AFL London is one of the largest organised Australian rules football leagues outside Australia. The league organises multiple grades of full 18-a-side games across London, United Kingdom.
The competition provides a competitive and fun game of football to the many Australians that live and work in London, as well as spreading the game to residents of non-AFL playing nations resident in the capital city including British, Irish, South African, American, Canadian, Italian and other Europeans.
The league is currently made up of eight clubs, across three levels of competition (Premiership, Conference and Social) that participate in a competition running from April to August.
History First formed in 1989 by John Jelly (Journalist), Andrew Zweck (Harvey Goldsmiths), Martyn Hughes (Cleveland Capital Management) Founder London Hawks and helod First meeting for Wandsworth Demons AFL London was born. BARFL simply stood for the British Australian Rules Football League. The inaugural season was held in 1990 and featured eight teams; the London Hawks, West London Wildcats, North London Lions, Earls Court Kangaroos, Lea Valley Saints, Thames Valley Magpies, Wandsworth Demons and the Leicester-based East Midland Eagles. Of these eight foundation teams, West London, North London, London Hawks (NKA Wimbledon Hawks) and Wandsworth continue to compete in the league.
In 2001 AFL London was expanded to incorporate two levels of competition, known as the Premiership and Conference competitions. In addition, due to growing interest and numbers, a Social grade competition was added in 2007.
2008 saw an organisational restructure of Australian Rules Football in the UK, with the BARFL redeveloped to become AFL Britain. This change came about as a way of focusing the efforts of the organisation on supporting the growth of the game both in and outside the capital. It was at this time that the London competition was rebranded as AFL London.
In 2015 a women's competition was introduced, including three of the foundation teams; Wandsworth Demons, North London Lions and Wimbledon Hawks, and the Peckham-based South East London Giants. This was expanded in 2017 into two divisions of four women's teams, with the addition of teams from the West London Wildcats, London Swans, Putney Magpies, and a second side from Wandsworth.
Clubs
Locations
Men ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundEst.Years in LAFL TotalMost recentPremiership North London Lions O R Tambo Recreation Ground, Haringey 1990 1990- 52021 Wandsworth Demons Clapham Common, Clapham 1990 1990- 132026 West London Wildcats Dukes Meadows, Chiswick 1990 1990- 122022ConferenceClapham DemonsClapham Common, Clapham19981998-42024 London Swans Hackney Marshes, Hackney1991 1991- 42026Shepherds Bush RaidersDukes Meadows, Chiswick20002000-172019 Wimbledon Hawks Motspur Park, Wimbledon 1990 1990- 41998SocialEaling EmusDukes Meadows, Chiswick20082008-42021London SwansHackney Marshes, Hackney19911991-32025Bounds Green LionsO R Tambo Recreation Ground, Haringey20082008-0 - Reading Kangaroos King's Meadow, Reading2003 2003- 22013South London DemonsClapham Common, Clapham19901990-52019 South EastLondon Peckham Rye, Southwark 2008 2008- 12024 Sussex Swans University of Brighton Sports Centre, Brighton 2020 2020- 0 -WimbledonHawksMotspur Park, Wimbledon19901990-41998
