The North West Football League (NWFL) is an Australian rules football competition in North West Tasmania. The league was previously known as the Northern Tasmanian Football League (NTFL) from its inception in 1987 until the end of the 2014 season.
History Throughout and after the 1986 season, greater northern Tasmania's two senior football competitions – the Launceston-based Northern Tasmanian Football Association (NTFA) and the north-western coast's North Western Football Union (NWFU) – each lost several clubs to the new TFL Statewide League in 1986. The NTFA had lost North Launceston, East Launceston and City-South: and the NWFU had lost Devonport and Cooee. As a result, the two leagues were wound up, and the Northern Tasmanian Football League was established in 1987 to feature all of the remaining clubs. The NTFL was considered a lower tier than the Statewide League, unlike its predecessors, which were of equal seniority.
After the collapse of the Statewide League at the end of 2000, the northern and coastal clubs from that competition returned to the NTFL and dominated the competition for the next eight years (Burnie and Launceston won the next eight premierships between them). With the revival of the Statewide League in 2009, the same five clubs left the NTFL again (North Launceston, South Launceston, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport), resulting in the contraction of the league to a six-club coastal composition.
In the early years, the NTFL was contested by a mixture of smaller northern and north-western clubs, but the northern clubs gradually departed, and since 2009 the league has been contested solely by clubs from the north-western coast, all with a NWFU history. Consequently, at the end of the 2014 season, the name of the league was changed to the North West Football League (NWFL).
In 2015, Burnie and Devonport rejoined the competition, each fielding its reserves team in the NWFL seniors while continuing to field its senior team in the Statewide League reserves; this increased the league numbers up to eight. In early 2017, Burnie withdrew from this arrangement, which dropped the number of teams down to seven. Then, in 2018, Burnie and Devonport withdrew their senior teams from the Statewide League and each entered the NWFL proper. The league's senior premiership is now contested by eight clubs.
Timeline
Clubs Locations
Current - Senior ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in NWFLNWFL PremiershipsTotalYears BurnieDockers West Park Oval, Burnie TSL1995 2001-2008, 2015-2016, 2018-82001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2019, 2020 Circular Head Circular Head Recreation Ground, Smithton NWFU1907 1987-2018, 2022-11991 Devonport Magpies Devonport Oval, Devonport TSL1881 2001-2008, 2015-62021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 East Devonport SwansGirdlestone Park, East DevonportNWFU1901 1987-2020, 2025-11988 LatrobeDemons Darrel Baldock Oval, Latrobe NWFU1881 1987-42010, 2011, 2013, 2016 PenguinTwo Blues Dial Park, Penguin NWFU1890 1987-0 - UlverstoneRobins Ulverstone Recreation Ground, UlverstoneNWFU1888 1987-101987, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009, 2017 WynyardCats Wynyard Football Ground, Wynyard NWFU1885 1987-32012, 2014, 2015
Current - Juniors only ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundSenior leagueEst.Years in NWFLNWFL PremiershipsTotalYears East UlverstoneCrows Haywoods Reserve, Ulverstone NWFA2000 2025-0 - SomersetKangaroos Langley Park, Somerset DFA1959 2025-0 -
