AFL Cairns is a semi-professional Australian rules football league that includes clubs from the Cairns region in Queensland, Australia. It is widely regarded as the strongest regional Australian rules football league in Queensland and has a large base at Cazalys Stadium which has staged Australian Football League matches. The league has significant coverage in local media such as The Cairns Post. Each year the senior men's Grand Final attracts between 2,500 and 3,500 spectators. AFL Cairns runs a men's competition with seniors and reserves divisions, as well as a women's and junior competitions.

History

Early football matches in Cairns

An article in the Cairns Post on 3 September 1885 on page 3 titled "Football Match" describes a game of football played at the then cricket grounds, believed to have been in the precinct around Munro Martin Park and the Civic Theatre. This game was between Cairns, led by Jack MacNamara (believed to have been a representative of Victoria at first intercolonial match) and Townsville, led by F Rendall. References are made of "Little Marks" and the final score after 2 hours was Cairns, 1 goal 7 behinds to Townsville, 1 goal 3 behinds. The Cairns umpire was AJ Draper. The Cairns team was :- Michelle Burke, Leonie Burke, J Swallow, "Little" Draper, Reid, Crawford, Horse, Campbell, Warren, Harrison, McClelland, Oldham, Rev.Nobbs, Grcnsen, J.Loridan, Bulcock, Wood, Ärmstrong, C.Loridan, Johnstone, D. Wall, Middlebrook, Schumhronk, Dent, McCarthy, Hogarth. T. H. LAKE was the secretary. In 1932 a new association was formed with 30 members and called upon Melbourne teams to play an exhibition match and assistance from the Australian National Football Council. In its first match combined Cairns-Gordonvale team defeated a team from Tully 9 goals 9 to 5 goals 10. However the competition was shortlived. During World War II, calls were put out for the organisation of local matches and at least one such match was played in Gordonvale on 19 March 1942. A Cairns Charity league was set up that year featuring four service teams based in Cairns - RAAF, two Army teams and a navy team. The services league lasted just one season. In 1944, a one-off match was organised between the Triangles and Locals.

Cairns Australian Football League

The modern league as we now know it formed in 1955 as the Cairns Australian Football League and a local schoolboy competition was also formed resulting in a junior representative trip to Townsville by plane. In 1957 the ANFC, through Bruce Andrew, purchased land in Cairns for the first dedicated field in regional Queensland which became Cazalys Stadium. The initial Senior competition had only two teams, Norths and Souths. This has since expanded to seven teams. Around 2000, the league affiliated with the Australian Football League and was re-branded AFL Cairns. The league has grown rapidly in recent years with the ongoing development of Cazalys Stadium, the success of the Queensland-based Brisbane Lions, and with Cairns hosting exhibition Australian Football League matches and later matches for premiership points. The league introduced a Women's Footy competition in 2002.

2004 grand final

In the 2004 Grand Final between North Cairns and Port Douglas, a brawl began moments after the conclusion of the national anthem before the start of the match. Further fighting occurred on the field and in the crowd during the match. North Cairns, who were seen as underdogs going into the match, won the match by 48 points, giving the club their first premiership since 1988. However the premiership was stripped following a lengthy investigation, with no premiers awarded for the 2004 season. The grand final gained national media attention, and is considered one of the ugliest moments in the history of Australian rules football.

Manunda Hawks' Omission from the 2015 season

In 2014, the Manunda Hawks forfeited an away game against Port Douglas due to the concern for the safety of a player that was threatened via social media. The league reacted by suspending the club for the 2015 season.

Clubs

Current

Former

Junior clubs

Current

Former

AFL Players

Notable players from the AFL Cairns who went on to play at VFL/AFL level include

Grounds/Venues

2009 Ladder

2010 Ladder

2011 Ladder

2012 Ladder

2013 Ladder

2014 Ladder

2015 Ladder

2016 Ladder

2017 Ladder

2018 Ladder

2019 Ladder

2020 Ladder

Premiers

Below is the complete list of senior premiers in the AFL Cairns:

Senior Grand Final Results

1 The 2004 Senior Grade Grand Final was declared a "no result" and the Premiership Cup withheld.

Senior Premierships Summary List 1956–2022

Recent Reserve Grade Grand Final Results

Reserves Premierships Summary List 1962-2021