On the evening of Thursday 21st March 1889, a meeting of people interested in the formation of a football club at Gawler South was held at the Mill Inn (that site today the corner of Seventh Street and Main North Road, just before the Murray Street Bridge). About 30 persons were present, with Fitzgerald elected to the chair. He explained the object of the meeting was to form a junior club in the locality for now, to join a senior association likely to be formed in Gawler in the near future; to then thereby "...increase interest in the game by endeavouring to get more matches on for juniors, so that by practice some useful players could be brought out". Fitzgerald was elected captain, George Sanderson vice captain, and Tom Willett would be the first secretary. The colors decided on were red-and-blue with white bands. [2] Although by 1890 Gawler South had changed their colours to blue and white.
On Saturday 30th March 1889, the first opening intraclub match of the new club was played at Para Para, starting at 3pm with 40 players turning out on a warm day.[3] The first official competition game was against the Salisbury Football Club on 20th April 1889 at Salisbury. The final scores were Gawler South 2.7 defeating Salisbury 1.2. The goal scorers for Souths were Fitzgerald and Arthurs, who were also amongst the best players.[4] Gawler South then became an inaugural member of the Gawler Junior Football Association (which eventually became the Gawler Football Association) formed on Tuesday 23rd April 1889 by delegates from the following three clubs - South, (Gawler) Centrals and Willaston. The GFA was renamed to the Gawler and Districts Football League in 1953.
The Lions (often also nicknamed "Southies") have produced some champion footballers, many who have played senior football in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and the Australian Football League (AFL) as well as representing South Australia. Sam Butler became South Gawler's first fully professional footballer with the AFL's West Coast Eagles in 2004 and a member of the Eagles' 2006 Premiership team. Defender Yves Sibenaler Jr played in seven SANFL Premierships (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) for Central District, while Alan Obst (a 2007 Premiership player also with the Bulldogs) was listed with AFL clubs Adelaide and North Melbourne. During the twentieth century, Walter "Winky" Price (a triple premiership player with West Adelaide), Ron May (who was at North Adelaide between 1924 and 1933; and a league premiership player in 1930), Lawrie Rusby (who played 172 league games for South Adelaide including premierships in 1935 and 1941) and Irishman Robin Mulholland (112 games for Central District) also represented South Australia in State-of-Origin during celebrated careers in the SANFL. While Stephen Officer played for South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League between 1971 and 1975.
According to a number of forums covering country Australian Rules football, South Gawler is possibly one of the most successful football clubs in Australia. Following the 2023 BLGFA title, with 39 first-grade premierships recorded and verified,[5] discussion since 2008 suggests that the Lions have accumulated the third-most premierships in South Australia[6] and are the equal-sixth winningest Australian Rules club in Australia.[7]
While success at senior level had initially eluded them in the new century, South Gawler remained buoyant with their junior development programs continuing to consistently produce success. The club's Junior Colts won the flag in 2012 and 2015, while the Senior Colts' completed a hat-trick of premierships from 2009 to 2011, again in 2013 and most recently were crowned back-to-back premiers again in 2019 and 2020.
In 2017, women's football began with the BLGW so South created the Lionesses – first entering a senior team in the following 2018 season. Despite humble origins, several excellent talents emerged; including Tegan Nottle – who was selected on the wing for state country in that inaugural season. And in 2022, Captain-Coach Aisha Thomas won the Lionesses' first ever Association best and fairest. In season 2023, the Under 16 Girls team would claim the club's first ever BLGW premiership (at any level) within only five years.
In 2021 the Lions finally broke their longest senior men's premiership drought (since 1993) in the club's 135-year history. After 28 years (an interim during which they finished runners up in 1996, 2014 and 2020) South came back from a 57 point deficit halfway through the second quarter to overturn arch-rivals Willaston by one goal in the 2021 Grand Final at Elliott Goodger Park. The Lions at last would claim their fourth BLGFA title and 38th senior premiership.[8] It is one of the greatest comeback victories in SA country football Grand Final history, and quite likely the greatest turnaround in any BLGFA final ever. 2021 was further punctuated by the club winning the first ever inaugural BLGFA Under 13s premiership for a new junior grade, while the Reserves were gallant runners-up.
Season 2022 saw both the A Grade and Reserves make the Grand Final once again, however with a reversal of fortunes. While the second senior team were crowned Premiers; their first title since 2012, the A Grade who had dominated all season to be favourites were upset by Nuriootpa.
In 2023, at their fourth Grand Final in a row, the A Grade achieved redemption – rebounding after a 1 point defeat by Nuriootpa in the First Semi Final to then overcome the Tigers by 12 points in the Grand Final, before a record crowd at Lyndoch Oval. South Gawler's 39th senior men's title since 1889. While the Reserves and Under 13s were upset in their Grand Finals after finishing top at the end of the minor round.