Former ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in NWFLNWFL PremiershipsFateTotalYears BurnieTigersWest Park Oval, BurnieNWFU1885 1987-199311992Absorbed by Burnie Hawks following 1993 season Deloraine KangaroosDeloraine Recreation Ground, DeloraineNTFA1894 1987-20030 -Moved to NTFA following 2003 seasonGeorge TownSaintsGeorge Town Sports Complex, George TownNTFA19271986-19900 -Moved to TAFL Northern Division following 1990 season LauncestonBluesWindsor Park, RiversideNTFA, TSL1875 1987-1993, 1998-200832006, 2007, 2008Returned to Tasmanian State League in 1994 and 2009LongfordTigersLongford Recreation Ground, LongfordNTFA1878 19870 -Moved to TAFL Northern Division following 1987 season North Launceston BombersYork Park, InvermayTSL1893 2001-20080 -Returned to Tasmanian State League in 2009 Scottsdale MagpiesScottsdale Recreation Ground, ScottsdaleNTFA1889 1987-199911988Moved to NTFA following 1999 season South Burnie HawksWivenhoe Recreation Ground, WivenhoeDFA1941 1997-19980 -Returned to Darwin FA following 1998 season South Launceston BulldogsYoungtown Memorial Oval, YoungtownTSL1986 1998-200821998, 1999Returned to Tasmanian State League in 2009
Grand finals 2026 Devonport 10.14 (74) def Ulverstone 9.6 (60) 2025 Devonport 18.23 (131) def Wynyard 1.3 (9) at Latrobe 2024 Devonport 8.8 (56) def Wynyard 6.10 (46) at Latrobe 2023 Devonport 14.13 (97) def Burnie 8.8 (56) at Latrobe 2022 Devonport 7.17 (59) def Wynyard 7.10 (52) at Latrobe 2021 Devonport 6.8 (44) def Penguin 5.11 (41) at Latrobe 2020 Burnie 11.16 (82) def Devonport 6.7 (43) at Latrobe 2019 Burnie 9.17 (71) def Devonport 9.8 (62) at Latrobe 2018 Burnie 10.14 (74) def Ulverstone 8.10 (58) at Latrobe 2017 Ulverstone 11.10 (76) def Latrobe 7.10 (52) at Latrobe 2016 Latrobe 10.12 (72) def Penguin 9.15 (69) at Latrobe 2015 Wynyard 19.14 (138) def Ulverstone 11.10 (76) at Latrobe 2014 Wynyard 24.16 (160) def Ulverstone 6.8 (44) at Latrobe 2013 Latrobe 22.16 (148) def Wynyard 14.17 (101) at Latrobe 2012 Wynyard 11.12 (78) def Latrobe 8.17 (65) at Latrobe 2011 Latrobe 18.15 (123) def Penguin 17.17 (119) at Latrobe 2010 Latrobe 20.13 (133) def Ulverstone 16.7 (103) at Latrobe 2009 Ulverstone 22.14 (146) def Smithton 8.10 (56) at Latrobe 2008 Launceston 17.18 (120) def Burnie Dockers 14.23 (107) at Latrobe 2007 Launceston 19.9 (123) def Ulverstone 16.12 (108) at Latrobe 2006 Launceston 22.14 (146) def Devonport 13.11 (89) at Latrobe 2005 Burnie Dockers 8.15 (63) def Devonport 6.10 (46) at Latrobe 2004 Burnie Dockers 23.19 (157) def Devonport 7.8 (50) at Latrobe 2003 Burnie Dockers 14.11 (95) def North Launceston 6.13 (49) at Latrobe 2002 Burnie Dockers 14.5 (89) def Ulverstone 5.12 (47) at Latrobe 2001 Burnie Dockers 17.14 (116) def North Launceston 7.10 (52) at Latrobe 2000 Ulverstone 13.8 (86) def Latrobe 7.10 (52) at Latrobe 1999 South Launceston 11.19 (85) def Smithton 7.8 (50) at Latrobe 1998 South Launceston 9.11 (65) def East Devonport 9.4 (58) at Latrobe 1997 Ulverstone 21.8 (134) def East Devonport 8.8 (56) at Latrobe 1996 Ulverstone 18.13 (121) def Wynyard 8.11 (59) at Latrobe 1995 Ulverstone 18.15 (123) def Wynyard 14.9 (93) at Latrobe 1994 Ulverstone 11.8 (74) def Latrobe 7.8 (50) at Latrobe 1993 Ulverstone 14.12 (96) def Scottsdale 8.7 (55) at Latrobe 1992 Burnie Tigers 18.10 (118) def Penguin 10.5 (65) at West Park 1991 Smithton 18.9 (117) def Ulverstone 10.9 (69) at West Park 1990 Ulverstone 18.13 (121) def Scottsdale 12.7 (79) at West Park 1989 Scottsdale 13.10 (88) def Smithton 10.10 (70) at West Park 1988 East Devonport 20.7 (127) def Burnie Tigers 18.15 (123) at Devonport Oval 1987 Ulverstone 13.19 (97) def East Devonport 12.12 (84) at West Park
Attendance The Northern Tasmanian Football League is considered to be one of the strongest leagues in the state and has a strong supporter following. Games in the NTFL average around 500 spectators.
References
External links Official North Western Football League Website