Australian rules football in Queensland
Encyclopedia
Australian rules football
in Queensland
has a history which dates back to the 1860s. By the 1880s it was the most prominent football
code in the state, but was overtaken by rugby league
by 1908. However, the sport
continued to be played throughout the twentieth century, though the majority of the state was considered for much of the century to be well behind the Barassi Line
.
Australian rules football's recent surge in popularity in south east Queensland
is partly due to the success of the Brisbane Lions
in the national Australian Football League
competition.
In Queensland, the sport is typically referred to as "AFL", or less frequently "Australian Football", "Aussie Rules" or "Australian Rules".
was first played in Queensland
in May 1866 when the Brisbane Australian Football Club
(distinct from the Brisbane Bears
or Lions
clubs) was formed. The original aim was to keep cricketers fit in the winter months. By 1870 four more clubs had been created: Volunteer Artillery, Brisbane Grammar School
, Civil Service and Ipswich
, all adopting Victorian Rules over rugby football
.
The first schoolboys match was between Brisbane Grammar
played matches against Ipswich Grammar
in 1870 – the outcome was a draw. Early games in Queensland were exceptionally long – one match between IGS and Brisbane Grammar in 1876 commenced at 10.30am and ended at 2.30pm, at which time IGS had scored 6 goals to Brisbane Grammar's nil.
During this era, no local governing body for the game was established. All rules and decisions about the rules and competitions were still made from Melbourne and was known in Queensland as "Victorian Rules".
However Victorian rules was growing rapidly and was the most popular football code in Queensland by 1880.
Queensland sent delegates to the Intercolonial Football Conference in 1883.
By 1883, there were more than 300 teams in South East Queensland.
In 1887, one of the most significant events in the history of the code occurred at this time. Independent Schools headmasters voted by 1 vote to adopt rugby football. The decision was influenced by the recent creation of a Queensland based governing body to govern rugby, and the majority of councillors objected on the basis that the reference of "Victorian" in the name of the sport did not represent the interests of Queenslanders. This dealt a significant blow to the sport and advantage to rugby union.
Despite the advances made by Queensland football, it was clear that Victoria was progressing faster than any other state. On 21 June 1890, South Melbourne Football Club
toured, playing against Queensland on Albion Park. The result of the match was a complete 6-17 to 1-0 humiliation (behinds were recorded in the scores at the time but did not actually count until 1897). The humiliation was obviously felt by the players as when Queensland defeated a New South Wales Rugby Union team shortly afterwards many of the former rugby players receded from the Australian football ranks and formed clubs of their own. Over the next few years, rugby union
's popularity in South East Queensland would swamp Victorian Rules.
The game was revived when the Queensland Football League (QFL) was formed in July 1903. The first premiership was held in 1904 with most games being played at Queen's Park, a sporting facility within the grounds of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens.
From 1905 to 1914 games were regularly played at the Brisbane Cricket Ground
.
In 1908, Queensland again sent delegates to the Australasian Football Council, this time, fielding a side in the Jubilee Australian Football Carnival
which saw all Australian states as well as New Zealand
compete.
In 1914 a carnival to promote the code was held in Brisbane. The participating teams were Collingwood
, Perth
, South Adelaide
and Cananore
.
Between 1915 to 1919 the competition went into recess owing to World War I
. Since the inception of the QFL, more than fifty teams have played in the premiership competition.
In August 1927 at a meeting of the Australian National Football Council it was decided that each of the state leagues were to include the words 'Australian National' in their names. Accordingly the QFL was renamed the Queensland Australian National Football League (QANFL) and football continued a steady growth in Brisbane.
during both World Wars. In 1913, a team of servicemen briefly existed on Thursday Island. In 1944, a league of servicemen was formed around the Atherton Tableland
. Teams represented included Wongabel, Wondelca, Kairi
, Mareeba
and Ravenshoe
.
In 1952, the Brisbane Exhibition Ground
hosted a VFL
match between Essendon and Geelong
and was the first official VFL match to be played under floodlights
.
In 1955 a league was introduced to Townsville. In 1957 land was purchased in Cairns for the first dedicated field and competition began there. A league was also introduced to Mount Isa later.
Another VFL exhibition game was played at the Brisbane Cricket Ground
in 1959, attracting a large crowd.
In 1964 the QANFL became the Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL), a limited liability company.
In the early 1970s, the first leagues appeared in Mackay
, the Darling Downs
, Rockhampton
and Bundaberg.
debuted for the Hawthorn Football Club
in 1985 and quickly became one of the greatest players in the game, despite remaining almost unknown in his home state. He briefly represented a Queensland State of Origin
team which played in a low key game against New South Wales
in Sydney
.
In 1986 it was announced that teams from Brisbane (Brisbane Bears
) and Perth (West Coast Eagles
) would compete in the Victorian Football League (VFL) from 1987. Much of the Bears team remained South Australia
n players from the SANFL and Victorians from the VFL/AFL. Although the team was known as Brisbane, home games were played at Carrara Stadium
on the Gold Coast
, nearly 100km from Brisbane.
The Bears were hugely unsuccessful on the field, and with the admission of the successful Brisbane Broncos
rugby league
team into the New South Wales Rugby League
, the popularity of Australian rules football plummeted, while the successful Broncos, made up primarily of local talent, thrived. The NSWRL had resisted the move for a team in Queensland for years but created the Broncos and the Gold Coast-Tweed Giants
the very next season.
The admission of the Bears had a deleterious effect on the QAFL which weakened over the following years.
