AFL Broken Hill

Sport	Australian rules football
Founded	1900 (1900)
No. of teams	4
Country	Australia
Confederation	SANFL
Official website	aflbrokenhill.com.au

The AFL Broken Hill (formerly, Broken Hill Football League) is an Australian rules football competition based in the Broken Hill region of New South Wales, Australia. Although located in the state of New South Wales the league is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). The Broken Hill Football League is in the Murray Mallee Barrier Zone in the South Australian Country Football Championships.^[1]

Current clubs

Colours	Club	Nickname	Premiers won	Premiership Years
	Central Broken Hill	Magpies	24	1910, 1912–13, 1915, 1935, 1937–38, 1940–41, 1943, 1971–73, 1979, 1981–85, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2006, 2010
	North Broken Hill	Bulldogs	38	1902, 1904–05, 1907–09, 1911, 1914, 1920, 1924, 1934, 1936, 1945–48, 1950–51, 1957, 1959–60, 1965, 1975–77, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2007–08, 2011–13, 2016
	South Broken Hill	Roos	36	1906, 1919, 1923, 1926, 1928, 1931, 1942, 1944, 1952–53, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1967–70, 1974, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996–97, 1999, 2002–03, 2005, 2009, 2014–15, 2017–19, 2022-23
	West Broken Hill	Robins	24	1900–01, 1903, 1916–18, 1921–22, 1927, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1939, 1949, 1954–55, 1962–64, 1966, 1978, 1980, 1990

There was no premiership awarded in 1925, when Central Broken Hill did not take to the field for the second half of the Grand Final against West Broken Hill, claiming that the field umpire was not giving them a fair go.^[2]

The 2020 Season was called off due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, with 3 of the 4 clubs voting in favor of abandoning the season.

History

It might seem curious that Australian rules football should develop as the dominant football code in a mining city in the far west of New South Wales, a state more known for the dominance of rugby league. Broken Hill was established as a mining town and many of the early settlers were from either the Victorian goldfields, or the copper mines of Moonta and Kadina in South Australia, both of which were areas being keen participants in the early development of Australian rules football. This link to states with an Australian rules football culture was further enhanced with the later flow of workers to and from the gold mining Kalgoorlie-Coolgardie axis in Western Australia.

Indeed, the city of Broken Hill to this day conducts itself in many ways as a city aligned to South Australia, using the same time zone (Australian Central Standard Time), being in the (08) Western/central area code, and its local television station, Central GTS/BKN, covers Broken Hill and parts of South Australia.

Football matches were first played in Broken Hill in 1885 and an informal competition was under way by 1888 between Broken Hill, Silverton, and Silver and Blues. The League was formed in 1890 as the Barrier Ranges Football Association (changing to its current name in 1928). Early years of the Association reflected the historical roots of its settlers and the two dominant clubs were known as the 'Victorians' and the 'South Australians'. Other early clubs were Broken Hill, North Broken Hill, South Broken Hill and Hotham.

In 1900 the League followed the trend of many other Leagues around the country at that time, and restructured along district lines. The four clubs that competed in the restructured competition are the same four clubs that make up the current competition, although South Broken Hill was then known as Alma.

The city's close association with South Australia was reflected with many of the League's stars finding success in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) in the early 20th century. Prominent identities included North Broken Hill's Dave Low, who went on to win the 1912 Magarey Medal with West Torrens Football Club, Jack Woollard, captain of Port Adelaide Football Club's 1910 Championship of Australia-winning team, and Algy Millhouse, who captain-coached Norwood Football Club in 1914. The 1922 Magarey Medallist Robert Barnes and Bruce McGregor, who won Medals in 1926–7, were stars at West Adelaide Football Club. Leading goalkicker, Jack Owens, topped the SANFL's goal kicking ladder on three occasions with Glenelg Football Club in the 1920s and 1930s.

The League itself was considered strong enough to compete with visiting teams from the SANFL, Victorian Football League (VFL) and West Australian Football League (WAFL), and was even invited to send delegates to the inaugural Australasian Football Conference in Melbourne, in November 1905.

In more recent times players from Broken Hill have managed to find their mark with the country's premier league, the Australian Football League (AFL), including Fremantle's Dean Solomon, Brent Staker of West Coast and Brisbane, Taylor Walker of Adelaide , Mitch Clisby of the Melbourne Football Club and Isaac Cumming of the GWS Giants.

Premierships

Current results

The last decade of The Broken Hill Football league has seen the South Broken Hill Football Club show dominance over the rest of the competition, winning Premierships in 2014 & 2015, before wins again in 2017, 2018 & 2019. Seasons 2020 & 2021 were lost due to COVID-19. South have won in the two seasons since the leagues resumption, making it 7 of the last 9 premierships. Star Full Forward Cody Schorn became the first player for over 20 years to kick his 100th goal of the season in the 2023 Grand Final.

North were dominant in the early part of the century, winning premierships in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012 & 2013 before upsetting hot favorites South to win the 2016 flag. The past two seasons has seen a decline with the Bulldogs missing the past two grand finals.

The West Football Club has struggled for success and has not won the Premiership since the 1990 season, the longest premiership drought in the club's history. Despite this their recent seasons have been encouraging, culminating in the club reaching its first A Grade Grand Final for 16 years in 2023.

Central Football Club have battled with player numbers in recent times despite making the 2022 A Grade Grand Final. A very successful club during the 70s & 80s, Centrals last Premiership was won in 2010.

Women's competition

The women's competition started in 2012, making it the oldest rural competition in the state.

See also

• AFL NSW/ACT
• Australian rules football in New South Wales
• Outback Rugby League

Books

• Encyclopedia of South Australian country football clubs / compiled by Peter Lines. ISBN 9780980447293
• South Australian country football digest / by Peter Lines ISBN 9780987159199

References

External links

• Official website
• Football in the Silver City, a history of Broken Hill footy
• Broken Hill Football Back on Top
• Engineers Give Grandstand All Clear