AFL Cairns is a semi-professional Australian rules football league that includes clubs from the Cairns region in Queensland, Australia. It is widely regarded as the strongest regional Australian rules football league in Queensland and has a large base at Cazalys Stadium which has staged Australian Football League matches.
The league has significant coverage in local media such as The Cairns Post. Each year the senior men's Grand Final attracts between 2,500 and 3,500 spectators.
AFL Cairns runs a men's competition with seniors and reserves divisions, as well as a women's and junior competitions.
History
Early football matches in Cairns An article in the Cairns Post on 3 September 1885 on page 3 titled "Football Match" describes a game of football played at the then cricket grounds, believed to have been in the precinct around Munro Martin Park and the Civic Theatre. This game was between Cairns, led by Jack MacNamara (believed to have been a representative of Victoria at first intercolonial match) and Townsville, led by F Rendall. References are made of "Little Marks" and the final score after 2 hours was Cairns, 1 goal 7 behinds to Townsville, 1 goal 3 behinds. The Cairns umpire was AJ Draper.
The Cairns team was :- Michelle Burke, Leonie Burke, J Swallow, "Little" Draper, Reid, Crawford, Horse, Campbell, Warren, Harrison, McClelland, Oldham, Rev.Nobbs, Grcnsen, J.Loridan, Bulcock, Wood, Ärmstrong, C.Loridan, Johnstone, D. Wall, Middlebrook, Schumhronk, Dent, McCarthy, Hogarth.
T. H. LAKE was the secretary.
In 1932 a new association was formed with 30 members and called upon Melbourne teams to play an exhibition match and assistance from the Australian National Football Council. In its first match combined Cairns-Gordonvale team defeated a team from Tully 9 goals 9 to 5 goals 10. However the competition was shortlived.
During World War II, calls were put out for the organisation of local matches and at least one such match was played in Gordonvale on 19 March 1942. A Cairns Charity league was set up that year featuring four service teams based in Cairns - RAAF, two Army teams and a navy team. The services league lasted just one season. In 1944, a one-off match was organised between the Triangles and Locals.
Cairns Australian Football League The modern league as we now know it formed in 1955 as the Cairns Australian Football League and a local schoolboy competition was also formed resulting in a junior representative trip to Townsville by plane. In 1957 the ANFC, through Bruce Andrew, purchased land in Cairns for the first dedicated field in regional Queensland which became Cazalys Stadium. The initial Senior competition had only two teams, Norths and Souths. This has since expanded to seven teams.
Around 2000, the league affiliated with the Australian Football League and was re-branded AFL Cairns. The league has grown rapidly in recent years with the ongoing development of Cazalys Stadium, the success of the Queensland-based Brisbane Lions, and with Cairns hosting exhibition Australian Football League matches and later matches for premiership points.
The league introduced a Women's Footy competition in 2002.Women pull on the jersey from ABC North Queensland
2004 grand final
In the 2004 Grand Final between North Cairns and Port Douglas, a brawl began moments after the conclusion of the national anthem before the start of the match. Further fighting occurred on the field and in the crowd during the match.
North Cairns, who were seen as underdogs going into the match, won the match by 48 points, giving the club their first premiership since 1988. However the premiership was stripped following a lengthy investigation, with no premiers awarded for the 2004 season.
The grand final gained national media attention, and is considered one of the ugliest moments in the history of Australian rules football.
Manunda Hawks' Omission from the 2015 season In 2014, the Manunda Hawks forfeited a game as the away team against Port Douglas due to the concern for the safety of a player that was threatened via social media. The league reacted by suspending the club for the 2015 season.
