Founded in 1903 it was previously known as the Queensland Football League (QFL), Queensland Australian National Football League (QANFL), Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL) and AFL Queensland State League (AFLQSL), the QAFL is the premier semi-professional competition in Queensland.
Since its inception, more than fifty teams have played in the premiership competition. The premier division currently features 12 teams from as far north from Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, throughout the Brisbane Metropolitan Area and as far south as Palm Beach on the Gold Coast near the New South Wales border. The league is headquartered in Brisbane. However teams from the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast have dominated the competition since 2015.
Prior to formation of the QFL, a precursor existed in the form of the Queensland Football Association (QFA) between 1880 and 1890. However poor alignment with the Victorian Football Association, a failure to secure intercolonial tests and its failure to rein in the popularity of rugby saw its ultimate demise. Following a decade long hiatus in the sport, Australian rules saw renewed interest during the Federation of Australia and fans in Queensland at the turn of the century regrouped floating the idea of a new competition that would endure in the state.
The Queensland Football League (QFL) was formed in July 1903 at a meeting with 50 present at the South Brisbane Cycling Club and a total of 150 signed on as members.[1] Unlike the previous league which affiliated with the VFA, this new body decided to affiliate with the Victorian Football League.[2] Practice matches were held in August that year in the Botanical Gardens and attracted large crowds and interest.[3] The first premiership was held in 1904 with most games being played at Queen's Park, a sporting facility within the grounds of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens.
Australian Football Premiership Grand Final at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, 1907. Locomotives defeated Wynnum by 40 points
From 1905 to 1914 games were regularly played at the Brisbane Cricket Ground. Clubs included Brisbanes, Locomotives, Ipswich, Citys, Valleys, South Brisbane, North Brisbane, West Brisbane and Wynnum.
South Brisbane, Premiers in 1914
Between 1915 and 1919 the competition went into recess owing to World War I.
Action from the 1923 Grand Final between Brisbanes and Valleys at Perry ParkOld Court Whisky Queensland Australian Football Trophy seasons 1926-1932
In 1926 Melbourne brewery Old Court Whisky donated the trophy to the competition. The first winner was Brisbane.[4]
In August 1927 at a meeting of the Australian National Football Council it was decided that each of the state leagues were to include the words 'Australian National' in their names. Accordingly, the QFL was renamed the Queensland Australian National Football League (QANFL) and football continued a steady growth in Brisbane.
Taringa vs Wests Australian rules football match QANFL match at Perry Park in the 1930s
Yeronga and Taringa fielded senior sides in the league for the first time in 1931, both having an immediate impact[5] and finishing runner up in the years to follow.
In 1964 the QANFL dropped the 'National' reference to their name and became the Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL), a limited liability company.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the QAFL saw a boom in popularity, boosted by televised matches it saw crowds of 500 to several thousand attending blockbuster matches, modest in comparison to attendances drawn in traditional football states but significant nonetheless.[6] The QAFL and the Gold Coast league both competed directly with the VFL for local marketshare in 1982.[7]
Brisbane Bears VFL licence and QAFL-Cronin Consortium
With its popularity increasing, the QAFL began to seek a VFLlicence. In 1985 the QAFL had decided that pushing for a Melbourne-based club to relocate to Brisbane. However, after several failed attempts to relocate Melbourne clubs including Fitzroy and Richmond, it soon became evident that the VFL's preference was a new licence.
In 1986 the QAFL formed a consortium with Paul Cronin for a new VFLlicence and the consortium won its bid for a new Brisbane based club. However the QAFL fell out with the Christopher Skase backed Brisbane Bears when the decision was made to base the new club at Carrara on the Gold Coast instead of the QAFL's preferred venue, the Brisbane Cricket Ground. The decision would begin a bitter and long protracted battle between the QAFL and the Bears[8] which was not resolved until 1991.
The admission of the Brisbane Bears and to have the club based on the Gold Coast had a huge impact on the QAFL's crowds, with attendances falling from an average of 500 to just 50.[9] Combined with the Bears poor on field and off field performances, the QAFL was severely weakened over the following years resulting in its voluntary liquidation in 1999.[citation needed]
2000: Restructure
In 2000 the QSFL was replaced by a new organisation, AFL Queensland (AFLQ). The new premiership competition was called the AFLQ State League.
As a result, the QAFL was disbanded in favour of localised competitions throughout Queensland. The structural changes to the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) competition at the end of the 2013 season resulted in several clubs being relegated from the NEAFL, giving rise to a rebirth of the QAFL. As of 2014, there are 10 clubs who compete in the QAFL, most of which are based in South-East Queensland. After spending the 2021 season in the VFL, Aspley rejoined the QAFL in time for the 2022 season.
The Queensland Australian Football League operates on a single table system, with no divisions, conferences nor promotion and relegation from other leagues.
Redland merged with Victoria Point to form Redland-Victoria Point
South Brisbane merged with Yeronga to form Yeronga South Brisbane
Western Districts was originally Taringa, and then from a merger with Sherwood was then named West Brisbane, then Western Districts
Zillmere renamed Windsor-Zillmere from merger with Windsor and then renamed North Brisbane through merger with Sandgate and then renamed Zillmere after demerger with Sandgate
Premiers
The complete list of premiers teams is detailed below:[11][12]
In 2010, the QAFL competition was disbanded and its teams became part of the NEAFL Northern conference. In 2014, the QAFL competition resumed with several former clubs of the NEAFL being relegated to the competition along with several newly promoted teams.
^"MISCELLANEOUS". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LX, no. 14, 212. Queensland, Australia. 1 August 1903. p. 11. Retrieved 25 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"FOOTBALL". The Herald. No. 7882. Victoria, Australia. 7 August 1903. p. 4. Retrieved 25 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Victorian Game". The Telegraph. No. 9591. Queensland, Australia. 17 August 1903. p. 5 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved 25 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Australian Football". The Telegraph. No. 17, 250. Queensland, Australia. 16 March 1928. p. 15 (CITY EDITION). Retrieved 26 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"SPEEDY AND CLEVER". Sunday Mail. No. 411. Queensland, Australia. 12 April 1931. p. 8. Retrieved 29 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
