The Latrobe Football League was an Australian rules football competition based around the town of Latrobe in northern Tasmania.
History The Latrobe Football League was formed in 1925 with the goal of encouraging junior football in the Latrobe area. The initial clubs were Harford, Sassafras and Latrobe Rovers, and the first premiership was won by Sassafras. Railton joined the LFL in 1926. Harford were excluded from the LFL before the 1927 season owing to a late application to join, with their position being taken by Moriarty. 1929 saw only three teams competing as Moriarty did not form a team, however they would return a year later and the addition of Kimberley from the Dunorlan Football Association brought the number of clubs to 5. By 1934 a second Railton club, Cement Rovers, had joined the League along with Sheffield from the Kentish Football Association. Railton had dominated the competition until this point, winning 5 premierships in 6 years between 1929 and 1934. Sheffield returned to the Kentish FA in 1935 but rejoined the LFL in 1937, along with fellow KFA club Barrington and former Central FA club Deloraine. Kimberley departed for the Chudleigh FA prior to the 1937 season while Sassafras had folded before the completion of the 1936 season. Although the LFL featured a strong line-up of clubs in 1937, its demise was rapid, with Goliath (a re-named Cement Rovers) and Barrington departing after 1937 and Deloraine after 1938, forcing the League to fold.
The Latrobe Football League was re-established in 1951, with Moriarty, Sassafras, Latrobe Colts Latrobe YCW and Railton Seconds competing. Many of these clubs had competed in the NWFA's reserves competition for the previous few seasons but now decided to form their own League to compete in. This iteration of the LFL only lasted three years and folded in early 1954.
Clubs
Final ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer leagueEst.Years in LFLLFL Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsLatrobe Rovers Latrobe Football Ground, Latrobe–19251925-1938, 195311927Folded after 1953 seasonLatrobe UnitedLatrobe Football Ground, Latrobe–19521952-195311953Folded after 1953 seasonMoriartySpudpickers MoriartyNWFA19041927-1928, 1930 1951-195311952Folded after 1953 seasonSassafras(1905)(1946-50)Sassafras Reserve, SassafrasNWFA19051925-1936, 1950-195351925, 1926, 1928, 1935, 1951Entered recess in 1937. Folded after 1953 season
Former ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer leagueEst.Years in LFLLFL Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsBarringtonRobinsBarrington Football Ground, BarringtonKFA189519370 -Moved to Wilmot FA in 1938DeloraineMagpiesDeloraine Recreation Ground, DeloraineCFA18941937-193811937Moved to NTFA seconds competition in 1939Goliath Dark with light monogramRailton Recreation Ground, RailtonKFA19301931-1932, 1934-193721931, 1936Played in Kentish FA in 1933. Folded after 1937 seasonHarfordHarford Recreation Ground, HarfordEDJFA19051925-19260 -Refused affiliation in 1927 and subsequently folded.High SchoolLatrobe Football Ground, Latrobe–195219520 -Folded after 1952 seasonKimberleyRobinsKimberley Recreation Ground, KimberleyDFA19021930-19360 -Moved to Chudleigh FA in 1937Latrobe ColtsLatrobe Football Ground, Latrobe–195119510 -Folded after 1951 seasonLatrobe YCWLatrobe Football Ground, Latrobe–19511951-19520 -Folded after 1952 seasonRailtonTigersRailton Recreation Ground, RailtonKFA19001926-1930, 1932-193861929, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1938Recess in 1931. Moved to NWFA in 1939.Railton secondsTigersRailton Recreation Ground, RailtonNWFA190019510 -Moved to NWFA in 1952Sheffield(1933-37)(1938)Sheffield Football Ground, SheffieldKFA19041933-1934, 1937-19380 -Played in Kentish FA in 1935-36. Moved to NWFA in 1939
Premierships YearPremierScoreRunners-upNotes1925SassafrasLatrobe RoversNo grand final1926Sassafras9.9 (63) - 7.16 (78)Railton1927Latrobe Rovers10.14 (74) - 5.10 (40)Sassafras1928Sassafras7.11 (53) - 2.8 (20)Railton1929Railton7.15 (57) - 7.10 (52)Sassafras1930Railton8.6 (54) - 4.7 (31)Kimberley1931Cement Rovers12.19 (91) - 1.9 (15)Kimberley1932Railton7.7 (49) - 5.11 (41)Latrobe Rovers1933Railton6.16 (52) - 6.11 (47)Kimberley1934Railton17.15 (117) - 5.3 (33)Cement Rovers1935Sassafras10.17 (73) - 8.10 (58)Railton1936Goliath11.16 (82) - 7.16 (53)Railton1937Deloraine12.6 (78) - 5.16 (46)Railton1938Railton10.8 (68) - 3.10 (28)Sheffield1939-50LFL in recess1951Sassafras11.8 (74) - 9.14 (68)Latrobe YCW1952Moriarty6.12 (48) - 5.16 (46)Latrobe United1953Latrobe United8.7 (55) - 4.10 (34)Moriarty
References