Darwin Football Association

This article is about the Tasmanian football competition. For the interim competition in the Northern Territory established after Cyclone Tracy, see Darwin Football Association (NT). For the present-day competition in Darwin, Northern Territory, see Northern Territory Football League.

Darwin Football Association
Founded1951
No. of teams8

The Darwin Football Association is an Australian rules football league in Tasmania. The clubs belonging to the association are from localities close to Burnie and on the West Coast of Tasmania. This includes Queenstown, making this competition the only competition in Australia to play some of its games on a gravel surface.

History

The current form of the Darwin Football Association (DFA) was created in 1951. A previous version existed from 1938 to 1944 but appears unrelated despite two of the DFA's foundation clubs being in the competition. The first season featured just four clubs: Yeoman, Tewkesbury, APPM and Montello.[1] Yeoman and APPM were previously members of the North West Football Union[2] and Tewkesbury a member of the Ridgley Football Association.[3] But in 1952 the numbers increased by three with the inclusion of Somerset, Mooreville and Ridgley.[4] The arrival of Myalla and Yolla in 1953 increased the number again to eight clubs combined with the departure of Tewkesbury.[5]

In 1955 the number of clubs dropped back to six with Montello and Somerset departing,[6] and then following season APPM changed their name to South Burnie.[7] In 1959 Mooreville had merged with Somerset to form the Cam FC[8] as the competition remained more or less stable.

In 1965 the folding of the Riana Football Association brought Natone and Cuprona to the competition.[9] This brought the competition up to eight clubs, and has never dropped below that number since. Another period of stability followed with only Cam reverting to Somerset FC in 1973[10] to create any ripples.

In 1982 the competition expanded to ten clubs with the inclusion of Sprent and West Ulverstone from the Leven Football Association.[11] The DFA introduced a final five in 1986.[12] In 1994, Queenstown "Crows"—a merger of the Queenstown-based clubs from the Western Tasmanian Football Association—joined the competition.[13]

Numbers started to fall in 1996 when Sprent departed for the North Western Football Association,[14] and then the following season South Burnie decided to try their luck in the Northern Tasmanian Football League,[15] but they returned in 1999.[16] In 2002 West Ulverstone followed Sprent to the North West Football Association, and in 2006 after many years in existence Myalla folded[17] bringing the number of clubs back to eight for the first time since 1981.

Due to a shortage of players Natone went into recess for the 2019 season.[18] Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic during 2020, the complete 2020 DFA Season was cancelled. Natone have re-joined the league for the 2021 season.

Natone re-entered recess prior to the 2024 season.[19]

Clubs

Locations

Club locations - Burnie & surrounds Club locations - Queenstown
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
3km
1.9miles
Yolla
Yeoman
South Burnie
Somerset
Ridgley
Cuprona
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
30km
19miles
Queenstown
Burnie

Current

Club Colours Nickname Home Ground Former League Est. Years in DFA DFA Premierships
Total Premierships
Cuprona
Bulldogs Heybridge Recreation Ground, Heybridge RFA 1912 1965- 2 1977, 2000
Queenstown
Crows Queenstown Oval, Queenstown – 1994 1994- 4 1997, 2014, 2021, 2024
Ridgley
Saints Ridgley Recreation Ground, Ridgley RFA 1891 1952- 12 1955, 1956, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1989, 2007, 2008, 2009
Somerset (Cam 1959-72)
Kangaroos Langley Park, Somerset – 1959 1959- 7 1960, 1961, 1963, 1972, 1982, 2010, 2019
South Burnie (APPM 1951-55)
Hawks Wivenhoe Recreation Ground, Wivenhoe NWFU, NWFL 1941 1951-1996, 1999- 16 1954, 1959, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2025
Yeoman
Robins Wivenhoe Recreation Ground, Wivenhoe NWFU 1890s 1951- 5 1951, 1952, 1978, 1993, 1998
Yolla (Tewkesbury 1951-52)
Demons Yolla Recreation Ground, Yolla RFA 1935 1951- 13 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 2005, 2006, 2022

