Southern Football Netball League
FormerlySouth East Suburban Football League
SportAustralian rules football
Founded1963 (1963)
No. of teams36
Level on pyramid4
Relegation toDivision 2
Division 3
Division 4
Official websitesfnl.com.au

The Southern Football Netball League is an Australian rules football league, based in the south and south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, for both seniors and juniors.

History

The South East Suburban Football League was formed in 1963 as a merger of the Caulfield Oakleigh District Football League with the East Suburban Football League after a number of its clubs moved to the Croydon Ferntree Gully FL (now Eastern Football League).

When the Federal Football League folded at the end of 1981, the SESFL had twenty clubs. After the addition of all but one of the Federal clubs for 1982, the league had a 16 team A grade, and a 12 team B grade competition. The league twice tried 3 divisions but the idea was later dropped as clubs left or folded.

In a major project in 1991, the league underwent a major revamp of its administration and opted to employ a full-time administrator and staff to manage the league's affairs. The League's administration along with its member clubs undertook a far-reaching corporate planning programme to map out future directions and objectives. The extra manpower allowed the elevation of League and club standards and the improved marketability of attracting the corporate sponsorship that modern football now required to keep the organisation afloat. Much of this work was completed by early 1992 and it was decided that a new name would be required to flow on from the work already achieved. The Southern Football League was adopted to show that a new professionalism was running football in the southern suburbs.

The league had another major change in 1993, when it absorbed the Eastern Suburbs Churches Football Association. The newly merged league began in 1993 with around 50 clubs playing 5 divisions, though this had dropped to 28 clubs in 3 divisions by 2002 due to clubs folding, merging, or moving to other competitions.[1]

In April 1997, the Southern Football Show began on Optus Vision's Localvision channel, covering the weekly news of the league.[2][3] It moved to Channel 31 Melbourne the following year. This program soon became known as the Southern Footy Show. It later expanded its scope to become the Local Footy Show, covering many Melbourne leagues until 2011.

In the new millennium, the league grew slightly with the addition of the Southern Dragons in 2009, Endeavour Hills in 2011 and Hallam in 2012. The Dragons returned to the VAFA after the 2012 season,[4] but the revival of Carrum Patterson Lakes FC in 2013 after almost 20 years in recess kept the league at 31 clubs.[5]

The 2014 SFL third division seniors grand final was called off after a brawl broke out between players and supporters. The game in which Mount Waverley was taking on Carrum Patterson Lakes. A police spokeswoman said supporters started heckling one of the teams as it left the ground at half-time. A fight broke out and one person was treated in hospital. The game was called off when one of the teams refused to return to the field."[6]

In 2015, acknowledging the netball part of the competition, the league changed its name to Southern Football Netball League. [7] The 2015 season was also a time when the Southern Dragons went into recess.

In 2016 Port Melbourne Colts transferred in from Western Region Football League, and Lyndhurst FC fielded a senior side for the first time.[8]

2017 saw the introduction of women's football.

The inclusion of 3 clubs enabled the league to have 4 men's divisions for 2018.

Current Clubs (2023 season)

Division 1

Colours Club Nickname Location Home Ground Website Years in Comp SFNL Premierships
Bentleigh Demons Bentleigh Bentleigh Reserve Official Site 1993- Div 2: 2013
Chelsea Heights Demons Chelsea Heights Beazley Reserve Official Site 1993- Div 2: 2000, 2017, 2022
Div 3: 1995
Cheltenham Rosellas Cheltenham Cheltenham Reserve Official Site 1982- Div 2: 1992, 1993, 1995
Cranbourne Eagles Cranbourne East Livingston Reserve Facebook 2022- Div 1: 2022
Dingley Dingoes Dingley Village Souter Oval Official Site 2007- Div 1: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
Div 2: 2008
East Brighton Vampires Brighton East Hurlingham Park Official Site 1963- A1: 1966, 1973, 1976, 1991
A2: 1988
Div 1: 1993, 2004, 2012, 2014
Div 2: 2002
Mordialloc Bloodhounds Mordialloc Ben Kavanagh Reserve Facebook 1988– Div 2: 1999, 2014
Port Melbourne Colts Port Melbourne JL Murphy Reserve Facebook 1975-80, 2016- A2 1975
Div 2: 2016
Springvale Districts Demons Springvale Springvale Reserve Official Site 1993- Div 2: 2007
Div 3: 2018
St Pauls Bulldogs Bentleigh McKinnon Reserve Official Site 1993- Div 1: 2008, 2011, 2013, 2018

