2024 SANFL APY League ready for kickoff

By ANNA KANTILAFTAS

The 2024 season of the SANFL APY League kicks off this week, as nine football teams and 10 softball teams vie for the coveted title of premiers.

This year brings familiar faces and some new contenders to the field, with Imanpa from the Northern Territory and the Wingellina Dockers from Western Australia making their debut in the league.

Round 1 of the 14-round season will kick off on Saturday, April 27, with the finals series set to launch on Saturday, August 17. The siren will sound for the penultimate clash on Saturday, September 7th.

A bye round has been scheduled for the same weekend as the Finke Desert Race on Saturday, June 8, with Pipalyatjara and Amata the only sides to face off on the weekend.

An under 18 team from the SANFL APY Football League will compete in the Don McSweeny Cup on May 26 in Adelaide, as a curtain raiser to the Woodville West Torrens vs Glenelg match during SANFL First Nations round.

“The SANFL APY League stands out as one of the nation’s most remote football competitions, extending across three state borders this year with the additions of Wingellina in Western Australia and Imanpa in the Northern Territory, joining last year’s Premiers, Finke,” said Shawn Ford, SANFL Head of Community Football.

“Organising both a football and softball competition in the heart of Australia, where challenges are diverse, stands as a career highlight. The satisfaction derived from participants is unparalleled, reflecting the immense joy these events bring.”

Backed by Regional Anangu Services Aboriginal Corporation, which continues its support by providing essential resources like apparel and fuel to the participating teams, SANFL APY League is entering its 16th year, and expects more than 250 players will pull on a guernsey this season. The League also supports the softball season with more than 200 softballers set to tee off this year.