The wooden spoon is the imaginary and ironic "award" which is said to be won by the team finishing in last place in the South Australian National Football League. No physical wooden spoon award exists nor is such an award officially sanctioned by the SANFL.

Criteria

The team which finishes with the worst record across the completed season is awarded the wooden spoon. This is determined by:

Wooden spoons by season

Season South Australia National Football League Club Total Wins Losses Draws Percentage Points
1877 Bankers 1 0 15 0 N/A 0
1878 Kensington 1 0 9 3 N/A 3
1879 Kensington 2 0 8 1 N/A 1
1880 Adelaide (SAFA) 1 1 8 2 N/A 4
1881 Adelaide (SAFA) / Kensington 2/3 0 5 0 N/A 0
1882 Royal Park 1 0 10 0 N/A 0
1883 Victorian (SAFA) 1 2 11 2 N/A 6
1884 Victorian (SAFA) 2 1 10 1 N/A 3
1885 Adelaide (SAFA) 3 4 11 0 N/A 8
1886 Port Adelaide[1] 1 3 11 1 N/A 7
1887 West Adelaide[2] 1 1 13 2 N/A 2
1888 Medindie (North Adelaide) 1 1 16 0 N/A 2
1889 Medindie (North Adelaide) 2 0 15 0 N/A 0
1890 Gawler 1 0 12 2 N/A 2
1891 Adelaide (SAFA) 4 0 16 0 N/A 0
1892 Adelaide (SAFA) 5 0 15 1 N/A 1
1893 Adelaide (SAFA) 6 1 15 0 N/A 2
1894 North Adelaide[3] 3 1 17 0 N/A 2
1895 Natives (West Torrens) 1 2 14 0 N/A 4
1896 Port Adelaide[1] 2 4 13 1 N/A 9
1897 West Adelaide[2] 2 1 15 1 20.77% 3
1898 West Adelaide[2] 3 0 14 0 20.11% 0
1899 North Adelaide[3] 4 1 10 1 35.59% 3
1900 Port Adelaide[1] 3 2 10 0 40.3% 4
1901 Sturt[4] 1 5 12 1 37.87% 11
1902 Sturt[4] 2 1 11 0 26.43% 2
1903 Sturt[4] 3 2 9 1 35.44% 5
1904 West Adelaide[4] 4 1 11 0 27.94% 2
1905 West Adelaide[2] 5 1 11 0 28.61% 2
1906 West Adelaide[2] 6 0 12 0 26.91% 0
1907 Sturt[4] 4 3 9 0 41.60% 6
1908 Sturt[4] 5 0 12 0 32.99% 0
1909 South Adelaide[5] 1 0 12 0 32.72% 0
1910 South Adelaide[5] 2 1 11 0 35.37% 2
1911 South Adelaide[5] 3 1 11 0 41.24% 2
1912 North Adelaide[3] 5 3 9 0 44.54% 6
1913 Norwood[6] 1 2 10 0 44.20% 4
1914 Norwood[6] 2 4 8 0 45.46% 8
1915 Norwood[6] 3 3 9 0 40.34% 6
1919 Norwood[6] 4 1 11 0 39.52% 2
1920 West Adelaide[2] 7 2 9 1 40.59% 5
1921 Glenelg[7] 1 0 14 0 30.00% 0
1922 Glenelg[7] 2 0 14 0 31.81% 0
1923 Glenelg[7] 3 0 14 0 32.35% 0
1924 Glenelg[7] 4 0 14 0 36.97% 0
1925 Glenelg[7] 5 2 12 0 38.81% 4
1926 South Adelaide[5] 4 0 13 1 40.26% 1
1927 South Adelaide[5] 5 2 15 0 39.11% 4
1928 South Adelaide[5] 6 2 14 1 44.67% 5
1929 South Adelaide[5] 7 3 14 0 41.72% 6
1930 West Torrens[8] 1 3 14 0 45.35% 6
1931 West Adelaide[2] 8 2 13 0 41.82% 4
1932 South Adelaide[5] 8 2 14 1 43.59% 5
1933 West Adelaide[2] 9 0 17 0 43.37% 0
1934 South Adelaide[5] 9 4 13 0 43.33% 8
1935 Glenelg[7] 6 1 16 0 39.26% 2
1936 West Adelaide[2] 10 2 15 0 34.99% 4
1937 Glenelg[7] 7 3 13 1 41.82% 7
1938 Glenelg[7] 8 3 14 0 41.87% 6
1939 Glenelg[7] 9 2 15 0 43.64% 4
1940 Glenelg[7] 10 3 14 0 41.07% 6
1941 West Torrens[8] 2 4 13 0 42.14% 8
1945 South Adelaide[5] 10 3 14 0 45.90% 6
1946 Glenelg[7] 11 1 16 0 40.92% 2