During this era, few local players, besides Jason Dunstall, were produced with the exception of Gavin Crosisca
and Marcus Ashcroft
who were successful at VFL level.
Demographic trends saw Victorian and South Australians (states where the code is extremely popular) migrating interstate in large numbers to Queensland. Support for Australian rules football grew, despite a lack of success from the Bears and support from fans.
1992 saw the debut for the Brisbane Bears of the most significant locally produced young talent to emerge from the state — Michael Voss
. Although born in country Victoria, Voss spent most of his childhood in Queensland and represented the state at junior level where he shone, before going on to captaining the Brisbane Lions and becoming one of the all-time greats of the game. Voss was followed by a small number of players from Queensland to find their way into the newly named Australian Football League (AFL).
In 1993, the Brisbane Bears
moved from the Gold Coast
, to the Brisbane Cricket Ground in the inner-Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba
. Interest, crowds and membership in the team increased considerably. Games between the Bears and popular Victorian sides Collingwood, Essendon and Hawthorn drew particular interest.
In 1995, the Bears made the AFL finals for the first time.
In 1996, six sell-out games at the Gabba caused the State Government to consider funding re-development of the ground, something that would be done several times over the following years to transform the small stadium into a world class venue.
After the 1996 season, the QAFL, having weakened significantly with the introduction of the Bears, finally went into receivership. A new governing body, the Queensland Australian Football Council, was formed in 1997, alongside a new premiership competition, Queensland State Football League (QSFL).
The Brisbane Lions
began in 1996, when the AFL approved a merger between the Brisbane Bears and the formerly Melbourne
based Fitzroy Football Club
and on-field success increased substantially with the injection of Fitzroy players, further boosting the popularity of the code.
In a breakthrough for Australian Football in late 1990s, GPS
schools in South East Queensland began playing Australian Rules for the first time since the turn of the century. Previously to this, South East Queensland private schools had been a staunchly rugby union
stronghold and many schools did not allow Australian Football to be played as it would compete with rugby for players. The Jason Dunstall Cup (named after champion Queensland product Jason Dunstall
) was later begun, with independent schools such as BBC, ACGS
, Nudgee College, Marist Brothers Ashgrove and Gregory Terrace represented with teams in the first division of the Queensland Independent Schools Australian Football League (QISAFL).
Also in the 1990s, the Cairns league experienced enormous growth financially on the back of gaming, with the Cazaly's social club quickly becoming the largest sporting club north of Brisbane. The Cazaly's Stadium received lights to play popular night football games and the western stand from the Gabba was transplanted to Cazaly's Stadium
, enabling it to host AFL matches.
In 1999, the QSFL also went into voluntary liquidation, being replaced by a new organisation, AFL Queensland
(AFLQ) in 2000. The new premiership competition was called the AFLQ State League. That year, Nick Riewoldt
became the first Queensland produced player to be taken as number 1 pick in the AFL Draft
, recognised as the best junior talent in the nation.
In 2001, a Women's Footy competition began in earnest.
Three successive premierships for the Brisbane Lions
in 2001, 2002 and 2003 saw crowds to Australian Football League
matches in Brisbane to grow to an average of over 30,000, and in terms of attendance and membership, the AFL team in 2003 was the most popular team of any football code in the state. However despite increasing television ratings and media exposure, Australian rules football remains overall less popular than rugby league
in the state.
During the Lions premiership years, junior Aussie Rules numbers exploded in South East Queensland, and grew solidly right across the state.
A record number of 13 Queenslanders were invited to attend the 2006 AFL Draft
camp, representing 18% of the 72 camp invitees.
Although state league crowds have dwindled with the increase in support for the Brisbane Lions AFL team, a healthy crowd of 3,257 saw the Southport Sharks defeat Morningside in the 2005 AFLQ Grand Final
at the Gabba, while a crowd of over 3,000 saw the Southport Sharks win back-to-back premierships in 2006 at Carrara.
In 2006, support for the Brisbane Lions waned substantially due to two successive seasons out of the finals. From 2005 to 2006 total memberships decreased from 30,027 to 26,429 and the average home crowd fell from 33,101 to 28,305.
The impact of the Brisbane Lions fall from grace was felt at grassroots level by the sport in Brisbane. From 2006, the much celebrated Jason Dunstall Cup was no longer contested by its former powerhouse schools - ACGS
or BBC. Most other major private schools ceased playing the sport at the top level. Despite the decline of school competitions, local junior club numbers continued to grow.
Nevertheless, Queensland performed extremely well in the 2006 AFL Draft
with a record 11 recruits, including 8 of the first 32 picks. Surprisingly, the majority of the movement was in the regional areas, with some picks from previously undrafted regional areas such as Townsville, Toowoomba and Mackay
providing AFL talent.
The Gold Coast
, where a hole had been left once the Brisbane Bears
moved away, had grown to become the 6th biggest urban area with nearly half a million people, many of which had migrated from states where Australian Rules is popular. In recent years, several bids were made for a new AFL franchise by the powerhouse Southport Sharks Australian Football Club, including attempts to lure a Melbourne based club in 2004. Many of these attempts were knocked back due to the city's many failed sporting franchises. However demographic trends suggested a growing demand for Australian rules football and in 2005 a pre-season practice match between the Brisbane Lions
and Essendon
drew a surprise audience of 16,591. Following the match, the Australian Football League stepped up efforts to expand into the Gold Coast market. A series of pre-season games and a home and away match was scheduled at Carrara for 2006. In response, the rival NRL competition admitted a Gold Coast Titans
franchise. Despite an average crowd of around 10,000 (comparatively low by AFL standards), the AFL officially announced a strategy to include a Gold Coast side in the next 5 years. A bitter turf war with the National Rugby League
resulted over the use of Carrara stadium. In the same year, AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou
was quoted to declare that the league would compete directly with the NRL for marketshare in Queensland.
