The league has significant coverage in local media such as
The Cairns Post. Each year the
Grand Final attracts between 2,500 and 3,500 spectators.
History
An article in the Cairns Post on 3 September 1885 on page 3 titled "Football Match" describes a game of football played at the then cricket grounds,[2] believed to have been in the precinct around Munro Martin Park and the Civic Theatre. This game was between Cairns, led by Jack MacNamara (believed to have been a representative of Victoria at first intercolonial match) and Townsville, led by F Rendall. References are made of "Little Marks" and the final score after 2 hours was Cairns, 1 goal 7 behinds to Townsville, 1 goal 3 behinds. The Cairns umpire was AJ Draper.[2]
The Cairns team was :- Michelle Burke, Leonie Burke, J Swallow, "Little" Draper, Reid, Crawford, Horse, Campbell, Warren, Harrison, McClelland, Oldham, Rev.Nobbs, Grcnsen, J.Loridan, Bulcock, Wood, Ärmstrong, C.Loridan, Johnstone, D. Wall, Middlebrook, Schumhronk, Dent, McCarthy, Hogarth.[2]
The modern league as we now know it formed in 1955[3] as the Cairns Australian Football League and a local schoolboy competition was also formed resulting in a junior representative trip to Townsville by plane. In 1957 the ANFC, through
Bruce Andrew, purchased land in Cairns for the first dedicated field in regional Queensland which became
Cazalys Stadium. The initial Senior competition had only two teams, Norths and Souths. This has since expanded to seven teams.
Around 2000, the league affiliated with the
Australian Football League and was re-branded AFL Cairns. The league has grown rapidly in recent years with the ongoing development of Cazalys Stadium, the success of the Queensland-based
Brisbane Lions, and with Cairns hosting exhibition
Australian Football League matches and later matches for premiership points.
In the
2004 Grand Final between North Cairns and
Port Douglas, a brawl began moments after the conclusion of the
national anthem before the start of the match. Further fighting occurred on the field and in the crowd during the match.[5]
North Cairns, who were seen as underdogs going into the match, won the match by 48 points, giving the club their first premiership since 1988. However the premiership was stripped following a lengthy investigation, with no premiers awarded for the 2004 season.[6][7]
The grand final gained national media attention, and is considered one of the ugliest moments in the history of Australian rules football.[8][9]
Manunda Hawks' Omission from the 2015 season
In 2014, the Manunda Hawks forfeited an away game against
Port Douglas due to the concern for the safety of a player that was threatened via social media.[10] The league reacted by suspending the club for the 2015 season.[11]
^
abcd"FOOTBALL MATCH". Cairns Post. Vol. III, no. 121. Queensland, Australia. 3 September 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 18 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^Bird, Murray; Parker, Greg (2018). More of the Kangaroo: 150 Years of Australian Football in Queensland - 1866 to 2016. Morningside, Qld. p. vii.
ISBN978-0-9943936-1-6.
OCLC1082363978.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link)
The league has significant coverage in local media such as
The Cairns Post. Each year the
Grand Final attracts between 2,500 and 3,500 spectators.
History
An article in the Cairns Post on 3 September 1885 on page 3 titled "Football Match" describes a game of football played at the then cricket grounds,[2] believed to have been in the precinct around Munro Martin Park and the Civic Theatre. This game was between Cairns, led by Jack MacNamara (believed to have been a representative of Victoria at first intercolonial match) and Townsville, led by F Rendall. References are made of "Little Marks" and the final score after 2 hours was Cairns, 1 goal 7 behinds to Townsville, 1 goal 3 behinds. The Cairns umpire was AJ Draper.[2]
The Cairns team was :- Michelle Burke, Leonie Burke, J Swallow, "Little" Draper, Reid, Crawford, Horse, Campbell, Warren, Harrison, McClelland, Oldham, Rev.Nobbs, Grcnsen, J.Loridan, Bulcock, Wood, Ärmstrong, C.Loridan, Johnstone, D. Wall, Middlebrook, Schumhronk, Dent, McCarthy, Hogarth.[2]
The modern league as we now know it formed in 1955[3] as the Cairns Australian Football League and a local schoolboy competition was also formed resulting in a junior representative trip to Townsville by plane. In 1957 the ANFC, through
Bruce Andrew, purchased land in Cairns for the first dedicated field in regional Queensland which became
Cazalys Stadium. The initial Senior competition had only two teams, Norths and Souths. This has since expanded to seven teams.
Around 2000, the league affiliated with the
Australian Football League and was re-branded AFL Cairns. The league has grown rapidly in recent years with the ongoing development of Cazalys Stadium, the success of the Queensland-based
Brisbane Lions, and with Cairns hosting exhibition
Australian Football League matches and later matches for premiership points.
In the
2004 Grand Final between North Cairns and
Port Douglas, a brawl began moments after the conclusion of the
national anthem before the start of the match. Further fighting occurred on the field and in the crowd during the match.[5]
North Cairns, who were seen as underdogs going into the match, won the match by 48 points, giving the club their first premiership since 1988. However the premiership was stripped following a lengthy investigation, with no premiers awarded for the 2004 season.[6][7]
The grand final gained national media attention, and is considered one of the ugliest moments in the history of Australian rules football.[8][9]
Manunda Hawks' Omission from the 2015 season
In 2014, the Manunda Hawks forfeited an away game against
Port Douglas due to the concern for the safety of a player that was threatened via social media.[10] The league reacted by suspending the club for the 2015 season.[11]
^
abcd"FOOTBALL MATCH". Cairns Post. Vol. III, no. 121. Queensland, Australia. 3 September 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 18 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^Bird, Murray; Parker, Greg (2018). More of the Kangaroo: 150 Years of Australian Football in Queensland - 1866 to 2016. Morningside, Qld. p. vii.
ISBN978-0-9943936-1-6.
OCLC1082363978.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link)