Esk-Deloraine Football Association
| Most recent season or competition: 1997 | |
| Sport | Australian rules football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 |
| First season | 1984 |
| Folded | 1997 |
| No. of teams | 10 (1997), 13 (historical) |
| Country | Australia |
Last champion | Bracknell (1997) |
| Most titles | Perth Rovers (6) |
| Related competitions | Esk FA Deloraine FA |
The Esk-Deloraine Football Association was an Australian rules football competition based in the Northern Midlands and Meander Valley regions of Tasmania. The competition ran from 1984 to 1997.
History
The EDFA was formed in 1984, when the long-standing Esk and Deloraine Football Associations merged to form a larger competition. Both competitions had been reduced to 5 clubs, with Meander folding after the 1981 Deloraine FA season[1] and Deloraine departing the Esk FA to join the more powerful NTFA in 1984. With clubs struggling to field two sides it was decided that merging the two competitions would be best for football in the area.[2] Mole Creek and Chudleigh merged prior to the beginning of the season, leaving the competition with 9 teams for its first season.
The first half of the competition's existence was dominated by the Perth Rovers, who won 6 premierships in 7 years between 1984 and 1990, including 5 in a row from 1986 to 1990. Elizabeth Town departed for the NWFA after the 1985 season, while Red Hills folded after 1988.[3] The demise of the Fingal District FA saw Campbell Town, Fingal and St Marys join the EDFA prior to the 1993 season, however Fingal and St Marys struggled during their time in the EDFA, merging in 1995 to form the Valley Saints for 1 season before entering recess a year later.
The EDFA folded after the 1997 season, with most clubs joining the newly-formed Northern Tasmanian Football Association aside from Mole Creek, who joined the NWFA and Westbury, who folded at season's end.[4]
Clubs
Final
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in EDFA | EDFA Senior Premierships | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | ||||||||
| Bracknell |  |
Redlegs | Bracknell Recreation Ground, Bracknell | EFA | 1920 | 1984-1997 | 3 | 1985, 1994, 1997 | Moved to NTFA in 1998 |
| Campbell Town |  |
Robins | Campbell Town Recreation Ground, Campbell Town | FDFA | 1886 | 1993-1997 | 0 | - | Moved to NTFA in 1998 |
| Cressy | .svg.png) |
Bulldogs | Cressy Recreation Ground, Cressy | EFA | 1921 | 1984-1997 | 1 | 1995 | Moved to NTFA in 1998 |
| Evandale | .svg.png) |
Eels | Morven Park, Evandale | EFA | 1901 | 1984-1997 | 2 | 1992, 1993 | Moved to NTFA in 1998 |
| Hagley |  |
Magpies | Hagley Recreation Ground, Hagley | DFA | 1901 | 1984-1997 | 1 | 1991 | Moved to NTFA in 1998 |
| Mole Creek (Mole Creek-Chudleigh 1984-?) | .svg.png) |
Bulldogs | Mole Creek Recreation Ground, Mole Creek | DFA | 1920 | 1984-1997 | 0 | - | Moved to NWFA in 1998 |
| Perth Rovers |  |
Magpies | Perth Recreation Ground, Perth | EFA | 1880 | 1984-1997 | 6 | 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 | Moved to NTFA in 1998 |
| St Marys |  |
Tigers | St Marys Recreation Ground, St Marys | FDFA | 1890 | 1993-1994, 1997 | 0 | - | Merged with Fingal to form Valley Saints in 1995, re-formed in 1997. Moved to NTFA in 1998 |
| Westbury |  |
Tigers | Westbury Recreation Ground, Westbury | EFA | 1902 | 1984-1997 | 1 | 1996 | Folded after 1997 season |
Former
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in EDFA | EDFA Senior Premierships | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | ||||||||
| Elizabeth Town |   |
Eagles | Railton Recreation Reserve, Railton | DFA | 1925 | 1984-1985 | 0 | - | Moved to NWFA in 1986 |
| Fingal |  |
Blues | Fingal Recreation Ground, Fingal | FDFA | 1884 | 1993-1994 | 0 | - | Merged with St Marys to form Valley Saints in 1995. Re-formed in NEFU in 1997 |
| Red Hills |  |
Wrens, Blues, Hills | Red Hills Recreation Ground, Red Hills | DFA | 1948 | 1984-1988 | 0 | - | Folded after 1988 season |
| Valley Saints | |
Saints | Fingal Recreation Ground, Fingal and St Marys Recreation Ground, St Marys | – | 1995 | 1995 | 0 | - | Entered recess in 1996, both St Marys and Fingal re-formed in 1997. |
Premierships
| Year | Premier | Score | Runners-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Perth Rovers | 14.10 (94) - 6.12 (48) | Westbury |
| 1985 | Bracknell | 19.14 (128) - 9.13 (67) | Perth Rovers |
| 1986 | Perth Rovers | 8.12 (60) - 6.6 (42) | Hagley |
| 1987 | Perth Rovers | 15.17 (107) - 6.6 (42) | Bracknell |
| 1988 | Perth Rovers | 17.9 (111) - 10.6 (66) | Cressy |
| 1989 | Perth Rovers | 28.3 (146) - 16.7 (103) | Evandale |
| 1990 | Perth Rovers | 11.16 (82) - 11.12 (78) | Bracknell |
| 1991 | Hagley | 14.10 (94) - 8.10 (58) | Evandale |
| 1992 | Evandale | 20.9 (129) - 17.6 (108) | Hagley |
| 1993 | Evandale | 25.11 (161) - 17.5 (107) | Hagley |
| 1994 | Bracknell | 13.14 (92) - 7.15 (57) | Hagley |
| 1995 | Cressy | 11.16 (82) - 9.15 (69) | Evandale |
| 1996 | Westbury | 14.13 (97) - 13.7 (85) | Hagley |
| 1997 | Bracknell | 15.10 (100) - 11.8 (74) | Hagley |
References
- ↑ "LOCAL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP". Western Tiers. 21 May 1982. p. 23. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ESK-DELORAINE PREPARES". Western Tiers. 22 March 1984. p. 28. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ELIZABETH TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB". Western Tiers. 23 August 1985. p. 25. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - 1 2 Stoward, John (2002). Australian Rules Football In Tasmania (1st ed.). Tasmania: Self-published. p. 45. ISBN 0957751575.