In July 2006, with the backing of the local government and the AFL, the Kangaroos
did a deal which saw them move their home games scheduled at Manuka Oval
in Canberra
to play a number of home games at Carrara Stadium
on the Gold Coast
in 2007. The AFL began a heavily subsidised grassroots participation program and pushed for the number of AFL games, including pre-season matches to steadily increase to ready the region for its own side. Relocation of the Kangaroos was seen by many to be the safest option for the AFL, and an existing Queensland Government deal prevented use of the Brisbane Cricket Ground for a second Queensland side until 2010. The AFL's plans were further complicated by growing competition in the market. The entry of several licences from other sports into the market as well as the proposed expansion of A-League
put additional pressure on the league to fast-track the relocation of the Kangaroos.
In December 2007, after two years of resisting the AFL's push for their relocation, the Kangaroos finally officially rejected the AFL's $100 million proposal. This was despite threats from the league to pull financial assistance from the club and cancel the Gold Coast home game agreement if they don't move. The failure of the AFL to secure a stadium deal for Carrara with the Queensland Government was seen as one of the deciding factors. A consortium was selected by the AFL in early 2008 and the GC17
set out to make an official bid for the licence with criteria defined by the league. The Queensland government finally committed to funding for a stadium in early 2009 after which the AFL was granted a provisional licence pending further federal government funding.
, such as Jason Dunstall
, Marcus Ashcroft
, Gavin Crosisca
, Scott McIvor
, Danny Dickfos
, Che Cockatoo-Collins
, Steven Lawrence
, Clark Keating
, Trent Knobel
, Clint Bizzell
, Brett Backwell
, Brett Voss
, Michael Voss
, Mal Michael
and Robert Copeland
.
teams as both Queensland and later as part of a combined "Allies" side.
In inter-league matches since 1991, Queensland has defeated both Tasmania
and the Australian Capital Territory
, and has performed well against more accomplished states such as Western Australia
without winning.
The Queensland under-18 representative side is known as the Scorpions.
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 Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
has a history which dates back to the 1860s. By the 1880s it was the most prominent football
Football
Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
code in the state, but was overtaken by rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
by 1908. However, the sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
continued to be played throughout the twentieth century, though the majority of the state was considered for much of the century to be well behind the Barassi Line
Barassi Line
The Barassi Line was first suggested by Professor Ian Turner in his 1978 Ron Barassi Memorial Lecture to refer to a dividing line in Australia that divides areas where Australian rules is the dominant winter code of football from those where rugby football codes are most popular...
.
Australian rules football's recent surge in popularity in south east Queensland
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
is partly due to the success of the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
in the national Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
competition.
In Queensland, the sport is typically referred to as "AFL", or less frequently "Australian Football", "Aussie Rules" or "Australian Rules".
Early Beginnings in South East Queensland
Australian rules footballAustralian 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...
was first played in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in May 1866 when the Brisbane Australian Football Club
Brisbane Australian Football Club
The now-defunct Brisbane Football Club, formed in May 1866, is the first known football club of any code in Brisbane, Queensland.The club initially played according to what was then known as the 'Victorian Rules'...
(distinct from the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
or Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
clubs) was formed. The original aim was to keep cricketers fit in the winter months. By 1870 four more clubs had been created: Volunteer Artillery, Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for boys, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
, Civil Service and Ipswich
Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
, all adopting Victorian Rules over rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
.
The first schoolboys match was between Brisbane Grammar
Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for boys, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
played matches against Ipswich Grammar
Ipswich Grammar School
Ipswich Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for boys, located in Ipswich, a city situated on the Bremer River in South East Queensland, Australia...
in 1870 – the outcome was a draw. Early games in Queensland were exceptionally long – one match between IGS and Brisbane Grammar in 1876 commenced at 10.30am and ended at 2.30pm, at which time IGS had scored 6 goals to Brisbane Grammar's nil.
During this era, no local governing body for the game was established. All rules and decisions about the rules and competitions were still made from Melbourne and was known in Queensland as "Victorian Rules".
However Victorian rules was growing rapidly and was the most popular football code in Queensland by 1880.
Queensland sent delegates to the Intercolonial Football Conference in 1883.
By 1883, there were more than 300 teams in South East Queensland.
In 1887, one of the most significant events in the history of the code occurred at this time. Independent Schools headmasters voted by 1 vote to adopt rugby football. The decision was influenced by the recent creation of a Queensland based governing body to govern rugby, and the majority of councillors objected on the basis that the reference of "Victorian" in the name of the sport did not represent the interests of Queenslanders. This dealt a significant blow to the sport and advantage to rugby union.
Despite the advances made by Queensland football, it was clear that Victoria was progressing faster than any other state. On 21 June 1890, South Melbourne Football Club
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
toured, playing against Queensland on Albion Park. The result of the match was a complete 6-17 to 1-0 humiliation (behinds were recorded in the scores at the time but did not actually count until 1897). The humiliation was obviously felt by the players as when Queensland defeated a New South Wales Rugby Union team shortly afterwards many of the former rugby players receded from the Australian football ranks and formed clubs of their own. Over the next few years, rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
's popularity in South East Queensland would swamp Victorian Rules.
