# 1877 SAFA season

The 1877 South Australian Football Association season was the inaugural season of the South Australian Football Association, the top-level league of Australian rules football in South Australia.
The clubs participating were Adelaide, Bankers, Kensington, Port Adelaide, South Adelaide, South Park, Victorian, Woodville.
South Adelaide and Victorian would share the premiership honours as there was no grand final playoff, while the Bankers Football Club, who finished last without a win and forfeited a number of games, folded before the end of the season.

## South Australian Football Association

The newly formed South Australian Football Association decided that the playing fields for the season must be between 180 and 200 yards (165-183m) long and 120-150 yards (110-137m) wide, with pushing from behind being prohibited. For clubs to gain membership of the association, they would need to pay two guineas for the year.

## Premiership Season
### Round 1

| | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | |
| Saturday, 12 May (2:45 pm) | Adelaide 4 | def. | Bankers 1 | Old Adelaide Ground |
| Saturday, 12 May (3:30 pm) | Kensington 0 | def. by | Port Adelaide 3 | Kensington Oval |
| The game between Adelaide and Bankers was scheduled for 5 May but was postponed due to the weather. ||||||
Teams for the first games were advertised on the day as follows:
Football matches will be played this afternoon between the Kensington and Port Adelaide clubs on the Kensington Oval, and Adelaide v. Bankers on the Adelaide ground, North Park Lands. A color match will also be played on the grounds of the South Park Club.
The names of the Adelaide Club players are Messrs. M. Acraman, F. A. Bleechmore, G. Butterworth, W. Cate, Canaway, W. E. Dalton, A.Fesenmeyer, H. and C. Hughes, Morgan, Poole, A. and D. C.Scott, R. N.Twopeny, Wyatt, and Jas, Jno., and E. B. Young.
The players in the match between the Port Adelaide and Kensington Clubs are:— Port Adelaide — Messrs. E. Ede, W. Fletcher, J, S. Hawkes, W. Kelly, A. LeMessurier, J. A. Rann, H. Fletcher, J. Sidoli, A. Pickhaver, T. Wildrew, H. Dewar, T. Prideaux, F.Dewar, A. Dewar, F. A. Colman, T. Smith, D.Kettie, Et. LeMessurier, A. Wald, and Ed. LeMessurier, with W. Bennett, T. C. Neill, and W. Pyne, as emergency men.
Kensington — Messrs. E.Woods, J. Woods, H. Goode, W. Day, F. Day, A. Frew, T. Burton, F. G. Stanton, P. Wood, C.A. Patterson, W. Gwynne, H. Muirhead, T.Pope, H. Stanton, A. Harrison, B. Hall, A. M. Hargrave, and Moulden, with C. T. Hargrave,H. W. Hargrave, J. Thomas, and T. James, as emergency men.

### Round 2

| | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | | |
| Saturday, 19 May (3:15 pm) | Adelaide 3 | def. | Port Adelaide 2 | Old Adelaide Ground (crowd: 250) | [8] [9] |
| Saturday, 19 May | South Park 1 | def. | Bankers 0 | South Park Lands | [8] [10] |

### Round 3

| | Round 3 | Round 3 | Round 3 | |
| Saturday, 26 May (3:15 pm) | Adelaide 1 | def. | Woodville 0 | Old Adelaide Ground |
| Saturday, 26 May (3:00 pm) | Kensington 1 | def. | South Park 0 | Kensington Oval |
| Saturday, 26 May | Victorian 1 | def. | Port Adelaide 0 | Montefiore Hill |
| Adelaide played a game at Kapunda on Thursday 24 May and returned via Train to Adelaide on Friday morning. On the Saturday 8 players had withdrawn from the team leaving them to only field 18 (including their Captain who was injured), whilst Woodville had a full team of 20. It was reported that the Ground was underwater but Woodville were still keen to play. Non Association Matches Played against Country Clubs on the Holiday Thursday 24 May - Adelaide, 4 goals, beat Kapunda, 2. Thursday 24th May - Woodville, 1 goal, beat Gawler, 0. ||||||

### Round 4

| | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 4 | |
| Saturday, 2 June | Kensington 0 | def. by | South Adelaide 2 | Kensington Oval |
| Saturday, 2 June (3:00 pm) | Woodville 0 | def. by | Victorian 3 | Woodville |
| Saturday, 2 June | Adelaide 2 | def. | South Park 0 | Old Adelaide Ground |
| Saturday, 2 June | Port Adelaide 3 | def. | Bankers 0 | Glanville |

