# AFL South Coast

The AFL South Coast is an Australian rules football competition in the Shoalhaven and Illawarra regions of New South Wales. The AFLSC has two divisions of senior men's football and one division of senior women's football. In 2012 The South Coast AFL became "AFL South Coast" incorporating the three leagues of South Coast AFL Seniors, Shoalhaven Juniors and Illawarra Juniors.
The competition is technically South Coast's division of the New South Wales Australian Football League.

## History

The South Coast AFL was formed in 1969, composed of players from the military bases of HMAS Albatross, HMAS Creswell, and the cities of Nowra and Wollongong. In 1970 the Bomaderry club was formed and in 1972 Dapto joined the competition.
In 1975, Wollongong and Dapto left the league to create the Illawarra Australian Football League. They were joined by Bulli-Woonona (now known as Northern Districts), Port Kembla and Shellharbour, three clubs who had run junior programs but were introducing senior football. The sixth foundation club of the senior league was the University of Wollongong.
In 1988, the Wollongong Lions moving to the Sydney Football League causing the league to disband and the remaining clubs joining the South Coast AFL, which was renamed the Leisure Coast Australian Football League. The league returned to the name "South Coast AFL" in 2002.
In 2012 The South Coast AFL became "AFL South Coast" incorporating the three leagues of South Coast AFL Seniors, Shoalhaven Juniors and Illawarra Juniors.

## Clubs

Teams are listed by their highest grade.
| Emblem | Club | Nickname | Home Ground | Founded | Years in competition | Web Page |
| Seniors |||||||
| | Bomaderry | Tigers | Artie Smith Oval | 1969 | 1970- | Official site |
| | Figtree | Kangaroos (Men) & Saints (Women) | Harry Graham Park | 1999 | 1999- | Official site |
| | Kiama | Power | Bonaira Playing Field | 1999 | 2002- | Official site |
| | Northern Districts (formerly Bulli-Woonona) | Tigers | Hollymount Park | 1971 | 1988- | Official site |
| | Shellharbour City | Suns | Myimbarr Community Park | 2011 | 2011– (Reserve) 2013– (Senior) | Official site |
| | Wollongong | Lions | North Dalton Park | 1966 | 1971–1974, 2015– | Official site |
| | Wollongong | Bulldogs | Keira Oval | 2008 | 2008– (Reserve) 2010– (Senior) | Official site |
| Reserves |||||||
| | Bay & Basin | Bombers | Bay & Basin Leisure Centre | 1999 | 2019, 2023- | |
| | Port Kembla | Blacks | Kully Bay Oval | 1966 | 1975– (Illawarra AFL 1975–1988) | Official site |
| | Ulladulla | Dockers | West Ulladulla AFL Field | 2009 | 2009– (Reformed) (Reserve Grade only) | Official site |

### Clubs with Juniors only

* Shellharbour Swans
* Shoalhaven Giants

### Previous

| Club | Mascot | Years in Competition | Fate |
| Albatross (formerly HMAS Albatross) | Demons | 1969–2014 | Merged with Nowra after 2014 season to form Nowra Albatross |
| Albion Park | Crows | 2019–2021 | Folded |
| Camden | Cats | SCAFL 1996–2007 | Moved to AFL Sydney after 2008 season |
| Goulburn-Bargo | Hawks | 1997–98 | Folded |
| HMAS Creswell | | 1969 | Folded |
| Dapto | Hawks | SCAFL 1972–1974 IAFL 1975–1988, 1989 | Folded |
| Dapto City | Stallions | 2015–2019 | Folded |
| East Nowra | | 1980–1987 | Folded |
| Nowra | Blues | 1969–2014 Merged with Albatross | Merged with Albatross after 2014 season to form Nowra Albatross |
| Nowra-Albatross | Vikings | 2015–2023 | Official site |
| Wollondilly | Knights | 2008–2013 | Folded, reformed in AFL Sydney |