Recess
Information is scant on the following years as many of the competitions were disbanded, the state's top level competition went into indefinite recess.Revival
From 1905 to 1914 games were regularly played at the Brisbane Cricket Ground
Brisbane Cricket Ground
The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
.
In 1908, Queensland again sent delegates to the Australasian Football Council, this time, fielding a side in the Jubilee Australian Football Carnival
1908 Melbourne Carnival
The 1908 Melbourne Carnival was the inaugural Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was known at the time as the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival as it commemorated 50 years of Australian rules football.-Teams:The Victorian team was...
which saw all Australian states as well as New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
compete.
In 1914 a carnival to promote the code was held in Brisbane. The participating teams were Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, Perth
Perth Football Club
The Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The club plays its matches at Lathlain Park.-History:...
, South Adelaide
South Adelaide Football Club
South Adelaide Football Club competes in the South Australian National Football League . Known as the Panthers, their home ground is Hickinbotham Oval , located in Noarlunga Downs in the southern suburbs of Adelaide....
and Cananore
Cananore Football Club
Cananore Football Club was an Australian rules football club, founded in 1901.It competed in the Tasmanian Football League as a junior club from 1901 to 1907, and as a senior club between 1908 and 1941....
.
Between 1915 to 1919 the competition went into recess owing to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Since the inception of the QFL, more than fifty teams have played in the premiership competition.
In August 1927 at a meeting of the Australian National Football Council it was decided that each of the state leagues were to include the words 'Australian National' in their names. Accordingly the QFL was renamed the Queensland Australian National Football League (QANFL) and football continued a steady growth in Brisbane.
1940s and 60s — The Game Expands outside South East Queensland
AFL was introduced to Far North QueenslandFar North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
during both World Wars. In 1913, a team of servicemen briefly existed on Thursday Island. In 1944, a league of servicemen was formed around the Atherton Tableland
Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around...
. Teams represented included Wongabel, Wondelca, Kairi
Kairi, Queensland
Kairi is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is close to Lake Tinaroo. It is 1370 km northwest from Brisbane and is 719m above sea level. The closest more populous place is Tinaroo, which is 5.2 km North of Kairi. At the 2006 census, Kairi had a...
, Mareeba
Mareeba, Queensland
Mareeba is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. The town is above sea level on the confluence of the Barron River, Granite Creek and Emerald Creek. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning meeting of the waters...
and Ravenshoe
Ravenshoe, Queensland
Ravenshoe is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is located south west of the regional centre, Cairns. At the 2006 census, Ravenshoe had a population of 910....
.
In 1952, the Brisbane Exhibition Ground
Brisbane Exhibition Ground
The Brisbane Exhibition Ground , is a showground established in Brisbane during 1875 especially for Ekka . The Exhibition ground is owned and operated by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland...
hosted a VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
match between Essendon and Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
and was the first official VFL match to be played under floodlights
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
.
In 1955 a league was introduced to Townsville. In 1957 land was purchased in Cairns for the first dedicated field and competition began there. A league was also introduced to Mount Isa later.
Another VFL exhibition game was played at the Brisbane Cricket Ground
Brisbane Cricket Ground
The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
in 1959, attracting a large crowd.
In 1964 the QANFL became the Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL), a limited liability company.
In the early 1970s, the first leagues appeared in Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
, the Darling Downs
Darling Downs, Queensland
The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of eleven major regions of Queensland....
, Rockhampton
Rockhampton
Rockhampton can refer to:* Rockhampton, Queensland is a city in Queensland, Australia* Rockhampton City, Queensland, a suburb of Rockhampton, Queensland* Electoral district of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia...
and Bundaberg.
1980s and The Brisbane Bears
Born and bred Queenslander Jason DunstallJason Dunstall
Jason Hadfield Dunstall is a former Australian rules football player for the Hawthorn Football Club of the AFL. He is the third greatest goalkicker in the history of the VFL/AFL. Dunstall is regarded as one of the greatest full-forwards to have ever played, kicking 1254 goals, a feat only...
debuted for the Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
in 1985 and quickly became one of the greatest players in the game, despite remaining almost unknown in his home state. He briefly represented a Queensland State of Origin
Interstate matches in Australian rules football
Australian rules football matches between teams representing Australian colonies/states and territories have been held since 1879. For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition and international matches meant that football games between state representative teams were...
team which played in a low key game against New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
In 1986 it was announced that teams from Brisbane (Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
) and Perth (West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
) would compete in the Victorian Football League (VFL) from 1987. Much of the Bears team remained South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n players from the SANFL and Victorians from the VFL/AFL. Although the team was known as Brisbane, home games were played at Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara....
on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, nearly 100km from Brisbane.
The Bears were hugely unsuccessful on the field, and with the admission of the successful Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team into the New South Wales Rugby League
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
, the popularity of Australian rules football plummeted, while the successful Broncos, made up primarily of local talent, thrived. The NSWRL had resisted the move for a team in Queensland for years but created the Broncos and the Gold Coast-Tweed Giants
Gold Coast Chargers
Gold Coast were a professional Rugby league football club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998...
the very next season.
The admission of the Bears had a deleterious effect on the QAFL which weakened over the following years.
During this era, few local players, besides Jason Dunstall, were produced with the exception of Gavin Crosisca
Gavin Crosisca
Gavin Crosisca is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL.Debuting in the VFL 1987 with the Collingwood Football Club, Crosisca was recruited from Western Districts Australian Football Club in Queensland...
and Marcus Ashcroft
Marcus Ashcroft
Marcus Ashcroft is a former professional Australian rules footballer, who holds the records for the most games for the Brisbane Bears/Brisbane Lions. He is currently on the coaching panel of the Gold Coast Football Club.-Early life:Ashcroft was born on the Gold Coast to a family from Melbourne...
who were successful at VFL level.
