The Southern Metropolitan Football League (SMFL) was an Australian rules football competition based in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia until it folded at the end of the 1986 season. It first formed in 1912 as the Sturt Football Association, and during its history was also known as the Mid-Southern Football Association (1920-1930), Glenelg District Football Association (1931–1949), Glenelg-South-West District Football Association (1950–1966) and Glenelg-South Adelaide Football Association (1967–1983), before finally being named Southern Metropolitan Football League (1984–1986).
The association first affiliated with the South Australian Football League in 1921. In 1927, the association made a special request to the SAFL for financial assistance.
Collapse
The remaining clubs at the end of the 1986 season were distributed in 1987 as follows:
Joined SAFA – Brighton, Mitchell Park
Joined Hills Football League – Blackwood
Joined Southern Football League - Marion, Morphettville Park, Plympton
Joined Central District Football Association – Ovingham
Merged and joined SAAFL - Camden (merged with Greek FC)
Member Clubs
Clubs in Bold indicate teams playing in the final season (1986)
| Club |
Years participating |
Other names
|
| Adelaide Lutheran |
1980-84
|
|
| Albert Sports |
1979-81
|
|
| ANZ Bank |
1960-80
|
|
| Bank of Adelaide |
1971-76
|
|
| Black Forest |
1919-1927, 1931-33
|
|
| Blackwood |
1912-15, 1919–41, 1944–48, 1953-86 |
|
| Bridgewater |
1915 |
|
| Brighton |
1912-13, 1919–41, 1946–57, 1969-86
|
Brighton and Seacliff (1938–56)
|
| Brompton |
1981-82 |
|
| Brunswick |
1952-53 |
|
| Camden |
1927-86
|
Novar Gardens (1927–31)
|
| Clarendon |
1925, 1929, 1948 |
|
| College Park |
1950-51 |
|
| Colonel Light Gardens |
1944-45, 1976-85
|
|
| Edwardstown |
1920, 1925–33, 1936-54 |
Edwardstown B participated 1935
|
| Flagstaff Hill |
1978-84 |
Brighton Tigers (1978)
|
| Glandore |
1958-84
|
|
| Glenelg Imperial |
1912-15, 1923–30, 1942-46 |
|
| Glenelg Junior |
1933-34, 1936 |
|
| Glenelg Rovers |
1931-32 |
|
| Glenelg Sailing Club |
1928-29 |
B-Grade only
|
| Glenelg United |
1929 |
|
| Glenelg YMCA |
1946 |
|
| Goodwood |
1915, 1925–30, 1979-84
|
|
| Happy Valley |
1924, 1964-79 |
|
| Immanuel Old Scholars |
1978-79
|
|
| Kelvinator |
1950, 1953-67
|
|
| Lockleys |
1960-85
|
|
| Marion |
1912-15, 1920–41, 1946-86 |
Sturt (1920–41, 1946–56)
|
| Mitcham |
1912-15, 1922–24, 1976-84
|
|
| Mitcham Park |
1915 |
|
| Mitchell Park |
1969-85 |
|
| Morphettville Park |
1959-86 |
|
| Mortlock Park |
1927-30 |
|
| North Brighton-Somerton |
1950-51
|
|
| Norwood Union |
1979-82
|
|
| Ovingham |
1986 |
|
| Plympton |
1921-27, 1937-86 |
|
| Port Noarlunga |
1935-36 |
|
| Public Service |
1948 |
|
| Reynella |
1920-27, 1930-47 |
|
| Richmond and Keswick United |
1928-30 |
|
| Salesian |
1980-84
|
|
| Seacliff |
1931-35 |
|
| Semaphore Seasiders |
1915 |
|
| South Adelaide Ramblers |
1950-57 |
South Adelaide C (1953–55)
|
| St. Leonards |
1930-53 |
|
| St. Leonards Colts |
1935-38 |
|
| St. Peters |
1929 |
|
| South Road Estate |
1929 |
B-Grade only
|
| Sturt-Brighton |
1942-45 |
|
| Sturt Centrals |
1916 |
|
| Sturt College Of Advanced Education |
1981 |
|
| Sturt Imperial |
1915 |
|
| Sturt Ramblers |
1912-15 |
|
| Torrens College Of Advanced Education |
1975-78 |
|
| Torrensville United |
1962-78 |
|
| Underdale United |
1927
|
|
| West Suburban |
1930 |
|
| Wingfield Royals |
1979-81
|
|
| Woodville South |
1962-78
|
Kilkenny United (1962–70)
|
Premierships
| Year |
A-Grade
|
| 1912 |
Mitcham Undefeated
|
| 1913 |
Sturt Ramblers
|
| 1914 |
Mitcham
|
| 1915 |
Sturt Ramblers
|
| 1916 |
Sturt Centrals
|
| 1917 |
In recess (World War I)
|
| 1918 |
In recess (World War I)
|
| 1919 |
Brighton
|
H.S. Rugless Medallists
The H.S. Rugless Medal was awarded to the player adjudged the Fairest and Most Brilliant in the competition. During the Sturt Football Association years (1912–19) it was known as the Thomas Medal.