Division 2

Colours Club Nickname Home Ground Club Website Years in Comp SFNL Premierships
Caulfield Bears Bears Carnegie Koornang Park Official Site 1993- Div 2: 1994
Doveton Doves Doveton Robinson Oval Official Site 2022- -
East Malvern
(Known as Tooronga/Malvern prior to 2012)
Panthers Malvern East D. W. Lucas Oval Official Site 1964- A2: 1978, 1985, 1990
Div 2: 2012
Div 3:
2001
Endeavour Hills Falcons Endeavour Hills Barry Simon Reserve Facebook 2011- Div 3: 2023
Hampton Park Redbacks Hampton Park Robert Booth Reserve 2018- Div 3: 2019
Highett
(known as Highett Districts prior to 1997)
Bulldogs Highett Turner Road Reserve Official Site 1989- Div 2: 2004, 2011, 2018
Div 3: 1996
Keysborough Burras Keysborough Rowley Allan Reserve Official Site 2015- -
Murrumbeena Lions Murrumbeena Murrumbeena Park Official Site 1963- A1: 1963, 1974
Div 2: 2003
Div 3: 1993
Skye Bombers Carrum Downs Carrum Downs Recreation Reserve Facebook 2006- Div 3: 2009
St Kilda City Saints St Kilda Peanut Farm Reserve Official Site 1965- A2: 1971, 1980
Div 1: 2002, 2007, 2009, 2010
Div 2: 1998, 2005
Div 3: 1994

Division 3

Colours Club Nickname Location Home Ground Club website Years in Comp SFNL Premierships
Black Rock Jets Black Rock McDonald Reserve Official Site 1986- Div 3: 2004, 2007, 2015, 2022
Ashwood Magpies Ashwood Essex Heights Reserve Official Site 1985- Div 2: 1996, 2001
Carrum Patterson Lakes Lions[9] Carrum Roy Dore Reserve Official Site 2013- Reformed,
Carrum FC folded after the 1996 season in the MPNFL
-
Frankston Dolphins Dolphins Frankston South Overport Park Official Site 2018- -
Heatherton Tunners Heatherton Heatherton Recreation Reserve Official Site 1993- Div 2: 2006, 2009
Div 3: 1998
Lyndhurst Lightning Lyndhurst Marriott Waters Reserve Official Site 2016- Div 4: 2022
Narre South Saints Saints Narre Warren South Strathaird Reserve Official Site 2020-
South Mornington Tigers Mount Martha Citation Oval Official Site 2006, 2020- Div 4: 2023

Division 4

Colours Club Nickname Location Home Ground Club website Years in Comp SFNL Premierships
Clayton Clays Clayton Meade Reserve Facebook 1982-1985, 1999 - A1: 1982, 1984
Div 1: 2001, 2006
Div 2: 2010
Dandenong West Westerners Dandenong Greaves Reserve Official site 1993- (known as Dandenong West until 2003,
Dandenong Demons until 2009, Dandenong Redlegs until 2023)
(Not connected to former VFA club Dandenong)
-
Doveton Eagles Eagles Doveton Power Reserve Official Site 1995- Div 2: 2019
Div 3: 2013, 2017
Div 4: 1995
Hallam Hawks Hallam Hallam Recreation Reserve Official Site 2012-2022, 2024- -
Hampton Hammers Highett Peterson Street Reserve Official Site 2022- -
Lyndale Pumas Noble Park North Barry Powell Reserve Official Site 1993- Div 3: 2000
Div 4: 1997
Div 5: 1995
Moorabbin Kangaroos Hampton East A.W Oliver Reserve Official Site 1993- Div 3: 2005, 2012
Div 5: 1993
South Yarra Lions Balwyn North Leigh Park Facebook 1993- Div 3: 2008
Div 4: 1993, 2019

Thirds Only

Colours Club Nickname Location Home Ground Club Website Years in Comp SFNL Premierships
Cerberus - Merged with South Mornington Thirds for 2023 season Dogs HMAS Cerberus McAuliffe Oval 2018- Reformed (Previously competed 2004-2010) Div 4: 2018
Heatherhill Hawks Frankston Bruce Park Facebook 2023- -

Women's Division 1

Colours Club Nickname Location Home Ground Club Website Years in Comp SFNL Premierships
Bentleigh Demons Bentleigh Bentleigh Reserve Official Site 2018-
Black Rock Jets Black Rock McDonald Reserve Official Site 2022- Div 2: 2022
Casey Thunder Thunder Cranbourne East The Hunt Club Reserve Facebook 2021- Div 1: 2023
Frankston Dolphins Dolphins Frankston South Overport Park Official Site 2018-
Murrumbeena Lions Murrumbeena Murrumbeena Park Official Site 2018- Div 1: 2018, 2017
Narre South Saints Saints Narre Warren South Strathaird Reserve Official Site 2022-

Women's Division 2

Colours Club Nickname Location Home Ground Club Website Years in Comp SFNL Premierships
Chelsea Heights Demons Chelsea Heights Beazley Reserve Official Site 2023-
East Brighton Vampires Brighton East Hurlingham Park Official Site 2018- Div 2: 2023
Casey Thunder Thunder Cranbourne East The Hunt Club Reserve Facebook 2021-
Clayton Clays Clayton Meade Reserve Facebook 2018- Div 2: 2018
Lyndale Pumas Noble Park North Barry Powell Reserve Official Site 2018- Div 2: 2019
Skye Bombers Carrum Downs Carrum Downs Recreation Reserve Facebook 2021-

Previous Clubs

Jumper Club Nickname Years in comp SFNL/SESFL

premierships

Premiership seasons Fate
Ashburton ?-1987 6 Division 1: 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981

Division 2: 1973, 1987

Merged with Caulfield following 1987 season
Ashburton-Chadstone 1986-1994 - - Folded
Balwyn Tigers 1963-2006 7 Division 1: 1989, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005

Division 2: 1997

Moved to Eastern Football Netball League after 2006 season
Beaumaris Sharks 1963-1994 2 Division 2: 1965, 1977 Moved to Victorian Amateur Football Association after 1994 season
Boronia Park 1994-1999 - - Moved to Yarra Valley & Mountain District Football League after 1999 season
Box Hill North Demons 1993-2001 - - Moved to Victorian Amateur Football Association after 2001 season
Box Hill Pioneers Pioneers 1993-1997 1 Division 3: 1997 Moved to Eastern Football Netball League after 1997 season, now known as Whitehorse Pioneers
Brooklyn Bulls 2003-2004 - - Folded
Burnley 1963-1965 - - Folded
Burwood 1963-1984 3 Division 1: 1968, 1970, 1979 Merged with Essex Heights to form Ashwood after 1984 season
Burwood United Woods 1993 - - Merged with Mount Waverley to form Mount Waverley Burwood after 1993 season
Camberwell Power Power 1993-1996 - - Folded
Canterbury Cobras 1963-2008 4 Division 1: 1969, 1972

Division 2: 1991

Division 3: 2003

Moved to Eastern Football Netball League after 2008 season
Carnegie 1963-1976, 1980-1999 2 Division 1: 1975

Division 2: 1974

Folded
Carrum Downs Falcons 1993-1999 1 Division 5: 1994 Moved to Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League after 1999 season
Caulfield 1983-84 - - Folded
Caulfield-Ashburton Bears 1988-1989 1 Division 1: 1988 Folded
Caulfield Kontias 1992 - - Folded
Chadstone 1963-1985 - - Folded
Cheltenham Assumption 1993-1998 1 Division 4: 1996 Folded
Collingwood Districts 1993-1995 - - Folded
East Bentleigh 1993-1995 - - Merged with St Pauls Bentleigh to form St Pauls East Bentleigh after 1995 season
East Camberwell 1993-1994 - - Merged with Surrey Hills to form Surrey Park after 1994 season
East Hawthorn 1975-1987 3 Division 2: 1981, 1982