Premierships
Gawler Football Association 1891, 1893, 1894, 1899, 1901, 1902, 1906, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1952 Gawler and District Football League 1954, 1955, 1960 Adelaide Plains Football League 1961 Gawler and District Football League 1963, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1979, 1986 Barossa, Light and Gawler Football Association 1990, 1992, 1993, 2021, 2023
Life Members
1891 – J. Fitzgerald, T.H. Willett 1934 – A. Sweeney, C.A. Rau, E. Higgins 1947 – E. Mahoney, H. Freeman, G. Mahoney, R. Byrne 1953 – P. Giles, F. Hutchins 1954 – W.T. Causby 1958 – A.C. Nottle, G.E. Nottle 1960 – S.N. Edmonds, H.J. Smith 1961 – H.C. Adams, R.B. Gordon, R.F. Martin 1965 – R.J. Argent, G.S. Shannon, B. Nottle, G. Newberry, R.J. Shannon, J.A. Gleeson 1966 – R. Symes, J.W. Nottle 1968 – M.V. Heinrich, K.M. Jones, C. Freak Jnr, D.H. Freak 1969 – D.A. Clark, T. Stockton, T.E. Gleeson, R.J. Riggs, R.J. Charnstrom, B.P. O'Donoghue 1970 – B. Long 1971 – D.S. Rolton, Mrs D.R. McDonald, Mrs C.J. Clark 1972 – Mrs M. Mahoney, B. Deuter, I. McDonald, J.L.P. O'Reilly 1973 – E. Officer 1975 – P.J.W. Gevers, W.W. Isgar 1978 – R.E. Officer, G. Hurst 1979 – E.P. Alwood 1980 – A.H. Russell, J.T. Symes 1982 – Mrs D.J. Symes 1985 – A.P. Jenkins, G.P. Short 1986 – L.G. Clark 1989 – M.K. O'Reilly, K.P. O'Reilly 1992 – X. Sibenaler 1993 – R.J. Hutchins 1998 – C. Bloffwitch, Z. Okunieff 2003 – Mrs L. Officer, P. Montgomerie, Ms M. Wohlstadt 2004 – R.J. O'Donoghue 2005 – J.F. Daly, D.C. Ellis 2009 – R. Ahrens 2010 – P. Bain 2012 – K. Bevis 2014 – K. Barker, G. Barker 2015 – Mrs. J. Hewett 2016 – G. Davies 2018 – D. Barker, C. Hurst 2019 – G. Schultz, D. Cash 2023 – W.F. Paternoster, L. McVicar, J. Callander, S. Rolton, G. McCollum, D. Kiryk, J. Costa, K. Hewett
State of Origin Footballers
Peter Swift – South Adelaide, South Australia Cecil Adcock – South Adelaide, South Australia Charlie Waters – South Adelaide, South Australia E.H. Cockram – South Adelaide, South Australia "Winky" Price – West Adelaide, South Australia Lawrie Rusby – South Adelaide, South Australia Robin Mulholland – Central District, South Australia
VFL / AFL League Footballers
Stephen Officer – South Melbourne Sam Butler – Central District, West Coast, East Perth, Perth Alan Obst – Central District, Adelaide, North Melbourne
SANFL League Footballers
Jimmy Fitzgerald – Gawler (1887 - 1890 SAFA) George Sanderson – Gawler (1887 - 1890 SAFA) Fred May – South Adelaide Toby Arthur – South Adelaide Sid Coles – North Adelaide Doug Thomson – Sturt Tom Doherty – South Adelaide Tom Woods – North Adelaide Fred Rusby – North Adelaide Eddie Henwood – South Adelaide G.A. Titus – Norwood Wally Ayling – North Adelaide Perce Crump – South Adelaide, Norwood Howard Abbott – Port Adelaide Ron May – North Adelaide Arthur Lamb – North Adelaide Jim Wainwright – North Adelaide Bruce Causby – Sturt John Nottle – Sturt Bob Edmonds – Central District Yves Sibenaler – Central District Anton Noack – Central District Kym Harrison – Woodville Chris Hurst – Central District Gary Sutton – Central District Aaron Bevis – Central District Kane Officer – Central District Yves M. Sibenaler – Central District Brodie Hudson – Central District Paul Marschall – Central District, Adelaide Marcus Barreau – Central District Jordan Tippins – Central District
Expatriate SANFL / WAFL / VFL League Footballers
Dick Shirley – West Torrens Barry Walker – West Torrens Kevin Webber – Central District Peter Burford – Sturt Alf Skuse – South Adelaide Mick Daly – Central District Lyndon Fairclough – Central District Mark Maloney – Central District Ken Russell – Central District Bing Munn – West Adelaide Clayton Pethick – North Adelaide Darryl Moss – Glenelg James Fuller – South Adelaide / Woodville Graham Schultz – South Adelaide / Central District Peter Beythien – Central District Steven Riley – Central District Brendan Little – North Adelaide / Central District David Bubner – Central District Peter Hart – North Adelaide Malcolm McGrath – Central District Tano Barilla – Central District Joe Trimboli – Central District Garth Newton – Woodville Ian Dettman – Woodville Lindsay Nicholls – North Adelaide / Norwood Steven Hann – North Adelaide / Port Adelaide Gavin Chaplin – West Perth / Central District Scott Norton – Central District Robert Fraser – Central District Nick Prokopec – Central District / West Adelaide Heath Lawry – Williamstown (Collingwood) / Central District Aaron Bayliss – West Adelaide Matt Lutze – West Adelaide Chris Musolino – Central District Chad O'Sullivan – Central District / North Adelaide Jackson Press – Woodville-West Torrens Dean Cutting – Central District Jack Osborn – Adelaide / Sturt Domenic Costanzo – Adelaide Josh Wittwer – Adelaide
