Fingal District Football Association

The Fingal District Football Association was an Australian rules football association in Fingal Valley, Tasmania from 1924 to 1992. Football had been played in the Fingal region since 1884, when the Fingal Football Club was formed.

History

The history of the Association goes back to the 1880s when the town of Mathinna was thriving due to gold mining and had three teams that played each other regularly. At this time, like most competitions in Australia at the time, the team that won the most games were awarded the premiership.
There was a game between Fingal and St Marys recorded in 1884, but regular competition did not commence until the railway line was completed through the Fingal Valley in 1886. Two became three when Avoca joined. The Launceston Examiner reported on Saturday 9 August 1890 that a team from South Esk had journeyed to St Marys and played the local side with the visitors winning by seven points.
Only two Premierships have been recorded, from 1891 and 1907 with Avoca winning both. The odd game was played during World War One and the competition didn't reform again until 1922. The participating clubs in the return season were St Marys, Rovers, Fingal, Avoca and Mathinna. The Association was in recess again from 1934 to 1935. In 1936 Rovers played a draw with Avoca in the grand final, The Rovers had already arranged for a game outside the Association and wanted a delay. When this was refused, they forfeited.. The very next year Avoca received another forfeit, this time from St Marys who had won the original game only for a protest to be upheld and the game ordered replayed. St Marys had already arranged for a game outside the Association and wanted a delay. When this was refused, they forfeited. The Association remained more of less stable until World War 2, when the competition went into recess once again. The Rovers failed to re-appear once the recess ended in 1945.
In 1945 St Helens, Rossarden and Swansea joined the competition bringing the club numbers to seven. Competition was healthy until the 1960s, when Mathinna started to struggle to get teams on the field. They finally folded in 1968, making way for Campbell Town to join the Association. By this time Rossarden were dominating the competition with players like the Lowe and Hawkins Brothers, Gus O’Boyle, Colin Cruikshank, Garry Tapp and coach Bob Miller. They won seven premierships between 1956 and 1967, with five in a row from 1961 to 1965.

In the more recent years of the Association, the competition was looked after by longtime secretary Graham McGee. The players of the era included Bob Bye, Scott Marshall, John Smith, Jack Clements, Les Newman, John Thurley, Steven Salter, Colin Cruickshank, Gus O’Boyle, John and Patrick Cusick, Rob Lowe, Max Davison, Paul Ellis, Norm Barnes and Craig Woods.

The last grand final of the Association was played at St Marys in 1992. St Helens defeated St Marys by 87 points. Campbell Town decided to enter the Northern Tasmanian Football Association leaving only four teams in the competition; St Marys, Fingal, St Helens and Swansea. Rossarden had folded after the 1972 season and Avoca had folded after winning the premiership in 1989. It was decided that a four team competition was not viable. Swansea headed for the Tasman Football Association, while St Helens went into the North East Association. St Marys and Fingal were forced to join Campbell Town in the NTFA.

Seniors

Premiership Winners

Spurr Shield Winners

1924 - St Marys 7.11 d Fingal 6.4
1925 - Rovers 6.10 d Fingal 4,10
1926 - St Marys 10.16 d Mathinna 8.4
1927 - Fingal 6.15 d Rovers 7.6.48
1928 - Fingal 9.14 d St Marys 9.7 *
1929 - St Marys 8.12 d Fingal 8.4
1930 - St Marys 11.18 d Fingal 9.10
1931 - Fingal 5.12 d Mathinna 5.5

Cullenwood Football Association

1932 - Mt Nicholas 7.9 d Cornwall 5.6
1933 - Mt Nicholas 7.8 d St Marys 4.9
1934 - Mt Nicholas 11.12 d Rovers 7.5
1935 - St Marys 15.11 d Mt Nicholas 10.8

