AFL South Coast

South Coast Australian Football League
Sport	Australian rules football
Founded	1969
No. of teams	9
Country	Australia
Most recent; champion(s)	Wollongong Bulldogs ; (2024)
Most titles	Albatross Demons (13 titles)
Official website

Last updated August 29, 2025

The AFL South Coast is an Australian rules football competition in the Shoalhaven and Illawarra regions of New South Wales. The AFLSC has two divisions of senior men's football and one division of senior women's football. In 2012 The South Coast AFL became "AFL South Coast" incorporating the three leagues of South Coast AFL Seniors, Shoalhaven Juniors and Illawarra Juniors.

History

The South Coast AFL was formed in 1969, composed of players from the military bases of HMAS Albatross, HMAS Creswell, and the cities of Nowra and Wollongong. In 1970 the Bomaderry club was formed and in 1972 Dapto joined the competition.

In 1975, Wollongong and Dapto left the league to create the Illawarra Australian Football League. They were joined by Bulli-Woonona (now known as Northern Districts), Port Kembla and Shellharbour, three clubs who had run junior programs but were introducing senior football. The sixth foundation club of the senior league was the University of Wollongong.

In 1988, the Wollongong Lions moving to the Sydney Football League causing the league to disband and the remaining clubs joining the South Coast AFL, which was renamed the Leisure Coast Australian Football League. The league returned to the name "South Coast AFL" in 2002.

In 2012 The South Coast AFL became "AFL South Coast" incorporating the three leagues of South Coast AFL Seniors, Shoalhaven Juniors and Illawarra Juniors.

Clubs

15km
9.3miles

Ulladulla

Albion Park

Shoalhaven

Port Kembla

Bay & Basin

Wollongong Bulldogs

Wollongong Lions

Shellharbour City
Shellharbour Swans (junior-only)

Northern Districts

Kiama

Figtree

Bomaderry

Locations of the teams home grounds. Red clubs field senior teams, yellow reserves only and green juniors only

Teams are listed by their highest grade.

Club	Colours	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in SCAFL	SCAFL Senior Premierships
Club	Colours	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in SCAFL	Total	Premierships
Seniors
Bomaderry		Tigers	Royal Artie Smith Oval, Bomaderry	–	1969	1970-	8	1989, 1994, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
Figtree		Kangaroos (Men) & Saints (Women)	Harry Graham Park, Figtree	–	1999	1999-	3	2020, 2022, 2023
Kiama		Power	Bonaira Playing Field, Kiama	–	1999	2002-	3	2009, 2011, 2018
Northern Districts		Tigers	Hollymount Park, Woonona	IAFL	1971	1988-	0	-
Shellharbour City		Suns	Myimbarr Community Park, Shellharbour	–	2011	2011-	0	-
Wollongong		Lions	North Dalton Park, Fairy Meadows	SAFL	1966	1971-1974, 2015-	5	1969, 1970, 2015, 2016, 2019
Wollongong		Bulldogs	Keira Oval, Mount Keira	–	2008	2008-	5	2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2024
Reserves
Bay & Basin		Bombers	Bay & Basin Leisure Centre, Vincentia	–	1999	2019, 2023-	0	-
Port Kembla		Blacks	Kully Bay Oval, Warrawong	IAFL	1966	1989-	2	1993, 1999

Clubs with Juniors only

Club	Nickname	Home Ground	Est.	Years in SCAFL
Albion Park	Crows	Croome Road Sporting Complex, Croom	2008	2008-
Shellharbour	Swans	Myimbarr Community Park, Shellharbour	2005	2005-
Shoalhaven	Giants	West Street Oval, Nowra		?-present
Ulladulla	Dockers	Ulladulla Sports Park, Ulladulla	2009	2009-

Club	Colours	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in SCAFL	SCAFL Senior Premierships		Fate
Club	Colours	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in SCAFL	Total	Premierships	Fate
Albatross		Demons		–	1969	1969-2014	13	1971, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997	Merged with Nowra to form Nowra Albatross after 2014 season
Albion Park		Crows	Croome Road Sporting Complex, Croom	–	2008	2019-2021	0	-	Senior team entered recess after 2021 season
Batemans Bay		Seahawks	Hanging Rock Sports Grounds, Batemans Bay	MAFL	1976	1980s-1988	4	1985, 1986, 1987, 1988	Moved to Sapphire Coast AFL following 1988 season
Camden		Cats	Fairfax Reserve, Harrington Park	SAFL	1982	1996-2007	2	2003, 2005	Returned to AFL Sydney after 2007 season
Dapto		Hawks		IAFL	1972	1972-1974, 1989	0	-	Moved to Illawarra AFL following 1974 season. Folded after 1989 season
Dapto City		Stallions	Keira Oval, Mount Keira	–	2014	2015-2019	0	-	Folded after 2019 season
East Nowra				–	1980	1980-1987	1	1981	Folded after 1987 season
Goulburn-Bargo		Hawks				1997-1998	0	-	Folded after 1998 sason
HMAS Creswell				–	1969	1969	0	-	Folded after 1969 season
Nowra		Blues	Nowra Showgrounds, Nowra	–	1969	1969-2014	9	1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1998, 2001, 2002	Merged with Albatross to form Nowra Albatross after 2014 season
Nowra-Albatross		Vikings	Nowra Showgrounds, Nowra	–	2015	2015-2023	0	-	Folded after 2023 season
Southern Highlands		Hawks	Loseby Park, Bowral	–	1998	1998-2021	Juniors only		Folded after 2021 season
Ulladulla		Dockers	Ulladulla Sports Park, Ulladulla	–		2009-2024	0	-	Senior team in recess for 2025 season
Wollondilly		Knights	Hannaford Oval, Wilton	SAFL	1989	2008-2013	0	-	Moved to AFL Sydney following 2013 season