### Round 5

| | Round 5 | Round 5 | Round 5 | |
| Saturday, 9 June (3:15 pm) | Kensington 0 | drew with | Adelaide 0 | Kensington Oval |
| Saturday, 9 June (3:45 pm) | Woodville 0 | def. by | South Adelaide 1 * | Woodville |
| Saturday, 9 June | Victorian 2 | def. | South Park 0 | Montefiore Hill |
| This result was originally reported as a 0-0 draw due to a goal umpire not allowing a goal scored by a South Adelaide player running on after taking a mark. The Victorians all appeared in costume, which consisted of a black guernsey with yellow facings, and cap of the same color, which presented a marked contrast to their opponent - South Park white and light blue uniforms ||||||

### Round 6

| | Round 6 | Round 6 | Round 6 | |
| Saturday, 16 June | Adelaide 1 | drew with | Victorian 1 | Old Adelaide Ground |
| Saturday, 16 June | South Park 0 | def. by | Woodville 2 | South Park Lands |
| Saturday, 16 June (3:15 pm) | Port Adelaide 4 | def. | Kensington 0 | Glanville |
| The game between Bankers and South Adelaide scheduled for 16 June was awarded to South Adelaide on forfeit as only 13 Bankers players appeared. ||||||

### Round 7

| | Round 7 | Round 7 | Round 7 | |
| Saturday, 23 June (3:00 pm) | Adelaide 0 | def. by | South Adelaide 1 | Adelaide Oval (crowd: 650) |
| Saturday, 23 June (3:15 pm) | Port Adelaide 1 | drew with | Woodville 1 | Glanville |
| Saturday, 23 June | Victorian 7 | def. | Bankers 0 | Montefiore Hill |
| Saturday, 23 June (3:00 pm) | South Park 2 | def. | Kensington 0 | South Park Lands |

### Round 8

| | Round 8 | Round 8 | Round 8 | |
| Saturday, 30 June | South Adelaide 0 | drew with | Victorian 0 | South Park Lands (crowd: 650) |
| Saturday, 30 June (3:00 pm) | Port Adelaide 1 | def. | South Park 0 | Glanville |

### Round 9

| | Round 9 | Round 9 | Round 9 | |
| Saturday, 7 July (3:15 pm) | Adelaide 9 | def. | Bankers 0 | Old Adelaide Ground |
| Saturday, 7 July (3:15 pm) | South Adelaide 0 | drew with | Woodville 0 | South Park Lands |
| Saturday, 7 July (3:15 pm) | Victorian 3 | def. | Kensington 0 | Montefiore Hill |

### Round 10

| | Round 10 | Round 10 | Round 10 | |
| Saturday, 14 July (3:00 pm) | Woodville 1 | def. by | South Park 2 | Woodville |
| Saturday, 14 July (3:15 pm) | Port Adelaide 1 | drew with | Adelaide 1 | Glanville |
| Saturday, 14 July (Time pm) | Bankers 1 | def. by | Kensington 4 | Old Adelaide Ground |
| Colours - Bankers (Blue) Kensington (Red) ||||||

### Round 11

| | Round 11 | Round 11 | Round 11 | |
| Saturday, 21 July (3:15 pm) | South Adelaide 3 | def. | Port Adelaide 0 | South Park Lands |
| Saturday, 21 July | Kensington 3 | def. by | Woodville 8 | Kensington Oval |
| Saturday, 21 July (3:15 pm) | Adelaide 2 | def. | South Park 1 | Old Adelaide Ground |
| Saturday, 21 July (3:00 pm) | Victorian 5 | def. | Bankers 1 | Montefiore Hill |
| Colours - Victorian orange and black, Bankers blue and white ||||||

### Round 12

| | Round 12 | Round 12 | Round 12 | |
| Saturday, 28 July (3:30 pm) | Adelaide 2 | def. | Woodville 0 | Old Adelaide Ground (crowd: 500) |
| Saturday, 28 July (3:10 pm) | Port Adelaide 2 | def. | Victorian 1 | Glanville |
| Saturday, 28 July (3:30 pm) | South Adelaide 7 | def. | Kensington 0 | South Park Lands |
| Saturday, 28 July (3:00 pm) | South Park 3 | def. | Bankers 0 | South Park Lands |
| The game against South Park would be the Bankers last game as a club. ||||||

