AFL Darling Downs

Current season, competition or edition: 2023
Formerly	Darling Downs Australian Football League
Sport	Australian rules football
Founded	1971; 53 years ago (1971)
No. of teams	8
Most recent champion(s)	Coolaroo (2023)
Most titles	University Cougars (11)
Promotion to	(none)
Relegation to	(none)
Official website	aflq.com.au/darlingdowns

AFL Darling Downs is an Australian rules football competition based in the Darling Downs region of Queensland including its major city of Toowoomba. The competition was formed as the Darling Downs Australian Football League in 1971. The senior representative team is known as the Demons and wear guernseys modelled on the Melbourne Demons guernseys. The competition has one senior grade.

History of Australian Football in the Darling Downs, Queensland

The Warwick Football Club was formed in 1873 in Warwick to play under Australian rules, however lacking any nearby competitors for 3 years it played mostly intra-club scratch matches until Brisbane club Civil Service travelled to Toowoomba to play against a newly formed Toowoomba Football Club in 1876.^[1] AFL Queensland cites the Toowoomba Football Club as forming in 1873, however few sources back this up. As the game spread further west of the Great Divide^[2] clubs were split on whether to adopt rugby or Australian rules. Nevertheless, it is noted that clubs from the region in this era were able to hold their own against those from Brisbane.^[3] A Toowoomba Football Association formed in 1876^{[citation needed]} teams were 16-a-side however the rules used were not fully documented and some suggest it could have been an early rugby association which would be contemporary with the code being introduced to Brisbane. The Light Infantry Corps formed to play against the Light Infantry Football Club. The Association disappeared a couple of years later. As Downs clubs lacked nearby opponents rugby was more suited to facilitating matches against New South Wales clubs, as a result local competition went into recess. An exception was an 1878 match between Old-Victorians and All Comers played in front of a large crowd.^[4] The Queensland Football Association formed in 1880 and affiliated with the Victorian Football Association, however clubs outside of Brisbane were becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of representation for the whole colony. In 1881 matches were once again played in Toowoomba when the Toowoomba Grammar took up the sport.^[5] By 1882, a Toowoomba Association (affiliated with the QFA) had re-formed including both clubs and schools in the region.^[6] In 1883, a team of 12 travelled from Excelsior FC (Brisbane), noting a revival of the code in the region.^[7] The inclusion of the Allora Football Club at Allora in 1883 provided more regular interaction between the clubs.^[8] However the code suffered a major blow when, after the Brisbane private school association in 1887 voted to switch to rugby including Toowoomba Grammar. A senior Toowoomba Rugby Football Club formed in 1887and this was the last mention of the Toowoomba Football Club or any other Downs clubs playing Australian rules. After the collapse of the QFA in 1890 the Toowoomba Rugby Association and Toowoomba British Football Association were able to grow unopposed.

Modern Competition

The Darling Downs Australian Football League was first played as an official organised competition in 1971. Signals, Coolaroo and Aviation were the three foundation clubs and were joined by a fourth club, South Toowoomba in 1972.

The League has had many changes to the number of clubs participating since then, with eight A Grade Senior Clubs currently competing, and now known as AFL Darling Downs. It is a regional league in Queensland. There are four Senior clubs based in Toowoomba, and the other senior clubs come from Dalby, Goondiwindi, and Warwick. New teams from Kingaroy, and Chinchilla participated in the 2013 revamped competition. Chinchilla folded in 2018.

University Cougars AFC is the most successful club with 13 premierships, 4 under the banner of "Institute Eagles" and 5 under the moniker of "University Eagles". Coolaroo Roos has 9 premierships and Goondiwindi Hawks has 8. South Toowoomba Bombers (formerly Longhorns) and Toowoomba Tigers (formerly Pinkies) have 6 premiership flags each.^[9]

AFL Darling Downs Senior Clubs

There have been many different towns in the Darling Downs of Queensland fielding Australian Rules Football teams over the forty plus years of Senior Competition. Coolaroo Roos have played every season from the inaugural year, and Toowoomba Tigers have played the second most seasons. Below is a full list of Current and Former Clubs in the region.

Current Senior Clubs

Colours	Club	Location	Debut	Premiers	Ground
	Coolaroo Roos	Wilsonton Heights	1971	10	Rockville Park
	Dalby Swans	Dalby	1980	0	Dalby AFL Oval
	Goondiwindi Hawks	Goondiwindi	1980	8	Riddles Oval
	South Burnett Saints [note 1]	Kingaroy	1982	0	Lyle Vidler Oval
	South Toowoomba Bombers [note 2]	Harlaxton	1972	8	Heritage Oval
	Toowoomba Tigers [note 3]	Wilsonton Heights	1974	6	Rockville Park
	University Cougars [note 4]	Darling Heights	1976	13	Baker St Oval
	Warwick Redbacks	Warwick	1999	1	Roddies Oval

Notes

Former Senior Clubs

NOTE: Some clubs listed above played in Reserve Grade (Division 2) only for many seasons, but were not part of the A Grade competition and those years are not included in the above table.

AFL Darling Downs A Grade Premiers List

^[10]

AFL Darling Downs A Grade Grand Final Results

Inaugural Darling Downs AFL Grand Final Results

GOALS:
Signals – B.Fletcher 2, W. Sampson, T. Osborne, M. Darby.
Coolaroo Roos – A. Jericho 2, I. Shaw, J. Oska.
BEST:
Signals – T. Osborne, D. Akesson, J. Davis, J. Walsh, K. Zeller.
Coolaroo Roos – R. Smith, J. Hagerstrom, J. Smith, A. Jericho, C. Wells.^[12]

AFL Darling Downs Premiership Tables and Finals Results

Below is a summary of AFL Darling Downs A Grade Ladders at the end of the home and away fixtures, and the Finals Results for the major rounds:

2006 Ladder

2007 Ladder

2008 Ladder

2009 Ladder

2010 Ladder

2011 Ladder

2012 Ladder

2013 Ladder

AFL Darling Downs Best and Fairest Award (Holman Medalist)

Reserve Grade

The Reserve Grade competition ran from 1975 to 1999, and 2001, before player numbers for some clubs became a problem and therefore the "Adrian Jericho Trophy" had not been contested for a full decade.

In 2012, the Reserves competition returned with a three team competition involving University, Coolaroo, and Souths. It was the first time the competition has been staged since Kingaroy defeated Coolaroo in the 2001 Grand Final.^[13]

South Toowoomba Longhorns are the most successful team in Reserve Grade with 10 Premierships from 14 Grand Finals. University (Institute) are the next best with 8 flags from 11 Grand Finals.

Reserve Grade (Division 2) Grand Final Results

Future of AFL Darling Downs

The Reserve Grade or a Division 2 Competition will resume as soon as the competition can gain enough interest once again.

The League has the potential to expand to 12 Senior Clubs if these areas can field enough players, and with Junior competitions also expanding. In recent seasons, the League has fielded up to 11 sides in Division One already.

Divisional Football

League president Andrew Foley said splitting the 11-team competition into two divisions for 2014, including the three current reserve grade sides, would help the newer clubs to be more competitive. The senior competition grew last season with the formation of Chinchilla and South Burnett but those clubs struggled on-field .^[14] First division has Coolaroo, Goondiwidi, Highfields, Lockyer Valley, South Toowoomba, Toowoomba, University and Warwick. Second division has Chinchilla, Dalby, South Burnett as well as clubs seconds from Coolaroo, Highfields, South Toowoomba, University and Warwick.

2014 Ladder