Premierships

Seniors

1969 Wollongong Lions
1970 Wollongong Lions
1971 Albatross
1972 Albatross
1973 Nowra
1974 Nowra
1975 Albatross
1976 Nowra
1977 Nowra
1978 Albatross
1979 Albatross
1980 Nowra
1981 East Nowra
1982 Nowra
1983 Albatross
1984 Albatross
1985 Batemans Bay
1986 Batemans Bay
1987 Batemans Bay
1988 Batemans Bay
1989 Bomaderry
1990 Albatross
1991 Albatross
1992 Albatross
1993 Port Kembla
1994 Bomaderry
1995 Albatross
1996 Albatross

1997 Albatross
1998 Nowra
1999 Port Kembla
2000 Bomaderry
2001 Nowra
2002 Nowra
2003 Camden
2004 Bomaderry
2005 Camden
2006 Bomaderry
2007 Bomaderry
2008 Bomaderry
2009 Kiama
2010 Bomaderry
2011 Kiama
2012 Wollongong Bulldogs
2013 Wollongong Bulldogs
2014 Wollongong Bulldogs
2015 Wollongong Bulldogs
2016 Wollongong Lions
2017 Wollongong Lions
2018 Kiama
2019 Wollongong Lions
2020 Figtree
2022 Figtree
2023 Figtree
2024 Wollongong Bulldogs

Lower Grades

First Division/Reserve Grade (2009–present)

2009 Kiama Power
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015 Figtree
2016 Wollongong Bulldogs
2017 Kiama Power
2018 Bomaderry
2019 Wollongong Bulldogs
2020 Figtree
2022 Wollongong Bulldogs
2023 Wollongong Bulldogs
2024 Figtree

Second Division (2018–2023)

2018 Bomaderry
2019 Ulladulla
2020 Figtree
2022 Wollongong Bulldogs
2023 Wollongong Bulldogs

Women's Premierships

Womens Premier (2018–present)

2018 Bomaderry
2019 Wollongong Bulldogs
2020 Wollongong Saints
2022 Wollongong Lions
2023 Wollongong Lions
2024 Figtree

Womens Division One/Reserve Grade (2019–present)

2019 Ulladulla
2020 Shellharbour
2022 Northern Districts Tigers
2023 Kiama Power
2024 Wollongong Lions

Honours

Life Members

Ray Tunbridge, 1975
Alan Blacker, 1977
Tom Smith, 1979
John Collier, 1980
Stewart Stephens, 1981
Ian Biggs, 1983
Eddie Smith, 1985
Greg Perry, 1987
John Ford, 1996
D. Cornish, 1997
K. Blundell, Reg Douglas and N. Hickmott, 1998
K. Bright, L. Bright and J. Tatnell, 2005
Terry Ashton, 2011
Max Avery, 2009

Tom Smith Memorial Trophy

A lightning premiership played at the start of the season.

1977 Bomaderry
1978 Albatross
1979 Nowra
1980 East Nowra
1981 Nowra
1982 Nowra
1984 Albatross
1990 Bomaderry

1991 Bomaderry
1992 Albatross
1993 Port Kembla
1994 Bomaderry
1995 Nowra
1996 Bomaderry
1997 Bomaderry
1998 Port Kembla

1999 Camden
2001 Albatross
2002 Bomaderry
2003 Camden
2004 Albatross
2005 Albatross
2006 Camden
2007 Nowra

2008 Bomaderry
2009 Kiama
2010 Northern Districts
2011 Wollongong University
2012 Kiama
2013 Kiama
2017 Figtree

Hall of Fame

2017 Neville Hickmott
2018 Ray Tunbridge
2019 Tom Smith

AFL players

Arthur Chilcott had a short career with the Sydney Swans between 1984 and 1985. He played 13 games and scored 14 goals.
Aidan Riley was rookie listed by the Adelaide Crows via the NSW scholarship program, making his debut in 2011 in their round 19 match against Port Adelaide. In 2014 he joined the Melbourne Football Club and after playing the 2014 and 2015 seasons returned to Adelaide to play with the Sturt Football Club in the SANFL. Aidan Riley retired from Sturt in 2019.
James Bell played his debut game for the Sydney Swans in 2019 against Port Adelaide. A former Shellharbour Junior, James signed with the Swans as a Rookie in 2017.

References

External links

Official website

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v t e Australian rules football in New South Wales
Governing body	AFL NSW/ACT
AFL clubs	Greater Western Sydney Sydney Swans
VFL clubs	Sydney Swans reserves Greater Western Sydney reserves
Metropolitan leagues	AFL Sydney Women's
Regional leagues	Broken Hill Central West Farrer Hume Hunter Central Coast North Coast North West Northern Riverina Riverina Sapphire Coast South Coast
Defunct leagues	NEAFL (2011–2019) Albury & District (1930–1957) Barellan & District (1911–1971) Central Coast (1976–1999) Central Hume (1928–1935) Central Riverina (1949–1981) Coreen & District (1909–2007) Deniliquin (1900–1932) Faithful & District (1920–1940) New England (1962–1984) NSWFA (1880–1893) Newcastle (1888–1999) North West (1970s–1993) Northern Rivers (1984–2021) Riverina FA (1924–1929) South West (1949–1981) Southern Riverina FA (1906–1931) Summerland (1984–2011)
Principal venues	Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Showground Stadium
Related	Sydney Derby Australian rules football in the Riverina List of clubs List of VFL/AFL and AFL Women's players