1947 South Adelaide[5] 11 2 15 0 39.93% 4
1948 South Adelaide[5] 12 0 17 0 35.20% 0
1949 Sturt[4] 6 3 14 0 40.78% 6
1950 South Adelaide[5] 13 0 17 0 31.46 0
1951 South Adelaide[5] 14 1 17 0 36.63% 2
1952 Sturt[4] 7 3 14 0 40.79% 6
1953 South Adelaide[5] 15 5 13 0 38.75% 10
1954 Glenelg[7] 12 4 14 0 44.90% 8
1955 South Adelaide[5] 16 2 15 0 39.01% 4
1956 Sturt[4] 8 3 14 1 40.44% 7
1957 South Adelaide[5] 17 2 16 0 39.64% 4
1958 Sturt[4] 9 2 15 1 42.33% 5
1959 South Adelaide[5] 18 3 15 0 38.20% 6
1960 Glenelg[7] 13 2 16 0 40.31% 4
1961 Sturt[4] 10 3 16 0 42.70% 6
1962 South Adelaide[5] 19 3 16 0 35.41% 6
1963 South Adelaide[5] 20 2 18 0 41.28% 4
1964 Central District[9] 1 0 20 0 31.10% 0
1965 Woodville 1 3 17 0 42.05% 6
1966 Glenelg[7] 14 3 17 0 39.30% 6
1967 Woodville 2 1 18 1 39.60% 3
1968 Norwood[6] 5 3 16 1 44.56% 7
1969 South Adelaide[5] 21 2 18 0 38.23% 4
1970 South Adelaide[5] 22 3 17 0 40.35% 6
1971 Woodville 3 6 15 0 37.12% 12
1972 West Adelaide[2] 11 4 16 1 44.35% 9
1973 West Adelaide[2] 12 3 17 1 42.35% 7
1974 West Adelaide[2] 13 4 18 0 40.53% 8
1975 West Torrens[8] 3 2 16 0 41.84% 4
1976 West Torrens[8] 4 2 19 0 40.12% 4
1977 Central District[9] 2 5 16 1 42.00% 11
1978 North Adelaide[3] 6 5 17 0 42.82% 10
1979 West Adelaide[2] 14 7 14 1 48.30% 15
1980 Woodville 4 4 18 0 40.60% 8
1981 Woodville 5 3 19 0 36.53% 6
1982 Woodville 6 1 21 0 37.47% 2
1983 Woodville 7 4 18 0 39.51% 8
1984 Woodville 8 4 18 0 43.29% 8
1985 Woodville 9 6 16 0 46.35% 12
1986 West Torrens[8] 5 6 16 0 41.61% 12
1987 South Adelaide[5] 23 5 17 0 41.37% 10
1988 South Adelaide[5] 24 1 21 0 32.31% 2
1989 Sturt[4] 11 4 18 0 42.92% 8
1990 Sturt[4] 12 2 18 0 37.20% 4
1991 Sturt[4] 13 3 19 0 38.07% 6
1992 Sturt[4] 14 2 20 0 37.16% 4
1993 Sturt[4] 15 4 16 0 41.25% 8
1994 Sturt[4] 16 5 17 0 42.04% 10
1995 Sturt[4] 17 0 22 0 32.22% 0
1996 Sturt[4] 18 4 16 0 38.78% 8
1997 South Adelaide[5] 25 4 14 2 40.85% 10
1998 Glenelg[7] 15 4 16 0 42.93% 8
1999 North Adelaide[3] 7 2 18 0 38.17% 4
2000 Glenelg[7] 16 3 17 0 39.81% 6
2001 Glenelg[7] 17 3 16 1 39.09% 7
2002 Glenelg[7] 18 3 17 0 38.53% 6
2003 North Adelaide[3] 8 1 17 2 36.77% 4
2004 Norwood[6] 6 4 16 0 41.82% 8
2005 West Adelaide[2] 15 3 17 0 38.01% 6
2006 West Adelaide[2] 16 2 18 0 39.25% 4
2007 West Adelaide[2] 17 3 17 0 38.47% 6
2008 West Adelaide[2] 18 2 18 0 39.17% 4
2009 South Adelaide[5] 26 2 18 0 38.35% 4
2010 South Adelaide 27 2 17 1 40.48% 5
2011 Sturt[10] 19 5 15 0 44.45% 10
2012 Sturt[10] 20 6 14 0 44.06% 12
2013 Glenelg[11][12] 19 4 16 0 41.13% 8
2014 Glenelg 20 4 14 0 38.22% 8
2015 North Adelaide[13] 9 1 17 0 33.91% 2
2016 West Adelaide 19 2 16 0 34.78% 4
2017 North Adelaide 10 4 14 0 43.97% 8
2018 Adelaide (AFL Reserves) 1 1 17 0 37.10% 2
2019 West Adelaide 20 2 16 0 38.83% 4
2020 West Adelaide 21 2 11 1 40.42% 5
2021 West Adelaide 22 2 16 0 39.39% 4
2022 West Adelaide 23 3 15 0 41.90% 6
2023 West Adelaide 24 4 13 1 45.83% 9