Clubs Current
ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundEst.Years in CAFLSenior PremiershipsTotalYears Cairns Griffiths Park, Manunda 1993 13 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 Cairns City Holloways Beach Sporting Complex, Holloways Beach 1969 4 1982, 1983, 2021, 2022 Centrals-Trinity Beach Bulldogs Crathern Park, Trinity Beach 1963 1963- 12 1967, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1997 Manunda Hawks Cazalys Stadium, Westcourt 1983 1984- 4 1987, 2006, 2007, 2011 North Cairns Tigers Watsons Oval, Manunda 1955 1956- 11 1958, 1959, 1976. 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 2025 Port Douglas Crocs Port Douglas Sporting Complex, Port Douglas 1989 1989- 11 1991, 2001, 2005, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2026 South Cairns Fretwell Park, Bentley Park 1956 1956- 10 1956, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1972, 2003, 2024
Former ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundEst.Years in CAFLSenior PremiershipsFateTotalYears Aloomba-Gordonvale Alley Park, Gordonvale 1957 1957-1963 1 1960Merged with Centrals to form Centrals-Aloomba in 1964 Babinda Magpies Bill Wakeham Park, Babinda 1958 3 1961, 1962, 1970Merged with Innisfail after 1979 season Balaclava Eagles 1960 1960-1962 0 -Merged with South Cairns to form South Balaclava in 1963 Cairns StingersStingersWatsons Oval #2200720240 -Division 3 side only. Active AFL Masters team Centrals Australian Football Park, Westcourt 1958 1958-1963 0 - Merged with Aloomba-Gordonvale to form Centrals-Aloomba in 1964 Innisfail Roos Callender Park, Innisfail 1956 1957-1958, 1980, 1982-1983 0 -Folded after 1983 season Mareeba Saints Mareeba State High School Oval 1983 0 -Folded after 1982 season Pyramid Power (2006-?)(?-2020)PowerMaher Road Oval, Gordonvale 2006 0 - Folded after 2020 season Tolga-Tinaroo Dambusters Oval near Bones Knob, Tolga 1956 1957-1958 1 1957Folded after 1958 seasonTownsville EaglesEaglesTownsville Showground, West End19871987-19880 -Folded after 1988 season
Junior clubs Current
Centrals Trinity Beach South Cairns Cutters Port Douglas North Cairns Tigers Manunda Hawks Cape York Eagles Cairns Saints Cairns City Lions Gordonvale Suns
Former Tableland Pythons Redlynch Lions Babinda Magpies Pyramid Power Cairns City Cobras (Cairns Cities) Cassowary Coast Crows
Notable Players Notable players from the AFL Cairns who went on to play professionally include:
AFL Players Colin Judd () Alex Davies (Manunda Hawks) () Craig Brittain() Troy Clarke () Mark West () Charlie Dixon (Cairns Saints) ( / ) Rex Liddy (North Cairns) () Che Cockatoo-Collins (City United) Donald Cockatoo-Collins David Cockatoo-Collins Jason Roe (Cairns City Cobras) () Peter Yagmoor (Cairns City Cobras/Lions) () Courtenay Dempsey (Manunda Hawks) () Jarrod Harbrow (Manunda Hawks) () Sam Michael (Manunda Hawks) ( / ) Jack Bowes (Cairns Saints) () Jacob Heron (Cairns Saints) ()
AFLW Players Poppy Boltz - Cairns Saints Jacqui Dupuy - Cairns Saints Heidi Talbot - North Cairns Greta Bodey - Cairns Saints (Brisbane / Hawthorn) Elisha King - North Cairns (North Melbourne) Breanna Koenen - North Cairns (Brisbane) Leah Kaslar - Centrals Trinity Beach (Brisbane / Gold Coast) Tiarna Ernst - Manunda (Western Bulldogs / Gold Coast)
Grounds/Venues Port Douglas Sporting Complex - Port Douglas Crocs Fretwell Park - South Cairns Cutters Cazalys Stadium (Formerly known as Australian Football Park (AFP) - Manunda Hawks Watsons Oval - North Cairns Tigers Crathern Park - Centrals Bulldogs Holloways Beach Sporting Complex - Cairns City Lions Griffiths Park (Formerly known as Cairns Cricketers Club / Sportsworld) - Cairns Saints Maher Road Oval (Formerly Power Park) - Pyramid Power / Gordonvale Suns Redlynch State College Oval Buchan Street - Cape York Eagles