## Premierships

* 1969 Wollongong
* 1970 Wollongong
* 1971 Albatross
* 1972 Albatross
* 1973 Nowra
* 1974 Nowra
* 1975 Albatross
* 1976 Nowra
* 1977 Nowra
* 1978 Albatross
* 1979 Albatross
* 1980 Nowra
* 1981 East Nowra
* 1982 Nowra
* 1983 Albatross
* 1984 Albatross
* 1985 Batemans Bay
* 1986 Batemans Bay
* 1987 Batemans Bay
* 1988 Batemans Bay
* 1989 Bomaderry
* 1990 Albatross
* 1991 Albatross
* 1992 Albatross
* 1993 Port Kembla
* 1994 Bomaderry
* 1995 Albatross
* 1996 Albatross
* 1997 Albatross
* 1998 Nowra
* 1999 Port Kembla
* 2000 Bomaderry
* 2001 Nowra
* 2002 Nowra
* 2003 Camben
* 2004 Bomaderry
* 2005 Camben
* 2006 Bomaderry
* 2007 Bomaderry
* 2008 Bomaderry
* 2009 Kiama
* 2010 Bomaderry
* 2011 Kiama
* 2012 Wollongong University
* 2013 Wollongong University
* 2014 Wollongong University
Premier Division
* 2015 Wollongong Bulldogs
* 2016 Wollongong Lions
* 2017 Wollongong Lions
* 2018 Kiama
* 2019 Wollongong Lions
* 2020 Figtree
* 2022 Figtree
* 2023 Figtree
First Division
* 2015 Figtree
* 2016 Wollongong Bulldogs
* 2017 Kiama
* 2018 Bomaderry
* 2019 Wollongong Bulldogs
* 2020 Figtree
* 2022 Wollongong Bulldogs
* 2023 Wollongong Bulldogs
Second Division
* 2018 Bomaderry
* 2019 Ulladulla
* 2020 Figtree
* 2022 Wollongong Bulldogs
* 2023 Wollongong Bulldogs
Womens Premier
* 2018 Bomaderry
* 2019 Wollongong Bulldogs
* 2020 Wollongong Saints
* 2022 Wollongong Lions
* 2023 Wollongong Lions
Womens Division One
* 2019 Ulladulla
* 2020 Shellharbour
* 2022 Northern Districts Tigers
* 2023 Kiama Power

## Honours
### Life Members

* Ray Tunbridge, 1975
* Alan Blacker, 1977
* Tom Smith, 1979
* John Collier, 1980
* Stewart Stephens, 1981
* Ian Biggs, 1983
* Eddie Smith, 1985
* Greg Perry, 1987
* John Ford, 1996
* D. Cornish, 1997
* K. Blundell, Reg Douglas and N. Hickmott, 1998
* K. Bright, L. Bright and J. Tatnell, 2005
* Terry Ashton, 2011
* Max Avery, 2009

### Tom Smith Memorial Trophy

A lightning premiership played at the start of the season.
* 1977 Bomaderry
* 1978 Albatross
* 1979 Nowra
* 1980 East Nowra
* 1981 Nowra
* 1982 Nowra
* 1984 Albatross
* 1990 Bomaderry
* 1991 Bomaderry
* 1992 Albatross
* 1993 Port Kembla
* 1994 Bomaderry
* 1995 Nowra
* 1996 Bomaderry
* 1997 Bomaderry
* 1998 Port Kembla
* 1999 Camden
* 2001 Albatross
* 2002 Bomaderry
* 2003 Camden
* 2004 Albatross
* 2005 Albatross
* 2006 Camden
* 2007 Nowra
* 2008 Bomaderry
* 2009 Kiama
* 2010 Northern Districts
* 2011 Wollongong University
* 2012 Kiama
* 2013 Kiama
* 2017 Figtree

### Hall of Fame

* 2017 Neville Hickmott
* 2018 Ray Tunbridge
* 2019 Tom Smith

## AFL players

* Arthur Chilcott had a short career with the Sydney Swans between 1984 and 1985. He played 13 games and scored 14 goals.
* Aidan Riley was rookie listed by the Adelaide Crows via the NSW scholarship program, making his debut in 2011 in their round 19 match against Port Adelaide. In 2014 he joined the Melbourne Football Club and after playing the 2014 and 2015 seasons returned to Adelaide to play with the Sturt Football Club in the SANFL. Aidan Riley retired from Sturt in 2019.
* James Bell played his debut game for the Sydney Swans in 2019 against Port Adelaide. A former Shellharbour Junior, James signed with the Swans as a Rookie in 2017.