Hills Football League

Last updated

Hills Football League
General Information
Founded1967 in the Adelaide Hills
Current clubs Birdwood
Blackwood
Bridgewater-Callington
Echunga
Gumeracha
Hahndorf
Kangarilla
Kersbrook
Macclesfield
Meadows
Milang
Mount Barker
Mount Lofty
Nairne Bremer United
Onkaparinga Valley
Torrens Valley
Uraidla Districts

The Hills Football League (HFL) is an Australian rules football league, situated in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia, to the south east of the state capital Adelaide.

Contents

The League has over 3000 players belonging to 20 member Clubs. [1] The League's Clubs are divided into two playing Divisions:

Both divisions have their own programs for the season. There is a promotion and relegation system that received criticism in 2014 following the ultimately unsuccessful decision to relegate Echunga in the same season that they won the Central Division premiership. [2] It is the second biggest league in South Australia after the South Australian Amateur Football League.

In 2009 the Uraidla Districts Football Club became the first team in HFL history to secure all senior premierships (A,B&C) in a single season a feat that was followed by Hahndorf in 2016.

History

The Hills FL was formed in 1967 as a result of the merger of the original Hills Central FL and the Torrens Valley FL. For a number of years, the competition consisted of three divisions, firstly known as the Central Zone, the Northern Zone and the Southern Zone. This later changed to Zone 1, 2 and 3 with two years also providing a Zone 4. Eventually in 1979 the two divisions that exist today was established. The one year that was an exception was 1983 when competition was played in one division. [3]

Heathfield-Aldgate United hold the record for the most premierships won in succession from 1971 to 1977.

Grades

The HFL consists of:

Division 1

JumperClubNicknameYears in compHFL Premierships
Blackwood Football Club colours.jpg
Blackwood [4] Woods1987–Div 1:1988, 1991, 2017
Echunga Football Club colours.jpg
Echunga Demons1967–Div 1:2014
Div 2:1995-96, 2000, 2011, 2013
Div 3:1972
Southern B:1968
Hahndorf Football Club colours.jpg
Hahndorf [5] Magpies1967–Div 1:1984–85, 1992–93, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2015–16, 2018–21
RichmondDesign.svg
Lobethal [6] Tigers1967–Div 1:1981, 199 –99, 2002, 2022
Mount Barker Football Club colours.jpg
Mount Barker [7] Barkeroos1967–Div 1:1969–70, 1982–83, 2000, 2003–04, 2012
Mordialloc Football Club colours.jpg
Mount Lofty District [8] Mountain Devils1986–Div 1:1986, 1990, 2006–08
Div 2:2014
Nairne Bremer United Football Club colours.jpg
Nairne Bremer United Rams1978–1991, 1998–Div 1: 2023

Div 2: 1985, 1989, 2017

Onkaparinga Valley Football Club colours.jpg
Onkaparinga Valley [9] Bulldogs1967–Div 1:1978, 1994
Uraidla Districts Football Club Colours.jpg
Uraidla Districts Demons1997–Div 1:2005, 2009–11, 2013

Premierships

[10]

Division 2

ColoursClubNicknameYears in compHFL Premierships
Birdwood Football Club colours.jpg
Birdwood Roosters1967-Div 2:1973, 1975-76-77, 1992, 1994
Gumeracha Football Club colours.jpg
Gumeracha Magpies1967-Div 2:1970, 1982, 1984, 2019, 2022, 2023
Kangarilla Football Club colours.jpg
Kangarilla Double Blues1967–1978, 2006-Div 2:2006
Div 3:1970, 1973–74, 1978
Kersbrook Football Club colours.png
Kersbrook Blues/Brookers1971-Div 2:1972, 1974, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2008–09, 2012, 2015, 2021
Eltham Football Club.jpg
Macclesfield Blood and Tars1967–1983, 1987-Div 2:1980
Div 3:1969
Div 4:1972-1973
Olympic Dam Football Club colours.jpg
Meadows Bulldogs1967-1982, 2001-Div 2:2001-2004
Div 3:1967
Torrens Valley Football Club colours.jpg
Torrens Valley Mountain Lions1997- *Div 2:2005, 2007, 2010

Premierships

[10]