### Round 13

| | Round 13 | Round 13 | Round 13 | |
| Saturday, 4 August (3:00 pm) | Victorian 2 | def. | Adelaide 0 | Montefiore Hill |
| Saturday, 4 August (3:20 pm) | Port Adelaide 0 | def. by | South Adelaide 1 | Glanville (crowd: 500) |
| Saturday, 4 August | South Park 1 | drew with | Kensington 1 | South Park Lands |

### Round 14

| | Round 14 | Round 14 | Round 14 | |
| Saturday, 11 August (3:00 pm) | Woodville 0 | def. by | South Park 5 | Woodville |
| Saturday, 11 August (3:00 pm) | Adelaide 6 | def. | Kensington 2 | Old Adelaide Ground |
| A game scheduled between Port Adelaide and the Bankers at Montefiore Hill was awarded to Port Adelaide on forfeit: Port had a full team on the field when the Bankers' captain informed them and the umpire that the Bankers were unable to field a team. Teams were affected due to their star players involvement in a combined SAFA team (with players picked from Victorian, Woodville, South Park and Port Adelaide Clubs) vs. Melbourne game being played at the Exhibition Grounds simultaneously: Melbourne defeated the combined team by five goals to nil. ||||||

### Round 15

| | Round 15 | Round 15 | Round 15 | |
| Saturday, 25 August (3:15 pm) | Victorian 2 | v | Woodville 0 | Montefiore Hill |
| Saturday, 25 August | South Park 0 | def. by | South Adelaide 4 | South Park Lands |
| The Victorians were short of two of their players — Messrs. Barry and Kingsford — while the Woodvilles, besides being; greatly weakened by the retirement of their late captain and several first-class men, were playing with seven of their second twenty. ||||||

### Round 16

| | Round 16 | Round 16 | Round 16 | |
| Saturday, 1 September (3:15 pm) | South Adelaide 2 | def. | Adelaide 0 | South Park Lands (crowd: 400) |
| Saturday, 1 September | Port Adelaide 2 | def. | South Park 1 | Glanville |
| Saturday, 1 September | Woodville 3 | def. | Kensington 0 | Woodville |

### Round 17

| | Round 17 | Round 17 | Round 17 | |
| Saturday, 8 September | South Adelaide 1 | def. | South Park 0 | South Park Lands (crowd: 500) |
| Saturday, 8 September (3:45 pm) | Kensington 1 | v | Victorian 2 | Kensington Oval |
| Woodvilles v. Ports. A match between these Clubs was arranged to take place at Woodville on Saturday, 8 September ; but the Woodvilles were unable to raise a team, so the match was postponed until Saturday, 15 September, when the Ports were again disappointed by the Woodvilles not turning out. ||||||

### Round 18

| | Round 18 | Round 18 | Round 18 | |
| Saturday, 15 September | South Park 0 | drew with | Victorian 0 | South Park Lands |
| Victorian claimed they had won the game, but a South Park protest was upheld and the game's single goal was annulled. The match was noted as the roughest of the season. The result being declared a draw following a motion being carried at an Association meeting on Friday 5 October. A game was scheduled for September 15 between Port Adelaide and Woodville at Woodville was awarded to Port Adelaide as Woodville forfeited due to a lack of players (their principal players being involved in a practice cricket match at Norwood). A game was scheduled for September 15 between Adelaide and Bankers at Adelaide Oval. However, Bankers as announced will not meet Adelaide. ||||||

### Round 19 (Postponed)

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION MATCHES for SATURDAY, 22 September.
At Montefiore — Victorian v. South Adelaide.
At South Park— Port v. South Park
Football. — Two Association matches are announced for today one between the Port Adelaide and South Park Clubs on the ground of the latter, and the other between the Victorian and South Adelaide Clubs at Montefiore Hill. The latter match will decide the question of the championship of the season, and will, it is to be hoped, be largely attended, as a hat is to be passed round at half-time for the benefit of the sufferers by the Indian famine.
In consequence of the inclement weather on Saturday, 22 September, the football matches which were to have been played between the South Adelaide and Victorian Clubs and the Port Adelaide and South Park Clubs were postponed.