Wooden spoons by current SANFL clubs

Club Total
Wooden
Spoons		 First
Season		 Years of Wooden Spoon
South Adelaide
27
1877 1909, 1910, 1911, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1932, 1934, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1969, 1970, 1987, 1988, 1997, 2009, 2010
West Adelaide
24
1897 1887, 1897, 1898, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1920, 1931, 1933, 1936, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1979, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Sturt
20
1901 1901, 1902, 1903, 1907, 1908, 1949, 1952, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2011, 2012
Glenelg
20
1921 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1954, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2013, 2014
North Adelaide
10
1888 1894, 1899, 1912, 1978, 1999, 2003, 2015, 2017
Woodville
9
1964 1965, 1967, 1971, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
Norwood
6
1878 1913, 1914, 1915, 1919, 1968, 2004
West Torrens
5
1897 1930, 1941, 1975, 1976, 1986
Port Adelaide
3
1877 1886, 1896, 1900
Central District
2
1964 1964, 1977
Adelaide
(AFL Reserves)
1
2014 2018
Woodville-West Torrens
0
1991 N/A

Bold indicates clubs currently playing in the SANFL.
North Adelaide joined SAFA in 1888 as Medindie and renamed to its current name in 1893.
West Torrens and Woodville merged at the end of the 1990 season. The merged club has never collected a wooden spoon.
Adelaide AFL Crows reserves first competed in SANFL in 2014 season.

Wooden spoons by former SAFA/SANFL clubs

Club Total
Wooden
Spoons		 First
Season		 Number of
Seasons		 Wooden
Spoons
Bankers
1
1877 1 1877
Kensington
3
1877 5 1878,1879,1881
Adelaide
6
1877 14 1880,1881,1885,1891,1892,1893
Royal Park
1
1882 1 1882
Victorian
2
1877 8 1883,1884
Gawler
1
1887 4 1890
Natives (West Torrens)
1
1895 2 1895

Old Adelaide Football Club merged with Kensington for 1881 and resigned after 5 games
Victorian renamed to North Adelaide in 1883 but has no connection with the current SANFL North Adelaide (which joined in 1888 as Medindie and changed its name in 1893)
Adelaide rejoined the SAFA for 1885 after merging with North Parks from the Adelaide and Suburban Football Association.
Natives after 2 seasons changed their name to West Torrens in 1897 with the introduction of Electoral District Football

Longest wooden spoon droughts

Club Time period Years
Port Adelaide 1901-present 123
North Adelaide 1913-1978 66
Norwood 1920-1968 49
Central District 1978-present 46
Sturt 1909-1949 41
West Adelaide 1937-1972 36
Norwood 1878-1913 35
Norwood 1969-2004 34
West Torrens 1942-1975 34
West Torrens 1897-1930 33
Glenelg 1967-1998 32
Woodville-West Torrens 1991-present 32
Sturt 1962-1989 28
West Adelaide 1980-2005 26

Active wooden spoon droughts

Club Last won Years since
Port Adelaide 1900 123
Central District 1977 46
Woodville-West Torrens never 32
Norwood 2004 19
South Adelaide 2010 13
Sturt 2012 11
Glenelg 2014 9
North Adelaide 2017 6
Adelaide
(AFL Crows Reserves) 		2018 5
West Adelaide 2023 0

Consecutive Wooden Spoons

Eight clubs have finished last in 4 or more consecutive seasons.

Club Consecutive
Wooden Spoons 		Sequence of Seasons
Sturt 8 1989–1996
Woodville 6 1980–1985
Glenelg 5 1921–1925
West Adelaide 5 2019–2023
Norwood 4 1913–1915,1919
South Adelaide 4 1926–1929
Glenelg 4 1937–1940
West Adelaide 4 2005–2008

References

  1. ^ a b c "Port Adelaide". South Australian National Football League. South Australian National Football League. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "West Adelaide". South Australian National Football League. South Australian National Football League. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "North Adelaide". South Australian National Football League. South Australian National Football League. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Sturt". South Australian National Football League. South Australian National Football League. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "South Adelaide". South Australian National Football League. South Australian National Football League. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Norwood". South Australian National Football League. South Australian National Football League. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Glenelg". South Australian National Football League. South Australian National Football League. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Woodville-West Torrens". South Australian National Football League. South Australian National Football League. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Central District". South Australian National Football League. South Australian National Football League. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  10. ^ a b "Achievements". Sturt Football Club. Sturt Football Club. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  11. ^ Capel, Andrew (11 September 2013). "Glenelg sacks coach Kris Massie for 'under-performing' in the role". News Corporation. The Advertiser. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  12. ^ Thring, Harry (30 October 2013). "Stevens named Glenelg coach". Australian Football League. Australian Football League. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  13. ^ Thring, Harry (3 September 2015). "Port assistant Carr moves to take up senior role". Telstra Media. AFL.com.au. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
Categories