Demographic trends saw Victorian and South Australians (states where the code is extremely popular) migrating interstate in large numbers to Queensland. Support for Australian rules football grew, despite a lack of success from the Bears and support from fans.
1992 saw the debut for the Brisbane Bears of the most significant locally produced young talent to emerge from the state — Michael Voss
Michael Voss
Michael Voss is the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions Australian Football League team and a former professional Australian rules footballer....
. Although born in country Victoria, Voss spent most of his childhood in Queensland and represented the state at junior level where he shone, before going on to captaining the Brisbane Lions and becoming one of the all-time greats of the game. Voss was followed by a small number of players from Queensland to find their way into the newly named Australian Football League (AFL).
In 1993, the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
moved from the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, to the Brisbane Cricket Ground in the inner-Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba
Woolloongabba, Queensland
Woolloongabba is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 4 km south of the Brisbane CBD.Experts are divided regarding the Aboriginal meaning of the name, preferring either 'whirling waters' or 'fight talk place'...
. Interest, crowds and membership in the team increased considerably. Games between the Bears and popular Victorian sides Collingwood, Essendon and Hawthorn drew particular interest.
In 1995, the Bears made the AFL finals for the first time.
In 1996, six sell-out games at the Gabba caused the State Government to consider funding re-development of the ground, something that would be done several times over the following years to transform the small stadium into a world class venue.
After the 1996 season, the QAFL, having weakened significantly with the introduction of the Bears, finally went into receivership. A new governing body, the Queensland Australian Football Council, was formed in 1997, alongside a new premiership competition, Queensland State Football League (QSFL).
Boom Times — Brisbane Lions Era
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
began in 1996, when the AFL approved a merger between the Brisbane Bears and the formerly Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
based Fitzroy Football Club
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
and on-field success increased substantially with the injection of Fitzroy players, further boosting the popularity of the code.
In a breakthrough for Australian Football in late 1990s, GPS
Queensland Great Public Schools
The Great Public Schools Association of Queensland Inc. is an association of nine south east Queensland secondary schools established in 1918. With the exception of Brisbane State High School, GPS schools are all-boys schools. GPS competition is open to male competition only...
schools in South East Queensland began playing Australian Rules for the first time since the turn of the century. Previously to this, South East Queensland private schools had been a staunchly rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
stronghold and many schools did not allow Australian Football to be played as it would compete with rugby for players. The Jason Dunstall Cup (named after champion Queensland product Jason Dunstall
Jason Dunstall
Jason Hadfield Dunstall is a former Australian rules football player for the Hawthorn Football Club of the AFL. He is the third greatest goalkicker in the history of the VFL/AFL. Dunstall is regarded as one of the greatest full-forwards to have ever played, kicking 1254 goals, a feat only...
) was later begun, with independent schools such as BBC, ACGS
Anglican Church Grammar School
The Anglican Church Grammar School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in East Brisbane, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Founded in 1912 by Canon William Perry French Morris, Churchie has a non-selective...
, Nudgee College, Marist Brothers Ashgrove and Gregory Terrace represented with teams in the first division of the Queensland Independent Schools Australian Football League (QISAFL).
Also in the 1990s, the Cairns league experienced enormous growth financially on the back of gaming, with the Cazaly's social club quickly becoming the largest sporting club north of Brisbane. The Cazaly's Stadium received lights to play popular night football games and the western stand from the Gabba was transplanted to Cazaly's Stadium
Cazaly's Stadium
Cazaly's Stadium, also known by its sponsorship name as Bundaberg Rum Stadium, is a sports stadium in Cairns, Australia, that is named after former VFL legend Roy Cazaly....
, enabling it to host AFL matches.
In 1999, the QSFL also went into voluntary liquidation, being replaced by a new organisation, AFL Queensland
AFL Queensland
AFL Queensland is the governing body of Australian rules football in Queensland. It was formed in 2000 after the previous governing body for the sport in Queensland, the Queensland Australian Football League , went into voluntary liquidation...
(AFLQ) in 2000. The new premiership competition was called the AFLQ State League. That year, Nick Riewoldt
Nick Riewoldt
Nick Riewoldt is an Australian rules footballer who is the current captain of the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League . He was the first draft selection in the 2000 AFL Draft.-Early life:...
became the first Queensland produced player to be taken as number 1 pick in the AFL Draft
AFL Draft
The AFL Draft is the annual draft of new unsigned players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.-History:...
, recognised as the best junior talent in the nation.
In 2001, a Women's Footy competition began in earnest.
Three successive premierships for the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
in 2001, 2002 and 2003 saw crowds to Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
matches in Brisbane to grow to an average of over 30,000, and in terms of attendance and membership, the AFL team in 2003 was the most popular team of any football code in the state. However despite increasing television ratings and media exposure, Australian rules football remains overall less popular than rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
in the state.
During the Lions premiership years, junior Aussie Rules numbers exploded in South East Queensland, and grew solidly right across the state.
Recent History
From 2005, the growing local State League expanded to two divisions.A record number of 13 Queenslanders were invited to attend the 2006 AFL Draft
2006 AFL Draft
The 2006 AFL Draft is a recent national draft of the Australian Football League. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League....
camp, representing 18% of the 72 camp invitees.