Thomas Medal
- 1912
- 1913
- 1914 – Jack Rowlands (Blackwood)
- 1915
- 1916
- 1917
- 1918
- 1919
H.S. Rugless Medal (A1)
- 1920
- 1921
- 1922 – Mick Martin (Reynella)
- 1923
- 1924 – Bob Chapman (Blackwood)
- 1925 – William Hender (Blackwood)
- 1926 – Purdie (Sturt)
- 1927 – A. "Pop" Williams (Goodwood)
- 1928 – A. "Pop" Williams (Goodwood)
- 1929
- 1930
- 1931
- 1932
- 1933 – F. Whitford (Brighton) - 24 votes
- 1934
- 1935 – R. McNamara (Camden)
- 1936 – W. Egan (Sturt)
- 1937 – Clarrie Radford (Blackwood) – 40 votes
- 1938 – F. Alcock (Reynella)
- 1939 – tied C. Brown (Sturt) & N. S. Gunn (Reynella) – 34 votes
- 1940 – F. Alcock (Reynella)
- 1941 – N. Edwards (Sturt)
- 1942 – C. Brooker (Plympton)
- 1943
- 1944 – G. Cox (Sturt-Brighton)
- 1945 – K. Rohrig (Edwardstown)
- 1946 – B. Woollard (Brighton-Seacliff)
- 1947 – R. (Bob) Ryan (Reynella)
- 1948 – Mel Brock (Camden)
- 1949 – Harold Partridge (Sturt)
- 1950 – Max Chambers (Sturt)
- 1951
- 1952 – Alan Naulty (South Adelaide Ramblers)
- 1953
- 1954 – P. Partridge (Sturt)
- 1955
- 1956
- 1957
- 1958
- 1959
- 1960
- 1961
- 1962
- 1963
- 1964
- 1965
- 1966
- 1967 – Garry Bonner (Blackwood)
- 1968 – J. Cook (Marion)
- 1969 – J. Cook (Marion)
- 1970 – Ian Winton (Morphettville Park)
- 1971
- 1972
- 1973
- 1974
- 1975
- 1976 – John Cloonan (Morphettville Park)
- 1977
- 1978 – Robbie Magarey (Blackwood)
- 1979
- 1980
- 1981 – I. Hine (Marion)
- 1982 – Brad Mesecke (Morphettville Park)
- 1983 – J. Carracher (Brighton)
- 1984 – Brad Mesecke (Morphettville Park)
- 1985 – Chris Prior (Blackwood)
- 1986 – Brad Mesecke (Morphettville Park)
J.C. Morrow Medal (A2)
In 1936 the Morrow Medal was established for the fairest and most brilliant player in the then B-Grade competition.
Division 2 A-Grade Medal
- 1980 - Neil Wuttke
- 1983 - Geoff Drechsler
- 1984 - Glenn Todman
Division 2 B-Grade Medal