Australian rules football in South East Queensland


Australian rules football in South East Queensland has a varied history and many changes were made especially in the 21st century. Ruled and organised by the AFL Queensland, the region had a total of 46 teams playing in different divisions.
Occasionally inter-zone matches are held with separate South East Queensland representative sides taking part, they include the "Gold Coast Stingrays", the "Suncoast Power", the "Western Taipans", and the "Northern Raiders". Additionally when the South East competes together they are known as the "South East Bushrangers".

History

Early beginning

The earliest known record of Australian rules football commencing in Queensland was in May 1866, when the Brisbane Football Club was formed, with the aim of keeping cricketers fit in the winter months. The club played its first match on Saturday 9 June 1866 at Queen's Park. By 1870 four more clubs had been created: Volunteer Artillery, Brisbane Grammar School, Civil Service and Ipswich, all adopting Victorian Rules over rugby football.
The original Brisbane Football Club disbanded in the late 1880s and has no direct relationship to the modern Brisbane Bears or Lions clubs.
The first schoolboys match was between Brisbane Grammar played matches against Ipswich Grammar in 1870 – the outcome was a draw. Early games in Queensland were exceptionally long – one match between IGS and Brisbane Grammar in 1876 commenced at 10.30am and ended at 2.30pm, at which time IGS had scored 6 goals to Brisbane Grammar's nil.
During this era, no local governing body for the game was established. All rules and decisions about the rules and competitions were still made from Melbourne and was known in Queensland as "Victorian Rules".
However Victorian rules was growing rapidly and was the most popular football code in Queensland by 1880. Queensland sent delegates to the Intercolonial Football Conference in 1883.
By the early 1880s, there may have been as many as 300 players in the Brisbane and Ipswich region, as contemporaneous newspaper records show that there were at least six active clubs, each of which had at least two teams.
Matches were played at the Albert Ground, Kedron Park, Grammar School and Ipswich, with occasional matches at Queen's Park.
In 1887, one of the most significant events in the history of the code occurred at this time. Independent Schools headmasters voted by 1 vote to adopt rugby football. The decision was influenced by the recent creation of a Queensland-based governing body to govern rugby, and the majority of councillors objected on the basis that the reference of "Victorian" in the name of the sport did not represent the interests of Queenslanders. This dealt a significant blow to the sport and advantage to rugby union.
Despite the advances made by Queensland football, it was clear that Victoria was progressing faster than any other state. On 21 June 1890, South Melbourne Football Club toured, playing against Queensland on Albion Park. The result of the match was a complete 6-17 to 1-0 humiliation. The humiliation was obviously felt by the players as when Queensland defeated a New South Wales Rugby Union team shortly afterwards many of the former rugby players receded from the Australian football ranks and formed clubs of their own. Over the next few years, rugby union's popularity in South East Queensland would swamp Victorian Rules.

Modern era

In 1969, the "South Queensland Australian Football Association" was established with the purpose of developing players for the Queensland Australian Football League. Most of the players were amateurs. In 1992, the league changed its name to the "Brisbane Australian Football League" and included clubs from the Sunshine Coast.
Another name change in 2000 brought about AFL South Queensland. In 2006, AFL South Queensland was taken under the umbrella of AFL Queensland and rebranded as the Queensland State Association. In 2012, it was renamed South East Queensland AFL. Finally in 2014 the local level was divided into two leagues, the Queensland Football Association and the Queensland Amateur Football Association. Again in 2017 the name will change again to the Queensland Football Association, now covering five divisions and the re-introduction of two regional based leagues.

Current South East Queensland structure

Since 2017 to present:
;Notes
* Premiers
** Wooden spooners

QFA clubs

Clubs for the 2020 season:

Division 1

;Notes

Division 2 North

Division 2 South

QFA Division 3

QFA Division 4

;Notes

Clubs in other competitions

Several clubs from SE Queensland do not take part of local competitions, giving priority to QAFL or NEAFL competitions where they compete. Other clubs have teams in both, QFA and QAFL/NEAFL.
ClubCityQFAOther competition
AspleyCarseldineNEAFL
Brisbane LionsCoorparoo–AFL, NEAFL
RedlandVictoria Point–NEAFL
Southporth FCSouthport–NEAFL
BroadbeachMermaid Waters–QAFL
Labrador TigersLabrador–QAFL
MorningsideHawthorneQAFL
Mount GravattUpper Mount Gravatt–QAFL
Palm Beach CurrumbinPalm Beach–QAFL
SandgateTaigum–QAFL
Surfers ParadiseBenowa–QAFL
Western DistrictsChelmerQAFL
Wilston GrangeStafford–QAFL

;Notes

Notable QFA clubs in recess or defunct

As of 2018 season:
ClubColoursMonikerLocationGroundFormed
BanyoBloodsBanyo, BrisbaneNudgee Recreation Reserve1967
CalamvaleLeopardsCalamvale, BrisbaneCalamvale Sportsfield?
Glasshouse HinterlandLionsLandsborough, Sunshine CoastLandsborough Sports Complex1997
MarsdenHawksMarsden, BrisbaneMudgee Street Park1992
MurriMavericksKedron, BrisbaneMelrose Park1998
NorthshoreJetsMudjimba, Sunshine CoastNorth Shore Community Centre1999
PomonaDemonsPomona, Sunshine CoastReserve Street Oval1973

Premiers: 1970-present

Former AFL South Queensland Divisions

Notable former QFA regional Divisions

2003 Bundaberg-Wide Bay Hinterland Division

All four AFL Bundaberg-Wide Bay Clubs from 2002, Hervey Bay Bombers, Across the Waves Bundaberg Eagles, Brothers Bulldogs and Maryborough Bears were joined by teams further south, Gympie Cats, Pomona Demons, Glasshouse and Bribie Island to play one season against each other before reverting to their various regional leagues in 2004 once again.
Finals summary: