# 1881 SAFA season

The 1881 South Australian Football Association season was the 5th season of the top-level Australian rules football competition in South Australia. The premiership season began on Saturday 7 May.
Norwood went on to record its 4th consecutive premiership.
The years premiership trophy was called the Fowler Challenge Cup.
Adelaide and Kensington merged at a meeting held on 11 April 1881 to create full squads of a senior and second twenty and it was decided that the colour of the club be black-and scarlet guernsey, hose, and cap, and navy blue knickerbockers but resigned from the competition after 4 games.
It was then reported endeavours were being made to induce the North Adelaide Juniors and the North Parks to amalgamate and apply to the Association for permission to take up the fixtures of the Adelaide and Kensington Club. However, this didn't eventuate but the two clubs would merge and join the SAFA in 1885 as a new Adelaide senior team.

## Premiership season
### Round 1

| | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | |
| Saturday, 7 May (3:12 pm) | Victorian 0.7 (0) | drew with | South Adelaide 0.5 (0) | Adelaide Oval |
| Saturday, 7 May (3:30 pm) | South Park 0.3 (0) | def. by | Norwood 2.7 (2) | South Park Lands (crowd: 550) |
| Saturday, 7 May (3:25 pm) | Port Adelaide 3.15 (3) | def. | Adelaide-Kensington 1.2 (1) | Alberton Oval (crowd: 200) |

### Round 2

| | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | |
| Saturday, 14 May (3:20 pm) | Victorian 3.21 (3) | def. | Adelaide-Kensington 0.0 (0) | Montefiore Hill |
| Saturday, 14 May (2:45 pm) | Norwood 4.6 (4) | def. | Port Adelaide 1.3 (1) | Adelaide Oval (crowd: 1,500) |
| Saturday, 14 May (3:00 pm) | South Park 0.6 (6) | def. by | South Adelaide 1.7 (1) | South Park Lands |

### Round 3

| | Round 3 | Round 3 | Round 3 | |
| Saturday, 21 May (3:15 pm) | Norwood 2.5 (2) | drew with | Victorian 2.3 (2) | Adelaide Oval (crowd: 1,500) |
| Saturday, 21 May (3:15 pm) | Port Adelaide 3.18 (3) | def. | South Park 1.2 (1) | Alberton Oval |
| Saturday, 21 May | Adelaide-Kensington 0.4 (0) | def. by | South Adelaide 4.8 (4) | Kensington Oval |

### Round 4

| | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 4 | |
| Saturday, 28 May (3:30 pm) | Victorian 0.1 (0) | drew with | Port Adelaide 0.2 (0) | Adelaide Oval |
| Saturday, 28 May (3:30 pm) | South Adelaide 3.5 (3) | drew with | Norwood 3.11 (3) | South Park Lands |
| Saturday, 28 May | Adelaide-Kensington 0.1 (0) | def. by | South Park 7.14 (7) | Old Adelaide Ground |
| Adelaide-Kensington's game against South Park would be its last official game for the season as they resigned from the competition on the Wednesday 1 June. ||||||

### Round 5

| | Round 5 | Round 5 | Round 5 | |
| Saturday, 4 June (3:15 pm) | Victorian 0.4 (0) | def. by | South Park 2.6 (2) | Adelaide Oval |
| Saturday, 4 June (3:30 pm) | Port Adelaide 0.6 (0) | drew with | South Adelaide 0.8 (0) | Alberton Oval |
| Norwood were scheduled to play Adelaide-Kensington, but Adelaide-Kensington resigned from the competition on 1 June; Norwood were awarded the match on forfeit, and played against a 25 team from Royal Park instead. ||||||

### Round 6

| | Round 6 | Round 6 | Round 6 | |
| Saturday, 25 June | South Park 1.5 (1) | def. by | Norwood 4.6 (4) | Adelaide Oval |
| Saturday, 25 June | Victorian 1.9 (1) | def. | South Adelaide 0.0 (0) | Montefiore Hill |
| Despite Adelaide-Kensington resigning from the SAFA. A match was advertised and played on the Queen and Albert Oval (Alberton Oval), Saturday, June 25, between the first twenty of the Ports (17) and a combined team of Adelaides-cum-Kensingtons (20). The game was not commenced till 3.40pm in consequence of each team having to take on some substitutes. The game throughout was played in a very friendly spirit. Result - Port Adelaide defeated Adelaide-Kensingtion 8 goals 25 behinds to Nil ||||||

### Round 7

| | Round 7 | Round 7 | Round 7 | |
| Saturday, 2 July | South Adelaide 2.4 (2) | def. by | South Park 4.6 (4) | Adelaide Oval |
| Saturday, 2 July | Port Adelaide 1.11 (1) | drew with | Norwood 1.16 (1) | Alberton Oval |

### Round 8

| | Round 8 | Round 8 | Round 8 | |
| Saturday, 9 July (3:15 pm) | Victorian 0.2 (0) | def. by | Norwood 4.8 (4) | Adelaide Oval (crowd: 1,000) |
| Saturday, 9 July (3:00 pm) | South Park 3.9 (3) | def. | Port Adelaide 1.5 (1) | South Park Lands |

### Round 9

| | Round 9 | Round 9 | Round 9 | |
| Saturday, 16 July | Norwood 6.17 (6) | def. | South Adelaide 0.1 (0) | Adelaide Oval |
| Saturday, 16 July (3:25 pm) | Port Adelaide 0.11 (0) | def. by | Victorian 1.4 (1) | Alberton Oval |

### Round 10

| | Round 10 | Round 10 | Round 10 | |
| Saturday, 23 July (3:20 pm) | South Adelaide 5.19 (5) | def. | Port Adelaide 0.7 (0) | Adelaide Oval (crowd: 500) |
| Saturday, 23 July | South Park 3.10 (3) | def. | Victorian 0.6 (0) | South Park Lands |

### Round 11

| | Round 11 | Round 11 | Round 11 | |
| Saturday, 30 July (3:20 pm) | Norwood 3.6 (3) | def. | South Park 0.10 (0) | Adelaide Oval |
| Saturday, 30 July (3:30 pm) | South Adelaide 2.8 (2) | def. | Victorian 0.6 (0) | South Park Lands |

### Round 12

| | Round 12 | Round 12 | Round 12 | |
| Saturday, 6 August | South Park 1.4 | drew with | South Adelaide 1.4 | South Park Lands |

### Round 13

| | Round 13 | Round 13 | Round 13 | |
| Saturday, 3 September | Port Adelaide 0 | drew with | South Park 0 | Alberton Oval |
| The newspaper reporter at the game was critical of the ground condition at Alberton Oval noting that areas had grass up to one foot high. ||||||

### Round 14

| | Round 14 | Round 14 | Round 14 | |
| Saturday, 10 September | South Adelaide 0.6 (0) | def. by | Norwood 3.10 (3) | South Park Lands |
| Saturday, 10 September | Victorian 0 | v | Port Adelaide 0 | Montefiore Hill |
| The Victorian v Port Adelaide match was abandoned due to a crowd invasion and declared a draw. A disputed goal (due to the goal umpire not at his post) 20 minutes before time caused both teams to withdraw from the ground. ||||||

### Round 15

| | Round 15 | Round 15 | Round 15 | |
| Saturday, 17 September (3:30 pm) | Victorian 0.5 (0) | drew with | South Park 0.10 (0) | Montefiore Hill |
| Saturday, 17 September | Port Adelaide 1 | drew with | South Adelaide 1.4 (1) | Alberton Oval |

### Round 16

| | Round 16 | Round 16 | Round 16 | |
| Saturday, 24 September (3:00 pm) | Norwood 6.14 (6) | v | Port Adelaide 0.0 (0) | East Park Lands |

### Round 17

| | Round 17 | Round 17 | Round 17 | |
| Saturday, 1 October | Victorian 1.2 (1) | def. by | Norwood 2.9 (2) | Montefiore Hill (crowd: 500) |

## Ladder

1881 SAFA Ladder :
| | TEAM | P | W | L | D | GF | GA |
| 1 | Norwood | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 40 | 9 |
| 2 | South Adelaide | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 18 |
| 3 | South Park | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 21 | 17 |
| 4 | Victorian | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 15 |
| 5 | Port Adelaide | 13 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 23 |
| 6 | Adelaide / Kensington | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17 |
| Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, (P) = Premiers | Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, (P) = Premiers | |
Note:
* South Adelaide played South Park three times for a 1-1-1 record; South Adelaide were ranked above South Park on a superior head-to-head record against Norwood (0-2-1 to 0-3).
* Adelaide/Kensington withdrew from the competition after Round 4; all published ladders record their Round 5 match against Norwood as a win for Norwood on forfeit.

## Intercolonial matches

| | 1881 Intercolonial Matches | 1881 Intercolonial Matches | 1881 Intercolonial Matches | |
| Saturday, 20 August | Victoria 8.24 | def. | South Australia 1.8 | East Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Wednesday, 24 August | Victoria 4.14 | def. | South Australia 1.5 | East Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 1,000) |

## Additional matches

| | South Park vs. South Adelaide rematch | South Park vs. South Adelaide rematch | South Park vs. South Adelaide rematch | |
| Saturday, 24 September | South Park 0.10 (0) | drew with | South Adelaide 0.8 (0) | South Park Lands |