AFL Darling Downs (AFLDD) coordinates Australian rules football competitions in the Darling Downs and South Burnett regions of Queensland including its major city of Toowoomba where there are four of the senior clubs are based. The competition was formed as the Darling Downs Australian Football League in 1971. AFL Darling Downs has senior men's, women's as well as multiple grades of junior competition.
The senior representative team is known as the Demons and wear guernseys modelled on the Melbourne Demons guernseys.
History The Warwick Football Club was formed in 1873 in Warwick to play under Australian rules, however lacking any nearby competitors for 3 years it played mostly intra-club scratch matches. A Toowoomba Football Club was formed on 12th May, 1876 by members of the Civil Service. Brisbane Civil Service travelled to Toowoomba to play against a newly formed club in 1876.The Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser Toowoomba, Qld. 5 Jul 1876 Page 3 AFL Queensland cites the Toowoomba Football Club as forming in 1873, however few sources back this up. As the game spread further west of the Great DivideFOOTBALL MATCH AT WARWICK Warwick Examiner and Times 5 Aug 1876 Page 2 clubs were split on whether to adopt rugby or Australian rules. Nevertheless, it is noted that clubs from the region in this era were able to hold their own against those from Brisbane.
A Toowoomba Football Association formed in early July 1876 to coordinate matches between Toowoomba and Warwick clubs. Teams were 16-a-side. Accounts of the play match those of Australian rules of the time, including the cricket club involvement, match duration, umpire, lack of an offiside and kicking goals from the general field of play. The Light Infantry Corps formed in July 1876 to play against the Light Infantry Football Club. The Association disappeared a couple of years later. As Downs clubs lacked nearby opponents rugby was more suited to facilitating matches against New South Wales clubs, as a result local competition went into recess. An exception was an 1878 match between Old-Victorians and All Comers played in front of a large crowd.
The Queensland Football Association formed in 1880 and affiliated with the Victorian Football Association, however clubs outside of Brisbane were becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of representation for the whole colony. In 1881 matches were once again played in Toowoomba when the Toowoomba Grammar took up the sport.Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser 21 May 1881 Page 2 By 1882, a Toowoomba Association (affiliated with the QFA) had re-formed including both clubs and schools in the region. In 1883, a team of 12 travelled from Excelsior FC (Brisbane), noting a revival of the code in the region. The inclusion of the Allora Football Club at Allora in 1883 provided more regular interaction between the clubs.Queensland Figaro 26 May 1883 Page 10 Football. However the code suffered a major blow when, after the Brisbane private school association in 1887 voted to switch to rugby including Toowoomba Grammar. A senior Toowoomba Rugby Football Club formed in 1887 and this was the last mention of the Toowoomba Football Club or any other Downs clubs playing Australian rules. After the collapse of the QFA in 1890 the Toowoomba Rugby Association and Toowoomba British Football Association were able to grow unopposed.
Modern Competition The Darling Downs Australian Football League was first played as an official organised competition in 1971. Signals, Coolaroo and Aviation were the three foundation clubs and were joined by a fourth club, South Toowoomba in 1972.
The League has had many changes to the number of clubs participating since then, with eight A Grade Senior Clubs currently competing, and now known as AFL Darling Downs. It is a regional league in Queensland. There are four Senior clubs based in Toowoomba, and the other senior clubs come from Dalby, Goondiwindi, and Warwick. New teams from Kingaroy, and Chinchilla participated in the 2013 revamped competition. Chinchilla folded in 2018.
University Cougars AFC is the most successful club with 13 premierships, 4 under the banner of "Institute Eagles" and 9 under the moniker of "University Eagles". Coolaroo Roos has 12 premierships and Goondiwindi Hawks has 8 along with South Toowoomba Bombers (formerly Longhorns). Toowoomba Tigers (formerly Pinkies) have 6 premiership flags.
Clubs
There have been many different towns in the Darling Downs of Queensland fielding Australian Rules Football teams over the forty plus years of Senior Competition. Coolaroo Roos have played every season from the inaugural year, and Toowoomba Tigers have played the second most seasons. Below is a full list of current and former clubs in the region.
