AFL Britain
Encyclopedia
The AFL Britain is the governing body for Australian rules football
in England, formed in 2008. The organisation is the successor to the British Australian Rules Football League, whose clubs became the AFL London upon creation of the new national body.
The AFL London and various regional English leagues, are all currently represented by the AFL Britain and, along with Wales and Scotland jointly supply players for the Great Britain Bulldogs representative side at the Australian Football International Cup
.
, North London Lions
, Earls Court Kangaroos
, Lea Valley Saints
, Thames Valley Magpies
and Wandsworth Demons
in and around London and a club based in Leicester, the East Midland Eagles
. Of the foundation teams, four still survive in West London, North London, Wimbledon (former London Hawks) and Wandsworth.
Between 1990 and 2001, the league existed as one competition for all clubs, ranging from a high of 10 clubs in 1991 to a low of only 6 in 1998.
Beneath the London Premiership would be a London Conference, where the teams could field their 'reserve' sides, including the Clapham and Ealing teams which had been previously entered by Wandsworth and West London respectively. The London Conference has greatly relaxed 'local content' rules, meaning that backpackers and other Australians can compete at a social level.
In 2003, with new clubs being formed outside the capital and regional clubs still struggling against the larger numbers of Australians playing for the London sides, it was decided that clubs outside London would compete in a Regional Premiership. This included the Bristol Dockers
, St Helens Miners and the two new sides in the Doncaster Saints
and Reading Kangaroos
.
In 2004, a fourth division of the BARFL appeared, with the Scottish Australian Rules Football League forming. In the inaugural season, three clubs played each other for the premiership, the Edinburgh Old Town Bloods, the Edinburgh Uni Body Snatchers and the Glasgow Sharks
.
2007 saw the introduction of a third tier of football in the London region, known as the Social Division. This division was formed for the same reasons as the Conference division, with some of the larger clubs being unable to field their full player lists in two teams resulting in some fiedling more than one team in the Conference.
In 2010, the AFL Britain will have four affiliated leagues, the AFL London, AFLB North, AFLB Central, AFLB South. In addition, the organisation maintains close communication with the Scottish ARFL and Welsh ARFL
, who are independent bodies overseeing footy in their respective countries.
The restructure of the BARFL in 2001 saw the London-based clubs form the London Premiership, and the regional clubs break off to form their own league. The new structure also enabled London clubs to field reserve grade teams, forming the London Conference. Prior to this, two BARFL Premiership clubs, the Wandsworth Demons
from 1999 and the West London Wildcats
in 2000, had fielded second teams in the main division. These teams, the Clapham Demons
and the Shepherds Bush Raiders
became founding members of the Conference.
In 2007, a third level of competition was created, the London Social League. Some teams from outside London have competed in the Social League, including Manchester and Nottingham who transferred to the Central & North West League in 2010, and the Bristol Dockers who continue in the Social League.
The BARFL Premiership became part of the new AFL London structure for the start of the 2008 season as part of the AFL Britain restructure, becoming in the process a competition solely aimed at those clubs in or around the London Region.
9-a-side National League began in 2007, featuring teams in a number of regional divisions. This then combined with the AFL Britain in 2010, to form the AFL Britain North East, Central & North West and Southern Divisions.
, in the Atlantic Alliance Cup
and against other national sides in European test matches.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
in England, formed in 2008. The organisation is the successor to the British Australian Rules Football League, whose clubs became the AFL London upon creation of the new national body.
The AFL London and various regional English leagues, are all currently represented by the AFL Britain and, along with Wales and Scotland jointly supply players for the Great Britain Bulldogs representative side at the Australian Football International Cup
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
.
British Australian Rules Football League
The BARFL was formed in 1989, with efforts from John Jelley and others seeing the formation of eight clubs for an inaugural season in 1990. The founding clubs were the London Hawks, West London WildcatsWest London Wildcats
The West London Wildcats are an Australian rules football and netball club based in London, England. The club fields teams in each of the three AFL London divisions - Premiership, Conference and Social. The reserves team is known as the Shepherds Bush Raiders and wear a green and gold guernsey...
, North London Lions
North London Lions
The North London Lions are an Australian rules football club based in the northern suburbs of London, England.-History:The Lions were a foundation club of the British Australian Rules Football League, having played in every season since the league began in 1990...
, Earls Court Kangaroos
Earls Court Kangaroos
The Earls Court Kangaroos were an Australian rules football team based in London, England.-History:The Earls Court Kangaroos were formed as a foundation club of the British Australian Rules Football League in 1990...
, Lea Valley Saints
Lea Valley Saints
Former Australian rules football club in the Lower Lea Valley region of London, England.-History:The club was formed as a foundation member of the British Australian Rules Football League in 1990. They competed until 1996, the high point of their existence being a grand final appearance in 1993,...
, Thames Valley Magpies
Thames Valley Magpies
Thames Valley Magpies was a now-defunct Australian rules football club based in Wokingham, England.-History:The Thames Valley Magpies were formed for the foundation year of the British Australian Rules Football League in 1990, representing the Berkshire area on the western fringes of London...
and Wandsworth Demons
Wandsworth Demons
The Wandsworth Demons are an Australian Rules Football club who play in the AFL London competition . They are a founding member of the league and have been based at Clapham Common in south London since 1990....
in and around London and a club based in Leicester, the East Midland Eagles
East Midland Eagles
The East Midland Eagles were an Australian rules football club based in Leicester, England.-History:The East Midland Eagles were formed in 1990 as a foundation club of the British Australian Rules Football League. They played seven seasons in the BARFL, their last being 1996...
. Of the foundation teams, four still survive in West London, North London, Wimbledon (former London Hawks) and Wandsworth.
Between 1990 and 2001, the league existed as one competition for all clubs, ranging from a high of 10 clubs in 1991 to a low of only 6 in 1998.
Divisional structure 2001-2007
In an environment where large numbers of Australians could be both a blessing (in terms of experience and teaching ability) and a curse (in terms of new clubs outside London finding it difficult to compete against the Australian expat-based London clubs), the league in 2001 divided teams into two leagues. The first league was the London Premiership, where the powerful London clubs would continue under the same local-content regulations as previously (ie quotas of British players who must be on the field at any time).Beneath the London Premiership would be a London Conference, where the teams could field their 'reserve' sides, including the Clapham and Ealing teams which had been previously entered by Wandsworth and West London respectively. The London Conference has greatly relaxed 'local content' rules, meaning that backpackers and other Australians can compete at a social level.
In 2003, with new clubs being formed outside the capital and regional clubs still struggling against the larger numbers of Australians playing for the London sides, it was decided that clubs outside London would compete in a Regional Premiership. This included the Bristol Dockers
Bristol Dockers
The Bristol Dockers are an Australian rules football club based in Bristol, England.-History:The Bristol Bears were the first Australian rules club in England's west country, formed in 1991 in the British Australian Rules Football League. Their first match was against fellow newcomers the Sussex...
, St Helens Miners and the two new sides in the Doncaster Saints
Doncaster Saints
The Doncaster Saints are an Australian rules football team, based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.-History:The Doncaster Saints were formed for the 2003 British Australian Rules Football League season, wearing the colours of AFL team the St Kilda Saints. Doncaster only competed in two...
and Reading Kangaroos
Reading Kangaroos
The Reading Kangaroos are an Australian rules football club who play in the English town of Reading. Formed by Australians living in the area, the club quickly grew with strong local interest, now attracting players from all over Berkshire...
.
In 2004, a fourth division of the BARFL appeared, with the Scottish Australian Rules Football League forming. In the inaugural season, three clubs played each other for the premiership, the Edinburgh Old Town Bloods, the Edinburgh Uni Body Snatchers and the Glasgow Sharks
Glasgow Sharks
The Glasgow Sharks is Australian rules football club in Glasgow, Scotland.-History:The Sharks were formed in late 2003 by Australian Andrew Butler and local rent-boy Mick Tonner, entering the Scottish Australian Rules Football League for the 2004 season...
.
2007 saw the introduction of a third tier of football in the London region, known as the Social Division. This division was formed for the same reasons as the Conference division, with some of the larger clubs being unable to field their full player lists in two teams resulting in some fiedling more than one team in the Conference.
AFL Britain
Due to a number of contributory factors, including the developments initiated by Aussie Rules UK and the changing nature of the sport across the country, 2008 saw the BARFL rebranded and redeveloped to become AFL Britain, an organisation with less direct control over football in London but a greater ability to support the game to grow both in and outside the capital.In 2010, the AFL Britain will have four affiliated leagues, the AFL London, AFLB North, AFLB Central, AFLB South. In addition, the organisation maintains close communication with the Scottish ARFL and Welsh ARFL
Welsh Australian Rules Football League
Australian Rules Football has been played on an organised basis in Wales since 2007, with the league and representative teams run and managed by the Welsh Australian Rules Football League who is the controlling body of the sport in the country...
, who are independent bodies overseeing footy in their respective countries.
London
The AFL London features eight clubs, fielding a total of over 24 teams across three divisions - the London Premiership (1sts), London Conference (2nds) and London Social League (3rds).The restructure of the BARFL in 2001 saw the London-based clubs form the London Premiership, and the regional clubs break off to form their own league. The new structure also enabled London clubs to field reserve grade teams, forming the London Conference. Prior to this, two BARFL Premiership clubs, the Wandsworth Demons
Wandsworth Demons
The Wandsworth Demons are an Australian Rules Football club who play in the AFL London competition . They are a founding member of the league and have been based at Clapham Common in south London since 1990....
from 1999 and the West London Wildcats
West London Wildcats
The West London Wildcats are an Australian rules football and netball club based in London, England. The club fields teams in each of the three AFL London divisions - Premiership, Conference and Social. The reserves team is known as the Shepherds Bush Raiders and wear a green and gold guernsey...
in 2000, had fielded second teams in the main division. These teams, the Clapham Demons
Clapham Demons
The Clapham Demons are an Australian Rules Football team who play in the London Conference of the British Australian Rules Football League. They are the reserves grade side of the club The Wandsworth Demons based at Clapham Common in south London....
and the Shepherds Bush Raiders
Shepherds Bush Raiders
The Shepherds Bush Raiders are an Australian rules football team based in London, England. They were formed as part of the West London Wildcats in 2000, and compete in the Conference division of the AFL London.- History :...
became founding members of the Conference.
In 2007, a third level of competition was created, the London Social League. Some teams from outside London have competed in the Social League, including Manchester and Nottingham who transferred to the Central & North West League in 2010, and the Bristol Dockers who continue in the Social League.
The BARFL Premiership became part of the new AFL London structure for the start of the 2008 season as part of the AFL Britain restructure, becoming in the process a competition solely aimed at those clubs in or around the London Region.
Current teams
| Club | Colours | Years in competition | Previous Names | Conference Team | Social Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North London Lions North London Lions The North London Lions are an Australian rules football club based in the northern suburbs of London, England.-History:The Lions were a foundation club of the British Australian Rules Football League, having played in every season since the league began in 1990... |
1990- | Regents Park | Bounds Green | ||
| Putney Magpies Putney Magpies The Putney Magpies are an Australian rules football club in London, England.-History:The London Gryphons were founded in 1999 by former West Coast Eagles and Brisbane Bears player Mark Zanotti along with BARFL Admin Officer Donald Eastwood who originally played with the Earls Court Kangaroos, and... |
 |
1999- | London Gryphons (1999–2003) | Hammersmith | |
| London Swans London Swans The London Swans are an Australian rules football club based in London, England, previously based in Crawley and known until 2007 as the Sussex Swans.-History:... |
1991- | Sussex Swans (still playing in Southern league) | |||
| Wandsworth Demons Wandsworth Demons The Wandsworth Demons are an Australian Rules Football club who play in the AFL London competition . They are a founding member of the league and have been based at Clapham Common in south London since 1990.... |
 |
1990- | Clapham | South London | |
| West London Wildcats West London Wildcats The West London Wildcats are an Australian rules football and netball club based in London, England. The club fields teams in each of the three AFL London divisions - Premiership, Conference and Social. The reserves team is known as the Shepherds Bush Raiders and wear a green and gold guernsey... |
1990- | Shepherds Bush Raiders | Ealing Emus | ||
| Wimbledon Hawks Wimbledon Hawks Australian rules football club in Wimbledon, a suburb of London, England. The club plays in the London Premiership of the British Australian Rules Football League. The Hawks are proudly sponsored by The Underdog Bar.-History:... |
 |
1990- | London Hawks (1990–94) | Balham Hawks | |
| Reading Kangaroos Reading Kangaroos The Reading Kangaroos are an Australian rules football club who play in the English town of Reading. Formed by Australians living in the area, the club quickly grew with strong local interest, now attracting players from all over Berkshire... |
 |
2003- | |||
| Dulwich Dragons Dulwich Dragons The Dragons are an Australian Rules Football club who play in the AFL London league, one of the leagues overseen by AFL Britain. The newest club in the league, the Dragons joined the competition in 2008 in the Social division, reaching the finals of this competition in their inaugural year. The... |
2008- | ||||
Regional England
The BARFL Regional Premiership commenced in 2003, and ran until it was absorbed into the BARFL's 3rd division Social League at the start of the 2007 season. The Aussie Rules UKAussie Rules UK
Aussie Rules UK was a United Kingdom organisation set up in April 2005 to introduce children in the UK to Australian rules football via an adaptation of the sport for use in schools...
