The Manly-Warringah Australian Football Club are an Australian rules football club that play in the Sydney AFL Premier League and is the only senior club located on Sydney's northern beaches. The club colours are maroon and white. The Wolves' have men's teams in Premier Division, Premier Division Reserves, Division 2 and a Division 1 under 19's team. In the Women's competition, the Wolves field a Division 1 and a Division 3 side in 2019.
Manly Warringah's home ground is Weldon Oval located in the northern Sydney suburb of Harbord.
History Foundation and SFA years (1969 - 2012) The Manly-Warringah Wolves were formed in 1969. Founding members Harry Marston, George Klause and Bruce Hutton discovered enough interest on the northern beaches for an Australian rules football team to be formed. The club started in the Sydney Football League Under-20 competition. In 1970 Manly-Warringah joined the newly formed Sydney District Association. The formation of this competition was the culmination of several clubs’ efforts, none more so than Manly, and in particular Harry Marston.
The Wolves have been a dominant performer in the AFL Sydney First Division, formerly known as the Sydney Football Association (SFA). Manly-Warringah won premierships at that level in 1985, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2007, 2011, and 2012. The Wolves had an undefeated season in 2012 with percentage of 564.03. They also had an astonishing average winning margin of over one hundred points per game.
Promotion to Premier Division (2013 - Present) After Division One premierships in 2011 and 2012, the 2013 season saw the Manly Warringah Wolves promoted to the Sydney AFL Premier Division for the first time in their history. The Wolves won their first game in the Sydney AFL Premier Division 159 - 42 against 2012 grand finalist, Balmain Dockers. The wolves had a dream start in the premier division winning 9 straight games to start the season. The wolves finished 2013 with the minor premiership. The wolves had the first week off in the semi-finals before beating St George Dragons 85 - 67 to qualify for the grand final and earn a week off. The wolves faced Pennant Hills in the grand final and ran out winners 80 - 72. They are the first team in Sydney AFL history to win the grand final after being promoted to the Premier Division.
Season 2014 saw the dawn of a new era, in which the Wolves formed an Alliance with the Greater Western Sydney Giants, in turn changing the name from the Manly Wolves to the Manly Giants. It was a significant development for Australian rules football on the northern beaches. On the field the success in the Men's Premier Division continued with the wolves having a dominant season winning a second premiership having only losing one game for the season. This year also marked the establishment of Manly-Warringah's first ever female team. Alisa Kelley, rallied up enough interest to form the first ever senior women's AFL team on the Northern Beaches. The team was entered into the Division 2 AFL Sydney competition and finished 6th in their maiden season.
Moving into 2016 and the club was renamed back to the original "Manly-Warringah Wolves".
In 2018, the Wolves were successful in entering in a second women's team into the AFL Sydney Competition. In 2018, the club fielded women's teams in Division 1 and Division 2. After a successful 2018 campaign for Division 1, the team remains in this league in 2019 and are a strong top 4 team. The Division 2 side has been relegated to Division 3 for 2019.
In 2027 Manly Warringah will compete alongside eight other AFL Sydney Premier Division teams in the Sydney Football League.
Club honours PremiershipsCompetitionLevelWinsYears wonAFL Sydney Men's Premier Division22013, 2014 Division One71985, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2007, 2011, 2012 Division Two12025 Division Three12022 Division Five12025 AFL Sydney Women's Premier Division 12020 Finishing positions AFL Sydney Men's Premier Division Minor premiership22013, 2014, Grand Finalist32024, 2025, 2026 (HA!) AFL Sydney Women's Premier DivisionMinor premiership22020, 2025Grand Finalist22022, 2024
List of Grand Final Victories Year Competition OpponentScoreVenue 1985 Sydney Football Association First Grade 1990 Sydney Football Association First Grade 1995 Sydney Football Association First Grade UNSW 20.20 (140) – 6.6 (42) Rosedale Oval 1996 Sydney Football Association First Grade UNSW 22.17 (155) – 11.9 (75) Gipps Road Oval 2007 AFL Sydney First Division Southern Power 10.14 (74) – 9.9 (63) Kelso Oval 2011 AFL Sydney Division One Southern Power 7.13 (55) – 6.9 (45) Blacktown International Sportspark 2012 AFL Sydney Division One Southern Power 11.15 (81) – 9.2 (56) Blacktown International Sportspark 2013 AFL Sydney Premier Division Pennant Hills 11.14 (80) – 11.6. (72) Blacktown International Sportspark 2014 AFL Sydney Premier Division Pennant Hills 11.14. (80) – 8.20. (68) Blacktown International Sportspark 2020 AFL Sydney Women's Premier Division Inner West Magpies 6.10. (46) – 4.1. (25) Kanebridge Oval
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: Tyrone Armitage (2013) Connor Pettersson (2015) Kale Gabila (2023)
Snow Medal winners The Snow Medal is awarded to the best player in the AFL Sydney Men’s Division Two during the home-and-away season as voted by the umpires: Tim Anderson (1992)
Mostyn Medal winners The Mostyn Medal is awarded to the best player in the AFL Sydney Women's Premier Division during the home-and-away season as voted by the umpires: Hannah Woolf (2024, 2025)
AFLW Players The following players have played in the AFL Women's: Libby Graham (GWS and Richmond)
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