Mount Lofty District Football Club Explained

Clubname:	Mount Lofty District
Color1:	B50000
Color2:	white
Color3:	white
Fullname:	Mount Lofty District Football Club Inc.
Nickname:	Devils
Colours:	red white
Founded:	1978 (merger)
League:	Hills Football League
Ground:	Heathfield Oval, Heathfield
President:	Kym Welsby
Pattern B1:	_red stripes
Pattern Sh1:	_whitesides
Pattern So1:	_2 white stripes
Body1:	ffffff
Shorts1:	ff0000
Socks1:	ff0000

The Mount Lofty District Football Club is an Australian rules football team based in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide which was formed in late 1978 as a merger between the former Stirling Football Club and Heathfield-Aldgate United Football Club. Adopting the moniker of "Mountain Devils", Mount Lofty initially joined the South Australian Football Association (SAFA) competition in the 1979 season and participated in that league until the end of the 1985 season. In 1986, Mount Lofty joined the Hills Football League and currently continue to field teams in both Senior and Junior grades in that competition.^[1]

Mount Lofty has produced a number of Australian Football League (AFL) players including Troy Broadbridge (Melbourne), David Welsby (Geelong). Prior to amalgamation, Heathfield-Aldgate produced Robbert Klomp, who played Victorian Football League (VFL) football for Carlton and Footscray.

A-Grade Premierships

• South Australian Football Association A2 (1)
  • 1981 ^[2]
• Hills Football League Division 1/Central Division (5)
  • 1986 Division 1 ^[3]
  • 1990 Division 1
  • 2006 Central Division
  • 2007 Central Division
  • 2008 Central Division
• Hills Football League Division 2/Country Division (1)
  • 2014 Country Division ^[4]

Merger history

Mount Lofty District was formed in 1978 through the amalgamation of Heathfield-Aldgate United and Stirling.

Heathfield-Aldgate United

The Heathfield-Aldgate United Football Club was formed in 1967 from a merger of the Aldgate Football Club and the Heathfield Football Club. Initially competing in the Central Zone of the newly formed Hills Football League, Heathfield-Aldgate continued in Division 1 of the same competition from 1972 until its merger with Stirling at the end of the 1978 season. Heathfield-Aldgate still hold the record for most A-Grade premierships (9) in the Hills Football League.^[5]

A-Grade Premierships

• Hills Football League Central Zone (3)
  • 1967
  • 1968
  • 1971
• Hills Football League Division 1 (6)
  • 1972
  • 1973
  • 1974
  • 1975
  • 1976
  • 1977

Aldgate

The Aldgate Football Club was a member of the Mount Lofty Football Association from 1921 until it shifted to the Hills Central Football Association in 1927. In 1936, Aldgate joined the Hills Football Association, where they competed, including a drop to the B-Grade competition from 1952 to 1955, until they returned to Hills Central Football Association in 1962 and then merged with Heathfield in 1967.^[6]

A-Grade Premierships

• Hills Central Football Association (2)
  • 1927 ^[7]
  • 1934 ^[8]
• Hills Football Association A2 (1)
  • 1953 ^[9]

Heathfield

The Heathfield Football Club was formed in 1955 as a breakaway from the Stirling Football Club. Initially joining the Hills Football Association A2 competition, Heathfield transferred to the Hills Central Football Association A2 competition in 1962. In 1967 Heathfield amalgamated with the Aldgate Football Club to form the Heathfield-Aldgate United Football Club.^[10]

Stirling

The Stirling Football Club was formed in the 1800s, eventually joining the Hills Football Association in 1904. In 1921, Stirling transferred to the Mount Lofty Football Association before returning to the Hills Football Association in 1938. Stirling was a member of the Torrens Valley Football Association from 1962 until the formation of the Hills Football League in 1967. Stirling competed initially in the Central Zone of the Hills Football League and continued in Division 1 of the same competition from 1972 until its merger with Heathfield-Aldgate United at the end of the 1978 season.^[11]