9-a-side National League began in 2007, featuring teams in a number of regional divisions. This then combined with the AFL Britain in 2010, to form the AFL Britain North East, Central & North West and Southern Divisions.
North East
| Club | Colours | Years competed |
|---|---|---|
| Durham Saints | ||
| Gateshead Miners | ||
| Hartlepool Dockers | ||
| Middlesbrough Hawks | ||
| Newcastle Centurions |
Central and North West
| Club | Colours | Years competed |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Bears Birmingham Bears Birmingham Bears are an Australian rules football team in the city of Birmingham, England. The Bears were set up in the Winter of 2008/2009 to play in the Aussie Rules UK Walkabout National League in 2009 under a 9-a-side format.- History :... |
2009 (ARUK Central), 2011- | |
| Huddersfield Rams | 2009 (ARUK Central), 2010- | |
| Hull Mariners | 2010- | |
| Manchester Mosquitoes Manchester Mosquitoes The Manchester Mosquitoes are an Australian Rules Football club based at Burnage Rugby Club, south Manchester, England.-History:The Mozzies were formed in 2005 by a group of Australian and British AFL fans who, after many weekends of kicking the footy around in the park in Chorlton, decided to form... |
2006 (BARFL), 2007-09 (London Social), 2010- | |
| Nottingham Scorpions | 2004-06 (BARFL), 2007-09 (London Social), 2010- | |
| Sheffield Thunder | 2010- | |
| Wolverhampton Wolverines | 2010- |
South
| Club | Colours | Years competed |
|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth Demons | 2007- | |
| Chippenham Redbacks | 2009- | |
| Guildford Crows Guildford Crows Aussie Rules FC The Guildford Crows Aussie Rules FC are an Australian rules football club based in Guildford, England.-History:The Guildford Crows were formed in 2010... |
2010- | |
| Portsmouth Pirates | 2009- | |
| Plymouth Seagulls | 2011- (Social basis) | |
| Southampton Titans | 2007- | |
| Sussex Swans | 1991- |
Scotland
| Club | Colours | Years competed |
|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Bloods | 2003- | |
| Glasgow Sharks | 2004- | |
| Aberdeen Dingoes | 2009- |
Wales
| Club | Colours | Years competed |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgend Eagles | 2011- | |
| Bristol Dockers | 1991-2010 (BARFL/AFL London), 2011- (WARFL) | |
| Cardiff Double Blues | Light blue with dark blue monogram | 2007- |
| Gwent Tigers | Black with yellow sash | 2009- |
| South Cardiff Panthers | Navy blue with white monogram | 2007- |
| Swansea Magpies | Black and white | 2007- |
| Vale Warriors | Green with gold yoke | 2010- |
Defunct clubs
| Club | Colours | Years in Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Crows |  |
1993-1994 (BARFL) |
| Doncaster Saints |  |
2003-2004 (BARFL) |
| Earls Court Kangaroos Earls Court Kangaroos The Earls Court Kangaroos were an Australian rules football team based in London, England.-History:The Earls Court Kangaroos were formed as a foundation club of the British Australian Rules Football League in 1990... |
|
1990-97 (BARFL) (known as Esher Kangaroos 1992 and Firkin Roos 1996-97) |
| East Midlands Eagles | 1990-1996 (BARFL) | |
| Lea Valley Saints Lea Valley Saints Former Australian rules football club in the Lower Lea Valley region of London, England.-History:The club was formed as a foundation member of the British Australian Rules Football League in 1990. They competed until 1996, the high point of their existence being a grand final appearance in 1993,... |
|
1990-1996 (BARFL) |
| Leeds Jets |  |
2009 (ARUK Central) |
| Liverpool Blues Liverpool Blues (Australian rules football) The Liverpool Blues were an Australian rules football team in Liverpool, England, who competed in the British Australian Rules Football League.-History:... |
