Broken Hill Football League

The AFL Broken Hill (formerly, Broken Hill Football League) is an Australian rules football competition based in the Broken Hill region of New South Wales, Australia which has been running since 1890, and since 1900 with the current four clubs. It is the oldest Australian Football League in the state.

Although located in the state of New South Wales the league is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). The Broken Hill Football League is in the Murray Mallee Barrier Zone in the South Australian Country Football Championships.http://www.sanfl.com.au/default.aspx?s=genericnewsdisplay&kw=64&aid=109165

Clubs

Current ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundEst.Years in BHFLBHFL Senior Premierships Total Years MagpiesMemorial Oval, Broken Hill19001900- 24 1910, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2006, 2010 BulldogsJubilee Oval, Broken Hill18991899- 40 1902, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1914, 1920, 1924, 1934, 1936, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2024, 2026 RoosAlma Oval, Broken Hill18911891-1897, 1900- 37 1906, 1919, 1923, 1926, 1928, 1931, 1942, 1944, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025 RobinsJubilee Oval, Broken Hill 19001900- 24 1900, 1901, 1903, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1921, 1922, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1939, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1978, 1980, 1990

There was no premiership awarded in 1925: Central Broken Hill refused to take the field for the second half of the Grand Final against West Broken Hill, claiming that the field umpire was not giving them a fair go.

The 2020 and 2021 seasons were called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with three of the four clubs voting in favour of abandoning these seasons.

Former Clubs ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundEst.Years in BHFLBHFL Senior PremiershipsFate Total Years Broken Hill 18881890-1899 0 -Disbanded when the teams were redistributed along district lines in 1900 Hotham 18901890-1891 0 -Folded after 1891 season South Australians McCulloch Park, Broken Hill18901890-1899 8 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1896, 1898, 1899Disbanded when the teams were redistributed along district lines in 1900 Victorians 18901890-1897 2 1895, 1897Merged with South Broken Hill to form Victorians United following 1897 seasonVictorians United18981898-18990 -Disbanded when the teams were redistributed along district lines in 1900

History It might seem curious that Australian rules football should develop as the dominant football code in a mining city in the far west of New South Wales, a state more known for the dominance of rugby league. Broken Hill was established as a mining town and many of the early settlers were from either the Victorian goldfields, or the copper mines of Moonta and Kadina in South Australia, both of which were areas being keen participants in the early development of Australian rules football. This link to states with an Australian rules football culture was further enhanced with the later flow of workers to and from the gold mining Kalgoorlie-Coolgardie axis in Western Australia.

Indeed, the city of Broken Hill to this day conducts itself in many ways as a city aligned to South Australia, using the same time zone (Australian Central Standard Time), being in the (08) Western/central area code, and its local television station, Central GTS/BKN, covers Broken Hill and parts of South Australia.

Football matches were first played in Broken Hill in 1885 and an informal competition was under way by 1888 between Broken Hill, Silverton, and Silver and Blues. The League was formed in 1890 as the Barrier Ranges Football Association (changing to its current name in 1928). Early years of the Association reflected the historical roots of its settlers and the two dominant clubs were known as the 'Victorians' and the 'South Australians'. Other early clubs were Broken Hill, North Broken Hill, South Broken Hill and Hotham.

In 1900 the League followed the trend of many other Leagues around the country at that time, and restructured along district lines. The four clubs that competed in the restructured competition are the same four clubs that make up the current competition, although South Broken Hill was then known as Alma.

The city's close association with South Australia was reflected with many of the League's stars finding success in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) in the early 20th century. Prominent identities included North Broken Hill's Dave Low, who went on to win the 1912 Magarey Medal with West Torrens Football Club, Jack Woollard, captain of Port Adelaide Football Club's 1910 Championship of Australia-winning team, and Algy Millhouse, who captain-coached Norwood Football Club in 1914. The 1922 Magarey Medallist Robert Barnes and Bruce McGregor, who won Medals in 1926–7, were stars at West Adelaide Football Club. Leading goalkicker, Jack Owens, topped the SANFL's goal kicking ladder on three occasions with Glenelg Football Club in the 1920s and 1930s.