Women ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundEst.Years in LAFL TotalMost recentPremiership London Swans Hackney Marshes, Hackney 1991 1991- 32024 Sussex Swans University of Brighton Sports Centre, Brighton 2020 2020- 12021 Wandsworth Demons Clapham Common, Clapham 1990 1990- 42026 West London Wildcats Dukes Meadows, Chiswick 1990 1990- 42025 Wimbledon Hawks Motspur Park, Wimbledon 1990 1990- 32025ConferenceLondonSwansHackney Marshes, Hackney19911991-32024North LondonLionsO R Tambo Recreation Ground, Haringey19901990-12019South East LondonGiantsPeckham Rye, Southwark20082008-0 -WandsworthDemonsClapham Common, Clapham19901990-42021West LondonWildcatsDukes Meadows, Chiswick19901990-42025
2026 divisions ClubMen's PremiershipMen's ConferenceMen's SocialWomen's PremiershipWomen's ConferenceTotalLondon4North London3Reading1South East London2Sussex2Wandsworth5West London5Wimbledon3
Former clubs ClubColoursNicknameLocationEst.Years in LAFLFate TotalYears Bristol Bristol 1991 1991-2010 0 -Moved to Wales ARFL in 2011Earl's CourtKangaroosEarl's Court19901990-?11991FoldedEast MidlandEaglesLeicester19901990-?0 -FoldedLea ValleySaints19901990-?0 -FoldedPortsmouthPiratesWarblington School, Warblington20192019-?0 -Folded Putney Magpies Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields, Putney Vale 1999 1999-2020 0 -Folded after 2020 seasonThames ValleyMagpies19901990-?0 -Folded
Premiership Winners The following teams have won the competition:
Pre-divisional structure
1990 Wandsworth 10.10 (70) d. Earls Court 9.14 (68) 1991 Earls Court 18.15 (123) d. Wandsworth 12.15 (87) 1992 Wandsworth 12.5 (77) d. West London 11.9 (75) 1993 London Hawks 12.13 (85) d. Lea Valley 6.5 (41) 1994 London Hawks 15.8 (98) d. West London 8.11 (59) 1995 Wandsworth d. West London 1996 Wimbledon d. West London 1997 Wandsworth 7.11 (53) d. Wimbledon 7.10 (52) 1998 Wimbledon 11.8 (74) d. Wandsworth 7.2 (44) 1999 Wandsworth 14.10 (94) d. West London 14.5 (89) 2000 West London 11.12 (78) d. Wandsworth 5.2 (32)
Divisional structure YearLondon PremiershipLondon ConferenceLondon SocialLondon Women's PremiershipLondon Women's Conference2001North London 10.7 (67) d. Wimbledon 6.9 (45)Shepherds Bush 10.6 (66) d. Regents Park 8.10 (58)2002North London 18.11 (119) d. West London 8.5 (53)Shepherds Bush 11.10 (76) d. Regents Park 11.8 (74)2003Wandsworth 11.11 (77) d. West London 9.8 (62)Shepherds Bush 11.8 (74) d. Clapham 7.6 (48)2004West London 14.12 (96) d. Wimbledon 5.2 (32)Shepherds Bush 18.19 (127) d. Putney 9.4 (58)2005West London 9.14 (68) d. Wimbledon 9.7 (61)Shepherds Bush 11.12 (78) d. Clapham 11.9 (75)2006West London 18.11 (119) d. Wimbledon 2.6 (18)Shepherds Bush 5.11 (41) d. Clapham 4.3 (27)2007West London 16.17 (113) d. Wandsworth 3.2 (20)Shepherds Bush 10.13 (73) d. Clapham 4.2 (26)2008West London 13.8 (86) d. Putney 4.3 (27)Shepherds Bush d. ClaphamEaling d. Nottingham2009West London 11.8 (74) d. Wandsworth 10.7 (67)Clapham 8.5 (53) d. Shepherds Bush 5.7 (37)South London d. Ealing2010Wandsworth 15.15 (105) d. Putney 4.7 (31)Shepherds Bush 12.9 (81) d. Clapham 7.3 (45)Ealing d. South London2011West London 13.11 (89) d. Wandsworth 8.9 (57)Shepherds Bush 17.4 (106) d. Clapham 9.13 (67)South London 3.11 (29) d. Ealing 3.4 (22)2012North London 8.8 (56) d. Wandsworth 8.7 (55)Shepherds Bush 11.11 (77) d. Regents Park 12.3 (75)Reading 8.9 (57) d. Balham 3.4 (22)2013West London 10.10 (70) d. North London 9.6 (60)Shepherds Bush 9.5 (59) d. Regents Park 5.12 (42)Reading 6.5 (41) d. Ealing 3.6 (24)2014West London 14.13 (97) d. Wandsworth 8.10 (58)Shepherds Bush 14.9 (93) d. Clapham 2.4 (16)Ealing 4.7 (31) d. South East London 4.6 (30)2015North London 8.9 (57) d. West London 8.8 (56)Shepherds Bush 8.20 (68) d. Bounds Green 5.5 (35)South London 7.4 (46) d. Ealing 1.9 (14)Wandsworth 5.3 (33) d. Wimbledon 1.2 (8)2016West London 14.10 (94) d. Wandsworth 7.3 (43)Clapham 