Southern Ports Football League

The Southern Ports Football League was an Australian rules football competition in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, Australia. The competition ran from 1928 until 1965.^[1]

History

The Southern Ports Football Association started in 1928 featuring Robe, Kingston and Mount Benson.^[2] Beachport and Lucindale would join in 1936, Lucindale would win 3 premierships in a row before the league went into recess for World War II

The league returned in 1946 but Mount Benson went into recess and Lucindale left to the Kowree Naracoorte, however the Lucindale B side played the season in the Southern Ports. The Kingston side would split into Kingston North and Kingston South but still operate as the one club. However, in 1950 the clubs would become separate entities, Kingston North would be renamed Rovers and Kingston South became Ramblers. Ramblers would alter their name to Port Caroline Ramblers to represent the early history of Kingston. Reedy Creek joined in 1948 which would create a five team competition.

In the later years of the league, player numbers became an issue with sixteen players per side. In 1965 Reedy Creek merged with Rovers, the league had four sides for only one season as the Southern Ports disbanded in 1966.^[3] Robe joined the Mid South Eastern, the Kingston sides merged to join the Kowree Naracoorte and Beachport folded.

Clubs

Final Season 1965

Jumper	Club	Years in comp	Premierships	Premiership Years	Notes
	Beachport	1936–1946, 1948–1965	2	1958, 1959	Moved to Mid South Eastern Football League in 1947, returned and folded in 1966
	Port Caroline Ramblers	1950–1965	4	1950, 1952, 1960, 1961	Merged with Rovers United to form Kingston and joined the Kowree Naracoorte in 1966
	Robe	1928–1965	12	1931, 1932, 1933, 1948, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965	Moved to Mid South Eastern Football League in 1966
	Rovers United	1965	-	-	Merged with Ramblers to form Kingston in the Kowree Naracoorte in 1966

Previous Clubs

Jumper	Club	Years in comp	Premierships	Premiership Years	Notes
	Reedy Creek	1948–1964	-	-	Merged with Rovers to form Rovers United in 1965
	Rovers	1950–1964	-	-	Merged with Reedy Creek to form Rovers United in 1965
	Kingston North	1947–1949	2	1947, 1949	Renamed Rovers in 1950
	Kingston South	1947–1949	-	-	Renamed Ramblers in 1950
	Lucindale B	1946	-	-	Rejoined Lucindale in 1947
	Lucindale	1936–1940	3	1937, 1938, 1939	Moved to Kowree Naracoorte in 1946
	Kingston	1928–1946	3	1928, 1929, 1930	Split into Kingston North and South in 1947
	Mount Benson	1928–1940	-	-	Folded after WW2 recess in 1946

References