970Bothwell11.6 (72) - 7.8 (50)Upper Derwent
References