Fingal District Football Association

1936 - Avoca 6.14 d Rovers 7.8 **
1937 - St Marys 19.19 d Avoca 11.19 **
1938 - St Marys 6.12 d Avoca 5.9
1939 - St Marys 13.11 d Fingal 10.14
1940 - Competition suspended
1941 - Competition suspended
1942 - Competition suspended
1943 - Competition suspended
1944 - Competition suspended
1945 - Fingal 8.10 d St Marys 7.14
1946 - St Marys 10.23 d Avoca 8.8
1947 - St Marys 27.19 d Avoca 13.16
1948 - Fingal d St Marys
1949 - Fingal 8.16 d St Marys 6.17
1950 - Fingal 9.8 d St Marys 7.11
1951 - Avoca 7.10 d Fingal 7.7
1952 - Avoca 13.12 d St Marys 9.11
1953 - Fingal 7.18 d St Marys 7.12
1954 - Avoca 10.10 d Fingal 6.19
1955 - Fingal 6.12 d St Marys 4.19
1956 - Rossarden 9.21 d Fingal 7.4
1957 - Fingal 8.11 d St Marys 6.17
1958 - St Helens 9.9 d Fingal 5.6
1959 - Fingal 8.8 d Rossarden 7.12
1960 - St Helens 9.10 d Avoca 9.8
1961 - Rossarden 12.12 d Avoca 7.12
1962 - Rossarden 13.14 d St Helens 6.6
1963 - Rossarden 11.12 d St Helens 9.11
1964 - Rossarden 13.16 d Swansea 9.9
1965 - Rossarden 10.13 d Mathinna 6.14
1966 - Swansea 13.8 d Rossarden 5.16
1967 - Rossarden 10.17 d Swansea 4.8
1968 - Avoca 7.12 d Rossarden 7.5
1969 - Fingal 7.7 d St Marys 5.14
1970 - St Helens 7.5 d St Marys 6.7
1971 - Fingal 10.8 d St Marys 8.10
1972 - St Marys 16.5 d Avoca 12.15
1973 - Campbell Town 15.17 d St Helens 4.8
1974 - Campbell Town 8.12 d St Marys 8.5
1975 - Fingal 13.18 d Campbell Town 11.20
1976 - Campbell Town 18.20 d Fingal 10.9
1977 - Campbell Town 14.12 d Fingal 10.9
1978 - Swansea 16.14 d St Helens 11.12
1979 - Campbell Town 11.19 d Avoca 11.11
1980 - Avoca 17.12 d Campbell Town 11.10
1981 - Campbell Town 14.9 d Avoca 13.11
1982 - Swansea 19.12 d Fingal 13.10
1983 - St Marys 10.9 d Fingal 8.10
1984 - St Helens 7.6 d St Marys 5.16
1985 - St Helens 17.9 d Swansea 8.8
1986 - Avoca 14.9 d St Helens 13.8
1987 - St Helens 14.5 d Campbell Town 12.10
1988 - Fingal 11.16 d Swansea 7.10
1989 - Avoca 18.16 d St Helens 14.14
1990 - St Marys 14.14 d Fingal 8.11
1991 - St Marys 17.14 d Fingal 9.10
1992 - St Helens 15.17 d St Marys 3.2

Note:
In the 1928 Grand Final, St Marys won the first grand final but the game was ended with ten minutes to go.

Fingal protested and the Fingal FA determined that the game had to be replayed and it took place two weeks later.

*In 1936 Avoca were awarded the premiership over Rovers after Rovers refused to play in the grand final replay after the original game was drawn.
*In 1937 Avoca were awarded the premiership over St Marys after St Marys refused to play in the grand final replay after the original game was drawn.

Best and Fairest

Best and fairest in the seniors was presented the Athol "Curly" Ellis Memorial Trophy

1951 – John Francis
1952 – John Francis
1953 – John Francis
1954 – Eric Furley
1955–1960 – unavailable
1961 – Richard Press
1962 – Max Davidson
1963 – Wayne Freeman
1964 – John Smith
1965 – John Smith
1966 – Stan Graham
1967–1969 – unavailable
1970 – Robert Bye
1971 – Kevin Youd
1972 – Graeme White
1973 – Scott Marshall
1974 – Derek Chapple
1975 – Terry Freeman
1976 – Scott Marshall
1977 – Brendan Manion
1978 – Robert Simpson
1979 – Scott Marshall
1980 – Scott Marshall
1981 – Stephen Cook
1982 – Leon Grice
1983 – Mark Donnellan
1984 – John Thurley
1985 – Andrew Bryan
1986 – Mark Harris
1987 – Ambrose McDonald
1988 – Kerry Murfett
1989 – Andrew Viney
1990 – Patrick Cusick
1991 – Lyndon Dakin
1992– Patrick Cusick

Leading Goal Kickers

Year	Player	H&A goals	Finals goals	Total Goals
1966	Lavelle	56	6	62
1967	D Criukshank	62	7	69
1968	C Criukshank	28	5	33
1969	Pennington	34	6	40
1970	Clark	40	4	44
1971	Robert Bye	88	14	102
1972	Robert Bye	57	9	66
1973	Wayne Freeman	65	12	77
1974	John Smith	41	0	41
1975	John Smith	55	5	60
1976	Gregory Jestremski	55	12	67
1977	Robert Colgrave	31	3	34
1978	Stephen Cleaver	41	3	44
1979	David Lowe	36	7	43
1980	Paul Smith	41	6	47
1981	Dale Brown	47	4	51
1982	Philip Wickham	56	1	57
1983	Mark Donnellan	44	4	48
1984	John Thurley	42	7	49
1985	Mark Donnellan	61	6	67
1986	Ian Donnaghy	59	11	70
1987	Squires	48	5	53
1988	Stephen Richards	49	2	51
1989	M.Kean	58	0	58
1990	Michael Viney	57	7	64
1991	Andrew Viney	58	0	58
1992	Andrew Viney	68	2	70