Former clubs

Club Colours Nickname Home Ground Former League Est. Years in DFA DFA Premierships Fate
Total Premierships
Mooreville Road
Kangaroos Somerset Recreation Ground, Somerset RFA 1948 1952-1959 0 - Merged with Somerset to form Cam in 1960
Montello Dark with light middle panel Maulers – 1951 1951-1955 1 1953 Folded after 30 players were suspended for life due to violence in 1955
Myalla
Tigers Myalla Recreation Ground, Sisters Creek TCFA 1912 1953–2006 6 1957, 1958, 1974, 1975, 1976, 2003 Folded after 2006 season
Natone
Magpies Natone Recreation Ground, Natone RFA 1920s 1965–2018, 2021-2023 7 1973, 1990, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2011 Entered recess in 2019, re-formed in 2021, entered recess again in 2024.
Somerset (original) Ringtails – 1952 1952-1954 0 - Entered recess after 1954 season, merged with Mooreville Road to form Cam in 1960
Sprent
(1980s)
(1990s) 		Swans Sprent Recreation Ground, Sprent LFA 1982-1996 0 - Moved to North Western FA in 1997
West Ulverstone
Lions West Ulverstone Football Ground, West Ulverstone LFA 1973 1982-2001 1 1985 Moved to North Western FA in 2001

Premiers

2009 Ladder

DarwinFA Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts
Ridgley 13 0 1 0 1857 942 197.13 52 Elimination Natone 13 20 98 Somerset 5 7 37
South Burnie 9 0 5 0 1593 1162 137.09 36 Qualifying South Burnie 10 13 73 Yolla 9 15 69
Yolla 9 0 5 0 1358 1111 122.23 36 1st Semi Natone 11 15 81 Yolla 5 12 42
Natone 8 0 6 0 1388 1130 122.83 32 2nd Semi Ridgley 11 9 75 South Burnie 6 10 46
Somerset 8 0 6 0 1588 1315 120.76 32 Preliminary Natone 13 15 93 South Burnie 12 10 82
Yeoman 4 0 10 0 1151 1460 78.84 16 Grand Ridgley 8 9 57 Natone 6 12 48
Queenstown Crows 4 0 10 0 1024 1742 58.78 16
Cuprona 1 0 13 0 1092 2189 49.89 4

2010 Ladder

DarwinFA Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts
South Burnie 16 0 2 0 2503 1216 205.84 64 Elimination Somerset 22 15 147 Ridgley 17 12 114
Natone 15 0 3 0 2308 1282 180.03 60 Qualifying Natone 16 11 107 Yolla 12 14 86
Yolla 11 0 7 0 2064 1201 171.86 44 1st Semi Somerset 14 10 94 Yolla 6 9 45
Somerset 11 0 7 0 2181 1373 158.85 44 2nd Semi Natone 9 9 63 South Burnie 4 8 32
Ridgley 9 0 9 0 1586 1658 95.66 36 Preliminary Somerset 10 8 68 South Burnie 9 7 61
Queenstown Crows 5 0 13 0 1358 1977 68.69 20 Grand Somerset 16 7 103 Natone 10 13 73
Yeoman 3 0 15 0 1112 2116 52.55 12
Cuprona 2 0 16 0 1086 3375 32.18 8

2011 Ladder

DarwinFA Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts
Yolla 14 0 4 0 2252 1271 177.18 56 Elimination Natone 14 10 94 South Burnie 11 20 86
Queenstown Crows 14 0 4 0 2188 1383 158.21 56 Qualifying Queenstown Crows 14 10 94 Ridgley 13 11 89
Ridgley 12 0 5 1 2179 1355 160.81 50 1st Semi Natone 17 14 116 Ridgley 11 12 78
Natone 10 0 7 1 1992 1626 122.51 42 2nd Semi Queenstown Crows 12 16 88 Yolla 7 22 64
South Burnie 10 0 8 0 2230 1602 139.20 40 Preliminary Natone 14 14 98 Yolla 14 11 95
Somerset 9 0 9 0 2174 1547 140.53 36 Grand Natone 12 17 89 Queenstown Crows 11 10 76
Yeoman 1 0 17 0 927 2723 34.04 4
Cuprona 1 0 17 0 919 3354 27.40 4

