SANFL, South East working group finalises two-league structure for region’s footy in 2024

A restructure has been finalised for South East footy in season 2024, with two new-look super-leagues set to compete from next year onward. See who your club could clash with here.

A new structure for local footy in SA’s South East has been finalised by SANFL and its South East working group, with two new-look leagues set to kick-off from next season.

After a year of deliberation between SANFL and the South East’s clubs and sporting bodies, it has been decided in principle that an 11-team and a 14-team league – made up of clubs from the Kowree, Naracoorte Tatiara FL, Mid South Eastern FL and Western Border FL – would be introduced.

The restructure comes in response to dwindling player and volunteer numbers for some of the region’s clubs which had been exacerbated due to increased population decline and during the height of the Covid-19 period in South Australia.

Naracoorte star Matt Willson battles for the footy. Picture: Ace Coote Photography

The new league structures are as follows:

League one

Casterton Sandford

East Gambier

Glencoe

Hatherleigh

Kalangadoo

Kongorong

Mt Burr

Nangwarry

Port MacDonnell

Robe

Tantanoola

League two

Bordertown

Border Districts

Keith

Kingston

Kybybolite

Lucindale

Mandulla

Millicent

Naracoorte

North Gambier

Padthaway

Penola

South Gambier

West Gambier

Struggling Victoria-based club Casterton Sandford will remain in SA competition despite its recent struggles on and off the field, competing in the 11-team competition, which will also include fellow winless Western Border FL club East Gambier.

The 14-team competition will consist of some of the South East’s strongest and biggest clubs, with each KNTFL club and four WBFL clubs all included.

SANFL head of country football Shawn Ford said after reviewing a number of structures, the working group agreed a two-competition model would achieve the best balance in size, evenness, proximity for participants, junior participation and pathways.

“Ultimately, there was a need to provide a structure which would ensure stability and sustainability for clubs in the longer-term, as well as to complement an overall regional footy strategy,” Mr Ford added.

KNTFL club Kingston’s president, Craig Lewis, said that even though change in the region was needed he had fears over the geographical implications of the new structure.

“In that 14-team competition we’d be playing against some clubs which are an extra 150 to 200 kilometres away and we fear that because of that players we need who travel from Adelaide might decide it’s too hard,” Lewis said.

“Some of those guys are ex-locals who willingly travel home from work or study to play and we don’t just need them to compete, we need them to make up the numbers.

Kingston's Jack Armfield in action this season. Picture: Kingston Football Club

“I guess as a club and with the KNTFL we might be able to explore some options which are better geographically, even if it meant evening the competitions up a bit more and putting a couple clubs back into the 11-team competition.”

WBFL club West Gambier’s president, Shane Giddings, admitted some clubs would be disappointed but said he could see the positives in the initial restructure.

“I do feel for some of the other leagues around the South East, it’s a fair bit of change, but I think it’s a positive thing,” Giddings said.

“We haven’t had much of a chance to process it yet but we can’t do much about it, what’s done is done and we’ve just got to move on and go about our business.”

SANFL and the SE working group will continue to engage with key stakeholders, with the region’s leagues set to meet in the coming days.