South Launceston Football Club

The South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Northern Tasmanian Football Association. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, clubs in the former Northern Tasmanian Football Association (which is not related to the current NTFA). South Launceston was in the TFL Statewide League from 1986 to 1997, then the Northern Tasmanian Football League until 2008, then in the Tasmanian Football League until 2013.

Bulldogs

Names

Full name

Former name(s)

East Launceston, City South.

Nickname(s)

Bulldogs

Club song

"It's A Grand Old Flag" (Same as Melbourne Football Club but with slightly modified lyrics _ "the team of the red, white and blue")

2018 (NTFA) season

After finals

1st

Home-and-away season

1st

Leading goalkicker

Brad Keegan

Best and fairest

Leigh Harding

Club details

Founded

29 May 1986; 37 years ago (as a merger)

Colours

Competition

Northern Tasmanian Football Association

President

Wayne Mitchell^[1]

Coach

Aaron Viney^[1]

Captain(s)

Luke McCarty

Ground(s)

Youngtown Oval (capacity: 2,000)

Uniforms

Home

Other information

Official website

southlaunceston.com

The club is nicknamed The Bulldogs, a name which was adopted upon the merger. City-South were the Redlegs and East Launceston had been known as the Demons. For their club colours they took City-South's red and white as well as the blue from East Launceston's guernsey to give them their current royal blue, red and white club colours.

Club history

The Statewide League Era

South Launceston's first taste of statewide football could be described as a failure. In 12 seasons in the Statewide Competition the Bulldog's never contested the finals with a highest finish of 6th in 1992. During these 12 years South Launceston managed to collect 3 wooden spoons, this feat has only been matched by New Norfolk who have spent a longer period in the statewide league.

Northern Tasmanian Football League

In 1998 South Launceston pre-empted the collapse of the statewide league in 2000 when they decided to join the NTFL. This move greeted them with success with them winning the 1998 and 1999 NTFL Premierships. South Launceston remained competitive while they were in this competition.

Tasmanian State League

In 2008 the South Launceston Football Club accepted an invitation to leave the Northern Tasmanian Football League (NTFL) and join the new Tasmanian Football League in 2009. After three seasons of very poor on-field performance, which included two wooden spoons and a win–loss record of 8–46 across the three years, the club appointed Mitch Thorp as playing coach for 2012. Under Thorp, the club rose to the minor premiership in 2013, with a record of 17–3, and went on to defeat Burnie in the Grand Final to win its first statewide premiership.

However, while its premiership season was ongoing, on 3 July 2013, a meeting of club members determined in a split vote to not pursue a further license in the Tasmanian State League beyond the season. The club rejected an opportunity to have a joint venture with the Prospect Senior Football Club for a 10-year license in the TSL.

The Prospect Senior Football Club and the Prospect Junior Football Club subsequently took up a 100% share of the TSL license and formed the Prospect State Football Club t/a Western Storm.

Northern Tasmanian Football Association

In late 2013 the South Launceston Football Club was successful in being accepted into the Northern Tasmanian Football Association (NTFA) and will play the first division against pre-merger rivals Longford and Scottsdale as well as previously amateur and country teams that make up the competition. The South Launceston team that first contested the NTFA in 2014 was successful in winning the senior premiership with a victory over Deloraine in the Grand Final.

Honours

History of Chairperson

2020–Present: Wayne Mitchell.
2019: John Hosken.
2016–2019: Felicity Viney, Legal Officer of Northern Prosecution Services.
Unknown - 2016: Rod Patterson, Owner of Autobarn.

Club

Tasmanian Football League (1): 2013
Tasmanian State Premierships (7): 1928, 1930, 1932, 1954, 1960, 1966, 1972
Northern Tasmanian Football Association (28): 1886, 1887, 1890, 1891, 1895, 1902, 1903, 1907, 1908,1910, 1914, 1921, 1922, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1939, 1941, 1952, 1953, 1954,1956, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1972, 1974

Individual

Tasman Shields Trophy winners

Harry Wade 1925
Laurie Nash 1931, 1932
Jock Connell 1934, 1939
Ted Pickett 1935
Max Pontifex 1938
Harry Styles 1948
Laurie Moir 1952

Hec Smith Memorial Medalists

Stuart Palmer 1971
Derek Peardon 1973
Rod Thomas 1983

All Australians

Geoff Long – 1956

NTFA Leading Goalkickers

R.Ellis (10)- 1886
J.Riva (6) – 1887
C.Allison (6) – 1890
A.Norman (12) – 1894
A.Norman (8) – 1895
F.Angus (16) – 1896
A.Norman (10) – 1902
L.Firth (12) – 1904
Scott (12) & Waller (12) – 1906
L.Firth (12) – 1907
Ward (13) – 1908
Bob Nash jnr (71) – 1932
J.Martin (78) – 1946
Murray Bramich (61) – 1959
Stan Morcom (97) – 1960
Graeme Wilkinson (54) – 1968
Craig McIntyre (74) – 1985

East Launceston

NTFA Premierships (1)

1967

Tasman Shields Trophy winners

Eddie Thomas 1961
Darrell Pitcher 1962

Hec Smith Memorial Medalists

Peter Webb 1967
John Burns 1969
Paul Reinmuth 1981

NTFA Leading Goalkickers

Roy Ringrose (50) – 1957
Roy Ringrose (55) – 1958
Paul Wharton (59) – 1980