Big Rivers Football League
 | |
| Sport | Australian Rules Football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 |
| Administrator | AFL Northern Territory |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Headquarters | Katherine Sportsground Pavillion, Katherine East |
| Venues | Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine South Adrian McDonald Memorial Oval, Katherine Tindal Oval, Tindal Phyliss Winjorrotj Oval, Barunga |
Most recent champions | Men: Katherine Camels (5) Women: Arnhem Crows (5) (2025) |
| Most titles | Katherine South (9), Eastside/Rowlands FC (9) (Men's) Arnhem Crows (5) (Women's) |
| Website | PlayHQ |
The Big Rivers Football League (formerly the Katherine District Football League) is an Australian rules football competition in the Northern Territory, Australia based in the Katherine region. It was formed after the dissolution of Katherine Kangaroos of the NTFL in 1987. It is an affiliate league of AFL Northern Territory, who administer the competition. It consists of 9 clubs, of which 2 are currently women's only, being Eastside FC and Katherine South (both having men's teams in previous seasons). The Men's best and fairest medal is currently named after local Katherine football legend Doug Kelly.
It consists of 1 Senior Men's (5 teams), 1 Senior Women's Division (6 teams) and a Men's Cup competition (3 teams) in the 2026 season. Katherine River Saints and Northern Warlpiri Mozzies (formerly Swans) have joined the senior women's division for the 2026 season. Most games are played at the Katherine Showgrounds, with the exception of a few games where teams get home community games or when the Showgrounds aren't available for use. Other grounds used for games in 2026 included Adrian McDonald Memorial Oval (Kalano), Tindal Oval, and Phyliss Winjorrotj (Barunga) Oval. Yearly Friday night showcase games are held at Barunga Festival between Arnhem Crows and another opponent for both Men and Women divisions. Grand Finals are a big event in Katherine, often drawing over 1000 spectators and both men's and women's grand finals are broadcast live on the AFLNTv YouTube channel.
The start of the 2026 season was delayed by two weeks due to the March 2026 Katherine Floods, which affected the Katherine Showgrounds and Adrian McDonald Memorial (Kalano) ovals.
Current clubs
Men
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in BRFL | BRFL Senior Mens Premierships | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | |||||||
| Arnhem |  | Crows | Phyliss Winjorrotj Oval, Barunga | – | 2001 | 2001-2015, 2019- | 6 | 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2011[1] |
| Garrak (Kalano 1989-?) |  | Bombers | Adrian McDonald Memorial Oval, Katherine | – | 1980s | 1989, 1997-2005, 2007-2010, 2012- | 0 | - |
| Katherine |  | Camels | Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine | – | 2010 | 2011- | 5 | 2012,[2] 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025 |
| Katherine River |  | Saints | Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine | – | 2025 | 2025- | 0 | - |
| Northern Warlpiri |  | Mozzies | Lajamanu Oval, Lajamanu | – | 1991 | 1992, 1995-1997, 2002-2017, 2019- | 2 | 2005, 2008[3] |
Women
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in BRFL (Women's Division) | BRFL Womens Premierships | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | |||||||
| Arnhem | | Crows | Phyliss Winjorrotj Oval, Barunga | – | 2001 | 2020- | 5 | 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Eastside |  | Blues | Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine | – | 1988[4] | 2018- | 3 | 2018, 2019 2022 |
| Katherine | | Camels | Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine | – | 2010 | 2018-2022, 2024- | 0 | - |
| Katherine River | .svg.png) | Saints | Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine | – | 2025 | 2026- | 0 | - |
| Katherine South |  | Crocs | Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine | – | 1990 | 2018- | 0 | - |
| Northern Warlpiri | | Mozzies | Lajamanu Oval, Lajamanu | – | 1991 | 2026- | 0 | - |
Men's Cup
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in BRFL | BRFL B-Grade Premierships | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | |||||||
| Gurindji | .svg.png) | Eagles | Michael Jarparta Paddy Football Oval, Kalkarindji | KFL | 1995 | 1995-1996, 1998-2003, 2006-2009, 2014-2017, 2021, 2024- | 1 | 2017 [5] |
| Jilkminggan |  | Blues | Jilkminggan Oval, Jilkminggan | - | 2001 | 2001-2003, 2007-2015, 2017, 2021, 2026- | 0 | - |
| Northern Warlpiri (reserves side) | | Mozzies | Lajamanu Oval, Lajamanu | – | 1991 | 2026- | 0 | N/A |
Men's sides in recess
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Est. | Years in BRFL | BRFL Senior Mens Premierships | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | |||||||
| Eastside | | Blues (Formerly Rowlands FC) | Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine | 1988[4] | 1989-2004, 2011-2019, 2021- | 9 | 1989/90, 1990/91, 1993/94, 1998/99, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017[6] | In recess since 2024 season |
| Katherine South |  | Crocs | Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine South | 1990's | 1991-2004, 2017-2023 | 9 | 1991/92, 1992/93, 1994/95, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1997/98, 2018,[7] 2020, 2021 | In recess since 2023 season |
Women's sides in recess
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home Ground | Est. | Years in BRFL | BRFL Senior Womens Premierships | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | |||||||
| Garrak | | Bombers | Adrian McDonald Memorial Oval, Katherine | 1980's[4] | 2022 | 0 | - | In recess since 2022 season |
Former clubs
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Home ground | Est. | Years in BRFL | BRFL Premierships | Fate | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | ||||||||
| Barunga | |
Eagles | Barunga Oval, Barunga | 1989-1995, 2008 | 0 | - | Folded | Foundational league club | |
| Beswick |  |
Hawks | Wugularr | 2017 | 2017 | 0 | - | Folded | |
| Beswick |  | Bears | Wugularr | 2009[8] | 1990-1991, 1993-1994, 1998, 2008-2019 | 1 | 2010 | Folded after 2019 season | |
| Binjari |  |
Saints | Binjari | 2010, 2021 | 0 | - | Folded | ||
| Borroloola |  | Thunders | Borroloola Oval, Borroloola | 2021 | 2025 | 0 | - | Folded | Played one season in BAFL in 2021 |
| Buccaneers (Burton & Balls 1999-2002) | Bucs | Katherine | 1999-2003 | 0 | - | Folded | Was a locally based construction company[9] | ||
| Daly River |  |
Buffaloes | Nauiyu Oval, Nauiyu | 2022 | 2021-2023 | 0 | - | Folded | Still play in festivals and one-off practice matches |
| East Arnhem | East Arnhem | 1999-2000 | 0 | - | Folded | ||||
| Katherine | Kannons | Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine | 2006 | 2006-2010 | 0 | - | Merged with Katherine Roos to form Katherine Camels after 2010 season | ||
| Katherine | Roos | Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine | 2009 | 2009-2010 | 0 | - | Merged with Katherine Kannons to form Katherine Camels after 2010 season | ||
| Kirby's Agents/Katherine |  | Hawks | Katherine | 1988 | 1989-2002 | 1 | 1988/89 | Folded | Named after Kirby's Katherine Hotel, foundational league club |
| Ngaliwurru |  | Lions | Max Duncan Memorial Oval, Timber Creek | 2023 | 2025 | 0 | - | Folded | Related to Victoria River Lions |
| Ngukurr |  | Bulldogs | Ngukurr Oval, Ngukurr | 1993 | 1994-2015, 2020-2025 | 4 | 2000, 2004, 2007, 2023 | Withdrew from competition for 2026 season | Played in Barunga Festival in 2026 |
| Numbulwar | Lightning | Numbulwar | 2008-2009 | 0 | - | Folded | |||
| Tindal |  | Magpies | Tindal Oval, RAAF Base Tindal | 1989[10] | 1989-2021 | 0 | - | Folded after 2021 season | Was made up of members of RAAF Base Tindal, foundational league club |
| Victoria River | Lions | Timber Creek | 1998-1999 | 0 | - | Folded | Related to Ngaliwurru Lions | ||
| Waliburru |  | Thunder | Minyerri | 2016-2017 | 0 | - | Folded | ||
| Yarralin | Yarralin | 1995-1997, 2002-2003 | 0 | - | Folded | ||||
| Yugal | .svg.png) |
Power | Ngukurr | 2000-2003 | 0 | - | - | Folded | |
Premierships (Mens)
- 1988/89 Kirby's Agents
- 1989/90 Rowlands
- 1990/91 Eastside (* Formerly known as Rowlands FC)
- 1991/92 Katherine South
- 1992/93 Katherine South
- 1993/94 Eastside
- 1994/95 Katherine South ^
- 1995/96 Katherine South
- 1996/97 Katherine South
- 1997/98 Katherine South
- 1998/99 Eastside
- 2000 Ngukurr
- 2001 Arnhem Bombers
- 2002 Arnhem Crows
- 2003 Arnhem Crows
- 2004 Ngukurr
- 2005 Lajamanu
- 2006 Arnhem Crows
- 2007 Ngukurr
- 2008 Lajamanu
- 2009 Arnhem Crows
- 2010 Beswick
- 2011 Arnhem Crows
- 2012 Katherine Camels
- 2013 Eastside FC
- 2014 Eastside FC
- 2015 Eastside FC
- 2016 Eastside FC
- 2017 Eastside FC
