Adelaide Plains Football League

The Adelaide Plains Football League (APFL) is an Australian rules football competition based in the Adelaide Plains region immediately north of Adelaide, South Australia. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League.

History
Grace Plains was possibly the first club formed in the District in 1904. Football was certainly played in the other towns of Mallala, Dublin and Two Wells at that time with those clubs all officially forming in 1908. When Virginia was formed in 1909, moves were being made to form an association from a group of clubs that had played an unofficial competition in 1908.

A meeting held in Dublin on 4 May 1909, resulted in the formation of the Adelaide Plains Football Association. Delegates were present from Mallala, Virginia, Two Wells, Windsor, Lower Light and Dublin. Officers elected were, patron Mr Coombe, president Mr George Cheney and secretary Mr Andrew Driscoll. At a second meeting the colours were chosen as double blue.

Dublin had a comfortable victory over Two Wells in the first match of the new association 9.14 (68) to 0.2 (2). Dublin had gone to a lot of trouble to ensure their facilities were adequate for their opening match of the season. In the preceding months they had built dressing rooms, a pavilion and had even erected new goal posts.

Wasleys Football Club created a record in 1927 when they became the first Adelaide Plains club to complete a season without losing a match. Hamley Bridge applied to join the association in 1930 but their application was rejected because of the poor condition of the roads over which visiting teams would have to travel to arrive at Hamley Bridge.

During a history of just over 100 years, the Adelaide Plains association has stood tall, outlasting many nearby associations. The Wooroora, Wakefield, North Western, Lower North and Gilbert associations have all fallen by the wayside with their member clubs or their incarnations filtering through to become the Adelaide Plains of today.

(From South Australian Country Football Digest - Peter Lines)

Grounds

 * Ralli Park Showgrounds
 * Balaklava
 * Hamley Bridge Sporting Oval, Hamley Bridge
 * Hummocks-Watchman Eagles Football Club, Port Wakefield
 * Lochiel Oval, Lochiel
 * Mallala Football Club, Mallala
 * Two Wells Football Club, Two Wells
 * United Football Club, Long Plains
 * Virginia Recreation Park, Virginia
 * Angle Vale Community Sports Centre, Angle Vale

2020 statistics

 * A Grade Premiers
 * Mallala 17.7 (109) defeated Virginia 10.9 (69)
 * Reserves Premiers
 * Two Wells 18.9 (117) defeated Virginia 5.8 (38)
 * Senior Colts Premiers (U17)
 * Mallala 6.13 (49) defeated Bute 3.7 (25)
 * Junior Colts Premiers (U14)
 * Two Wells 6.5 (41) defeated Bute 4.6 (30)
 * Plains Producer Medallist
 * Luke Barnett (Two Wells)
 * Reserves Medallist
 * James Rundle (United)
 * Senior Colts Medallist
 * Bailey Arthur (Mallala)
 * Junior Colts Medallist
 * Luke Barnett (Two Wells)
 * A Grade Leading Goalkicker
 * Brendon Niklaus, Virginia (50)
 * Reserves Leading Goalkicker
 * Justin Platt, Two Wells (28)
 * Senior Colts Leading Goalkicker
 * Riley Evans, Mallala (25)
 * Junior Colts Leading Goalkicker
 * Alex Daly, Two Wells (23)

Current clubs

 * Notes

Premierships

 * Reserves was formed in 1958
 * Senior Colts was formed in 1966. It was then called colts and under 15. In 1976 the name changed to Under 16s. Today it is Under 17s
 * Junior Colts was formed in 1970. It was then called minis. In 1976 the name changed to under 13s. Today it is Under 14s.

No football was played between 1916 and 1918 due to World War I No Football was played between 1941 and 1944 due to World War II

Mail Medals
54 Mail Medals were awarded in Adelaide Plains from 1933 to 1940 and 1949 to 1988. There were tied results in 1953, 1963, 1973, 1977 and 1987. The Mail Medal was augmented in 1987 with the Plains Producer Medal, which has been donated by the Balaklava Weekly Newspaper. The Plains Producer Medal has adapted the same voting system. Both medals were given in 1987/88. Two Wells midfielder Cecil Rowe won the first Medal from Dublin’s Alan Webb. This Medal was one of only 16 given throughout the state.