The South Gawler Football Club is a country Australian rules football club, founded by James Fitzgerald in the Gawler South area of the town of Gawler, South Australia, in 1889. The Lions, who wear royal blue and white stripes, currently compete in the Barossa Light & Gawler Football Association. Their club and oval today situated at Eldred Riggs Reserve, Evanston, in Gawler.The history of the South Gawler Football Club 1889-1989

History On the evening of Thursday 21st March 1889, a meeting of people interested in the formation of a football club at Gawler South was held at the Mill Inn (that site today the corner of Seventh Street and Adelaide Road, just before the Murray Street Bridge). About 30 persons were present, with Fitzgerald elected to the chair. He explained the object of the meeting was to form a junior club in the locality for now, to join a senior association likely to be formed in Gawler in the near future; to then thereby "...increase interest in the game by endeavouring to get more matches on for juniors, so that by practice some useful players could be brought out". Fitzgerald was elected captain, George Sanderson vice captain, and Tom Willett would be the first secretary. The colors decided on were red-and-blue with white bands. Although by 1890 Gawler South had changed their colours to blue and white.

On Saturday 30th March 1889, the first opening intraclub match of the new club was played at Para Para, starting at 3pm with 40 players turning out on a warm day. The first official competition game was against the Salisbury Football Club on 20th April 1889 at Salisbury. The final scores were Gawler South 2.7 defeating Salisbury 1.2. The goal scorers for Souths were Fitzgerald and Arthurs, who were also amongst the best players. Gawler South then became an inaugural member of the Gawler Junior Football Association (which eventually became the Gawler Football Association) formed on Tuesday 23rd April 1889 by delegates from the following three clubs - South, (Gawler) Centrals and Willaston. The GFA was renamed to the Gawler and Districts Football League in 1953. In 1955, Gawler South first adopted the Rampant Lion as its emblem. And in 1957, the original "Gawler South" name for the club taken from the suburb, was replaced by the title "South Gawler" – to describe the area.

The Lions (often also nicknamed "Southies") have produced some champion footballers, many who have played first class senior football in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and the Australian Football League (AFL) as well as representing South Australia. Sam Butler became South Gawler's first fully professional footballer with the AFL's West Coast Eagles in 2004 and a member of the Eagles' 2006 Premiership team. Defender Yves Sibenaler Jr played in seven SANFL Premierships (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) for Central District, while Alan Obst (a 2007 Premiership player also with the Bulldogs) was listed with AFL clubs Adelaide and North Melbourne. During the twentieth century, Walter "Winky" Price (a triple premiership player with West Adelaide), Ron May (who was at North Adelaide between 1924 and 1933; and a league premiership player in 1930), Lawrie Rusby (who played 172 league games for South Adelaide including premierships in 1935 and 1941) and Irishman Robin Mulholland (112 games for Central District) also represented South Australia in State-of-Origin during celebrated careers in the SANFL. While Stephen Officer played for South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League between 1971 and 1975.

According to a number of forums covering country Australian Rules football, South Gawler is possibly one of the most successful football clubs in Australia. Following the 2026 BLGFA title, with 40 first-grade premierships recorded and verified,Local historian Robert Laidlaw listed this in an article of the Gawler-based The Bunyip newspaper on the history of the Gawler and District Football league - The Bunyip, 2008. discussion since 2008 suggests that the Lions have accumulated the equal second-most premierships in South AustraliaPeter Lines – South Australian Country Football Digest, 2021 and (as of September 2026) are possibly the equal-seventh winningest Australian Rules club in Australia.

While success at senior level had initially eluded them in the new century, South Gawler remained buoyant with their junior development programs continuing to consistently produce success. The club's Junior Colts were undefeated back-to-back premiers in 2005-2006. They then won the flag in 2012 and 2015, while the Senior Colts' completed a hat-trick of premierships from 2009 to 2011, again in 2013 and were crowned back-to-back premiers again in 2019 and 2020.