- 2018 Katherine South
- 2019 Katherine Camels
- 2020 Katherine South
- 2021 Katherine South
- 2022 Katherine Camels
- 2023 Ngukurr
- 2024 Katherine Camels
- 2025 Katherine Camels
^Replayed GF due to draw
Premierships (Women's)
- 2018 Eastside
- 2019 Eastside
- 2020 Arnhem Crows
- 2021 Arnhem Crows
- 2022 Eastside
- 2023 Arnhem Crows
- 2024 Arnhem Crows
- 2025 Arnhem Crows
2011 Ladder
| Big Rivers AFL | Wins | Byes | Losses | Draws | For | Against | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beswick Bears | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1486 | 554 | 268.23% | 48 |
| Arnhem Crows | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1213 | 765 | 158.56% | 44 |
| Ngukurr Bulldogs | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1216 | 780 | 155.90% | 44 |
| Katherine Camels | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 949 | 802 | 118.33% | 32 |
| Eastside | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 876 | 1076 | 81.41% | 24 |
| Lajamanu Swans | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 899 | 900 | 99.89% | 20 |
| Tindal Magpies | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 611 | 1418 | 43.09% | 8 |
| Jikminggan Blues | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 459 | 1414 | 32.46% | 4 |
FINALS
| Final | Team | G | B | Pts | Team | G | B | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Semi | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 14 | 9 | 93 | Katherine Camels | 11 | 4 | 70 |
| 2nd Semi | Arnhem Crows | 17 | 7 | 109 | Beswick Bears | 9 | 10 | 64 |
| Preliminary | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 11 | 7 | 73 | Beswick Bears | 10 | 11 | 71 |
| Grand | Arnhem Crows | 14 | 8 | 92 | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 12 | 6 | 78 |
2012 Ladder
| Big Rivers AFL | Wins | Byes | Losses | Draws | For | Against | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katherine Camels | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1280 | 656 | 195.12% | 52 |
| Ngukurr Bulldogs | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1264 | 694 | 182.13% | 44 |
| Beswick Bears | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1357 | 760 | 178.55% | 44 |
| Eastside | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 896 | 996 | 89.96% | 28 |
| Jikminggan Blues | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 908 | 1125 | 80.71% | 24 |
| Kalano Bombers | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 928 | 1229 | 75.51% | 20 |
| Tindal Magpies | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 576 | 630 | 91.43% | 16 |
| Lajamanu Swans | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 271 | 466 | 58.15% | 8 |
FINALS
| Final | Team | G | B | Pts | Team | G | B | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Semi | Katherine Camels | 10 | 19 | 79 | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 9 | 11 | 65 |
| 2nd Semi | Beswick Bears | 15 | 2 | 92 | Eastside | 14 | 7 | 91 |
| Preliminary | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 14 | 18 | 102 | Beswick Bears | 7 | 6 | 48 |
| Grand | Katherine Camels | 14 | 6 | 90 | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 4 | 6 | 30 |
2023 Men's Ladder
| Big Rivers Football League | Wins | Byes | Losses | Draws | For | Against | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ngukurr Bulldogs | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1105 | 586 | 188.57% | 86 |
| Eastside FC | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1251 | 829 | 150.90% | 81 |
| Katherine South | 8 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1070 | 1044 | 102.49% | 69 |
| Katherine Camels | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 927 | 880 | 105.34% | 62 |
| Arnhem Crows | 7 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1012 | 920 | 110.00% | 57 |
| Daly River Buffaloes | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1069 | 979 | 109.19% | 52 |
| Northern Warlpiri Swans | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 702 | 1036 | 67.76% | 42 |
| Garrak Bombers | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 434 | 1296 | 33.49% | 39 |
FINALS
| Final | Team | G | B | Pts | Team | G | B | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Semi | Katherine South | 8 | 10 | 58 | Katherine Camels | 7 | 5 | 47 |
| 2nd Semi | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 17 | 12 | 114 | Eastside | 9 | 9 | 63 |
