The North Eastern Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Mid North region of South Australia, Australia. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League. 8 teams are in the league. The most recent team to join the comp is the Southern Saints (Eudunda/Robertstown) who joined in 2010.
The North Eastern Football Association was formed in 1946, the competition was renamed the North Eastern Football League in 1959. The founding clubs included Booborowie, Burra, Hallett, Leighton and Spalding.
Terowie joined the competition in 1951 winning the premiership in that year. Terowie's time in the NEFA was brief and they left the competition at the end of the 1954 season.
In 1964 North Clare and South Clare were admitted to the NEFL. This was at a time when Booborowie dominated the competition winning seven successive flags from1961-67 also taking the 1969 pennant. In 1970 Booborowie and Hallett merged forming Booborowie Hallett FC.
The disbandment of Mid North Football League in 1975 and Broughton Football League in 1980 gave rise to the movements of clubs. In 1972 Blyth became the first of four clubs to leave the Broughton League to join the NEFL during the 1970s. In 1976 Mintaro Manoora had joined the NEFL from the Mid North Football League they soon tasted success winning three consecutive A Grade flags from 1977 to 1979. Brinkworth Yacka joined in 1977 from the Broughton Football League followed by Gulnare Redhill and Snowtown, both joining in 1979. By 1979 the NEFL had ten clubs in the competition.
The 1980s saw some amalgamations occur. After struggling at the bottom of the ladder for some years Spalding and Brinkworth Yacka joined forces in 1985, to form Brinkworth Yacka Spalding (BYS), winning the A Grade and B Grade flags in this first year. Burra and Booborowie Hallett joined forces in 1986, forming Burra Booborowie Hallett (BBH). In 1987 BYS and Gulnare Redhill amalgamated despite BYS having been formed from an amalgamation only two years previous to form the Brinkworth Spalding Redhill FC (BSR). By 1988 Blyth and Snowtown had decided to join forces forming the Blyth Snowtown FC. By 1988 the NEFL had become a six club competition.
The NEFL welcomed Barossa & Light FL club Eudunda in 1992. Followed by Riverton Saddleworth Marrabel United (RSMU) in 1998, RSMU had also left the Barossa & Light league becoming NEFL Premiers in their inaugural year.
Prior to the 2010 Season, after much speculation, the Eudunda Football Club merged with the Robertstown Football Club from the recently defunct Mid Murray Football Association to become the Southern Saints.[2] The merger was not as promising as expected, with the senior side winless in 2010.
J Nicholls
Mintaro/Manoora
R Clark
Blyth/Snowtown
M Kemp
North Clare
J Burgess
Gulnare/Redhill
P Kelly
N Wilson
Spalding
P Vandeleur
South Clare
BBH Rams
BSR Tigers