2012 Ladder

DarwinFA Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts
Ridgley 16 0 2 0 2687 1077 249.49 64 Elimination Queenstown Crows 19 13 127 Somerset 6 13 49
South Burnie 14 0 4 0 2241 1228 182.49 56 Qualifying South Burnie 9 10 64 Natone 5 14 44
Natone 13 0 5 0 2529 1231 205.44 52 1st Semi Natone 25 7 157 Queenstown Crows 12 15 87
Queenstown Crows 9 0 9 0 2120 1451 146.11 36 2nd Semi Ridgley 20 9 129 South Burnie 11 16 82
Somerset 8 0 10 0 2048 1760 116.36 32 Preliminary South Burnie 10 14 74 Natone 6 11 47
Yolla 8 0 10 0 1841 1597 115.28 32 Grand South Burnie 15 17 107 Ridgley 10 15 75
Yeoman 4 0 14 0 1341 2495 53.75 16
Cuprona 0 0 18 0 422 4390 9.61 0

2013 Ladder

DarwinFA Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts
South Burnie 16 0 2 0 2781 1082 257.02 64 Elimination Yeoman 11 12 78 Somerset 10 6 66
Ridgley 15 0 3 0 2534 1189 213.12 60 Qualifying Ridgley 14 13 97 Queenstown Crows 7 15 57
Queenstown Crows 13 0 5 0 2139 1609 132.94 52 1st Semi Queenstown Crows 13 17 95 Yeoman 7 14 56
Somerset 11 0 7 0 2168 1587 136.61 44 2nd Semi Ridgley 16 13 109 South Burnie 16 9 105
Yeoman 9 0 9 0 1922 1789 107.43 36 Preliminary South Burnie 21 19 145 Queenstown Crows 9 10 64
Yolla 5 0 13 0 1437 2084 68.95 20 Grand South Burnie 18 11 119 Ridgley 10 9 69
Cuprona 2 0 16 0 983 3067 32.05 8
Natone 1 0 17 0 1147 2704 42.42 4

2014 Ladder

DarwinFA Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts
South Burnie 16 0 2 0 3261 861 378.75 64 Elimination Ridgley 19 18 132 Natone 4 6 30
Queenstown Crows 15 0 2 1 2864 943 303.71 62 Qualifying Queenstown Crows 16 14 110 Somerset 14 10 94
Somerset 14 0 4 0 2656 1185 224.14 56 1st Semi Somerset 23 19 157 Ridgley 11 12 78
Ridgley 10 0 7 1 2275 1599 142.28 42 2nd Semi Queenstown Crows 14 21 105 South Burnie 16 7 103
Natone 7 0 11 0 1577 2297 68.65 28 Preliminary Somerset 23 9 147 South Burnie 12 13 85
Yeoman 6 0 12 0 1247 2492 50.04 24 Grand Queenstown Crows 12 13 85 Somerset 11 9 75
Yolla 2 0 16 0 851 3486 24.41 8
Cuprona 1 0 17 0 995 2863 34.75 4

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Burnie Advocate 1951
  2. ^ Burnie Advocate 1950
  3. ^ Burnie Advocate 1950
  4. ^ Burnie Advocate 1952
  5. ^ Burnie Advocate 1953
  6. ^ Burnie Advocate 1955
  7. ^ Burnie Advocate 1956
  8. ^ Burnie Advocate 1959
  9. ^ Burnie Advocate 1965
  10. ^ Burnie Advocate 1973
  11. ^ Burnie Advocate 1982
  12. ^ Burnie Advocate 1986
  13. ^ Burnie Advocate 1994
  14. ^ Burnie Advocate 1996
  15. ^ Burnie Advocate 1997
  16. ^ Burnie Advocate 1999
  17. ^ Burnie Advocate 2006
  18. ^ "Natone enter recess for 2019 season". 28 February 2019.
  19. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 10 April 2024.

Further reading

  • Darwin Football Association: Fifty Seasons of Football, 1951-2000 : Jubilee Record. Burnie, Tasmania: The Jubilee Committee. 2000.
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