Although state league crowds have dwindled with the increase in support for the Brisbane Lions AFL team, a healthy crowd of 3,257 saw the Southport Sharks defeat Morningside in the 2005 AFLQ Grand Final
Grand Final
Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
at the Gabba, while a crowd of over 3,000 saw the Southport Sharks win back-to-back premierships in 2006 at Carrara.
In 2006, support for the Brisbane Lions waned substantially due to two successive seasons out of the finals. From 2005 to 2006 total memberships decreased from 30,027 to 26,429 and the average home crowd fell from 33,101 to 28,305.
The impact of the Brisbane Lions fall from grace was felt at grassroots level by the sport in Brisbane. From 2006, the much celebrated Jason Dunstall Cup was no longer contested by its former powerhouse schools - ACGS
Anglican Church Grammar School
The Anglican Church Grammar School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in East Brisbane, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Founded in 1912 by Canon William Perry French Morris, Churchie has a non-selective...
or BBC. Most other major private schools ceased playing the sport at the top level. Despite the decline of school competitions, local junior club numbers continued to grow.
Nevertheless, Queensland performed extremely well in the 2006 AFL Draft
2006 AFL Draft
The 2006 AFL Draft is a recent national draft of the Australian Football League. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League....
with a record 11 recruits, including 8 of the first 32 picks. Surprisingly, the majority of the movement was in the regional areas, with some picks from previously undrafted regional areas such as Townsville, Toowoomba and Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
providing AFL talent.
AFL on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, where a hole had been left once the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
moved away, had grown to become the 6th biggest urban area with nearly half a million people, many of which had migrated from states where Australian Rules is popular. In recent years, several bids were made for a new AFL franchise by the powerhouse Southport Sharks Australian Football Club, including attempts to lure a Melbourne based club in 2004. Many of these attempts were knocked back due to the city's many failed sporting franchises. However demographic trends suggested a growing demand for Australian rules football and in 2005 a pre-season practice match between the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
and Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
drew a surprise audience of 16,591. Following the match, the Australian Football League stepped up efforts to expand into the Gold Coast market. A series of pre-season games and a home and away match was scheduled at Carrara for 2006. In response, the rival NRL competition admitted a Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
franchise. Despite an average crowd of around 10,000 (comparatively low by AFL standards), the AFL officially announced a strategy to include a Gold Coast side in the next 5 years. A bitter turf war with the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
resulted over the use of Carrara stadium. In the same year, AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou is the chief executive officer of the Australian Football League and a former Australian rules footballer. He is the youngest son of Greek-Cypriot immigrants and, before becoming a VFL player, he worked in the dental import industry...
was quoted to declare that the league would compete directly with the NRL for marketshare in Queensland.
In July 2006, with the backing of the local government and the AFL, the Kangaroos
Kangaroos Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
did a deal which saw them move their home games scheduled at Manuka Oval
Manuka Oval
Manuka Oval is a 13,550 capacity ground located in the suburb of Griffith, adjacent to Manuka, a business district of Canberra, Australia's capital....
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
to play a number of home games at Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara....
on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
in 2007. The AFL began a heavily subsidised grassroots participation program and pushed for the number of AFL games, including pre-season matches to steadily increase to ready the region for its own side. Relocation of the Kangaroos was seen by many to be the safest option for the AFL, and an existing Queensland Government deal prevented use of the Brisbane Cricket Ground for a second Queensland side until 2010. The AFL's plans were further complicated by growing competition in the market. The entry of several licences from other sports into the market as well as the proposed expansion of A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
put additional pressure on the league to fast-track the relocation of the Kangaroos.
In December 2007, after two years of resisting the AFL's push for their relocation, the Kangaroos finally officially rejected the AFL's $100 million proposal. This was despite threats from the league to pull financial assistance from the club and cancel the Gold Coast home game agreement if they don't move. The failure of the AFL to secure a stadium deal for Carrara with the Queensland Government was seen as one of the deciding factors. A consortium was selected by the AFL in early 2008 and the GC17
GC17
The Gold Coast Football Club, nicknamed The Suns, is an Australian rules football club based on the Gold Coast, which began playing in the Australian Football League competition for the first time in 2011. The club is the product of a sole consortium, formerly known as "GC17", tendering against...
set out to make an official bid for the licence with criteria defined by the league. The Queensland government finally committed to funding for a stadium in early 2009 after which the AFL was granted a provisional licence pending further federal government funding.
Participation
In 2007, there were around 3,300 senior players in Queensland, and in 2009 there were a total of 103,358 participants. Although the overall participation per capita is around 2%, the sport is growing faster in Queensland than any other Australian state.Attendance Record
- 37,224 (2005). AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
Brisbane LionsBrisbane LionsThe Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
vs CollingwoodCollingwood Football ClubThe Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
(GabbaBrisbane Cricket GroundThe Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
, BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
)
Major Australian Rules Events in Queensland
- Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
Premiership Season (Brisbane Lions home games) - Queensland Australian Football LeagueQueensland Australian Football LeagueThe Queensland Australian Football League was an Australian rules football competition for clubs from South East Queensland.Up until 2010, the QAFL was the premier semi-professional competition in Queensland, with salary cap rules and regulations in place.It was previously known as the Queensland...
Grand Final
Great Queensland players
Over the years, Queensland has produced an array of talent for elite leagues such as the Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, such as Jason Dunstall
Jason Dunstall
Jason Hadfield Dunstall is a former Australian rules football player for the Hawthorn Football Club of the AFL. He is the third greatest goalkicker in the history of the VFL/AFL. Dunstall is regarded as one of the greatest full-forwards to have ever played, kicking 1254 goals, a feat only...