Division 3: 1984

Folded
East Malvern Amateurs 1965-1984 1 Division 2: 1969 Folded
East Sandringham 1963-1975 - - Folded
Eley Park Sharks 1993 - - Moved to Victorian Amateur Football Association after 1993 season
Essex Heights 1970-1985 - - Merged with Burwood to form Ashwood after 1984 season
Fairfield Park Bloods 1993-1995 - - Moved to Diamond Valley Football League following 1995 season
Glen Iris 1963-1987 2 Division 1: 1965

Division 2: 1979

Folded
Hawthorn Citizens (formerly known as Hawthorn District) 1963-1989 2 Division 1: 1971

Division 2: 1970

Division 3: 1983

Folded
Heidelberg Colts Colts 1995 - - Folded
Highett Bulldogs 1963-1989 - - Merged with Highett West following 1989 season to form Highett Districts, now known as Highett.
Highett West Cats 1963-1989 1 Division 2: 1986 Merged with Highett following 1989 season to form Highett Districts, now known as Highett.
Kooyong 1966-1968 2 Division 1: 1967

Division 2: 1966

Merged with Hawthorn Amateurs in 1969 to form Hawthorn District
Lower Plenty Bears 1993-1994 - - Moved to Diamond Valley Football League following 1994 season
Mentone Tigers 1982-1992 - - Merged with St Bede's Old Collegians following 1992 season to form St Bede's/Mentone Tigers in VAFA
Middle Park 1983-1984 - - Folded
Mount Waverley Mountain Lions 1993-2018 2 Division 3: 2016

Division 4: 1998

Folded
Mount Waverley 1963-1993 1 Division 1: 1964 Merged with Mount Waverley to form Mount Waverley Burwood after 1993 season
Mount Waverley Burwood 1994-1997 - - Merged with Waverley Amateurs following 1997 season to form Waverley Blues in EFNL
Noble Park Bulls 1963, 1982-1999 9 Division 1: 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997 Moved to Eastern Football Netball League after 1999 season
North Blackburn 1993-1995 - - Folded
North Kew Bears 1963-2006 1 Division 3: 1999 Merged with Kew Amateurs following 2006 season to form Kew Bears in VAFA
Oakleigh District Districts 1963, 1982-2021 1 Division 2: 2015 Moved to Eastern Football Netball League after 2021 season
Parkdale Seagulls 1982-2003 3 Division 1: 1995

Division 2: 1989, 1984

Merged with Mentone Amateurs following 2003 season to form Parkdale Vultures in VAFA
Parkmore Pirates 2005-2007 1 Division 3: 2006 Folded
Richmond Rosellas Rosellas 1994-1995 - - Folded
Sandown Cobras Cobras 1963-1976, 2002-2023 2 Division 2: 1967, 1972 In recess
Southern Dragons Dragons 2009-2012, 2015 1 Division 3: 2011 Folded
South Melbourne Districts Bloods 1963-1999 2 Division 2: 1976, 1983 Moved to Victorian Amateur Football Association after 1999 season
St Bede's Old Collegians 1966-1969 1 Division 2: 1968 Moved to Victorian Amateur Football Association after 1969 season
St Paul's Bentleigh 1993-1996 - - Merged with St Pauls Bentleigh to form St Pauls East Bentleigh after 1995 season
Surrey Park Panthers 1995-2001 - - Moved to Eastern Football Netball League after 2001 season
Syndal-Tally Ho Synners 1993-1996 1 Division 4: 1994 Moved to Victorian Amateur Football Association after 1996 season