  • 1967 Pleasant Valley
  • 1968 Pleasant Valley
  • 1969 Pleasant Valley
  • 1970 Gumeracha
  • 1971 Pleasant Valley
  • 1972 Kersbrook
  • 1973 Birdwood
  • 1974 Kersbrook
  • 1975 Birdwood
  • 1976 Birdwood
  • 1977 Birdwood
  • 1978 Lenswood Rangers
  • 1979 Lenswood Rangers
  • 1980 Macclesfield
  • 1981 Bridgewater
  • 1982 Gumeracha
  • 1983 No Division 2
  • 1984 Gumeracha
  • 1985 Nairne Bremer
  • 1986 Kersbrook
  • 1987 Barossa District
  • 1988 Barossa District
  • 1989 Nairne Bremer
  • 1990 Barossa District
  • 1991 Mount Torrens
  • 1992 Birdwood
  • 1993 Kersbrook
  • 1994 Birdwood
  • 1995 Echunga
  • 1996 Echunga
  • 1997 Kersbrook
  • 1998 Ironbank-Cherry Gardens
  • 1999 Ironbank-Cherry Gardens
  • 2000 Echunga
  • 2001 Meadows
  • 2002 Meadows
  • 2003 Meadows
  • 2004 Meadows
  • 2005 Torrens Valley
  • 2006 Kangarilla
  • 2007 Torrens Valley
  • 2008 Kersbrook
  • 2009 Kersbrook
  • 2010 Torrens Valley
  • 2011 Echunga
  • 2012 Kersbrook
  • 2013 Echunga
  • 2014 Mount Lofty District [12]
  • 2015 Kersbrook
  • 2016 Bridgewater Callington
  • 2017 Nairne Bremer
  • 2018 Ironbank-Cherry Gardens
  • 2019 Gumeracha
  • 2020 Ironbank-Cherry Gardens
  • 2021 Kersbrook
  • 2022 Gumeracha
  • 2023 Gumeracha


C-Grade Only

ColoursClubNicknameYears in compHFL Premierships
Bridgewater Callington Raiders Football Club colours.jpg
Bridgewater-Callington [13] Raiders2013-2022, 2024-Div 2: 1981, 2016
Milang Football Club colours.jpg
MilangPanthers1986-2005, 2010-2017, 2021--

Former Clubs

ColoursClubNicknameYears in compHFL Premierships
   Ashton 1972-81 (merged with Lenswood Rangers)-
South Croydon Football Club colours.jpg
Barossa DistrictBulldogs1987-90 (moved to Barossa, Light & Gawler FA)Div 2:1987-88, 1990
  Bremer1967-78 (merged with Nairne)Div 3B:1974, 1978
Bridgewater Football Club colours (HFL).jpg
BridgewaterRaiders1967-2012 (merged with Callington United Eagles)Div 2:1981
North Warrnambool Football Club colours.jpg
Callington United Eagles [14] Eagles1995-2012 (merged with Bridgewater)-
Watsonia Football Club.jpg
Eastern Rangers Saints1983-96 (merged with Uraidla)Div 1:1987
Heathfield Aldgate United Football Club colours.jpg
Heathfield Aldgate United 1967-78 (merged with Stirling)Div 1:1967-68, 1971-72-73-74-75-76-77
Ironbank-Cherry Gardens Football Club colours.jpg
Ironbank-Cherry GardensThunderers1986-2022Div 2:1998-99, 2018, 2020
Ironbank Cherry Gardens Bridgewater Football Club colours.jpg
Ironbank Cherry Gardens BridgewaterRaiders/Thunderers2023-
RichmondDesign.svg
Langhorne CreekTigers1967-77 (moved to Great Southern Football League)Div 3:1975-76-77
Lenswood Rangers Football Club colours.jpg
Lenswood Rangers 1967-82 (merged with Ashton)Div 2:1978-79
Littlehampton Football Club colours.jpg
Littlehampton1967-72Southern:1968
Blackburn Football Club.jpg
Mount TorrensBombers1967-75 (merged with Sedan Cambrai)
1986-1996 (merged with Pleasant Valley)
Div 2:1991
Blackburn Football Club.jpg
Mount Torrens-Cambrai 1976-85-
  Mylor1967-72Southern B:1967, 1970
Nairne Football Club colours.jpg
Nairne1967-78 (merged with Bremer)-
  Palmer1967-70, 1972–73Div 4B:1972
North Melbourne white.png
Pleasant ValleyRoos1967-88 (merged with Mount Torrens)Northern:1967-68-69, 1971
Surrey Park Football Club.jpg
Sedan Cambrai Magpies1967-75 (merged with Mount Torrens)
2010-15 (moved to Riverland Independent FL) [15]
-
Stirling Football Club colours (HFL).jpg
Stirling Eagles1967-78 (merged with Heathfield-Aldgate United)-
   Uraidla Redlegs1967-96 (merged with Eastern Rangers)Div 1:1979-80, 1989, 1996
  WilliamstownRovers1967-73-

AFL Players

The following were drafted to AFL club lists having previously participated in the Hills Football League. [16]

