LIKE most football leagues, South Australia's finals and premiership structure had a somewhat ad hoc beginning. Before the 1889 season, the minor premier was declared season premier with no finals played. This also applied from 1890-93 and 1895-97.
The SANFL has as its highest individual honour the Magarey Medal, first introduced in 1898 and awarded every year except 1900, 1904 and during the First World War (1914-18) and Second World War (1939-1945). It has been won twice by Indigenous footballers -- Gilbert McAdam (Central District) and Mark Naley (South Adelaide) -- with several champions of the game runners-up.
SANFL Premiership players
1961 Bertie JOHNSON (West Adelaide)
1962 Richie BRAY (Port Adelaide)
1963 Richie BRAY (Port Adelaide)
1964 David KANTILLA (South Adelaide)
1965 Richie BRAY (Port Adelaide)
1966 Roger RIGNEY (Sturt)
1967 Roger RIGNEY (Sturt)
1968 Roger RIGNEY (Sturt)
1969 Roger RIGNEY (Sturt)
1970 Roger RIGNEY (Sturt)
1971 Arch WILKY (North Adelaide)
1974 Michael GRAHAM (Sturt)
1976 Michael GRAHAM (Sturt)
1980 Ross AGIUS (Port Adelaide)
1990 Gavin WANGANEEN (Port Adelaide)
1994 Andrew McLEOD (Port Adelaide)
1995 Fabian FRANCIS (Port Adelaide)
1996 Fabian FRANCIS (Port Adelaide)
1998 Peter BURGOYNE (Port Adelaide)
1999 Ricky O'LOUGHLIN (Port Adelaide)
2003 Eddie SANSBURY (Central District)
2004 Elijah WARE (Central District)
2007 Elijah WARE, Jonathon GRIFFIN (Central District)
2008 Elijah WARE (Central District)
2009 Eddie SANSBURY (Central District)
2010 Eddie SANSBURY (Central District)
SANFL Magarey Medallists
1989 Gilbert McADAM (Central District)
1991 Mark NALEY (South Adelaide)
Runners/up
1972 Sonny MOREY (Central District)
1973 Michael GRAHAM (Sturt)
1981 Mark NALEY (South Adelaide)
1982 Mark NALEY (South Adelaide)
1988 Gilbert McADAM (Central District)
1990 Eddie HOCKING (Central District)
1996 Fabian FRANCIS (Port Adelaide)
Fos Williams Medallists (Best for SA in State games)
1991 Mark NALEY (vs. WA)
1998 Michael O'LOUGHLIN (vs. WA)
* Thanks to Peter Argent.
South Australian Comunity Football
"IN 1933," writes AustralianRules.com.au, "the Sunday Mail, an Adelaide newspaper, struck the Mail Medal for the best-and-fairest player in country leagues."
Just two years later, Allan Karpany became the first known Aboriginal footballer to win the prestigious medal. Many more have since followed...
SA Mail Medallists
1935 Allan KARPANY (club unknown, Murray Downs Football League)
1949 Alvilie GRAY (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1952 Keith WARRIOR (Point Pearce, Yorke Valley Football League)
1952 Norm WOMBAT (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1953 Furnest WARE (Bookabie, Far West Football League)
1954 Ray COLEMAN (Charra, Far West Football League)
1954 Keith WARRIOR (Point Pearce, Yorke Valley Football League)
1955 Lindsay BENBOLT (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1955 Kelly BUCKSKIN (club unknown, East Murray Football League)
1955 Bradley GRAHAM (Blyth, Broughton Football League)
1955 Keith WARRIOR (Point Pearce, Yorke Valley Football League)
1956 Raymond COLEMAN (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1956 Kelly BUCKSKIN (club unknown, East Murray Football League)
1956 Keith WARRIOR (Point Pearce, Yorke Valley Football League)
1956 Ernie WILSON (Point Pearce, Yorke Valley Football League)
1957 Reg BETTS (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1957 Vince COPLEY (Currumulka, Southern Yorke Peninsula Football League)
1957 Ken WARE (Bookabie, Far West Football League)
1958 Eddie BETTS snr (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1958 Kelly BUCKSKIN (club unknown, East Murray Football League)
1959 Elkin REILLY (Mimaltone, Southern Yorke Peninsula Football League)
1960 Elkin REILLY (Barmeral/Monash, Upper Murray Riverland Football League)
1961 Keith WARRIOR (Point Pearce, Yorke Valley Football League)
1964 Frank LAMPARD (Bridgewater, Hills Central Football League)
1966 Eddie BETTS snr (Koolymilka, Woomera Football League)
1967 Robert HIGHFOLD (Penong, Far West Football League)
1968 Haydn DAVEY (Thevernard, Far West Football League)
1968 Robert WILSON jnr (Quorn, Flinders Football League)
