| Surfers Paradise | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Names | ||
| Full name | Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club | |
| 2019 season | ||
| Club details | ||
| Founded | 1961 | |
| Colours | ||
| Competition | Queensland Australian Football League | |
| Coach | Matthew Lappin | |
| Captain(s) | Brody Haberfield | |
| Ground(s) | Sir Bruce Small Park | |
| Uniforms | ||
| ||
| Other information | ||
| Official website | surfersparadiseafc.com.au | |
Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club (nicknamed The Demons) is a Gold Coast based club competing in the AFL Queensland QAFL Australian rules football competition.
The Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club was established in 1961 and competed in the Gold Coast Australian Football League's official inaugural season in 1962 with their home ground situated a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean on Beach Road. [1] The club captured its first senior premiership in 1963 and back-to-back-to-back senior GCAFL flags followed in 1967, 1968 & 1969. [2] More senior premierships were won by Surfers Paradise in 1972 & 1974. [3] In 1983, the club moved to the neighbouring suburb of Benowa and set up base at Sir Bruce Small Park managed to sneak into the 1983 GCAFL Grand Final in their first season in Benowa but were defeated by Coolangatta. They bounced back to win the 1984 premiership at Carrara but lost the Grand Final in 1985 by five points.
Former Hawthorn player Max McMahon was appointed senior coach in 1992 and he secured a premiership in his first year as head coach. It was followed by a five-point loss in the 1993 Grand Final. The 1992 forward line that included Andrew Gibson a former Williamstown star forward, Gibson kicked 525 goals for the club in 78 senior games, an average of 6.5 goals per game. Half Forward Barry Oates starred in the 1992 finals series kicking 17 goals including 8 goals in the Preliminary Final against Burleigh. Oates also went on to win the league's Most Valuable Player award voted by the League's coaches. Centreman Rod Brewster capped off a great season with selection into the Queensland state side. Ruckman Paul Hams won the club Best & Fairest Award with Oates runner up.
During 1996, former Geelong player and then Surfers Paradise Captain/Coach David Cameron notably kicked twenty-five goals in a single game. [4] Mass confusion occurred during the 1998 Gold Coast Grand Final between Surfers Paradise and Palm Beach Currumbin when the scoreboard incorrectly displayed a full-time scoreline draw of 9.10 (64) to PBC's 8.14 (62). After several minutes of confusion, the umpires correctly adjusted the score to declare Surfers Paradise two-point victors and hand the club its 10th senior premiership. [5] In 2000, The Gold Coast division was wound up and clubs played in an enlarged AFL South Queensland competition, after two seasons in which the club fell on hard times and the club was restructured to become the Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club Inc and was relegated to Division Two.
In 2005, Queensland Australian Football was restructured into two divisions. Surfers Paradise was promoted back into the Pineapple Hotel Cup (Division One) competition. Another restructure in 2012 saw the AFL Pineapple Hotel Cup become SEQAFL Division 1 Pineapple Hotel Cup and Surfers Paradise were promoted into the top state level QAFL upon its rebirth in 2014. Brad Moore coached the club claimed its first senior QAFL premiership in 2019 with a tight two-point victory over cross town rivals Palm Beach Currumbin at Metricon Stadium. [6]
Gold Coast Australian Football League
AFLQ Gold Coast Division
Queensland Australian Football League
The juniors were formed in 1962 as one of six foundation members of the Gold Coast Juniors Football League and in 1964 the under 16s won the premiership. The Under 18s/ 17s won eight consecutive premierships from 1965 to 1972.(Coolangatta won under 17's 1970 & Southport won 1971) [7] The Junior and Senior clubs have delivered fourteen players to the AFL.
| Year | Name | Team | Draft No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Clark Keating | Brisbane Bears | QLD Zone Selection |
| 2009 AFL Queensland Zone Selection | Jesse Haberfield | Gold Coast | QLD Zone Selection |
| 2009 AFL Queensland Zone Selection | Jack Stanlake | Gold Coast | QLD Zone Selection |
| 2011 AFL Queensland Zone Selection | Dayne Zorko | Gold Coast | QLD Zone Selection |
| 2014 | Braydon Preuss | North Melbourne | 15th (rookie) |
| 2016 | Jack Bowes | Gold Coast | 10th |
Carrara Stadium is a stadium on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara.
Marcus Ashcroft is a former professional Australian rules footballer. He played 318 games for the Brisbane Bears/Lions and is currently on the coaching panel of the Gold Coast Football Club. The Marcus Ashcroft Medal, awarded to the player judged best on ground in the QClash football match played between the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Football Club, is named after him.
The Queensland Australian Football League is an Australian rules football competition organised by the AFL Queensland, contested by clubs from South East Queensland.
The Summerland Australian Football League or SAFL was an Australian rules football competition in the Northern Rivers and New England region of New South Wales, Australia, in existence from 1984 to 2011. It now is reformed under the AFL Queensland banner under various QFA divisions, currently QFA Division 2 South/Northern Rivers.
The Southport Australian Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks, is an Australian rules football club based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, that competes in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
There are several Australian rules football leagues in regional Queensland.
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The Palm Beach Currumbin Australian Football Club is an Australian rules football club on the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club emblem is the lion and the club plays in both Division One and Division Two of the AFL Queensland State League.
Redland-Victoria Point Sharks Football Club is a Brisbane based sports club. The Australian rules football team competes in the Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL) since 2021. They have previously been a part of both the AFL Queensland State League and the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL).
Sir Bruce Small Park is a sporting facility located in Benowa, a suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland in Australia. Its baseball facilities are home to the Surfers Paradise Baseball Club, current premiers of the Greater Brisbane League. It has hosted many high-profile Australian baseball events such as the Masters Games and University Games.
Steven McLuckie is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Broc McCauley is a former Australian rules footballer, who played for Hawthorn Football Club and Brisbane Lions Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Robina Roos Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Gold Coast, Queensland. The team currently competes in the SEQAFL Div 2.
Maroochydore Australian Football Club is an Australian rules football club based at Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland which competes in AFL Queensland leagues in South East Queensland. Their men's team have been playing in the QAFL since 2020 and their women's team have been playing in the QAFLW since 2017.
Dayne Zorko is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). Zorko is a five-time Merrett–Murray Medallist and was selected in the 2017 All-Australian team. He was also the Lions' leading goalkicker in 2016 and 2017. Zorko served as Brisbane Lions captain from 2018 through to 2022.
Australian rules football on the Gold Coast, Queensland can be traced back to the Gold Coast Australian Football League that was established in 1961. The city's interest in the sport has been heavily linked to the Southport Australian Football Club, the Brisbane Football Club and more recently the Gold Coast Football Club. The highest form of the sport played on the Gold Coast is the Australian Football League's team the Gold Coast Football Club, who were admitted into the competition in 2011.
Surfers Paradise Apollo Soccer Club is a semi-professional soccer club based in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia. The club currently plays in the Football Queensland Premier League, the second flight of men's soccer in Queensland and the third flight of Australian soccer. Since the club was formed in 1978, Surfers Paradise Apollo have won 3 premierships, 3 championships and one president's cup within the top-flight Gold Coast regional competition, as well as a variety of second tier honours.
Caleb Graham is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
David Lake is an Australian rules football coach who is a former coach of the Gold Coast Suns women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW).