NameHFL ClubYear DraftedSANFL Club (or equiv.)AFL Club(s)
Brenton Sanderson Blackwood1992 Sturt Adelaide, Collingwood, Geelong
Scott Burns Birdwood [17] 1992 Norwood Collingwood
Brett James Kersbrook [18] 1992 Norwood Collingwood, Adelaide
Steven Sziller Lobethal1994 Woodville-West Torrens St Kilda, Richmond
Roger James Kersbrook1996 Norwood Port Adelaide
Ben Nelson Bridgewater1996 Sturt Carlton, Adelaide
Barnaby French Ironbank-Cherry Gardens [19] 1997 Sturt Port Adelaide, Carlton
Sudjai Cook Kersbrook1998 Norwood Adelaide
Courtney Johns Onkaparinga Valley2002 East Fremantle Essendon
Darren Pfeiffer Birdwood [20] 2005 Norwood Adelaide, Carlton, Port Adelaide
Cleve Hughes Lobethal [21] 2005 Norwood Richmond
Benet Copping Mt Barker2006 Sturt Fremantle
Paul Cahill Blackwood2008 Sturt St Kilda
Matthew Jaensch Hahndorf2009 Sturt Adelaide
Sam Colquhoun Birdwood2013 Central Districts Port Adelaide
Alex Georgiou Lobethal2013 Norwood Melbourne
Matthew Fuller Lobethal2013 Norwood Western Bulldogs
Dean Gore Hahndorf2014 Sturt Geelong, Adelaide
Mitch Crowden Meadows2017 Sturt Fremantle
Callum Coleman-Jones Blackwood2017 Sturt Richmond
Tom Sparrow Bridgewater2018 South Adelaide Melbourne
Jasper RogersNairne Bremer United2026 Sturt Adelaide

Related Research Articles

The Division of Mayo is an Australian electoral division located to the east and south of Adelaide, South Australia. Created in the state redistribution of 3 September 1984, the division is named after Helen Mayo, a social activist and the first woman elected to an Australian University Council. The 9,315 km2 rural seat covers an area from the Barossa Valley in the north to Cape Jervis in the south. Taking in the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island regions, its largest population centre is Mount Barker. Its other population centres are Aldgate, Bridgewater, Littlehampton, McLaren Vale, Nairne, Stirling, Strathalbyn and Victor Harbor, and its smaller localities include American River, Ashbourne, Balhannah, Brukunga, Carrickalinga, Charleston, Cherry Gardens, Clarendon, Crafers, Cudlee Creek, Currency Creek, Delamere, Echunga, Forreston, Goolwa, Gumeracha, Hahndorf, Houghton, Inglewood, Kersbrook, Kingscote, Langhorne Creek, Lobethal, Macclesfield, McLaren Flat, Meadows, Middleton, Milang, Mount Compass, Mount Pleasant, Mount Torrens, Mylor, Myponga, Normanville, Norton Summit, Oakbank, Penneshaw, Piccadilly, Port Elliot, Second Valley, Springton, Summertown, Uraidla, Willunga, Woodchester, Woodside, Yankalilla, and parts of Birdwood, Old Noarlunga and Upper Sturt.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uraidla Districts Football Club</span>

The Uraidla Districts Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide which was formed in 1997 as a merger between the former Uraidla Football Club and Eastern Rangers Football Club. The combined club joined the Hills Football League Central Division and currently continue to field teams in both Senior and Junior grades in Division 1 of that league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgewater-Callington Football Club</span>

The Bridgewater-Callington Raiders is an Australian rules football club based in the towns of Bridgewater and Callington in South Australia, playing in Division 1 of the Hills Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onkaparinga Valley Football Club</span>

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The Mount Barker Football Club, nicknamed the Roos, is an Australian rules football club based in the Adelaide Hills town of Mount Barker, South Australia, that competes in the Hills Football League.

References

[22]

  1. http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?assoc=6621&pID=1 About the League
  2. Turner, Matt (26 September 2014). "Echunga Football Club exploring ways to avoid relegation despite winning Hills Football League flag". News Limited. Messenger Community News. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  3. http://footypedia.isgreat.org/00002257.htm Footypedia
  4. "Blackwood Football Club" . Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  5. "Hahndorf Football Club" . Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  6. "Lobethal Football Club" . Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  7. "Mt Barker Football Club" . Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  8. "Mt Lofty Football Club". Archived from the original on 9 July 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  9. "Onkaparinga Valley Football Club" . Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  10. 1 2 "Past Premiers". Hills Football League. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  11. "Central Div A Grade Grand FiInal". Hills Football League. Fox Sports Pulse. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  12. "Country Div A Grade Grand Final". Hills Football League. Fox Sports Pulse. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  13. "Bridgewater Raiders". Archived from the original on 21 June 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  14. "Callington United Eagles Football Club" . Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  15. Dillon, Nick (5 February 2016). "Sedan-Cambrai makes eight for Independents". Murray Pioneer. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  16. "AFL Drafted Players" . Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  17. Rielly, Stephen (9 August 2003). "Scott Burns: Humble Pie". The Age. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  18. Devaney, John. "SA Football Companion - Brett James". Full Points Footy. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  19. Connolly, Rohan (23 November 2003). "French Plans to Stand Tall". The Age. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  20. Fjeldstad, Jesper (2 November 2013). "Darren Pfeiffer: It's lonely on the fringe of the AFL". Sunday Mail (SA). Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  21. Porter, Ashley (21 June 2008). "Cubs on song as Tigers stun Port". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  22. Lines, Peter (2012). South Australian Country Football Digest. Cowell: Peter Lines. pp. 227–237. ISBN   978-0-9871591-9-9.

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