Locations Red = Senior
Yellow = junior only Club locations - ToowoombaClub locations - Darling Downs
Senior ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFoundedYears in LeagueSenior Premierships Total Years Coolaroo Roos Rockville Park, Wilsonton Heights 1971 1971- 13 1975, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Goondiwindi Hawks Riddles Oval, Goondiwindi 1978 1980- 8 1980, 1983, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2019 South Burnett Saints Lyle Vidler Oval, Kingaroy 2013 2013- 0- South Toowoomba Heritage Oval, Southern Cross Reserve, Harlaxton 1971 1972-1994, 1996-1998, 2005- 8 1972, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1984, 2008, 2020, 2021 Toowoomba Rockville Park, Wilsonton Heights 1973 1974-2002, 2004- 6 1977, 1979, 1988, 2010, 2011, 2012 University Baker St Oval, Darling Heights 1976 1976- 13 1978, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2006, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2018 Warwick Redbacks Roddies Oval, Warwick 1996 1999- 12014
Junior only ClubColours Nickname Home Ground FoundedYears in League Downlands College Gryphons Concordia Lutheran College20182018-
Former ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundEst.Years in LeaguePremiershipsFate TotalYears Aviation RAAF Base Oakey Oval, Oakey 19711971-1977 21973, 1974Folded after 1977 seasonChinchillaSunsChinchilla Recreation Grounds, Chinchilla20132013-20190 -Folded after 2019 season Coolaroo 2 RoosRockville Park, Wilsonton Heights1971 2002 0 -FoldedDalbySwansDalby AFL Oval, Dalby19801980-20220 -Folded after 2022 season Goondiwindi 2 HawksRiddles Oval, Goondiwindi1978 2000 0 -FoldedHighfieldsLionsKratzke Road Recreation Reserve, Highfields20032010-20190 -Folded after 2019 seasonKingaroy BulldogsLyle Vidler Oval, Kingaroy19820 -Recess between 1987-88. Folded after 2004 seasonLockyer Valley (1)MagpiesCahill Park, Gatton19811981-1994, 1996-199821985, 1993Played in Brisbane AFL in 1995. Folded after 1998 seasonLockyer Valley (2) DemonsCahill Park, Gatton20102010-20170 -Folded after 2017 season Lockyer-Warwick 1980 1980 0 -Split into Lockyer Valley and Warwick in 1981 Moonie SaintsMoonie Reserve, Moonie 1984 1984-1986 0 -Merged with Goondiwindi after 1986 season QAC Gatton Queensland Agricultural College Gatton Campus Oval, Gatton 1974 1974, 1977 0 -Recess in 1975-76. Folded after 1977 season Signals Borneo Barracks Oval, Cabarlah 1971 1971-1974 11971Folded after 1974 seasonWarwick (1)Wallabies Roddies Oval, Warwick19810 -Folded partway through 1986 season NOTE: Some clubs listed above played in Reserve Grade (Division 2) only for many seasons, but were not part of the A Grade competition and those years are not included in the above table.
AFL Darling Downs A Grade Premiers List
1971 Signals 1972 South Toowoomba 1973 Aviation 1974 Aviation 1975 Coolaroo 1976 South Toowoomba 1977 Toowoomba 1978 Institute 1979 Toowoomba 1980 Goondiwindi 1981 South Toowoomba 1982 South Toowoomba 1983 Goondiwindi 1984 South Toowoomba 1985 Lockyer Valley 1986 Institute 1987 Institute 1988 Toowoomba 1989 Institute 1990 University 1991 Goondiwindi 1992 University 1993 Lockyer Valley 1994 University 1995 Goondiwindi 1996 Goondiwindi 1997 University 1998 University 1999 Goondiwindi 2000 Goondiwindi 2001 Coolaroo 2002 Coolaroo 2003 Coolaroo 2004 Coolaroo 2005 Coolaroo 2006 University 2007 University 2008 South Toowoomba 2009 Coolaroo 2010 Toowoomba 2011 Toowoomba 2012 Toowoomba 2013 Coolaroo 2014 Warwick 2015 Coolaroo 2016 University 2017 University 2018 University 2019 Goondiwindi 2020 South Toowoomba 2021 South Toowoomba 2022 Coolaroo 2023 Coolaroo 2024 Coolaroo 2025 Coolaroo
AFL Darling Downs A Grade Grand Final Results
Men