Southern Metropolitan Football League Explained

The Southern Metropolitan Football League (SMFL) was an Australian rules football competition based in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia until it folded at the end of the 1986 season. It first formed in 1912 as the Sturt Football Association,[1] [2] and during its history was also known as the Mid-Southern Football Association (1920-1930),[3] Glenelg District Football Association (1931–1949),[4] Glenelg-South-West District Football Association (1950–1966)[5] and Glenelg-South Adelaide Football Association (1967–1983),[6] before finally being named Southern Metropolitan Football League (1984–1986).[7]

The association first affiliated with the South Australian Football League in 1921.[8] In 1927, the association made a special request to the SAFL for financial assistance.[9]

Collapse

The remaining clubs at the end of the 1986 season were distributed in 1987 as follows:
Joined SAFABrighton, Mitchell Park[10]
Joined Hills Football League – Blackwood
Joined Southern Football League - Marion, Morphettville Park,[11] Plympton[12]
Joined Central District Football Association – Ovingham[13]
Merged and joined SAAFL - Camden (merged with Greek FC) [14] [15]

Member Clubs

Clubs in Bold indicate teams playing in the final season (1986)

Club Years participating Other names
1980-84 [16]
1979-81 [17]
ANZ Bank 1960-80 [18]
Bank of Adelaide 1971-76 [19]
Black Forest 1919-1927, 1931-33 [20]
Blackwood 1912-15, 1919–41, 1944–48, 1953-86
1915
Brighton 1912-13, 1919–41, 1946–57,[21] 1969-86 [22] Brighton and Seacliff (1938–56)
1981-82
Brunswick 1952-53
Camden 1927-86 [23] Novar Gardens (1927–31)
1925, 1929, 1948
College Park 1950-51
1944-45, 1976-85 [24]
1920, 1925–33, 1936-54 Edwardstown B participated 1935
1978-84 Brighton Tigers (1978)
1958-84
Glenelg Imperial 1912-15, 1923–30, 1942-46
Glenelg Junior 1933-34, 1936
Glenelg Rovers 1931-32
Glenelg Sailing Club 1928-29 B-Grade only
Glenelg United 1929
Glenelg YMCA 1946
1915, 1925–30,[25] 1979-84 [26]
1924,[27] 1964-79
Immanuel Old Scholars 1978-79 [28]
Kelvinator 1950, 1953-67 [29]
1960-85 [30]
Marion 1912-15, 1920–41, 1946-86 Sturt (1920–41, 1946–56)
1912-15, 1922–24, 1976-84
Mitcham Park 1915
Mitchell Park 1969-85
Morphettville Park 1959-86
Mortlock Park 1927-30
North Brighton-Somerton 1950-51 [31]
Norwood Union 1979-82 [32]
Ovingham 1986
Plympton 1921-27, 1937-86
1935-36
Public Service 1948
1920-27, 1930-47
Richmond and Keswick United 1928-30
Salesian 1980-84
1931-35
Semaphore Seasiders 1915
South Adelaide Ramblers 1950-57 South Adelaide C (1953–55)
St. Leonards 1930-53
St. Leonards Colts 1935-38
St. Peters 1929
South Road Estate 1929 B-Grade only
1942-45
Sturt Centrals 1916
Sturt College Of Advanced Education 1981
Sturt Imperial 1915
Sturt Ramblers 1912-15
Torrens College Of Advanced Education 1975-78
Torrensville United 1962-78
Underdale United 1927 [33]
West Suburban 1930
1979-81
1962-78 Kilkenny United (1962–70)

Premierships

Sturt Football Association

Year A-Grade
1912 Mitcham Undefeated
1913 Sturt Ramblers
1914 Mitcham
1915 Sturt Ramblers
1916 Sturt Centrals
1917 In recess (World War I)
1918 In recess (World War I)
1919 Brighton

Mid-Southern Football Association

Year A-Grade B-Grade
1920
1921 Sturt[34]
1922 Mitcham[35]
1923 Brighton[36]
1924 Brighton[37] Brighton B
1925 Brighton[38] Goodwood B
1926 Goodwood B
1927 Mortlock Park [39] Mortlock Park B [40]
1928 Goodwood [41] Richmond and Keswick United
1929 Mortlock Park [42]
1930 Goodwood Glenelg Juniors

Glenelg District Football Association

Year A-Grade B-Grade
1931
1932 Edwardstown B
1933 Black Forest [43] St. Leonards B [44]
1934 St. Leonards Undefeated [45]
1935 St. Leonards St. Leonards Colts [46]
1936 Reynella[47]
1937 Camden[48]
1938 Blackwood[49] [50]
1939 Edwardstown[51]
1940 Edwardstown[52]
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945 Sturt-Brighton[53]
1946 Edwardstown[54] [55]
1947 Brighton and Seacliff[56]
1948 Edwardstown[57]
1949 Plympton B[58]

Glenelg-South-West District Football Association

Year A1 A2 A3
1950 Plympton[59] Kelvinator [60]
1951 Sturt[61] College Park
1952 Edwardstown[62] Edwardstown[63]
1953 Blackwood[64]
1954 Blackwood[65]
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966 Morphettville Park

Glenelg-South Adelaide Football Association

Year A1 A2 A3 A4 A5
1967 Marion Undefeated
1968 Glenelg Tigers
1969 Edwardstown
1970 Mitchell Park
1971 ANZ Bank ANZ BankPlympton
1972 Edwardstown
1973 ANZ BankBank of NSWBrightonMorphettville Park
1974
1975
1976 Woodville South Undefeated [66]
1977
1978 Goodwood[67]
1979
1980 Mitchell Park Undefeated
1981
1982
1983 Colonel Light Gardens[68]

Southern Metropolitan Football League

Year A1 A2 A3
1984 Mitchell Park
1985 Mitchell Park
1986

H.S. Rugless Medallists

The H.S. Rugless Medal was awarded to the player adjudged the Fairest and Most Brilliant in the competition. During the Sturt Football Association years (1912–19) it was known as the Thomas Medal.

Thomas Medal

H.S. Rugless Medal (A1)

J.C. Morrow Medal (A2)

In 1936 the Morrow Medal was established for the fairest and most brilliant player in the then B-Grade competition.[82]

Division 2 A-Grade Medal

Division 2 B-Grade Medal

References

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