The Southern Football League (SFL) is an Australian rules football league based in the state of Tasmania.
History Beginning and growth The Southern Tasmanian Football League (STFL) was founded in 1996. The league's original clubs were those of the recently defunct Tasmanian Amateur Football League (Southern Division) (Southern Amateurs) and two clubs from the Huon Football Association.
In the first season, the competing clubs from the Tasmanian Amateur Football League (Southern Division) were Brighton, Lauderdale, Lindisfarne, Claremont, Sorell and Lachlan, and those from the Huon Football Association were Kingston (Kingborough) and Channel.
Despite the lopsided results in many of the matches in its first two seasons, the STFL soon began to rival its long-established counterpart, the TFL Statewide League for attendances, community involvement, players, and money, as players and fans alike became tired of the politics and negativity that permeated the floundering TFL at that time.
With the demise of the 114-year-old Huon Football Association at the end of the 1997 season, and financially crippled former TFL club Hobart opting to pull out of the Statewide League at the end of the same season and voting to join the STFL, the league was ready for an influx of new teams as one of its foundation clubs, Lachlan, who had endured terrible struggles for several years, went out of business at the end of 1997.
Kermandie (then known as the Robins) and Cygnet (then known as the Magpies) were forced to change playing uniforms and emblems (to Bushrangers and The Port respectively) owing to clashes with already established clubs Brighton and Claremont.
Huonville Bulldogs merged with fellow Huon Football Association rival Franklin Lions to become the Huonville Lions and thus joined the STFL in 1998. Hobart (then known as the Tigers) were forced to change their emblem and playing strip owing to a clash with Kingston (Kingborough).
From 1998, the STFL became known as the Southern Football League.
New Norfolk District Football Club, a member of the TFL since 1947, left the TSFL at the end of 1999 and joined the SFL in 2000 as the New Norfolk 'Derwent' Hawks.
Following the collapse of the SWL in December 2000, the three remaining State League clubs (Clarence, Glenorchy and North Hobart) all sought admission to join the SFL. After numerous meetings and much debate it was decided to accept the three orphaned clubs into the league in early 2001 to create a 15-team competition for that season.
Premier League and Regional League split In 2002 the SFL split into two conferences – Premier League and Regional League.
The Premier League consisted of former TFL clubs Clarence, Glenorchy, North Hobart, Hobart and New Norfolk along with Kingston, Brighton and Sorell.
The Regional League consisted of Cygnet, Channel, Huonville Lions, Kermandie, Claremont, Lauderdale, Lindisfarne and former Tasman Football Association club Dodges Ferry, admitted into the league after the TFA folded at the end of the 2001 season.
In early 2003 the Sorell Football Club was forced to leave the Premier League after the club was unable to find enough volunteers to run the club and therefore went into recess for that season, its Premier League position was taken over by Lauderdale the following year.
Two new additions to the SFL Regional League in 2006 saw former Oatlands District Football Association clubs Oatlands, Kempton and Bothwell merge to create the Central Hawks while east coast club Triabunna (also from the ODFA) also were included.
Six clubs leave the SFL to join the State League and OSFA In 2008 AFL Tasmania announced plans to reintroduce the Tasmanian State League starting in 2009.
Under the plan Clarence, Glenorchy, North Hobart, Hobart and Lauderdale Football Clubs from the Premier League were targeted to join.
After subsequent meetings it was put to a vote of each club's members who accordingly voted affirmatively to leave the SFL and join the State League subject to individual conditions being met. Kingborough Football Club also made a plea to join the TSL but was turned down by AFL Tasmania due to its poor facilities and poor standard home ground at Kingston Beach Oval.
In January 2009, the Channel Football Club was granted permission to join the Old Scholars Football Association. After struggling on and off the ground for several years the Saints feared that they would be no match for former Premier League clubs rejoining the same competition as them, and that the resulting beatings they would've suffered could well have spelled the end of the Channel Football Club's existence so therefore, made a submission to join the more social OSFA competition.
Demise of Kermandie Only weeks prior to the start of the 2009 season, Kermandie Football Club announced that it would be going into recess for the immediate future due to a lack of players, and despite a fresh attempt at reviving the club over the summer period of 2009/10, it was revealed that the club was again suffering from a chronic shortage of players and that Kermandie's demise was imminent.
Despite a late attempt to discuss a possible merger with fellow Huon club Cygnet, who at the time were also suffering from player shortages, the Cygnet Football Club expressed their wishes to continue on in their own right and therefore the Kermandie Football Club was set to go out of existence in March 2010 after a history spanning 123-years.
However, a faction within the club led by senior coach Paul Allison (a one time Sydney Swans listed player) had signed up former Sydney Swan and Brisbane Bears forward Warwick Capper, only days later Mark 'Jacko' Jackson was also signed up to try to breathe life into the club, these signings did however create much controversy within the Kermandie/Geeveston region with many supporters feeling that it was turning the club into a circus rather than a serious football club.
SFL President Paul Harriss remained unconvinced and the League had already printed out the season's roster without Kermandie's involvement. A meeting on 17 March 2010 discussed terms on the future of Kermandie Football Club and their involvement with the SFL, with a vote of all club delegates set to decide their fate, however the Kermandie Football Club delegate had already been instructed to advise that the club would not be seeking a return to the SFL in 2010 and as a result, the club was wound up and went out of existence.
Triabunna becomes East Coast Bombers In 2011, the Triabunna Football Club became known as the East Coast Bombers in a deal with TSL club Lauderdale which will see them send players from their reserves list (the TSL Reserves competition was axed at the completion of the 2010 season) to play for the former Roos senior team, which had been struggling badly since it entered the SFL in 2006.
