The Western Tasmanian Football Association was an Australian Rules Football competition based on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia. The competition was made up of mostly miners living and working on the State's West Coast.
Of all the clubs that participated in the competition, only the Queenstown Football Club (now nicknamed the Crows) and Rosebery-Toorak Football Club remain in existence, participating in competitions on the North West Coast.
History There was an earlier named entity proposed in the 1890s. The League began in 1924 as the Queenstown Football Association. The League underwent a name change to the Western Tasmanian Football Association in 1963 as it absorbed the clubs from the Rosebery Football Association. In 1976, the WTFA absorbed the surviving clubs from the Murchison Football Association. The Lyell Football Club and the Gormanston Football Club merged in 1976 and formed Lyell-Gormanston Football Club. In 1977, the Smelters Football Club and the City Football Club Merged and formed the Queenstown Football Club. Rosebery Football Club and Toorak Football Club merged in 1987 forming the Rosebery-Toorak Football Club. see for 1979-1980's merges and participants Rosebery-Toorak Football Club leave the WTFA and join the NWFA to start in 1990. In 1991, the Strahan Football Club re-formed and entered the WTFA, they last played in the Murchison FA in 1958. The WTFA closed down at the end of 1993. The Queenstown Crows were formed in 1994 from the merger of Lyell-Gormanston and the Queenstown Blues and are still playing in the Darwin Association.
Clubs
Final clubs ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in WTFAWTFA Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsLyell-GormanstonLionsQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–19761976-1993111976, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993Merged with Queenstown to form Queenstown Crows in Darwin FA after 1993 seasonQueenstownBluesQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–19771977-199331978, 1983, 1984Merged with Lyell-Gormanston to form Queenstown Crows in Darwin FA after 1993 seasonStrahanSealsStrahan Recreation Ground, StrahanZFA19001991-19930 -Folded when WTFA closed down after 1993 seasonZeehan(1980s)(?-1993)BulldogsZeehan Cricket Ground, ZeehanMFA18961976-199311985Moved to Leven FA after 1993 season
Former clubs ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in WTFAWTFA Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsCity(1950s)(?-1976)MagpiesQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–19201924-1976131926, 1934, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1947, 1948, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1960, 1963Merged with Smelters to form Queenstown in 1977ConvertersQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–190019000 -Moved to Lyell District JFA in 1901Fire BrigadeQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–19131913-1915, 19230 -Recess between 1916-22. Folded after 1923 seasonFlux QuarriesQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–18971897-189911897Folded after 1899 seasonGormanstonBlues, Mountain MenGormanston Recreation Ground, GormanstonLMFA19001933-1941, 1945-197581936, 1949, 1950, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970Merged with Lyell to form Lyell-Gormanston in 1976Linda ValleyLinda Recreation Ground, Linda–19001901-19020 -Unaffiliated between 1903-08. Formed Lyell Miners FA in 1909Lyell (1)Queenstown Oval, Queenstown–18991899-1900, 1904, 19070 -Recess between 1901-03 and 1905-06. Folded after 1907.Lyell (2)Maroons, EaglesQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–19421942-1975101942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1951, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1964Merged with Gormanston to form Lyell-Gormanston in 1976MechanicsQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–19041904-1911, 1919-192361903, 1906, 1911, 1919, 1920, 1921Recess between 1912-18. Folded after 1923 seasonMines UnitedDark with light monogramQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–19301930-194331932, 1933, 1935Folded after 1943 seasonQueenstown (1)Queenstown Oval, Queenstown–18971897-1899, 190211898Recess in 1900-01. Folded after 1902 seasonRailway(1905-15)