The League itself was considered strong enough to compete with visiting teams from the SANFL, Victorian Football League (VFL) and West Australian Football League (WAFL), and was even invited to send delegates to the inaugural Australasian Football Conference in Melbourne, in November 1905.

In more recent times players from Broken Hill have managed to find their mark with the country's premier league, the Australian Football League (AFL), including Fremantle's Dean Solomon, Brent Staker of West Coast and Brisbane, Taylor Walker of Adelaide, Mitch Clisby of the Melbourne Football Club and Isaac Cumming of the Adelaide Crows.

Premierships List of premiers The complete list of premiers teams is detailed below.

Year Premiers Runners Up1890South AustraliansBroken Hill1891South AustraliansVictorians1892South AustraliansBroken Hill1893South AustraliansBroken Hill1894South AustraliansBroken Hill1895VictoriansSouth Broken Hill1896South AustraliansBroken Hill1897VictoriansSouth Australians1898South AustraliansBroken Hill1899South AustraliansVictorians 1900 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1901 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1902 North Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1903 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1904 North Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1905 North Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1906 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1907 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1908 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1909 North Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1910 Central Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1911 North Broken Hill 1912 Central Broken Hill 1913 Central Broken Hill 1914 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1915 Central Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1916 West Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1917 West Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1918 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1919 South Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1920 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1921 West Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1922 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1923 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1924 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1926 South Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1927 West Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1928 South Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1929 West Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1930 West Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1931 South Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1932 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1933 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1934 North Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1935 Central Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1936 North Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1937 Central Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1938 Central Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1939 West Broken Hill 1940 Central Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1941 Central Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1942 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1943 Central Broken Hill 1944 South Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1945 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1946 North Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1947 North Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1948 North Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1949 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1950 North Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1951 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1952 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1953 South Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1954 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1955 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1956 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1957 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1958 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1959 North Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1960 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1961 South Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1962 West Broken Hill 1963 West Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1964 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1965 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1966 West Broken Hill 1967 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1968 South Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1969 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1970 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1971 Central Broken Hill 1972 Central Broken Hill 1973 Central Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1974 South Broken Hill 1975 North Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1976 North Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1977 North Broken Hill West Broken Hill 1978 West Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1979 Central Broken Hill 1980 West Broken Hill 1981 Central Broken Hill 1982 Central Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1983 Central Broken Hill 1984 Central Broken Hill 1985 Central Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1986 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1987 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1988 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1989 South Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1990 West Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1991 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1992 North Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 1993 Central Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1994 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1995 Central Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1996 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1997 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 1998 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 1999 South Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 2000 North Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 2001 Central Broken Hill North Broken Hill 2002 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 2003 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 2004 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 2005 South Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 2006 Central Broken Hill South Broken Hill 2007 North Broken Hill West Broken Hill 2008 North Broken Hill Central Broken Hill 2009 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 2010 Central Broken Hill South Broken Hill 2011 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 2012 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 2013 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 2014 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 2015 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 2016 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill 2017 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 2018 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill 2019 South Broken Hill North Broken Hill2022South Broken HillCentral Broken Hill2023South Broken HillWest Broken Hill 2024 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill2025South Broken HillNorth Broken Hill 2026 North Broken Hill South Broken Hill

Current results The last decade of The Broken Hill Football league has seen the South Broken Hill Football Club show dominance over the rest of the competition, winning Premierships in 2014 & 2015, before wins again in 2017, 2018 & 2019. Seasons 2020 & 2021 were lost due to COVID-19. South have won in the two seasons since the leagues resumption, making it 7 of the last 9 premierships. Star Full Forward Cody Schorn became the first player for over 20 years to kick his 100th goal of the season in the 2023 Grand Final. South went through the 2024 season without too much hassle, only dropping one game on their way to yet another Grand Final.