User:Ntjfa

NORTHERN TASMANIAN JUNIOR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (NTJFA)

BRIEF HISTORY of NTJFA

The NTJFA is a junior Australian Rules football competition that was formed in late 1974 and conducted its first season for U11s and U13s in 1975. A total of 6 teams competed in each division and they were feeder clubs for the 6 major senior clubs in the region, namely: City-South, East Launceston, Launceston, Longford, North Launceston and Scottsdale. The following season (1976) the competition provided for U12, U14 and U16s. For a period the format changed to U13, U15 and U17, but from 1997 has included: U12, U13, U14 and U16 age competitions. U15s have been added to that mix in 2008 and 2009.

East Launceston Demons were the most successful club initially winning 13 of 41 premierships between 1975 and 1986 and then remained the highest ranked club through until the 1994 season when North Launceston overtook them. The Robins as they were called won 16 premierships between 1984 and 1997. It wasn't until the last decade that South Launceston Bulldogs (the old City-South Redlegs), with the final demise of the East / South Launceston Demons (who went into recess at the end of 2001), came into their own, but mainly in the younger grades.

Longford also had a dominant decade in the period 1997 to 2005 and now leads the premiership table. The 2007 season was only the second time in 20 years that Longford were not represented on Grand Final day. Longford and South won 13 each out of 36 premierships on offer in the 9 years to 2005.

The emergence of new and returning clubs in the 2000s has helped to provide a more balanced competition. The emergence of Prospect Sharks has helped overcome the imbalance caused by the gradual demise (15 years) of East / South Launceston Demons, wherein Longford and South Launceston Bulldogs dominated the competition for a decade because of an ever growing player pool to draw from. The 2008 season has seen the formation of a new East Launceston Lions team who have the challenge to provide participation opportunities in the Eastern Suburbs.

The competition has grown from 12 teams initially to 67 teams in 2008. The most significant growth has occurred in the last 8 years.

In 1989 and 1992 country teams won all premierships, with ’92 being the only clean sweep by Longford.

The following Clubs have competed in the NTJFA: