Pennant Hills Australian Football Club

Pennant Hills Demons
Names
Full namePennant Hills Australian Football Club
NicknameDemons
Club songIts a Grand Old Flag
AFL Sydney Premier Division 2025 season
Home-and-away seasonMen's: 6th
Women's: 9th (Wooden spooners)
Club details
Founded1971 (1971)
Colours  Dark Blue and   Red
CompetitionAFL Sydney
PresidentMark Carroll[1]
CoachJason Blakemore[1]
CaptainMitchell Blow[1]
GroundGreenway Park – Mike Kenny Oval
Former groundErn Holmes Oval (1971–2011)
Uniforms
Home
Away
Other information
Official websitephafl.com.au

Pennant Hills Demons is an Australian rules football club competing in the Sydney AFL Premier League and based out of the Sydney suburb of Pennant Hills. Previously known as The Hills AFC (1987–1992). Their home ground is Mike Kenny Oval.

History

The club was formed in 1971. The club originally played in green and gold striped jumpers.[2] Pennant Hills were promoted to the top Sydney grade, the Sydney Football League (now known as AFL Sydney Premier Division), in 1977.

Pennant Hills played their first SFL Grand Final in 1982, being defeated 8.8 (56) to 5.8 (38) by East Sydney.[3]

In 1987 the club was renamed The Hills Australian Football Club. This was done with the hope of gaining more sponsors and supporters in The Hills Shire.[2][4] The club reverted to being known as Pennant Hills in 1993 when fellow Hills Shire club Baulkham Hills Falcons entered the competition.

Pennant Hills won their first Premier Division Grand final in 2000, when the Demons defeated North Shore 15.12 (102) to 12.7 (79) at Macquarie University.[3]

Their second was in 2006, at Henson Park. The Demons scored eight behinds in a row to defeat the previously undefeated East Coast Eagles by two points. With Pennant Hills scoring 5.20 (50) to East Coast's 7.6 (48)[3]

The third flag in 2008 again came against East Coast Eagles, with a record 104-point win at Henson Park. With Pennant Hills scoring 20.12 (132) to East Coast's 3.10 (28)[3]

The Demons won again in 2015 against the East Coast Eagles, Pennant Hills 14.5 (89) to East Coast Eagles 7.12 (54). This was the third time the two clubs had played off in the final game of the season, with all three being played at Henson Park and all three going the way of the demons.

The most recent premiership won by the club was in 2017. The Demons finished in 5th place on the ladder at the end of the regular season, with just seven wins over the sixteen games played. and are the first club to win from that position, taking out the match by 6 points at Blacktown International Sports park. Final score Sydney Uni 7.18 (60) to Pennant Hills 10.6 (66)[5]

The Pennant Hills Demons Women's team first competed in the AFL Sydney Women's Premier Division in 2020.[6]

In 2027 Pennant Hills will compete alongside eight other AFL Syndey Premier Division teams in the Sydney Football League.[7]

Club identity and culture

Guernseys

The club's current home guernsey is based on the Melbourne Demons uniforms of blue with a red V, with blue shorts and red socks. On the Pennant Hills guernsey there is a red circle with the stylised letters PH in the middle. For away games the club wears a white shirt with a blue V and large red demon.

Uniform evolution

Pennant Hills[note 1]
(1971)
Pennant Hills
Demons
(1977–1998)
Pennant Hills
Demons
(1999-present)

Theme Song

The Pennant Hills Demons song is identical to that of the Melbourne Demons and is sung to the tune of George M. Cohan's 1906 song "You're a Grand Old Flag":

It's a grand old flag, it's a high-flying flag,
It’s the emblem for me and for you,
It’s the emblem of the team we love,
The team of the red and the blue,
Every heart beats true for the red and the blue,
And we sing this song to you,
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the red and the blue.

Club honours

Premierships[3][8]
Competition Level Wins Years won
AFL Sydney Men'sPremier Division52000*, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2017
Division One21994, 1996
Division Three12008
AFL Sydney Women'sDivision Two12022
Finishing positions[3]
AFL Sydney Men's
Premier Division 		Minor premiership12007
Grand Finalist61982, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2013, 2014
Wooden spoons11990
AFL Sydney Women's
Premier Division 		Wooden spoons12025

* Despite being minor premiers, the Sydney Swans Reserves did not participate in the 2000 finals series. Pennant Hills finished 2nd on the ladder below the Swans that year.