8.2 (50) d. Shepherds Bush 7.5 (47)South London 8.10 (58) d. Reading 3.2 (20)Wimbledon 10.5 (65) d. North London 0.0 (0)2017Wandsworth 4.14 (38) d. North London 5.5 (35)Shepherds Bush 7.8 (50) d. Clapham 4.5 (29)South London 6.5 (41) d. Bounds Green 1.3 (9)Wandsworth 6.2 (38) d. South East London Giants 0.1 (1)West London 4.8 (32) d. Clapham 0.1 (1)2018Wandsworth 8.13 (61) d. West London 9.6 (60)Shepherds Bush 7.9 (51) d. Clapham 4.5 (29)South London 7.5 (47) d. Bounds Green 1.4 (10)Wandsworth 5.3 (33) d. North London 1.5 (11)Clapham 1.3 (9) d. London Swans 1.2 (8)2019West London d. WandsworthShepherds Bush d. WimbledonSouth London d. EalingNorth London d. Wandsworth London Swans d. Clapham2021North London 5.10 (40) d West London 4.7 (31)London Swans 4.3 (27) d Wandsworth 1.6 (12)Ealing 2.8 (20) d Wandsworth 2.2 (14)Wandsworth 2.1 (13) d West London 1.2 (8)Sussex 10.12 (72) d Wandsworth 0.0 (0)2022West London 7.6 (48) d. North London 6.11 (47)London Swans 9.7 (61) d. Shepherds Bush Raiders 7.7 (49)Sussex 2.6 (18) d. Wandsworth Demons 0.8 (8)West London 1.8 (14) d Wandsworth 1.3 (9)Wimbledon 8.14 (62) d Wandsworth 0.0 (0)2023Wandsworth 9.9 (63) d West London 7.13 (55)Wandsworth 9.8 (62) d London Swans 7.5 (47)Wandsworth 8.2 (50) d Ealing Emus 0.2 (2)West London 1.8 (14) d Wandsworth 2.1 (13)London Swans 2.3 (15) d South East London Giants 0.1 (1)2024Wandsworth 11.14 (80) d West London 6.6 (42)Wandsworth 10.6 (66) d Wimbledon 4.3 (27)South East London Giants 8.8 (56) d Wandsworth 6.1 (37)West London 5.10 (40) d Wandsworth 1.0 (6)London Swans 3.4 (22) d South East London Giants 1.2 (8)2025Wandsworth 14.10 (94) d North London 8.7 (55)London Swans 7.15 (57) d Wimbledon 3.6 (24)Wandsworth 5.0 (30) d London Swans 3.6 (24)West London 2.8 (20) d Wandsworth 1.2 (8)Wimbledon 3.5 (23) d North London 1.2 (8)2026Wandsworth 7.14 (56) d North London 6.12 (48)London Swans 5.11 (42) d Wandsworth 2.6 (18)London Swans 13.8 (86) d Wandsworth 2.5 (17)Wandsworth 4.4 (28) d London Swans 2.6 (18)SEL Giants 2.8 (20) d North London 1.0 (6)
Shepherds Bush Raiders and Ealing Emus are West London's second and third teams respectively Regent's Park Lions and Bounds Green Lions are North London's second and third teams respectively Clapham Demons and South London Demons are Wandsworth's second and third teams respectively.
Best and Fairest The Best & Fairest awards in each division celebrate outstanding players each season, as voted on by umpires at the conclusion of each game.
Year Premiership Conference Social Women's Prem. Women's Conf. 2019 David Allitt (West London Wildcats) Ian Ash (London Swans) Nick Bucovaz (Reading Roos) Stephanie Filby (North London Lions) Dee Kelly (Putney Magpies) 2018 Paul Fry (North London Lions) Harrison Pearce (Clapham Demons) Simon Kenny (Bounds Green Lions) Kyle Russo (North London Lions) Dee Kelly (Putney Magpies) 2017 Andy Challis (West London Wildcats) Harrison Pearce (Clapham Demons) Matt Pike (Ealing Emus) Lisa Wilson (Wimbledon Hawks) Jessie Humble (West London Wildcats) 2016 Andy Challis (West London Wildcats), Cameron Perry (Wandsworth Demons) & Nik Schoenmakers (North London Lions) Tim Kear (Shepherds Bush Raiders) 2015 Lloyd Williams (West London Wildcats) Chad Sellenger (Shepherds Bush Raiders) Trav White (Reading Roos) Jess Edwards (Wandsworth Demons) 2014 Trent Georgiou (Wandsworth Demons) Jimmy Gottschalk (Shepherds Bush Raiders) & Jimmy Boot (Regents Park Lions) Nathan Grindall (Reading Roos) 2013 Joel Moloney (Putney Magpies) Matt Halacas (Regents Park Lions)
See also AFL Europe AFL England Australian Rules Football in England
References