New England Australian Football League
Encyclopedia
The New England Australian Football League was an Australian rules football
league based around the University of New England
in Armidale, Australia. It was created by UNE students in 1962 and ran until 1985, when its remaining clubs moved to the North West AFL
.
One former NEAFL club, the New England Nomads, still plays today in the Tamworth AFL
. The Coffs Harbour Swans also played in the NEAFL before creating their own local competition, the North Coast AFL
.
.
A new club known as the Wanderers formed in the nearby town of Uralla
in the 1970s, although they folded by the early 1980s.
A club from Coffs Harbour formed for the 1979 league, and won the NEAFL premiership in 1980. They formed a second team for the 1981 season, giving Coffs two teams, Norths and Souths. A team from further down the coast, at Port Macquarie also joined the competition. These three clubs and Port form the North Coast AFL in 1982 with new clubs from Grafton, Woolgoolga and Urunga.
Having seeded two new regional league over the preceding decade, the NEAFL folded after the 1984 season, its clubs moving to the North West AFL. The NWAFL in turn disbanded in 1993, seeing Aussie Rules revert to being an intramural sport at the university until the formation of the Tamworth AFL in 1997.
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...
league based around the University of New England
University of New England, Australia
The University of New England is an Australian public university with approximately 18,000 higher education students. Its original and main campus is located in the city of Armidale in northern New South Wales....
in Armidale, Australia. It was created by UNE students in 1962 and ran until 1985, when its remaining clubs moved to the North West AFL
North West Australian Football League
The North West Australian Football League was an Australian rules football league in north-western New South Wales, featuring teams from towns such as Tamworth, Narrabri, Moree, Gunnedah, Wee Waa, Inverell and Coonabarabran....
.
One former NEAFL club, the New England Nomads, still plays today in the Tamworth AFL
Tamworth Australian Football League
The Tamworth Australian Football League is an Australian rules football competition in the Tamworth and New England region of New South Wales, Australia...
. The Coffs Harbour Swans also played in the NEAFL before creating their own local competition, the North Coast AFL
North Coast Australian Football League
The North Coast Australian Football League is an Australian rules football competition in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales.-The very beginning:...
.
History
From 1962 until the mid-1970s, the league was essentially an internal competition run by and for the students of the University of New England. Four teams representing the student houses at the university competed. In 1975, a club was formed in Tamworth. The following seasons saw the creation of further clubs in Gunnedah, Wee Waa and Coonabarabran. The non-Armidale based clubs soon broke away to form their own league, the North West AFLNorth West Australian Football League
The North West Australian Football League was an Australian rules football league in north-western New South Wales, featuring teams from towns such as Tamworth, Narrabri, Moree, Gunnedah, Wee Waa, Inverell and Coonabarabran....
.
A new club known as the Wanderers formed in the nearby town of Uralla
Uralla, New South Wales
Uralla is a small town and on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and Thunderbolts Way 465 kilometres north of Sydney and about 23 kilometres south west of the city of Armidale...
in the 1970s, although they folded by the early 1980s.
A club from Coffs Harbour formed for the 1979 league, and won the NEAFL premiership in 1980. They formed a second team for the 1981 season, giving Coffs two teams, Norths and Souths. A team from further down the coast, at Port Macquarie also joined the competition. These three clubs and Port form the North Coast AFL in 1982 with new clubs from Grafton, Woolgoolga and Urunga.
Having seeded two new regional league over the preceding decade, the NEAFL folded after the 1984 season, its clubs moving to the North West AFL. The NWAFL in turn disbanded in 1993, seeing Aussie Rules revert to being an intramural sport at the university until the formation of the Tamworth AFL in 1997.