The Midlands Football Association was an Australian rules football competition based in the Tasmanian Midlands. The MFA was unique in being the only Tasmanian football competition to feature clubs from both the north and south of the state.
History The Midlands FA began in 1924 with Campbell Town, Cleveland, Ross and Tunbridge competing. This first iteration of the competition would only last two seasons and the MFA would enter recess between 1926 and 1930. The competition was re-formed in 1931 without Tunbridge. Cleveland were replaced by Tunbridge in 1932, while Oatlands joined for the first time in 1933. Tunbridge would again drop out of the competition in 1934. The competition would lapse after the 1936 season, with Campbell Town and Ross forming the Northern Midlands FA and Oatlands the Southern Midlands FA. The 1930s were dominated by Campbell Town, who won 5 out of 6 premierships.
The MFA was re-formed in 1946, with six clubs participating - Campbell Town, Ross, Mount Pleasant, Oatlands, Tunbridge and Tunnack. The competition was reduced to 4 clubs in 1948 when Oatlands left for the Southern Districts Football Association and Tunbridge for the Pyke Trophy. Oatlands would return the next year, replacing Mount Pleasant. The four-club line-up of Campbell Town, Ross, Tunnack and Oatlands would remain the same for the rest of the MFA's existence. Ross won four premierships in a row between 1956 and 1959, and achieved another hat-trick between 1966 and 1968. Oatlands would win the last three premierships of the MFA in a row. After the 1971 season the competition disbanded, with Campbell Town joining the Fingal District FA, Ross the Esk FA, Tunnack the South East District FA and Oatlands the TAFL Southern Division.
Clubs
Final ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years inMFAMFA Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsCampbell TownRobinsCampbell Town Oval, Campbell TownNMFA18861924-1925, 1931-1936, 1946-1971101924, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1961Formed Northern Midlands FA in 1937. Moved to Fingal District FA in 1972Oatlands(1940s-?)(?-1971)Oatlands Oval, OatlandsNMFA, SDFA18791933-1936, 1946-1947, 1949-197191933, 1953, 1954, 1960, 1962, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971Formed Southern Midlands FA in 1937. Played in Southern Districts FA in 1948. Moved to TAFL Southern Division in 1972Ross DemonsRoss Recreation Ground, RossNMFA18781924-1925, 1931-1936, 1946-19719 1946, 1948, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1968Formed Northern Midlands FA in 1937. Moved to Esk FA in 1972Tunnack(1946-?)(?-1971)EaglesTunnack Football Oval, TunnackODFA19101946-19715 1947, 1949, 1952, 1963, 1964Moved to South East District FA in 1972
Former ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years inMFAMFA Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsClevelandCleveland Recreation Ground, Cleveland–19031924-1925, 19310 -Entered recess in 1932. Re-formed in Northern Midlands FA in 1937.Mt PleasantMountiesPawtella Oval, PawtellaODFA19201946-19480 -Entered recess in 1948. Re-formed in Oatlands District FA in 1953TunbridgeRedlegsTunbridge Oval, TunbridgeODFA18951924-1925, 1932-1933, 1946-19470 -Entered recess in 1934. Re-formed in Oatlands District FA in 1936. Moved to Pyke Trophy in 1948.
Premierships YearPremierScoreRunners-upNotes1924Campbell Town1925?1926-30Recess1931Campbell Town8.10 (58) - 8.8 (56)Ross1932Campbell Town10.7 (67) - 8.14 (62)Ross1933Oatlands15.3 (93) - 9.13 (67)Campbell Town1934Campbell Town13.9 (87) - 8.7 (55)Oatlands1935Campbell Town8.13 (61) - 9.5 (59)Ross1936Campbell Town11.13 (79) - 9.3 (57)Oatlands1937-45Recess1946Ross10.5 (65) - 9.10 (64)Tunnack1947Tunnack9.10 (64) - 8.9 (57)Ross1948Ross11.8 (74) - 8.10 (58)Campbell Town1949Tunnack13.11 (89) - 10.13 (73)Campbell Town1950Campbell Town11.14 (80) - 7.9 (51)Ross1951Campbell Town13.7 (85) - 1.14 (20)Oatlands1952Tunnack9.6 (60) - 8.9 (57)Oatlands1953Oatlands15.16 (106) - 10.16 (76)Ross1954Oatlands11.12 (78) - 8.12 (60)Tunnack1955Campbell Town18.6 (114) - 9.17 (71)Ross1956Ross13.9 (87) - 11.16 (82)Campbell Town1957Ross17.23 (125) - 11.16 (82)Tunnack1958Ross16.10 (106) - 12.8 (80)Oatlands1959Ross16.4 (100) - 8.17 (65)Oatlands1960Oatlands4.8 (32) - 2.6 (18)Ross1961Campbell Town15.9 (99) - 11.11 (77)Tunnack1962Oatlands9.18 (72) - 3.13 (31)Campbell Town1963Tunnack15.19 (109) - 8.13 (61)Oatlands1964Tunnack13.10 (88) - 10.7 (67)Campbell Town1965Oatlands12.17 (89) - 7.12 (54)Ross1966Ross12.17 (89) - 9.13 (67)Oatlands1967Ross17.9 (111) - 16.11 (107)Oatlands1968Ross11.16 (82) - 4.17 (41)Oatlands1969Oatlands12.13 (85) - 8.8 (56)Ross1970Oatlands18.17 (125) - 7.13 (55)Ross1971Oatlands17.14 (116) - 12.11 (83)Campbell Town
References