Premiers

Men's seniors

Southern Football Netball League
Year Division 1 Division 2 Division 3 Division 4 Division 5
2023 Cheltenham East Brighton Endeavour Hills South Mornington 4 divisions (2018−)
2022 Cranbourne Chelsea Heights Black Rock Lyndhurst
2021
(Season abandoned due to COVID-19)
2020
(No competition due to COVID-19)
2019 Dingley Doveton Eagles Hampton Park South Yarra
2018 St Paul's Highett Springvale Districts Cerberus
2017 Dingley Chelsea Heights Doveton Eagles 3 divisions (1999−2017)
2016 Dingley Port Melbourne Colts Mount Waverley
2015 Dingley Oakleigh Districts Black Rock
2014 East Brighton Mordialloc Match abandoned
2013 St Paul's Bentleigh Doveton Eagles
2012 East Brighton East Malvern Moorabbin
2011 St Paul's Highett Southern Dragons
2010 St Kilda City Clayton Hampton
2009 St Kilda City Heatherton Skye
2008 St Paul's Dingley South Yarra
2007 St Kilda City Springvale District Black Rock
2006 Clayton Heatherton Parkmore
2005 Balwyn St Kilda City Moorabbin
2004 East Brighton Highett Black Rock
2003 Balwyn Murrumbeena Canterbury
2002 St Kilda City East Brighton Hampton
2001 Clayton Ashwood Tooronga Malvern
2000 Balwyn Chelsea Heights Lyndale
1999 Balwyn Mordialloc North Kew
1998 Balwyn St Kilda City Heatherton Mount Waverley Catholics 4 divisions (1996−1998)
1997 Noble Park Balwyn Box Hill Pioneers Lyndale
1996 Noble Park Ashwood Highett Cheltenham Assumption
1995 Parkdale Cheltenham Chelsea Heights Doveton Eagles Lyndale
1994 Noble Park Caulfield St Kilda City Syndal-Tally Ho Carrum Downs
1993 East Brighton Cheltenham Murrumbeena South Yarra Moorabbin West
1992 Noble Park Cheltenham 2 divisions (1992)
South East Suburban Football League
Year Division 1 Division 2 Division 3
1991 East Brighton Canterbury 2 divisions (1987−1991)
1990 Noble Park Tooronga-Malvern
1989 Balwyn Parkdale
1988 Caulfield-Ashburton East Brighton
1987 Noble Park Ashburton
1986 Noble Park Highett West Murrumbeena 3 divisions (1986)
1985 Noble Park Tooronga-Malvern 2 divisions (1985)
1984 Clayton Parkdale East Hawthorn 3 divisions (1983-1984)
1983 Noble Park South Melbourne Districts Hawthorn Citizens
1982 Clayton East Hawthorn 2 divisions (1963−1982)
1981 Ashburton East Hawthorn
1980 Ashburton St Kilda City
1979 Burwood Glen Iris
1978 Ashburton Tooronga-Malvern
1977 Ashburton Beaumaris
1976 East Brighton South Melbourne Districts
1975 Carnegie Port Colts
1974 Murrumbeena Carnegie
1973 East Brighton Ashburton
1972 Canterbury Sandown
1971 Hawthorn District St Kilda City
1970 Burwood Hawthorn District
1969 Canterbury East Malvern
1968 Burwood St Bede's Old Collegians
1967 Kooyong Sandown
1966 East Brighton Kooyong
1965 Glen Iris Beaumaris
1964 Mount Waverley Hawthorn Amateurs
1963 Murrumbeena Caulfield

Women's seniors

Year Division 1 Division 2
2023 Casey Thunder East Brighton
2022 Endeavour Hills Black Rock
2021
(Season abandoned due to COVID-19)
2020
(No competition due to COVID-19)
2019 Endeavour Hills Lyndale
2018 Murrumbeena Clayton
2017 Murrumbeena 1 division (2017)

References

  1. "Moorabbin Kangaroos History". deadlyretribution.com.
  2. "The Local Footy Show's Daryl Pitman In 1997 Southern Football Show". YouTube. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021.
  3. "The Local Footy Show: About The Show". www.localfootyshow.com.au.
  4. "monashweekly.com.au". www.monashweekly.com.au.
  5. Full Point Footy, Southern Football League, retrieved 21 October 2008
  6. Hatch, Patrick (13 September 2014). "Southern Football League grand final abandoned after brawl between players and supporters". The Age.
  7. "Southern Football League Media Release - Dandenong Football Club - SportsTG". SportsTG.
  8. Ractliffe, Damien (9 December 2015). "Former Hawthorn star to put stamp on Power". Herald Sun.
  9. http://www.cplfc.com.au
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