(1923-29)Queenstown Oval, Queenstown–19051905-1915, 1923-192961905, 1909, 1910, 1914, 1923, 1925Folded after 1929 seasonRosebery(1964-67)(1968-86)SaintsRosebery Park Oval, RoseberyRFA19241964-198661971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1980Merged with Toorak to form Rosebery-Toorak in 1987Rosebery-ToorakHawksRosebery Park Oval, Rosebery–19871987-19900 -Moved to North Western FA in 1990St Martin'sQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–19091909-19110 -Folded after 1911 seasonSmelters(1899)(1950s)(?-1976)RobinsQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–c.19001897-1908, 1913-1915, 1924-1941, 1944-1976181899, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1915, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1938, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1959Merged with City to form Queenstown in 1977Soldiers UnitedQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–19191919-192211922Folded after 1922 seasonToorakTigersRosebery Park Oval, RoseberyRFA19261964-198621967, 1977Merged with Rosebery to form Rosebery-Toorak in 1987TradesQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–190319030 -Moved to Lyell District JFA in 1904Tullah-Savage River (1976-?)(?-1988)Roos, River RaidersTullah Recreation Ground, TullahMFA19301976-19880 -Folded after 1988 seasonUnionQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–19001900-190111900Folded after 1901 seasonYMCAQueenstown Oval, Queenstown–19191919-19220 -Folded after 1922 season
Premierships
1897 ― Flux Quarries 1898 ― Queenstown 1899 ― Smelters 1900 ― Union 1901 ― Smelters 1902 ― Smelters 1903 ― Mechanics 1904 ― Smelters 1905 ― Railway 1906 ― Mechanics 1907 ― Smelters 1908 ― Smelters 1909 ― Railway 1910 ― Railway 1911 ― Mechanics 1912 ― No competition 1913 ― None 1914 ― Railway 1915 ― Smelters 1916-18 ― Recess (WWI) 1919 ― Mechanics 1920 ― Mechanics 1921 ― Mechanics 1922 ― Returned Soldiers 1923 ― Railway 1924 ― Smelters 1925 ― Railway 1926 ― City 1927 ― Smelters 1928 ― Smelters 1929 ― Smelters 1930 ― Smelters 1931 ― Smelters 1932 ― Mines United 1933 ― Mines United 1934 ― City 1935 ― Mines United 1936 ― Gormanston 1937 ― City 1938 ― Smelters 1939 ― City 1940 ― City 1941 ― City 1942 ― Lyell 1943 ― Lyell 1944 ― Lyell 1945 ― Lyell 1946 ― Lyell 1947 ― City 1948 ― City 1949 ― Gormanston 1950 ― Gormanston 1951 ― Lyell 1952 ― City 1953 ― City 1954 ― Smelters 1955 ― Smelters 1956 ― Smelters 1957 ― City 1958 ― Lyell 1959 ― Smelters 1960 ― City 1961 ― Lyell 1962 ― Lyell 1963 ― City"King Football" - Hobart Mercury - Monday, 28 May 1973 (page 29)
1964 ― Lyell 15.17 (107) v Gormanston 9.5 (59) 1965 ― Gormanston 9.10 (64) v Lyell 4.14 (38) 1966 ― Gormanston 16.11 (107) v Lyell 13.9 (87) 1967 ― Toorak 8.9 (57) v Rosebery 6.17 (53) 1968 ― Gormanston 10.16 (76) v Toorak 8.12 (60) 1969 ― Gormanston 12.14 (86) v Rosebery 8.5 (53) 1970 ― Gormanston 19.11 (125) v Toorak 16.13 (109) 1971 ― Rosebery 20.18 (138) v Toorak 19.12 (126) 1972 ― Rosebery 11.12 (78) v Toorak 10.10 (70) 1973 ― Smelters 15.13 (103) v Toorak 12.14 (86) 1974 ― Rosebery 16.17 (113) v Smelters 7.12 (54) 1975 ― Rosebery 15.17 (107) v Toorak 15.13 (103) 1976 ― Lyell-Gormanston 26.25 (181) v City 8.12 (60) 1977 ― Toorak 15.21 (111) v Lyell-Gormanston 12.18 (90) 1978 ― Queenstown 16.26 (122) v Toorak 14.15 (99) 1979 ― Rosebery 15.12 (102) v Toorak 13.12 (90) 1980 ― Rosebery 12.17 (89) v Toorak 10.12 (72) 1981 ― Lyell-Gormanston 20.18 (138) v Rosebery 13.13 (91) 1982 ― Lyell-Gormanston 14.14 (98) v Toorak 9.17 (71) 1983 ― Queenstown 7.13 (55) v Lyell-Gormanston 4.4 (28) 1984 ― Queenstown 15.19 (109) v Lyell-Gormanston 7.21 (63) 1985 ― Zeehan 22.10 (142) v Lyell-Gormanston 14.14 (98) 1986 ― Lyell-Gormanston 12.15 (87) v Queenstown 12.14 (86) 1987 ― Lyell-Gormanston 9.16 (70) v Tullah-Savage River 7.14 (56) 1988 ― Lyell-Gormanston 11.18 (84) v Zeehan 7.9 (51) 1989 ― Lyell-Gormanston 14.22 (106) v Queenstown 16.8 (104) 1990 ― Lyell-Gormanston 22.21 (153) v Queenstown 16.8 (104) 1991 ― Lyell-Gormanston 18.18 (126) v Strahan 14.7 (91) 1992 ― Lyell-Gormanston 20.19 (139) v Zeehan 13.12 (90) 1993 ― Lyell-Gormanston 17.19 (121) v Queenstown 12.12 (84)
Individual awards The senior B&F was the Bartram Medal. The reserves B&F was the ALB. Broadby Trophy. Seniors and reserves both had leading goalkicker awards.
1987 Ladder West Tasmanian FAWinsByesLossesDrawsForAgainst%Pts Rosebery-Toorak 10 0 5 1 1403 1071 131.00% 42 Lyell-Gormanston 9 0 7 0 1447 1336 108.31% 36 Tullah-Savage River 9 0 7 0 1264 1220 103.61% 36 Zeehan 7 0 9 0 1210 1473 82.15% 28 Queenstown 4 0 11 1 1387 1611 86.10% 18
FINALS
FinalTeamGBPtsTeamGBPts1st Semi Tullah-Savage River 13 11 89 Zeehan 9 14 682nd Semi Lyell-Gormanston 14 16 100 Rosebery-Toorak 12 8 80Preliminary Tullah-Savage River 13 17 95 Rosebery-Toorak 10 8 68Grand Lyell-Gormanston 9 16 70 Tullah-Savage River 7 14 56
Notes
See also Australian rules football in Tasmania Leven Football Association Darwin Football Association North Western Football Association