### Round 19

| | Round 19 | Round 19 | Round 19 | |
| Saturday, 29 September (3:30 pm) | South Park 1 | def. by | Port Adelaide 3 | South Park Lands |
| Saturday, 29 September (3:15 pm) | Victorian 1 | def. | South Adelaide 0 | Montefiore Hill |
| The duties of field-umpire were most efficiently and impartially performed by Mr. J.R. Osborne (ex Woodville Captain). At one time a quarrel nearly arose, but it was promptly put down by the captains. Messrs. Giffen and Smart were goal-umpires. It was reported that the following players will take part in the game: South Adelaides — Messrs. G. Kennedy (Captain), Mehrtens (Vice), Absalom, Blinman, Colbey, Curtis, Coonan, Dedman, Jones, Kennedy, Kingston, Mehrtens, Reid, Stacey, Shaw, Sellars, Thompson, Toll, Wallace, Woolridge. Emergency — Sketheway, Sharp, Simmonds, and Argall. Victorians— Atkinson, Colley, Downs (Captain), Davies (2), Furnell, Frayne, Fiveash, Hall, Knill, Kingsfold, Lammey, Murray, Miller, Osborn, Stratton, Sharp, Warren, Furnell, and Salsberg. Emergency man — Miller. His Excellency the Administrator of the Government and His Worship the Mayor have given their patronage for the occasion. ||||||

### Summary of other matches

Thursday 24 May - Adelaide, 4 goals, beat Kapunda, 2.
Thursday 24 May - Woodville, 1 goal, beat Gawler, 0. Wednesday 21 June (Public Holiday) - Adelaide, 1 goal tied Gawler, 1. Crowd 450 at Gawler Monday 6 August Adelaide, 3 goals, beat Kapunda, 2 at South Adelaide's Ground
Intercolonial Matches Saturday 11 August Melbourne, 1 goal, beat Victorian, 0. Crowd: 2000 at Exhibition Grounds
Monday 13 August Melbourne, 5 goals, beat South Australian Combined Team, 0. Crowd: 1000 at Exhibition Grounds The combined team comprised players selected from the following local Clubs:
Victorians, G. Downs (Captain of the South Australian combatants), C. Warren, H.Barry, Knill, Kingsford, W. Lanjmey, H. Allen, and J. Sharp;
Ports, T. Smith, A. LeMessurier, Fletcher, W. Frideaux, and Tysack;
Woodvilles, T. Beeves, Letchford, G. Giffen, Aitken, and J. B. Osborne;
South Parks, J. M. Sinclair and Cresswell.
South Australians, 3 goals, beat Victorians, 1.
St. Kilda, 5 goals, beat Adelaide, 2. Crowd 3500 at Adelaide Oval
St. Kilda. 7 goals, beat South Australians, 2.

## Ladder

Victorian finished the season with eight more goals but a slightly inferior record than South Adelaide, but one should consider that Victorian played the Bankers twice whereas South Adelaide did not (their only scheduled match, in Round 6, was a forfeit when the Bankers could only muster 13 players). Further, while Adelaide finished with one more win than the other two clubs, they played 17 games to 13 and 14 respectively.
It was declared South Adelaide and Victorian would be deemed joint Champion Club (premiers). which was also acknowledged by South Adelaide at their Annual Dinner on evening of Tuesday 2 October.
1877 SAFA Ladder :
| | TEAM | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | PTS | Adj Pts |
| 1 | South Adelaide (P) | 13 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 1 | 22 | 28.77 |
| 1 | Victorian (P) | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 5 | 23 | 27.93 |
| 3 | Adelaide | 17 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 31 | 13 | 25 | 25.00 |
| 4 | Port Adelaide | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 23 | 13 | 20 | 22.67 |
| 5 | Woodville | 16 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 14 | 18 | 12 | 12.75 |
| 6 | South Park | 17 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 16 | 23 | 12 | 12.00 |
| 7 | Kensington | 15 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 43 | 8 | 9.07 |
| 8 | Bankers | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 36 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Adj Pts = Points adjusted for match ratio, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Adj Pts = Points adjusted for match ratio, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Adj Pts = Points adjusted for match ratio, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Adj Pts = Points adjusted for match ratio, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Adj Pts = Points adjusted for match ratio, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Adj Pts = Points adjusted for match ratio, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Adj Pts = Points adjusted for match ratio, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Adj Pts = Points adjusted for match ratio, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Adj Pts = Points adjusted for match ratio, (P) = Premiers | |
Note: Woodville were ranked above South Park on head-to-head record (2-1). It was reported at the end of the season that Bankers had forfeited 6 out of their 15 games. (Adelaide, Port Adelaide, South Adelaide, Kensington 1 each, and Woodville 2)

## Membership

| Club | Membership |
| Port Adelaide | 85 |
| South Adelaide | 85 |
| Victorian | 76 |
| Kensington | 65 |
| South Park | 56 |
| Adelaide | 50 |
| Woodville | |
| Bankers | 50 |