1885 SAFA season
The 1885 South Australian Football Association season was the 9th season of the top-level Australian rules football competition in South Australia.
A new senior Adelaide Football Club formed from a merger of North Adelaide Junior and North Parks clubs from the Adelaide and Suburban Football Association joined.
However, two inaugural clubs - South Park on 18 March 1885 and Victorians (North Adelaide) on 21 April 1885 both resigned and disbanded before the season commenced reducing the number of teams in the competition to 4.
The 1885 SAFA season was the first time since 1878 that all clubs played a fixed number of games with each of the four clubs playing five times against the other three for a total of 15 games.
Twenty three of the thirty games played had crowd figures quoted for an approximate average of 1,800 spectators per game.
At the committee meeting of the S.A. Football Association held on 28 April 1885 Messrs. A. Mehrtens, J. Sidoli, F. H. Wedd, and J.Pollock were appointed Association Field Umpires from the eleven applicants.
The large scoring-board at the Adelaide Oval was first used for football matches during the season. A new fence and bicycle track had also been added around the Oval.
The first ever night match under lights at Adelaide Oval was held on 1st July 1885 for the match between Adelaide and South Adelaide.
SAFA Senior Clubs 1885 Season
| Club | Colours | Home Ground | Captain | Comments |
| Adelaide | Black, Red | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | J.D. Stephens | New Adelaide Senior Club formed from the merger of North Adelaide Junior and North Park |
| Norwood | Dark blue Red | Kensington Oval, Kensington | A.E. Waldron | |
| Port Adelaide | Magneta Blue | Alberton Oval, Alberton | ||
| South Adelaide | Navy Blue White | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | A.J.Hall |