Former Grounds/Venues Cairns Showgrounds Oval - City United / Manunda Balaclava State School Oval - Souths Balaclava Babinda Showgrounds Oval - Babinda Magpies
2009 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts South Cairns 17 0 1 0 2363 1241 190.41% 68 1st Semi Cairns Saints 20 11 131 Manunda Hawks 17 12 114 Centrals Trinity Beach 14 0 4 0 2306 1347 171.20% 56 2nd Semi South Cairns 16 15 111 Centrals Trinity Beach 16 10 106 Cairns Saints 11 0 7 0 2152 1566 137.42% 44 Preliminary Cairns Saints 20 15 135 Centrals Trinity Beach 11 5 71 Manunda Hawks 10 0 8 0 1903 2093 90.92% 40 Grand Cairns Saints 16 8 104 South Cairns 12 9 81 Port Douglas 4 0 14 0 1471 2406 61.14% 16 Cairns City Cobras 4 0 14 0 1185 2045 57.95% 16 North Cairns 3 0 15 0 1424 2106 67.62% 12
2010 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts Port Douglas 18 0 0 0 2826 1155 244.68% 72 1st Semi Centrals Trinity Beach 13 14 92 Manunda Hawks 9 16 70 Cairns Saints 12 0 6 0 2131 1453 146.66% 48 2nd Semi Cairns Saints 12 12 84 Port Douglas 10 11 71 Manunda Hawks 10 0 8 0 1982 1838 107.83% 40 Preliminary Port Douglas 16 25 121 Centrals Trinity Beach 4 6 30 Centrals Trinity Beach 9 0 9 0 1701 1899 89.57% 36 Grand Cairns Saints 17 16 118 Port Douglas 12 8 80 North Cairns 7 0 11 0 1750 1902 92.01% 28 Cairns City Cobras 6 0 12 0 1434 1992 71.99% 24 South Cairns 1 0 17 0 1136 2721 41.75% 4
2011 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % PtsFinalTeamGBPtsTeamGBPts Manunda Hawks 16 3 2 0 2381 1366 174.30% 76 1st Semi Port Douglas 15 16 106 Centrals Trinity Beach 9 8 62 Cairns Saints 15 3 3 0 2367 1383 171.15% 72 2nd Semi Cairns Saints 23 16 154 Manunda Hawks 9 8 62 Port Douglas 14 3 4 0 2337 1474 158.55% 68 Preliminary Manunda Hawks 14 11 95 Port Douglas 13 8 86 Centrals Trinity Beach 8 3 10 0 1817 1726 105.27% 44 Grand Manunda Hawks 14 9 93 Cairns Saints 8 10 58 North Cairns 6 3 12 0 1617 2300 70.30% 36 South Cairns 4 3 14 0 1654 1999 82.74% 28 Cairns City Lions 0 3 18 0 956 2881 33.18% 12
2012 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts Cairns Saints 17 3 1 0 3197 976 327.56% 80 1st Semi Manunda Hawks 21 13 139 South Cairns 9 8 62 North Cairns 13 3 5 0 2072 1463 141.63% 64 2nd Semi Cairns Saints 31 11 197 North Cairns 6 12 48 Manunda Hawks 11 3 7 0 1796 1711 104.97% 56 Preliminary Manunda Hawks 18 11 119 North Cairns 13 11 89 South Cairns 9 3 9 0 1691 2042 82.81% 48 Grand Cairns Saints 24 10 154 Manunda Hawks 16 9 105 Port Douglas 8 3 10 0 1785 1897 94.10% 44 Centrals Trinity Beach 3 3 15 0 1091 2651 41.15% 24 Cairns City Lions 2 3 16 0 1567 2459 63.73% 20
2013 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts North Cairns 16 3 2 0 2460 1157 212.62% 76 1st Semi Port Douglas 11 18 84 South Cairns 8 11 59 Cairns Saints 15 3 3 0 2354 1247 188.77% 72 2nd Semi Cairns Saints 8 14 62 North Cairns 7 10 52 Port Douglas 13 3 5 0 2106 1413 149.04% 64 Preliminary North Cairns 21 8 134 Port Douglas 9 16 70 South Cairns 7 3 11 0 1659 2017 82.25% 40 Grand Cairns Saints 17 7 109 North Cairns 11 19 85 Manunda Hawks 5 3 13 0 1470 1885 77.98% 32 Centrals Trinity Beach 5 3 13 0 1221 2305 52.97% 32 Cairns City Lions 2 3 16 0 1408 2654 53.05% 20
2014 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % PtsFinalTeamGBPtsTeamGBPts South Cairns 15 3 2 1 1963 1084 181.09% 74 1st Semi Port Douglas 17 16 118 North Cairns 11 6 72 Cairns Saints 14 3 3 1 1998 1101 181.47% 70 2nd Semi Cairns Saints 18 6 114 South Cairns 11 6 72 Port Douglas 12 3 5 1 2069 1176 175.94% 62 Preliminary Port Douglas 12 11 83 South Cairns 10 4 64 North Cairns 7 3 10 1 1253 1633 76.73% 42 Grand Port Douglas 15 10 100 Cairns Saints 13 6 84 Cairns City Lions 6 3 12 0 1684 2059 81.79% 36 Manunda Hawks 4 3 13 1 987 1699 58.09% 30 Centrals Trinity Beach 2 3 15 1 1087 2300 47.26% 22
2015 Ladder