In 2017, women's football began with the BLGW so South created the Lionesses – first entering a senior team in the following 2018 season. Several players emerged, including Tegan Nottle – who was selected on the wing for state country in that inaugural season. In 2022, Captain-Coach Aisha Thomas won the Lionesses' first Association best and fairest. In season 2023, the Under 16 Girls team claimed the club's first BLGW premiership (at any level) within five years.

In 2021 the Lions finally broke their longest senior men's premiership drought (since 1993) in the club's 135-year history. After 28 years (an interim during which they finished runners up in 1996, 2014 and 2020) South came back from a 57 point deficit halfway through the second quarter to overturn arch-rivals Willaston by one goal in the 2021 Grand Final at Elliott Goodger Park. The Lions at last would claim their fourth BLGFA title and 38th senior premiership.The Bunyip newspaper, 2012 It is one of the greatest comeback victories in SA country football Grand Final history, and quite likely the greatest turnaround in any BLGFA final ever. 2021 was further punctuated by the club winning the first ever inaugural BLGFA Under 13s premiership for a new junior grade, while the Reserves were runners-up.

Season 2022 saw both the A Grade and Reserves make the Grand Final once again, however with a reversal of fortunes. While the second senior team were crowned Premiers; their first title since 2012, the A Grade who had dominated all season to be favourites were upset by Nuriootpa.

In 2023, at their fourth Grand Final in a row, the A Grade achieved redemption – rebounding after a 1 point defeat by Nuriootpa in the First Semi Final to then overcome the Tigers by 12 points in the Grand Final, before a record crowd at Lyndoch Oval. South Gawler's 39th senior men's title since 1889. While the Reserves and Under 13s were upset in their Grand Finals after finishing top at the end of the minor round.

In 2024, the undefeated Under 15s claimed the Lions' eleventh Junior Colt premiership overall while the Reserves were runners up.

The Junior Colts would also win the 2025 title, going back-to-back undefeated. The Senior Colts would also win their nineteenth title in 2025. The Reserves made a fifth consecutive Grand Final – in their fourteenth consecutive year of finals too - but only to fall agonisingly short again by a single point.

In 2026, the Lions were named the Champion Club of the BLGFA once again after all five of it's participating mens' sides finished the regular season top-two. The Mini League, Senior Colts, Reserves and A Grade then made the Grand Final. Before South secured a historic Triple Premiership in the seniors, seconds and thirds, while the Under 13s were runners-up.

In 137 years, the Lions have enjoyed a sequential Double Premiership (an A and B Grade flag in the same year) now fifteen times (1906, 1907, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1960, 1961, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1979, 1986 and 2026). A sequential Triple Premiership (of a first, second and senior colts team) has only ever happened five times – hat-tricks in 1960, 1969, 1970, 1974 and now 2026.

1960 was one of the greatest years of all time when all three South Gawler sides (A Grade, Reserves and Colts) made the Grand Final and were crowned Premiers undefeated. The Lions won three premierships (from four teams) in four Grand Finals in 1974, and three premierships (from five teams) in four Grand Finals in 2026.

Premierships Gawler Football Association

1891, 1893, 1894, 1899, 1901, 1902, 1906, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1952