| Preliminary | Eastside | 7 | 8 | 50 | Katherine South | 12 | 11 | 83 |
| Grand | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 14 | 10 | 94 | Katherine South | 9 | 4 | 58 |
2024 Men's Ladder
| Big Rivers Football League | Wins | Byes | Losses | Draws | For | Against | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katherine Camels | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 978 | 328 | 298.17% | 76 |
| Ngukurr Bulldogs | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 982 | 411 | 238.93% | 64 |
| Arnhem Crows | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 830 | 606 | 136.96% | 68 |
| Northern Warlpiri Swans | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 560 | 575 | 97.39% | 50 |
| Garrak Bombers | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 482 | 940 | 51.28% | 41 |
| Gurindji Eagles | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 379 | 823 | 46.05% | 34 |
| Eastside FC | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 371 | 899 | 41.27% | 35 |
FINALS
| Final | Team | G | B | Pts | Team | G | B | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Semi | Arnhem Crows | 12 | 13 | 85 | Northern Warlpiri Swans | 6 | 5 | 41 |
| 2nd Semi | Katherine Camels | 13 | 6 | 84 | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 6 | 7 | 43 |
| Preliminary | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 10 | 10 | 70 | Arnhem Crows | 10 | 8 | 68 |
| Grand | Katherine Camels | 13 | 9 | 87 | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 11 | 4 | 70 |
2025 Men's Ladder
| Big Rivers Football League | Wins | Byes | Losses | Draws | For | Against | % | Pts | Forfeits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katherine Camels | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1071 | 442 | 242.31% | 83 | 0 |
| Arnhem Crows | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1067 | 539 | 197.96% | 85 | 0 |
| Garrak Bombers | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 880 | 871 | 101.03% | 81 | 0 |
| Ngukurr Bulldogs | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1065 | 595 | 178.99% | 80 | 0 |
| Katherine River Saints | 5 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 678 | 807 | 84.01% | 66 | 0 |
| Northern Warlpiri Swans | 5 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 919 | 811 | 113.32% | 59 | 2 |
| Borroloola Thunders | 4 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 448 | 701 | 63.91% | 47 | 3 |
| Gurindji Eagles | 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 436 | 812 | 53.69% | 40 | 4 |
| Ngaliwurru Lions | 1 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 257 | 1243 | 20.68% | 35 | 4 |
FINALS
| Final | Team | G | B | Pts | Team | G | B | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Semi | Garrak Bombers | 14 | 4 | 88 | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 14 | 13 | 97 |
| 2nd Semi | Katherine Camels | 12 | 11 | 83 | Arnhem Crows | 10 | 6 | 66 |
| Preliminary | Arnhem Crows | 10 | 5 | 65 | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 15 | 12 | 102 |
| Grand | Katherine Camels | 10 | 13 | 73 | Ngukurr Bulldogs | 8 | 6 | 54 |
Notable former and current players
- Ashanti Bush, former Gold Coast Suns AFLW, Hawthorn Hawks VFLW and NT Thunder player. Currently plays for Arnhem Crows,Wanderers in the (NTFL) and AFL Cairns side South Cairns Cutters.
- Doug Kelly, former Wanderers and Katherine Kangaroos (NTFL) player, nicknamed Mr 'Top End Footy'[11]. Played in BRFL for Eastside
- Liam Patrick, former Gold Coast Suns AFL and Wanderers (NTFL) player, nicknamed 'The Lajamanu Lightning Bolt'. Played in BRFL for Lajamanu Swans (Northern Warlpiri Mozzies).
- Relton Roberts, former Richmond Tigers AFL and Wanderers (NTFL) player. Played in BRFL for Arnhem Crows.
See also
References
- ↑ Arnhem Crows - Australian Football
- ↑ Katherine Camels - Australian Football
- ↑ Lajamanu - Australian Football
- 1 2 3 Eastside to build off last season's success from Katherine Times By Samantha Campbell 28 March 2022
- ↑ Gurindji - Australian Football
- ↑ Eastside - Australian Football
- ↑ Katherine South - Australian Football
- ↑ Beswick Bears - Australian Football
- ↑ https://www.afr.com/companies/small-but-fast-moving-19991126-kb4ps
- ↑ Tindal - Australian Football
- ↑ https://www.katherinetimes.com.au/story/1120986/mr-top-end-footy-introduced-to-hall-of-fame/