The South Australian Patriotic Football League or Patriotic League was a short lived Australian rules football wartime competition formed during World War I in South Australia to fill the void left by the South Australian Football League (SAFL) which elected to go into recess at the time. Games held were used to raise funds for the war effort. The SAFL was opposed to the formation of the Patriotic League and refused to recognise it during and after World War I.
In the first season of the Patriotic League the competition raised between £350 and £400 for the war effort and Australian soldiers. By 1918 some Patriotic League matches were raising £1,000 per game.
The Patron of the Patriotic League, Francis (Frank) Walter Lundie, and the Delegate for West Adelaide, Albert (Bert) Augustine Edwards, were Councillors for the City of Adelaide in Grey Ward, the area mainly associated with the West Adelaide Football Club (Bert Edwards was their President). Despite being anti-conscription Labor men, they were patriots and supported the war effort.
Participating teams Three seasons Port Adelaide Prospect (Representing the North Adelaide Electorate) West Torrens
Two seasons West Adelaide
One season Kenilworth (based at St Marys) - 1918 Mitcham - 1918 Norwood - 1916 St Francis Xavier - 1917 South Adelaide - 1918 South Australian Police - 1918 South Australian Railways - 1915 Sturt - 1918
Patriotic League premiers South Australian Patriotic Football League Year Premier Runner upScore Crowd Ground Grand Final Date and Match Report 1916Port Adelaide (1)West Torrens (1)7.11 (53) def. 1.13 (19)Hindmarsh Oval19 August 1916 1917Port Adelaide (2)West Torrens (2)10.12 (72) def. 8.8 (56)Alberton Oval1 September 1917 1918West Torrens (1)West Adelaide (1)5.13 (43) def. 3.11 (29) 7,000Jubilee Oval9 October 1918
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