Individual honours

Phelan Medal winners

The Phelan Medal is awarded to the best player in the AFL Sydney Men's Premier Division during the home-and-away season as voted by the umpires:

  • Mick Toy (1983)[9]
  • Gary Spillane (1988)[9]
  • Charlie Richardson (2007)[9]
  • Matthew Carey (2008)[9]
  • Kieran Wright (2011)[9]
  • Alex Goodall (2014)[9]
  • Ranga Ediriwickrama (2019)[9]
  • Stephen Wray (2022)[9]
  • Harry Maguire (2023)[9]

AFL Players

The following Pennant Hills Demons players have played in or been drafted to the Australian Football League:

Seasons

Premiers Grand Finalist Minor premiers Wooden spoon

AFL Sydney Men's Premier Division

Known as Sydney Football League until 1997, and Sydney AFL Premier Division from 1997–2009

Pennant Hills Demons – AFL Sydney Men's Premier Division seasons[3]
YearNo.PWDL%
19775th211011091.42
19786th21801392.34
19795th20811187.97
19805th2110011105.87
19814th211407142.21
19822nd181404185.01
19836th16808104.09
19843rd161105117.38
19856th188010106.81
19864th171106150.40
19874th181107115.03
19884th191306137.30
19897th14201258.24
19908th16201450.14
19917th18501361.56
19927th17521074.37
19933rd161105114.53
19946th188010106.45
19952nd181206144.67
19962nd171304145.82
19976th16401283.53
19982nd151005138.84
19992nd211506132.82
2000*2nd161105128.33
20013rd161006123.21
20027th16401273.40
20035th1781891.45
20044th181107107.10
20052nd161402189.17
20063rd161006146.79
20071st181503172.88
20082nd181404173.00
20094th181107134.01
20105th181008108.09
20115th181206118.78
20123rd181503177.41
20134th181305150.21
20142nd181602162.88
20153rd161213129.62
20165th16907115.41
20175th1672**7123.67
20186th181107118.88
20195th181008111.73
2020***4th***9***5***0***4***173.29***
2021***5th***10***6***0***4***114.74***
20226th16808120.74
20233rd161105129.68
20243rd181314160.21
20256th1891876.75
2026 (Ongoing)2nd7601195.31


Ongoing Seasons in italic text.
* Despite being minor premiers, the Sydney Swans Reserves did not participate in the 2000 finals series.
** Round 17, 2017 against Sydney University was abandoned due to a serious player injury at the start of the game, and was declared a draw.
*** The 2020 and 2021 seasons were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales

AFL Sydney Women's Premier Division

Pennant Hills Demons – AFL Sydney Women's Premier Division seasons[14][6]
YearNo.PWDL%
2020*7th*9*2*0*7*55.34*
2021*9th*10*2*0*8*66.88*
20227th1690780.77
20237th16501173.60
20248th16201426.12
20259th1600161.51
2026 (Ongoing)9th60061.10


Ongoing Seasons in italic text.

* The 2020 and 2021 seasons were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales


References

  1. 1 2 3 "Honour Board". Sydney AFL Club – Pennant Hills Demons. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 McRae, Ken (April 1987). "President's Message". The Hills Australian Football Club Newsletter. Vol. 1, no. 1. The Hills Australian Football Club. pp. 4–5.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Robinson, Andrew (28 September 2025). "NSW/Sydney Australian Football – Results 1903 to 2025". Elite to Grassroots. Archived from the original on 6 March 2026. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  4. ↑ "State League: How they're shaping up". NSW AFL Football Record. Vol. 56, no. 1. Trade Publishing Typesetters Ply. Ltd. 4 April 1987. p. 9.
  5. ↑ Shillito, Michael (4 December 2017). "Pennant Hills Premiers in 2017!". Sydney AFL Club – Pennant Hills Demons. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  6. 1 2 "AFL Sydney – Seasons". My Game Day. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  7. ↑ "Sydney Football League (SFL) established as NSW premier competition from 2027". AFL News. 12 August 2026. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Trophy Room". Pennant Hills Demons. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Player Achievements". Pennant Hills Demons. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Player Development History". Pennant Hills Demons. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  11. ↑ Wilks, Miles (2011). Australian Football Clubs in New South Wales And Their Contribution to the AFL. BAS Publishing. p. 75. ISBN 9781921496134.
  12. ↑ "Drafted: 1992". The Official Website of the North Melbourne Kangaroos. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  13. ↑ "Braeden Campbell | AFL". Sydney Swans. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "AFL Sydney – Pennant Hills Demons Seasons". Play HQ. Retrieved 23 May 2026.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Only the colour of the jumper is known for certain. It is unclear if the shorts and socks were green (as depicted) or gold.
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