Sydney Football League
Current season, competition or edition: 2016
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| Sport | Australian rules football |
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| Founded | 1903 |
| No. of teams | 23 |
AFL Sydney is an Australian rules football League, based in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. The Sydney AFL competition comprises 23 clubs playing across six senior divisions with two under 19 competitions.
The Sydney AFL began as the NSW Australian Football Association in 1903. In 1980 it became known as the "Sydney Football League". It was renamed the "Sydney AFL" in 1998 before a new name change for season 2009, "AFL Sydney".
11 clubs contested the opening season in 1903, with East Sydney taking out the first premiership with a 6-point win over North Shore. 100 years later, similar to the repeated result of the centenary cricket Test in 1977; in the centenary season in 2003, East Sydney (by now known as UNSW-Eastern Suburbs) again defeated North Shore by 6 points. Over the years many clubs have come and gone, with the turnover of teams continuing to the present day. By 1998 the league consisted of 7 teams – Balmain, Pennant Hills, North Shore, St George, East Sydney, Western Suburbs and Baulkham Hills.
In 1999, Campbelltown returned to the Sydney AFL after a 3-year stint in AFL Canberra. The Blues, as they were then known, were an exceptionally strong club at the time and dominated the league in their first year back in Sydney. In the grand final, Campbelltown 18.5 (113) were far too good for Balmain 13.13 (91) to take out the premiership by 22 points.
In 2000, after the AFL's reserve grade competition was abolished, the Swans fielded a team in the Sydney AFL, known as the Redbacks. This move didn't turn out to be successful, with the existing clubs unable to compete against full-time professional footballers who had far superior training resources. The games were generally one-sided, to the point where the rules were changed halfway through the season to allow other clubs to field an extra player against the Redbacks. The Redbacks finished top of the ladder, but elected not to compete in the finals; and in their absence Pennant Hills took out their first premiership with a 15.12 (102) to 12.7 (79) win over North Shore in the grand final. During the 2000 season, several Sydney AFL clubs had formed strategic alliances with clubs in the AFL. As part of this, some Sydney AFL clubs were to change their identity over the next few years. North Shore had always been black and red but took on the Bombers nickname of Essendon. St George renamed themselves the St George Crows and began wearing the navy, gold and blue strip of Adelaide. But the biggest change in identity was Baulkham Hills, who changed their colours to blue and gold and took on the new name of the East Coast Eagles. Other clubs were to follow suit. Another change in 2000 was the merger of traditional powerhouse East Sydney with the University of NSW club to form the UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs.
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