, Marcus Ashcroft
Marcus Ashcroft
Marcus Ashcroft is a former professional Australian rules footballer, who holds the records for the most games for the Brisbane Bears/Brisbane Lions. He is currently on the coaching panel of the Gold Coast Football Club.-Early life:Ashcroft was born on the Gold Coast to a family from Melbourne...
, Gavin Crosisca
Gavin Crosisca
Gavin Crosisca is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL.Debuting in the VFL 1987 with the Collingwood Football Club, Crosisca was recruited from Western Districts Australian Football Club in Queensland...
, Scott McIvor
Scott McIvor
Scott McIvor was a former Australian rules footballer who played mainly with the Brisbane Bears but also had stints with Fitzroy and when both clubs merged, the Brisbane Lions....
, Danny Dickfos
Danny Dickfos
Danny Dickfos is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Bears and Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League.-Early life:Dickfos, of Maori descent, grew up in Brisbane Queensland....
, Che Cockatoo-Collins
Che Cockatoo-Collins
Che Cockatoo-Collins is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Che was born in Brisbane Queensland where he spent his childhood before moving to Cairns, Queensland where he began playing junior football with the Cairns City Cobras Australian Football Club...
, Steven Lawrence
Steven Lawrence
Steven James Lawrence is an Australian rules footballer. He is the son of former St Kilda star Barry Lawrence.-Brisbane career:...
, Clark Keating
Clark Keating
Clark Anthony Keating was an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Known as "Crackers" , Keating was picked up by the Brisbane Bears as a local...
, Trent Knobel
Trent Knobel
Trent Knobel is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Knobel, a ruckman originally from the Gold Coast, was recruited to the AFL in his home state with the Brisbane Lions onto their rookie list. He made his debut in 2000 after a rookie elevation...
, Clint Bizzell
Clint Bizzell
Clinton "Clint" Bizzell was a professional Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.He is currently a television extra.-Early life:...
, Brett Backwell
Brett Backwell
Brett Backwell is an Australian rules football player who achieved some international notoriety in 2005 when he opted to have a finger removed to enable him to continue his chosen sport.-AFL career:Backwell played his junior football in Queensland...
, Brett Voss
Brett Voss
Brett Charles Voss is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Brisbane Lions and the St Kilda Football Club.He was drafted by the Brisbane Bears as a zone selection in 1995...
, Michael Voss
Michael Voss
Michael Voss is the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions Australian Football League team and a former professional Australian rules footballer....
, Mal Michael
Mal Michael
Malcolm Roberto "Mal" Michael is a former Australian rules footballer. He is notable for his successful professional Australian Football League career. Following a career spanned 238 games and three clubs in two Australian states he is best known as a triple premiership full-back with the...
and Robert Copeland
Robert Copeland
Robert Copeland is a former Australian Football League footballer for the Brisbane Lions and current captain of Aspley Hornet in QAFL...
.
Notable Queensland Players in the AFL
- Rhan HooperRhan HooperRhan Hooper is a former Australian rules footballer who has played for the Brisbane Lions and the Hawthorn Hawks of the Australian Football League...
- Jamie CharmanJamie CharmanJamie Charman is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League.-Overview:He was recruited as the number 29 draft pick in the 2000 AFL Draft from Northern Eagles in Queensland...
- Cheynee StillerCheynee StillerCheynee Stiller is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League.Stiller was recruited through the 2005 rookie draft and was elevated to the Lions senior list for round 3 of season 2006...
- Josh DrummondJosh DrummondJosh Drummond is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. He is a rebounding defender with a raking and pin-point left shoe. He is also capable of playing on a wing....
- Daniel MerrettDaniel MerrettDaniel Merrett is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League and fullback for Brisbane Lions.Merrett was born in Adelaide, but moved to the Gold Coast with his family at a young age...
- Scott Harding
- Albert ProudAlbert ProudAlbert Proud is an Australian rules football player who plays for Mt Gravatt Vultures in NEAFL. He previously played for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League...
- Andrew RainesAndrew RainesAndrew Raines is an Australian rules footballer, with the Brisbane Lions Football Club. He is the son of Geoff Raines, a premiership centreman who played for Richmond, Collingwood, Essendon and Brisbane....
- Nick RiewoldtNick RiewoldtNick Riewoldt is an Australian rules footballer who is the current captain of the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League . He was the first draft selection in the 2000 AFL Draft.-Early life:...
- Rohan BailRohan BailRohan Bail is an Australian rules football player who plays for Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
- David HaleDavid Hale (footballer)David Hale is an Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
- Jarrod HarbrowJarrod HarbrowJarrod Harbrow is a professional Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League currently contracted to the Gold Coast Suns.-Early life:...
- Kurt TippettKurt TippettKurt Tippett is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. He currently plays for the Adelaide Crows and wears the number 4 on the back of his jumper. He has represented his state at under 18 level in basketball before converting to Australian rules football and playing for...
- Jason AkermanisJason AkermanisJason Dean Akermanis is an Australian rules football player. He is a Brownlow Medallist and triple premiership player who played for the Brisbane Bears, Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs...
- Mitch Hahn
- Ben HudsonBen HudsonBen Hudson is an Australian rules footballer who played 143 games for the Adelaide Crows and Western Bulldogs and currently plays for the Brisbane Lions.-Early life:...
- Brad Miller
- Brad MoranBrad Moran (footballer)Bradley "Brad" Moran is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.-Early life:...
