Auckland Australian Football League


The Auckland Australian Football League which began in 1974, is an Australian rules football competition in Auckland, New Zealand and is one of the leagues governed by New Zealand AFL.
An earlier league which existed in Auckland from 1904 until the outbreak of World War I was also known, for a time, as the Auckland Australian Football League.

Current Clubs

Historic League

The 'Auckland Football Association ' was formed at a meeting at Foresters' Hall, Newton on 28 April 1904. The initial subscription rate was 2s 6d, and forty members were enrolled at that meeting. At the 1906 AGM, the name was changed to 'The Australian Football League of Auckland' in order to differentiate the league from Rugby Union and Association football. After several active seasons which were covered in some depth in the local papers, the league went into decline around the end of the decade due to the departure of a number of the Australian players back home. In 1912 the senior competition was put on hold due to the lack of players, with only a junior competition continuing.

Clubs

Initially there were three teams in the competition; Auckland Imperial, Austral and Victoria Football Clubs. The Victoria Club changed its name to the Eden Football Club in 1906.
A fourth club, Newton, was formed in 1908.

Players

A number of the players in the league were immigrants from the southern Australian states. Regular mention was made in the newspaper reports of the arrival of these gentlemen and their intentions to play football in Auckland.
Four VFL players played for the league at various times, including Vic Cumberland who was rated one of the best VFL players of the day:
PlayerYears in AucklandVFL Club details
Ben Sandford1904 –St Kilda 1901-03
Vic Cumberland1905–1906Melbourne 1898–1901; St Kilda 1903-04 1907-08 1912-15 1920
Hughie Webb1905Geelong 1900-03
Hughie Callan1906Essendon 1903–05; South Melbourne 1907-1910

Administrators

The inaugural president of the league in 1904 was a Mr McNamara. He was supported by a large committee that included 5 vice presidents; Messrs Hale, McKeon, Walsh, Kneebone and McVeigh. At the 1905 AGM, Dr Tracy Inglis was elected President, a position he held for a number of years. The league had a number of prominent people involved during it existence. Patrons of the league in 1905 included politicians George Fowlds and F E Baume.

Competition

The new leagues first game was a scratch match held on 30 April on the outer Domain. Several rounds of practice matches followed prior to the start of the competition. By the end of the 1904 season Austral and Imperial were "on a level footing", with Austral taking the honours, 29 to 18, in the final which was held at the Domain Cricket Ground.