A-Grade Premierships

• Mount Lofty Football Association (9)
  • 1921 ^[12]
  • 1922 ^[13]
  • 1924 Undefeated ^[14]
  • 1925 Undefeated ^[15]
  • 1926 ^[16]
  • 1927 ^[17]
  • 1928 ^[18]
  • 1929 ^[19]
  • 1934 ^[20]
• Hills Football Association A1 (9)
  • 1946 ^[21]
  • 1947 ^[22]
  • 1950 ^[23]
  • 1952 ^[24]
  • 1953 ^[25]
  • 1954 ^[26]
  • 1955 ^{[27] [28]}
  • 1957
  • 1960

Notes and References

1. Book: Lines. Peter. Encyclopedia of South Australian Country Football Clubs. 978-0-9804472-9-3. 166. Mount Lofty. 15 April 2024 . Peter Lines .
2. Web site: About the Club. Mt Lofty District Football Club. 15 March 2016.
3. Web site: Past Premiers. Hills Football League Inc. SA. Hills Football League Inc.. 15 March 2016.
4. Web site: Fixtures/Results - Country Div A Grade 2014. Hills Football League. Fox Sports Pulse. 15 March 2016.
5. Book: Lines. Peter. Encyclopedia of South Australian Country Football Clubs. 978-0-9804472-9-3. 101. Heathfield Aldgate. 15 April 2024 . Peter Lines .
6. Book: Lines. Peter. Encyclopedia of South Australian Country Football Clubs. 978-0-9804472-9-3. 3. Aldgate. 15 April 2024 . Peter Lines .
7. News: Aldgate Premiers. 14 March 2016. The Courier and River Murray Advocate. 16 September 1927. 3.
8. News: Football - Aldgate Premiers for 1934. 14 March 2016. Southern Argus. 13 September 1934. 3.
9. News: Aldgate Football Club Premiership Dinner. 14 March 2016. The Courier. 23 September 1953. 10.
10. Book: Lines. Peter. Encyclopedia of South Australian Country Football Clubs. 978-0-9804472-9-3. 100. Heathfield. 15 April 2024 . Peter Lines .
11. Book: Lines. Peter. Encyclopedia of South Australian Country Football Clubs. 978-0-9804472-9-3. 246. Stirling. 15 April 2024 . Peter Lines .
12. News: The Country – Stirling. 14 March 2016. The Observer (Adelaide). 8 October 1921. 8.
13. News: Mount Lofty Football Association. 15 March 2016. The Register (Adelaide). 19 September 1922. 4.
14. News: Ball at Stirling West. 15 March 2016. The Advertiser (Adelaide). 7 November 1924.
15. News: A Football Final – Mount Lofty Association – Premiership Won by Stirling. 15 March 2016. The Observer (Adelaide). 31 October 1925. 21.
16. News: Dance at Stirling. 15 March 2016. The Advertiser (Adelaide). 1 September 1926. 19.
17. News: Football – Stirling Defeats Uraidla. 15 March 2016. The News (Adelaide). 30 September 1927. 12.
18. News: Social and Dance at Stirling West. 15 March 2016. The Advertiser (Adelaide). 31 August 1928. 8.
19. News: News from Country Centres – Stirling West. 15 March 2016. The Observer (Adelaide). 28 September 1929. 7.
20. News: Football – Mount Lofty Association – Stirling Wins Premiership. 15 March 2016. The Mount Barker Courier and Murray Bridge Advertiser. 21 September 1934.
21. News: Hills Association – Inaugurate New Schemes. 15 March 2016. The Courier (Mount Barker). 26 September 1946. 7.
22. News: Stirling Premiership Dinner. 15 March 2016. The Courier (Mount Barker). 16 October 1947. 7.
23. News: Hills Premiership to Stirling by a Goal. 15 March 2016. The Courier (Mount Barker). 7 September 1950. 2.
24. News: Hills Football Association Dinner. 15 March 2016. The Courier (Mount Barker). 16 October 1952. 8.
25. News: Stirling Football Premiership Dinner. 14 March 2016. The Courier. 28 October 1953. 9.
26. News: Football Hat Trick to Stirling. 15 March 2016. The Courier (Mount Barker). 15 September 1954. 9.
27. Web site: Cialini. R. HALL OF FAME – Wally Miller. Redlegs Museum. Media 235. 15 March 2016. November 2015.
28. Web site: Pistola. Jeff. Premiers 1955. Mount Lofty District Football Club. 15 March 2016. 4–5.