SLFC history from 1879 to the present day including the clubs Cornwall, City, City-South and East Launcestion. Compiled by Brett Gillow.
1879-1900
The City Football Club of Launceston was a major stalwart of the northern Tasmanian football scene for many years, and boasted a large number of champion players, including all time greats in the shape of Laurie Nash and Roy Cazaly. Originally formed in 1879, when it was known as Cornwall, the club changed its name to City the following year and in 1883 it broke through for its first NTFA premiership. By the turn of the century it had added half a dozen more.
1900-1930's
During the pre-World War One period the NTFA was a three team competition in which success was fairly evenly acquired with City and North Launceston winning six premierships and Launceston three.
The same three clubs continued to dominate the competition during the inter war years, even after Longford was admitted in 1926. City was a perennial grand finalist during the 1920’s, winning four flags from seven attempts. In 1928 it became the first northern club to claim the official state premiership after it downed North Hobart. City boasted many fine players during this era, including Len Lewis, Len Keogh and, as the 1930’s dawned, Jock Connell, Laurie Nash, and Roy Cazaly. City's 1930 premiership side, coached by Cazaly, and with Nash starring at centre half back, was one of the finest in the club's history. In the grand final of that year it annihilated Launceston and then went onto defeat Lefroy to claim its second state flag. City won the 'double' again two years later in what proved to be Laurie Nash's last season with the club.
During the 1930’s Tasmanian clubs were sometimes able to offer higher wages than their mainland counterparts and this led to a number of high profile interstaters being lured to the Apple Isle. One of the most noteworthy of these was 1932 Magarey Medallist Stanley 'Max' Pontifex who joined City as captain-coach from West Torrens in 1936. He stayed three years, winning the 1938 Tasman Shield Trophy as well as a club best and fairest award.
1940's-1950's
The NTFA became a six club competition in 1948 with the admission of Scottsdale and Cornwall (later to become City's eventual merger partner, East Launceston). City enjoyed a concerted run of success in the 1950’s with seven straight grand final appearances between 1950 and 1956 yielding four premierships. In 1954 they defeated Hobart to clinch another state flag. Reg Kenyon, 'Bill' Linger, Geoff Long, 'Bill' Spearman, Brian Hegarty, Verdun Howell and Ted Mackey were some of the many talented players to front up for the Redlegs during this period.
After changing its name to City-South in 1957 the club's players next mounted the winners' rostrum in 1959 after a grand final defeat of Longford. A 5 point win over North Launceston the following season clinched what in later years would come to be termed 'back to back' honours, and City-South then went on to annex a 5th state title after a three goal victory over Burnie.
1960's
The remainder of the 1960’s brought three further grand final appearances, two of which were successful. In 1966 the club claimed the 'double' again after it overcame Hobart by 8 points in a bruising state grand final.
East Launceston meanwhile had been progressing slowly without giving any indications of being on the verge of success, but in 1967 the club suddenly burst into life and claimed its debut flag after a hard fought grand final win against North Launceston. In 1969 it reached another grand final, losing a high standard match by 44 points to Launceston, but thereafter, sadly, there would be no further dalliances with success until after the marriage of convenience with City-South.
1970's
In 1972 City-South experienced one of the most memorable season’s in the club's history. The NTFA grand final at York Park, watched by 6,894 spectators, pitted the Redlegs against Launceston and, after a closely fought opening term, City-South overwhelmed their opponents with nine goals to one over the remaining three quarters of the match to win easily by 47 points. The following week, once again at York Park, the state grand final took place between the Redlegs and NWFU premiers Latrobe, captain-coached by Darrell Baldock. In the previous week's state preliminary final Latrobe had convincingly accounted for TFL premier Sandy Bay, and for much of the grand final they appeared to hold the upper hand. At three quarter time Latrobe led by 5 points, only for City-South, with most of the crowd of 10,551 roaring them on, to unleash a dazzling final quarter display which yielded 6.7 to 0.2 and a resounding six goal win.
Following this triumph City-South had the honour of being Tasmania's first ever representatives in the end of season club championship of Australia series which was held in Adelaide. Despite losing both their games, to eventual champions North Adelaide, and East Perth, the Redlegs deported themselves with credit. Two years later, however, it was a vastly different story, as City-South, having overcome Scottsdale in a low scoring NTFA grand final, provided a third of the players who went to the championships in Adelaide as part of a composite Tasmanian squad (the other two thirds of the squad coming from TFL premiers North Hobart, and NWFU premiers Burnie). On this occasion the Tasmanian entrants were blown away in humiliating fashion by eventual champions Richmond, and East Fremantle, results which helped sound the death knell of the club championship concept.
1980's-1990's
Sadly, the 1974 premiership would prove to be City-South's last, with the club contesting just one further grand final (a 24 point loss to North Launceston in 1980) prior to the merger with East Launceston in 1986. The purpose of the merger was to enable Launceston to have two clubs competing in the newly formed TFL state-wide competition, but the fledgling South Launceston combination found the going difficult from the start. In twelve seasons of competition the Bulldogs never once contested the finals, with their highest placed finish being 6th in 1992, and a total of three wooden spoons.
1998-2008
In 1998 South Launceston pre-empted the impending implosion of the state-wide concept by affiliating with the NTFL, where conditions proved to be much more to their liking. They remained in the NTFL for a total of 11 seasons, won premierships in 1998 and 1999, featured in every finals series bar one, and played off in three preliminary finals. Players like Scott Harris, Jade Elmer, Nathan Richardson, Chad Baker, Drew Alexander and Nigel Page who had been through the fruitless days of the state-wide competition stayed with the club to at last achieve success in their new competition.
2009-Present
After years of speculation 2009 saw the rebirth of a new state-wide competition. Ten licenses were issued of which South Launceston was offered one and took up the option to join the newly formed Tasmanian State League (TSL). Joining them were Northern Bombers & Launceston from the North, Burnie & Devonport from the North West and North Hobart, Hobart, Glenorchy, Clarence and Lauderdale from the South. The club was in a more stable position both on and off the field than they were in 1986 and were rightly excited about the prospects of being a founding club of the new Tasmanian State League. Unfortunately with a young list of players the Bulldogs struggled in the first year only winning 3 games and taking home the wooden spoon. At the end of 2009 the club appointed Dale Chugg as its new coach who not only had a distinguised career with North Launceston through the 1990's but also coached George Town to 5 consecutive premierships in the NTFA. With an influx of talented young players the evolution of a rich and distinctive club tradition continues as we wait with anticipation for the next chapter in this proud clubs history.