Expatriate SANFLW League Footballers
Aisha Thomas – Central District
South Australia State Country Footballers
1986 – Brett Riggs 1994 – Eddie Schwerdt 1995 – Eddie Schwerdt 2022 – Patrick White 2022 – Steve Burton 2022 – Flynn Pisani 2023 – Patrick White 2023 – Flynn Pisani
South Australia State Country Footballers (Women's)
2019 – Tegan Nottle
South Australia State Under-age Footballers
1951 – Brenton Nottle 1985 – Brett Riggs 1989 – Darren Joyce 1997 – Aaron Bevis 2003 – Sam Butler 2005 – Alan Obst
Association Best and Fairest
Gawler Football Association 1912 Mail Medal – Winky Price 1923 P.J. Broderick Medal – H. Bentley / A.R. May 1927 P.J. Broderick Medal – P. Baldwin 1936 Mail Medal – Eddie Mahoney 1937 Mail Medal – Eddie Mahoney 1938 Mail Medal – Eddie Mahoney 1941 W. Wiles Trophy – M. Williams 1947 Page Trophy – Bob Gordon 1948 Page Trophy – Bob Gordon Gawler and District Football League 1954 Mail Trophy – Stan Edmonds 1957 Mail Trophy – John Nottle 1963 Mail Trophy – Dean Clark 1970 Mail Trophy – Xavier Sibenaler 1975 Mail Trophy – Mick Daly 1976 Mail Trophy – Kym Stoddard 1983 Bunyip Medal – Graham Schultz Barossa, Light and Gawler Football Association 1989 Linke and Mail Medals – Eddie Schwerdt 1992 Linke and Mail Medals – Eddie Schwerdt 1995 Linke and Mail Medals – Eddie Schwerdt 2002 Linke and Mail Medals – Ben Halliday 2022 Schluter Medal – Steve Burton 2023 Schluter and Mail Medals – Steve Burton
BLGW 2022 Central District Football Club BLGW Trophy – Aisha Thomas
Ten Year Players
Charlie Nottle George Nottle Fred Rusby Charlie Riggs Lawrie Rusby Eddie Mahoney Ron May Alan Pearce Ted Alwood Eddie Rau Robert Argent Brian Congdon Doug Freak John Hutchins Brenton Nottle Len Nottle Tom Symes Victor Sergejevs Graham Shrubsole Craig Argent Stephen Rolton Simon Head Shane Riggs Darren Bloffwitch Jamahl Butler Adrian Brown Martin Bartholomew Barry Deuter Tom Gleeson Kevin Jones Maurice Martin Barry Klose Colin Power Graham Shannon William Wright Garry Barker George Scotland Gary McCollum Robert Copson Shane O’Donoghue Shaun Fulton William Beckmann Stan Edmonds Dennis Grigg Anthony Pilichiewicz Robert Martin Gerald Newberry Xavier Sibenaler Grant O’Reilly Peter Bain Jeffrey Brown Allan Brookes Scott McDonald Craig Fowler Andrew Bevis Denis Heinrich Des Clark Brian Freak Harold Heinrich Brian Long Alan McDonald Robert O’Donoghue Ross Rigney Keith Trenowden Rod Smith James Callander Matthew Walker Eddie Schwerdt Darren Joyce Lee Makris Damien Ellis Robert Charnstrom Claude Freak Jr Max Heinrich Norman Khan Ian McDonald David Rolton Zenon Okunieff Robert Officer Robert Sutton Ron Riggs Kevin Hewett Peter Joyce Andrew Springbett Garry James Craig Hiskins Christopher Hurst Steven Nicolai Matthew Rana Brenton Craig Tyson Gordon Tim Clift Sam Montgomerie Jonathan Costa Jake McVicar Lachlan Hewett Ben Greatorex Aaron Bevis Jacob Ahern Clayton Cameron Matthew Daly Tyson Bowden Alex Hansen Jackson Dare Nathan Bartsch Daniel Goulding Scott Evans
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References
Heinrich, David and Hurst, Garry. The history of the South Gawler Football Club 1889–1989, [Gawler, S. Aust.: The South Gawler Football Club], c1990 Laidlaw, Robert. The History of the Gawler and District Football League. Bunyip Press. 2008 Lines, Peter. Encyclopedia of South Australian Country Football Clubs. 2008 Laidlaw, Robert. The Central District Football Club 30 Year Almanac Argent, Peter. The (BLGFA) Barracker
↑ The history of the South Gawler Football Club 1889-1989
↑ Local historian Robert Laidlaw listed this in an article of the Gawler-based The Bunyip newspaper on the history of the Gawler and District Football league - The Bunyip, 2008.
↑ Peter Lines – South Australian Country Football Digest, 2021
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