 |
1993-1994 (BARFL) |
| Liverpool Eagles | Red with white eagle | 2009 (ARUK Central) |
| St Helens Miners |  |
2002-2004 (BARFL), known as Northwestern Miners for the 2004 season. |
| Swindon Devils | |
2004-2006 (BARFL), 2007 (WARFL), 2008 (ARUK South) |
| Thames Valley Magpies Thames Valley Magpies Thames Valley Magpies was a now-defunct Australian rules football club based in Wokingham, England.-History:The Thames Valley Magpies were formed for the foundation year of the British Australian Rules Football League in 1990, representing the Berkshire area on the western fringes of London... |
|
1990-91 (BARFL) |
| Thanet Bombadiers | |
2006 (BARFL), 2007 (ARUK South) |
Pre-divisional structure
- 1990 Wandsworth 10.10.70 d Earls Court 9.14.68
- 1991 Earls Court 18.15.123 d Wandsworth 12.15.87
- 1992 Wandsworth 12.5.77 d West London 11.9.75
- 1993 London Hawks 12.13.85 d Lea Valley 6.5.41
- 1994 London Hawks 15.8.98 d West London 8.11.59
- 1995 Wandsworth d West London
- 1996 Wimbledon d West London
- 1997 Wandsworth 7.11.53 d Wimbledon 7.10.52
- 1998 Wimbledon 11.8.74 d Wandsworth 7.2.44
- 1999 Wandsworth 14.10.94 d West London 14.5.89
- 2000 West London 11.12.78 Wandsworth 5.2.32
Divisional structure
| Year | London Premiership | London Conference | London Social | Regional | Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | North London d Wimbledon | Shepherds Bush d Regents Park | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2002 | North London 18.11.119 d West London 8.5.53 | Shepherds Bush d Regents Park | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2003 | Wandsworth 11.11.77 d West London 9.8.62 | Shepherds Bush 11.8.74 d Clapham Demons 7.6.48 | N/A | Bristol Dockers 13.19.97 d Reading Roos 9.7.61 | N/A |
| 2004 | West London 14.12.96 d Wimbledon 5.2.32 | Shepherds Bush 18.19.127 d Putney Magpies 9.4.58 | N/A | Reading Roos 28.20.188 d Bristol Dockers 1.6.12 | Edinburgh Old Town 24.25.269 d Glasgow 2.4.16 |
| 2005 | West London 9.14.68 d Wimbledon 9.7.61 | Shepherds Bush 11.12.78 d Clapham Demons 11.9.75 | N/A | Nottingham 10.9.69 d Bristol Dockers 8.6.54 | Edinburgh Old Town 12.11.83 d Glasgow 1.7.13 |
| 2006 | West London 18.11.119 d Wimbledon 2.6.18 | Shepherds Bush 5.11.41 d Clapham 4.3.27 | N/A | Reading 22.20.152 d Nottingham 6.7.43 | Edinburgh Bodysnatchers 11.9 (75) d Edinburgh Old Town Bloods 10.3 (63) |
| 2007 | |||||
| 2008 | |||||
| 2009 | West London d Wandsworth | Clapham Demons d Shephers Bush | South London d Ealing Emus | ||
| 2010 | Wandsworth d Putney | Shepherds Bush d Clapham Demons | Ealing Emus d South London Demons | ||
| 2011 |
UK team
AFL Britain also co-ordinate a representative team, the British Bulldogs, who have competed at the Australian Football International CupAustralian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
, in the Atlantic Alliance Cup
Atlantic Alliance Cup
The Atlantic Alliance Cup is an international Australian rules football tournament run every 3 years. The inaugural tournament was in pitting clubs and national teams from the North Atlantic together....
and against other national sides in European test matches.
See also
- BARFL Premiership
- BARFL Conference
- BARFL Regional
- Australian Rules Football in EnglandAustralian rules football in EnglandAustralian rules football in England is a team and spectator sport with a long but obscure history and has grown since 1989 to a number of local leagues coordinated by AFL Britain...
- Australian rules football in ScotlandAustralian rules football in ScotlandAustralian rules football is currently played by a three-team league in Scotland, with clubs in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh forming the Scottish Australian Rules Football League...