Central Hawks in recess In 2013 the Central Hawks were forced to go into recess because of a lack of player numbers. The Hawks first entered the SFL in 2006 as a combination of former ODFA clubs Oatlands, Bothwell and Kempton. But Bothwell has re-entered the ODFA for this year in its own right. It will be a ten team competition with a final five format.
2025 Restructure Following the demise of the Tasmanian State League after the 2024 season, the 5 southern TSL clubs (Clarence, Glenorchy, Kingborough, Lauderdale, and North Hobart) re-joined the SFL. They, along with Brighton, formed the Premier League, while the remaining 8 clubs formed the Community League.
Clubs Locations
Men
Premier League ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in SFLSFL PremiershipsTotalYears Brighton Robins Brighton Regional Sports Complex, Pontville TAFL 1885 1996-2018, 2020- 11998 Clarence Roos Bellerive Oval, Bellerive TFL 1884 2001-2008, 2025- 42001, 2002 (), 2004 (), 2006 (), 2025 () Glenorchy KGV Oval, Glenorchy TFL 1919 22007 (), 2008 () Kingborough Tigers Kingston Twin Ovals, Kingston HFA, TFL 1886 1996-2013, 2025- 0 - Lauderdale Lauderdale Oval, LauderdaleTAFL, TFL 1979 1996-2008, 2025- 1 2026 () North Hobart Demons North Hobart Oval, North Hobart TFL 1881 2001-2008, 2025- 12003 ()
Community League ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in SFLSFL PremiershipsTotalYears Claremont Magpies Abbotsfield Park, Claremont TAFL 1924 1996- 22015, 2016 Cygnet The Port Cygnet Oval, Cygnet HFA 1888 1998- 72002 (), 2003 (), 2004 (), 2021, 2023, 2024, 2026 Dodges Ferry Sharks Dodges Ferry Recreation Ground, Dodges Ferry TFA 1978 2002- 12006 () Hobart Tigers TCA Ground, Queens Domain TFL 1944 1998- 11999 Huonville Lions Lions Huonville Recreation Ground, Huonville – 1998 1998- 32008 (), 2020, 2025 Lindisfarne Two Blues Anzac Park, Lindisfarne TAFL 1911 1996- 32018, 2019, 2022 New Norfolk Eagles Boyer Oval, New Norfolk TFL 1878 2000- 72005 (), 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 Sorell Eagles Pembroke Park, Sorell TAFL 1883 1996-2002, 2004- 0–
Women
Premier League ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in SFLSFL PremiershipsTotalMost recent Clarence Roos Bellerive Oval, Bellerive TSLW 1884 2021- 0– Glenorchy KGV Oval, Glenorchy TSLW 1919 2021- 12021 Kingborough Tigers Kingston Twin Ovals, Kingston TSLW 1886 2021- 12025 Lauderdale Lauderdale Oval, LauderdaleTSLW 1979 2018- 0– North Hobart Demons North Hobart Oval, North Hobart TSLW 1881 2017- 42022, 2023, 2024, 2026
Community League ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in SFLSFL PremiershipsTotalYears Claremont Magpies Abbotsfield Park, Claremont – 1924 2017- 52020, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 Cygnet The Port Cygnet Oval, Cygnet – 1888 2017- 12022 Dodges Ferry Sharks Dodges Ferry Recreation Ground, Dodges Ferry – 1978 2023- 0–HobartTigersTCA Ground, Queens Domain–19442026-0– Huonville Lions Lions Huonville Recreation Ground, Huonville – 1998 2021- 0–HutchinsLionsQueenborough Oval, Sandy Bay–19322021-12021 Lindisfarne Two Blues Anzac Park, Lindisfarne – 1911 2017- 22017, 2018 New Norfolk Eagles Boyer Oval, New Norfolk – 1878 2018- 12022 SorellEagles Pembroke Park, Sorell– 1883 2025- 0–St Virgil'sSaintsNew Town Bike Track Oval, New Town–19272021-12023Tasmanian UniversityRainbowsUTAS Football Oval, Sandy Bay–19362021-12021
U18s only ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in SFLSFL PremiershipsTotalYears Southern Storm Storm Cygnet Oval, Cygnet – 2012 2026- 0 -
Former clubs ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in SFLSFL PremiershipsFateTotalYears Central Hawks HawksOatlands Oval, Oatlands and Bothwell Recreation Ground, Bothwell–2006 2006-20120 -De-merged into Bothwell and Oatlands in Oatlands District FA in 2012 Channel SaintsSnug Park, SnugHFA1967 1996-200811996Moved to Old Scholars FA after 2008 season East Coast Bombers (2006-10)(2011-15)Triabunna Recreation Ground, TriabunnaODFA1900 2006-20150 -Folded after 2015 season, re-formed as Triabunna in Oatlands District FA in 2016 Kermandie (1998-2000) (2001-03)(2004-08)Kermandie Oval, GeevestonHFA1887 1998-200832000, 2005 (), 2007 ()Folded after 2008 season Lachlan (1996)(1997)Kensington Park, New NorfolkTAFL 1922 1996-19970 -Folded after 1997 seasonSouth East SunsSunsPembroke Park, SorellTWFL2017-20240–Replaced by Sorell women's team in 2025St Virgil'sSaintsNew Town Bike Track Oval, New Town–19272021-202512023Women's team only, entered recess in 2026
Grand Finals STFL/SFL Grand Finals (1996–2001; 2009–2024)