- Joel MacdonaldJoel MacdonaldJoel Macdonald is an Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League , having previously played for the Brisbane Lions.-Football career:...
- Ricky PetterdRicky PetterdRicky Petterd is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Taken at pick #30 in the 2006 AFL Draft by the Melbourne Demons, the talented state representative footballer from Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, Queensland took very little time to debut at senior level...
- Courtenay DempseyCourtenay DempseyCourtenay Dempsey is a professional Australian rules footballer for the Essendon Football Club of the Australian Football League.-Early life:...
- David ArmitageDavid Armitage (footballer)David Armitage is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League .- AFL career :Armitage was drafted by the Saints with pick Number 9 in the 2006 AFL Draft...
- Tom WilliamsTom Williams (Australian rules footballer)Tom Williams is an Australian rules footballer with the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League. Drafted with the 6th pick in the 2004 AFL Draft, Williams was a late convert to Australian Rules, having been an all-round sportsman, playing representative rugby union for Queensland in...
- Luke McGuaneLuke McGuaneLuke McGuane is an Australian rules footballer in the AFL who plays for the Richmond Football Club.McGuane, who wears number 16, is a key position player for Richmond. He was drafted using pick 36 in the 2004 national draft...
- Current Brisbane Lions players are highlighted in bold
Representative Side
The Queensland state team, known as the Maroons has played interstate representative matches against all other Australian states, as well as selecting State of OriginInterstate matches in Australian rules football
Australian rules football matches between teams representing Australian colonies/states and territories have been held since 1879. For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition and international matches meant that football games between state representative teams were...
teams as both Queensland and later as part of a combined "Allies" side.
In inter-league matches since 1991, Queensland has defeated both Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
, and has performed well against more accomplished states such as Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
without winning.
The Queensland under-18 representative side is known as the Scorpions.
Professional Clubs
- Brisbane LionsBrisbane LionsThe Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
(Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
) - Gold Coast SunsGold Coast SunsThe Gold Coast Suns were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The club split their home games between Miami and Pompano Beach, FL and hired future Hall of Famer Earl Weaver as manager. In the league's inaugural season, the...
(Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
)
South East Queensland Metropolitan Leagues
- AFLQ State League (QSL)
- AFLQ State AssociationAFLQ State AssociationAFLQ State Association is an Australian Rules Football association which includes clubs from South East Queensland...
- AFLQ State Association
Regional Leagues
- AFL Bundaberg-Wide Bay
- AFL CairnsAFL CairnsThe Australian Football League Cairns is a semi-professional Australian rules football league that includes clubs from the Cairns region in Queensland, Australia...
- AFL CapricorniaAFL CapricorniaAFL Capricornia is an amateur Australian football competition played in the areas of Rockhampton and Gladstone between the months of March and September in the cooler seasons of the Central Queensland climate. The Capricornia region has had a few success stories of ex-Rockhampton players now...
- AFL Darling Downs
- AFL Mackay
- AFL Mount Isa
- AFL Townsville
Junior
- AFL Brisbane Juniors Official Site
- AFL Gold Coast Juniors Official Site
- AFL Cairns Juniors
- AFL Sunshine Coast Juniors Official Site
- Darling Downs Junior Australian Football League Official Site
- Queensland Independent Schools Australian Football League (QISAFL) Official Site
Women's
- AFL Queensland Women's League Official Site
- AFL Cairns Women's League Official Site
Principal Venues
- 1904 - 1912: Queen's Park (Brisbane Botanic Gardens)
- 1905 - 1914: Brisbane Cricket GroundBrisbane Cricket GroundThe Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
, Exhibition Ground - 1920 - 1950s: Perry ParkPerry Park, BrisbanePerry Park Stadium is a sporting ground located at Enoggera Park in the Brisbane suburb of Bowen Hills.It is known widely as the "spiritual home of association Football" in Queensland....
, Exhibition GroundBrisbane Exhibition GroundThe Brisbane Exhibition Ground , is a showground established in Brisbane during 1875 especially for Ekka . The Exhibition ground is owned and operated by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland...
for some games, including the 1950 interstate carnival - 1959 - 1971: Brisbane Cricket GroundBrisbane Cricket GroundThe Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
- 1970s - 1980s: Windsor Park
- 1998 - 2004: Giffin Park
- 2005: Brisbane Cricket GroundBrisbane Cricket GroundThe Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
, Cazaly's StadiumCazaly's StadiumCazaly's Stadium, also known by its sponsorship name as Bundaberg Rum Stadium, is a sports stadium in Cairns, Australia, that is named after former VFL legend Roy Cazaly....
, Carrara StadiumCarrara StadiumCarrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara....
Sources
- John Morton's Queensland Australian Rules Year Book 1960 by John Morton, 1960
- Queensland Team of the Century Football Record Official Programme, AFL Queensland, 2003
- Official Souvenir Programme of Collingwood v South Melbourne, Queensland Australian National Football League, 1935
See also
- AFL QueenslandAFL QueenslandAFL Queensland is the governing body of Australian rules football in Queensland. It was formed in 2000 after the previous governing body for the sport in Queensland, the Queensland Australian Football League , went into voluntary liquidation...
- List of Australian Football Leagues in Queensland
- 1961 Brisbane Carnival1961 Brisbane CarnivalThe 1961 Brisbane Carnival was the 15th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was the last carnival to be held in Queensland....
External links
- Queensland Team of the Century (from Full Points Footy)
- Qld Footy.com - a look at footy from a Queensland perspective