Gawler and District Football League

1954, 1955, 1960

Adelaide Plains Football League 1961

Gawler and District Football League

1963, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1979, 1986

Barossa, Light and Gawler Football Association

1990, 1992, 1993, 2021, 2023, 2026

Life Members

1891 – J. Fitzgerald, T.H. Willett 1934 – A. Sweeney, C.A. Rau, E. Higgins 1947 – E. Mahoney, H. Freeman, G. Mahoney, R. Byrne 1953 – P. Giles, F. Hutchins 1954 – W.T. Causby 1958 – A.C. Nottle, G.E. Nottle 1960 – S.N. Edmonds, H.J. Smith 1961 – H.C. Adams, R.B. Gordon, R.F. Martin 1965 – R.J. Argent, G.S. Shannon, B. Nottle, G. Newberry, R.J. Shannon, J.A. Gleeson 1966 – R. Symes, J.W. Nottle 1968 – M.V. Heinrich, K.M. Jones, C. Freak Jnr, D.H. Freak 1969 – D.A. Clark, T. Stockton, T.E. Gleeson, R.J. Riggs, R.J. Charnstrom, B.P. O'Donoghue 1970 – B. Long 1971 – D.S. Rolton, Mrs D.R. McDonald, Mrs C.J. Clark 1972 – Mrs M. Mahoney, B. Deuter, I. McDonald, J.L.P. O'Reilly 1973 – E. Officer 1975 – P.J.W. Gevers, W.W. Isgar 1978 – R.E. Officer, G. Hurst 1979 – E.P. Alwood 1980 – A.H. Russell, J.T. Symes 1982 – Mrs D.J. Symes 1985 – A.P. Jenkins, G.P. Short 1986 – L.G. Clark 1989 – M.K. O'Reilly, K.P. O'Reilly 1992 – X. Sibenaler 1993 – R.J. Hutchins 1998 – C. Bloffwitch, Z. Okunieff 2003 – Mrs L. Officer, P. Montgomerie, Ms M. Wohlstadt 2004 – R.J. O'Donoghue 2005 – J.F. Daly, D.C. Ellis 2009 – R. Ahrens 2010 – P. Bain 2012 – K. Bevis 2014 – K. Barker, G. Barker 2015 – Mrs. J. Hewett 2016 – G. Davies 2018 – D. Barker, C. Hurst 2019 – G. Schultz, D. Cash 2023 – W.F. Paternoster, B. Craig, L. McVicar, J. Callander, S. Rolton, G. McCollum, D. Kiryk, J. Costa, K. Hewett 2026 – C. Argent, P. Reichstein, C. Costa, E. Schwerdt, J. Brown

State of Origin Footballers Peter Swift – South Adelaide, South Australia

Cecil Adcock – South Adelaide, South Australia

Charlie Waters – South Adelaide, South Australia

E.H. Cockram – South Adelaide, South Australia

"Winky" Price – West Adelaide, South Australia

Lawrie Rusby – South Adelaide, South Australia

Robin Mulholland – Central District, South Australia

VFL / AFL League Footballers Stephen Officer – South Melbourne (1971–72, 1975)

Sam Butler – Central District, West Coast (2004–2017), East Perth, Perth

Alan Obst – Central District, Adelaide, North Melbourne, North Adelaide

SANFL League Footballers

Jimmy Fitzgerald – Gawler (1887 - 1890 SAFA)

George Sanderson – Gawler (1887 - 1890 SAFA)

Fred May – South Adelaide

Toby Arthur – South Adelaide

Sid Coles – North Adelaide

Doug Thomson – Sturt

Tom Doherty – South Adelaide

Tom Woods – North Adelaide

Fred Rusby – North Adelaide

Eddie Henwood – South Adelaide

G.A. Titus – Norwood Wally Ayling – North Adelaide Perce Crump – South Adelaide / Norwood Howard Abbott – Port Adelaide Ron May – North Adelaide Arthur Lamb – North Adelaide Jim Wainwright – North Adelaide Bruce Causby – Sturt John Nottle – Sturt Bob Edmonds – Central District Yves Sibenaler – Central District Anton Noack – Central District Kym Harrison – Woodville Chris Hurst – Central District Gary Sutton – Central District Aaron Bevis – Central District Kane Officer – Central District Yves M. Sibenaler – Central District Nathan Bartsch – Central District Brodie Hudson – Central District Paul Marschall – Central District / Adelaide Marcus Barreau – Central District Jordan Tippins – Central District Lachlan Arnold – North Adelaide / Port Adelaide Joseph Fenwick – Glenelg

Expatriate SANFL / WAFL / VFL League Footballers

Dick Shirley – West Torrens