State Schoolboys Football

History

The National Schoolboy Championships were inaugurated in Melbourne in 1923. Victoria were the first Carnival winners with New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia the other foundation participants.

Western Australia and Tasmania entered for the first time in 1925 whilst the Australian Capital Territory have played several short periods since the early 1950's and have participated currently since 1977 when Hobart was the venue. The Northern Territory entered in 1974 when the carnival was played in Brisbane and the 1998 Championship was their 25th carnival. From 1974 to 2001 all States and Territories have participated in the Championships except Tasmania who missed from 1991 to 1995 and along with South Australia 1998 to 2003. Western Australia also missed 1998, 1999 and 2000.

There have been two breaks in the competition continuity with an outbreak of infantile paralysis in 1937 and the Second World War the reasons. The carnival has continued unbroken since 1947. First awarded in 1931, the J.L.Williams Medal for the Championship Best and Fairest perpetuates the memory of the late Jack Williams, a Victorian teacher who battled for the creation and recognition of the National Schoolboys' Championships.

Of the 77 Championships conducted (1956 and 1957 Championships having Senior and Junior Divisions and 1996 and 1997 having Division One and Division Two) 67 have ended with outright winners, 7 with ties and the 1956, 1973 and 1987 Championships finishing in three way ties.

Outright winners have been Victoria 41 times (including Victorian Country 3 and Victorian Metropolitan 1), Western Australia 11 times, South Australia 5 times, New South Wales 4 times, Tasmania 3 times and Queensland 3 times.

Victoria (7), Western Australia (4), Queensland (2), New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory (each 1) have been involved with ties.

The host State has won or tied in only 20 of the 71 Championships conducted. The Australian Secondary Schools' National Football Council has been a leader in Inter-State competitions, and many innovative ideas have been adopted by the Council during the past 71 years.

Perhaps the years of the greatest expansion began in 1978. This was the year that the Commonwealth Bank became the major sponsor. We have seen many new ideas introduced to our Championships. These have been possible because of the funds supplied by the Commonwealth Bank. It had also been much easier on our Host Associations, as our sponsorship funds helped to ease the costs of conducting our Championships. In 1996 and 1997 the Championship was played as an Under 16 competition organised and funded by Football Development Foundation in each State under the umbrella of the AFL as the parent body.

In 1998 School Sport Australia reverted back to the original concept of an Under 15 Championship for compulsory age students without any financial support. The Championship was funded by the participants. Since 1999 Victoria has fielded two teams: a metropolitan and country team.

Past School Sport Australia Championship Winners

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