The Spencer Gulf Football League is an Australian rules football competition based at the head of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League.
The Spencer Gulf Football League was formed in 1961, via a merger of the Port Pirie Football League (PPFL), the Whyalla Football League (WFL), and the Port Augusta-based Great Northern Football Association (GNFA). At the end of the 1966 season the WFL contingent withdrew.
Brief history
In 1961 the Great Northern Football Association, the Port Pirie Football Association and the Whyalla Football League merged to form the Spencer Gulf Football League. The twelve founding clubs were Central Augusta, Central Whyalla, North Whyalla, Port, Proprietary, Risdon, Solomontown, South Augusta, South Whyalla, West Augusta, West Whyalla and Willsden.
The four Whyalla-based clubs left the Spencer Gulf Football League at the end of season 1966 to form the Whyalla Football League, leaving 8 teams from Port Augusta and Port Pirie.
In 1992 Willsden amalgamated with Quorn to form Quorn-Willsden Wolves. The league reverted to 7 teams in 1994 when Proprietary and Risdon amalgamated. In 2006 the league was cut down to 6 teams when the Quorn-Willsden Wolves folded due to financial woes.
Current clubs
Previous clubs
Premierships
1961 – Port
1962 – South Whyalla
1963 – West Whyalla
1964 – South Augusta
1965 – Port
1966 – Port
1967 – Port
1968 – Proprietary
1969 – West Augusta
1970 – Port
1971 – Proprietary
1972 – West Augusta
1973 – West Augusta
1974 – West Augusta
1975 – West Augusta
1976 – West Augusta
1977 – Proprietary
1978 – Central Augusta
1979 – Risdon
1980 – Central Augusta
1981 – South Augusta
1982 – Central Augusta
1983 – South Augusta
1984 – Solomontown
1985 – West Augusta
1986 – Willsden
1987 – West Augusta
1988 – Solomontown
1989 – West Augusta
1990 – Solomontown
1991 – Central Augusta
1992 – Central Augusta
1993 – South Augusta
1994 – South Augusta
1995 – Solomontown
1996 – West Augusta
1997 – Port
1998 – Port
1999 – Port
2000 – South Augusta
2001 – Quorn-Willsden
2002 – Port
2003 – Port
2004 – Port
2005 – West Augusta
2006 – South Augusta
2007 – Port
2008 – Port
2009 – Central Augusta
2010 – Central Augusta
2011 – Central Augusta
2012 – South Augusta
2013 – West Augusta
2014 – Solomontown
2015 – Lions
2016 – South Augusta
2017 – South Augusta
2018 – South Augusta
2019 – South Augusta
2020 – South Augusta
2021 – Lions
2022 – Solomontown
2023 – Lions
Madigan Medallist & Ken Mitchell Awards
AFL representatives
The Spencer Gulf League has been home to many AFL Footballers including:
Greg Flanegan (, 1981) Mark Bickley (Adelaide Crows, 1991–2003) played his junior football for the Solomontown Football club and was a premiership player with the club in 1988, in that same year he won the Madigan Medal at the age of 19. Mark moved to the South Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), where he was then selected as an inaugural member of the Adelaide Crows squad in 1991. In 1997 Bickley was appointed captain of the Adelaide Football Club, and captained the 1997 and 1998 Adelaide premiership sides. He is now a member of the SANFL Hall of Fame. Bryan Beinke (Adelaide Crows, 1999–2002) Jared Rivers (Melbourne Demons, 2003–present) played junior football for the South Augusta Bulldogs Football club and won a premiership with the club in 2000 at the age of 15. Jared was selected by the Melbourne Demons as the 26th pick overall in the National Draft of 2002. In 2004 he won the National Bank Rising Star. Mark Jamar (Melbourne Demons, 2003–present) played his early football at the Lions Football Club before moving to North Adelaide in the SANFL. Mark was selected at pick 6 of the 2001 Rookie Draft by the Melbourne Demons. In 2010 he was named as the second ruckman for the All-Australian squad. Elijah Ware (Port Adelaide, 2005–2006) Wade Thompson (Port Adelaide, 2009–2010) Lewis Johnston (Sydney Swans/Adelaide, 2009–present) Luke Taylor (Melbourne),1998–2000 Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide, 2019-present)