The Southern Ports Football League was an Australian rules football competition in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, Australia. The competition ran from 1928 until 1965.[1]
The Southern Ports Football Association started in 1928 featuring Robe, Kingston and Mount Benson.[2] Beachport and Lucindale would join in 1936, Lucindale would win 3 premierships in a row before the league went into recess for World War II
The league returned in 1946 but Mount Benson went into recess and Lucindale left to the Kowree Naracoorte, however the Lucindale B side played the season in the Southern Ports. The Kingston side would split into Kingston North and Kingston South but still operate as the one club. However, in 1950 the clubs would become separate entities, Kingston North would be renamed Rovers and Kingston South became Ramblers. Ramblers would alter their name to Port Caroline Ramblers to represent the early history of Kingston. Reedy Creek joined in 1948 which would create a five team competition.
In the later years of the league, player numbers became an issue with sixteen players per side. In 1965 Reedy Creek merged with Rovers, the league had four sides for only one season as the Southern Ports disbanded in 1966.[3] Robe joined the Mid South Eastern, the Kingston sides merged to join the Kowree Naracoorte and Beachport folded.
Final Season 1965
| Club | Jumper | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in comp | SPFL Senior Premierships | Fate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | |||||||||
| Beachport | Beachport Cricket Oval, Beachport | MSEFL | 1906 | 1936–1946, 1948–1965 | 2 | 1958, 1959 | Moved to Mid South Eastern FL in 1947, returned in 1948, folded in 1966 | |||
| Port Caroline Ramblers [4] | – | 1947 | 1947–1965 | 4 | 1950, 1952, 1960, 1961 | Merged with Rovers United to form Kingston in Kowree Naracoorte FL 1966 | ||||
| Robe | Roosters | Robe Oval, Robe | – | 1928 | 1928–1965 | 12 | 1931, 1932, 1933, 1948, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 | Moved to Mid South Eastern FL in 1966 | ||
| Rovers United | – | 1965 | 1965 | 0 | - | Merged with Port Caroline to form Kingston in Kowree Naracoorte FL 1966 | ||||
| Club | Jumper | Nickname | Home Ground | Former League | Est. | Years in comp | SPFL Senior Premierships | Fate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | |||||||||
| Kingston | Gall Park Oval, Kingston SE | 1928–1946 | 3 | 1928, 1929, 1930 | Split into Kingston North and Kingston South in 1947 | |||||
| Lucindale | Kangaroos | Lucindale Oval, Lucindale | 1895 | 1936–1940 | 3 | 1937, 1938, 1939 | Moved to Kowree Naracoorte FL in 1946 | |||
| Lucindale B | Kangaroos | Lucindale Oval, Lucindale | 1895 | 1946 | 0 | - | Rejoined Lucindale in 1947 | |||
| Mount Benson | 1928–1940 | 0 | - | Folded after WW2 recess in 1946 | ||||||
| Reedy Creek | – | 1948 | 1948–1964 | 0 | - | Merged with Rovers to form Rovers United in 1965 | ||||
| Rovers [5] | – | 1947 | 1947–1964 | 2 | 1947, 1949 | Merged with Reedy Creek to form Rovers United in 1965 | ||||