1969 Bevan DAVEY (Tasmans, Port Lincoln Football League)
1969 Graham McKENZIE (Woomera Central, Woomera Football League
1970 Bevan DAVEY (Tasmans, Port Lincoln Football League)
1970 Michael GRAHAM (Penola, Western Border Football League)
1970 Jasper REID (Kimba, Kimba Football League)
1971 Alwyn DAVEY snr (Thevernard, Far West Football League)
1972 Alwyn DAVEY snr (Thevernard, Far West Football League)
1973 Dean AH CHEE (Wilsden, Transcontinental Football League)
1973 Alwyn DAVEY snr (Thevernard, Far West Football League)
1973 Reg REID (Centrals, Whyalla Football League)
1974 Peter BURGOYNE snr (Tasmans, Port Lincoln Football League)
1976 Peter BURGOYNE snr (Tasmans, Port Lincoln Football League)
1976 Garth DODD (Kybybolite, Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League)
1976 Don TSCHUNA (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1977 Don TSCHUNA (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1978 Haydn DAVEY (Boston, Port Lincoln Football League)
1978 Don TSCHUNA (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1979 Harry MILLER snr (Souths, Port Lincoln Football League)
1980 Jasper REID (Central Whyalla, Whyalla Football League)
1981 Michael MILLER (Boston, Port Lincoln Football League)
1981 Jim RANKINE (Jervois, River Murray Football League)
1983 Joe BURGOYNE (Mallee Park, Port Lincoln Football League)
1985 Troy WITTWER (United, Adelaide Plains Football League)
1986 Kingsley BILNEY (Bostons, Port Lincoln Football League)
1987 Alan SINGH (Gerard, Riverland Independent Football League)
1988 Shaun McLENNAN (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1989 Shaun McLENNAN (Central Whyalla, Whyalla Football League)
1989 Noel HARTMAN (Tailem Bend, River Murray Football League)
1989 Richard JONES (Thevenard, Far West Football League)
1990 William MILLER (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1991 Lonnie COLEMAN (Mallee Park, Port Lincoln Football League)
1992 Richard JONES (Central Whyalla, Whyalla Football League)
1992 Roger WILSON (Tailem Bend, River Murray Football League)
1993 Shaun McLENNON (South Augusta, Spencer Gulf Football League)
1994 Robert JACKAMARRA (Mallee Park, Port Lincoln Football League)
1994 Corey McLENNAN (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1994 Roger WILSON (Onkaparinga Valley, Hills Football League)
1995 Roger JOHNCOCK (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1995 Trevor JOHNCOCK (Mallee Park, Port Lincoln Football League)
1995 Troy WITTWER (United, Adelaide Plains Football League)
1996 Mark JONES (Tasman, Port Lincoln Football League)
1996 Corey McLENNAN (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1997 Brett MILLER (Blues, Far West Football League)
1997 Mervin KARTINYERI (Tailem Bend, River Murray Football League)
1998 David HIGHFOLD (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
1998 Richard JONES (Mallee Park, Port Lincoln Football League)
1999 Corey McLENNAN (Koonibba, Far West Football League)
2000 Michael HOOKER (Mallee Park, Port Lincoln Football League)
2001 Archie SAUNDERS jnr (Mallee Park, Port Lincoln Football League)
2001 Troy SIMPSON (Quorn, Spencer Gulf Football League)
2003 Jimmy MARTIN (Quorn, Spencer Gulf Football League)
2004 Mervin KARTINYERI (Tailem Bend, River Murray Football League)
2005 Mervin KARTINYERI (Tailem Bend, River Murray Football League)
2005 Waylon JOHNCOCK (Mallee Park, Port Lincoln Football League)
2005 Guy SULTAN (Roopena, Whyalla Football League)
2006 Wes BILNEY (Mallee Park, Port Lincoln Football League)
2006 Ray McINTOSH (Roopena, Whyalla Football League)
2007 Wes BILNEY (Mallee Park, Port Lincoln Football League)
2007 Rohan SCOTT (Western United, Far Western Football League)
2008 Ray McINTOSH (South Whyalla, Whyalla Football League)
2008 Hayden PARKER (Marble Range, Port Lincoln Football League)
2008 Waylon JOHNCOCK (Ceduna Blues, Far Western Football League)
* Thanks to the South Australian Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Association (SAASRA), Richard Jones, Valerie and Lorelle and Corey McLennan for the bulk of this information.
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au