The Port Lincoln Football League is an Australian rules football competition based at the southern extremity of the Eyre Peninsula region of South Australia, Australia. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League. Port Lincoln Football League games are officiated by the Port Lincoln Football League Umpires Association.
Brief history
The league was originally formed in 1910 as the Port Lincoln Football Association.
The league was reformed in 1946 (having been in recess during World War II) under its current title of Port Lincoln Football League. At that time the participating clubs were Lincoln South, Tasman and Waybacks.
Marble Range rejoined the league in 1953 from the Great Flinders FL, having been a member of the PLFA before World War II. Their re-entry was conditional on a probation period where they would only play B Grade until winning a premiership in this division, which they achieved in 1956 and were promoted to the senior division.
Tumby Bay and Eyre United joined the league after the Eastern Eyre Football Association folded after the 1961 season, although both clubs eventually moved to the Great Flinders FL, Eyre United in 1971 and Tumby Bay in 1981.
Boston and Mallee Park were formed to join the Port Lincoln FL in 1972 and 1980 respectively.
2010 Controversy
On 17 July 2010 Boston forfeited all matches to Mallee Park citing issues with on field violence and a refusal by the league to take action to prevent it. The club has alleged that it could be facing expulsion from the league for taking this action.[1][2]
A number of players from the Port Lincoln FL clubs have gone on to play professionally in the SANFL and AFL. The team with most players to do so at any one time is Mallee Park, who have direct player/team relationships with at least 11 current indigenous players on 6 AFL team lists, including Graham Johncock, Eddie Betts, Harry Miller, Russell Coulthard, Daniel Wells, Lindsay Thomas, Byron Pickett and brothers Peter and Shaun Burgoyne.
Mallee Park also has a direct relationship with some other Indigenous players whose fathers have played for the club in its early foundation years in the early 1980s.
Encyclopedia of South Australian country football clubs / compiled by Peter Lines. ISBN 9780980447293
South Australian country football digest / by Peter Lines ISBN 9780987159199
References
^"Tigers could be kicked out of league - Local News - News - General - Port Lincoln Times". Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
^"League action against Boston - Local News - News - General - Port Lincoln Times". Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
^Country Footy 2010 Archived 22 July 2012 at archive.today