1 December 2015
QFL secretary Fred Vare was the prime mover behind the introduction of a schools competition in 1905. After the keen interest shown by schoolboys at the Queensland-New South Wales interstate game in 1904, the New South Wales league kindly donated a shield for competition amongst the public schools of Brisbane. The shield was valued at fifteen guineas.
Seven teams competed in the first schools premiership – four from the Normal School in the City, two from Valley and one from Taringa. St John’s Day School also had a team but did not compete in the premiership. The top four teams progressed to the finals with Valley A and Normal A reaching the Grand Final.
The ground to be used for the decider was unavailable on the day. A long wait ensued before a meeting of the League in March 1906 determined Normal A to be the inaugural premiers, entitled to hold the shield for one year. It was also decided that the runners-up, Valley A, would be presented with silver medals. The medals, which were in the shape of a Maltese cross, were presented in April.
In a Toowoomba Under 15s Schools competition, Christian Brothers became premiers by defeating Harlaxton at the Toowoomba Athletic Grounds. Teams from Grammar School and North School also took part in the competition.
In 1906, teams from Petrie Terrace and Clayfield joined the Schools competition which was won by Normal who claimed their second successive premiership. Games were also played at Ipswich between North Ipswich and Newtown schools.
A Junior competition for players no older than eighteen who had left school was introduced. Known as the ‘Young Australia Branch’ of the league, the competition was won by Wynnum who easily defeated minor premiers City in the Grand Final at Wynnum. Valley also had a team in the competition.
In 1907, Taringa became Schools premiers for the first time by defeating Petrie Terrace at the Cricket Ground. The image shows the Taringa team before the game.
Following the Schools Grand Final, Wynnum beat Locos by ten points to clinch the Young Australian League flag for the second consecutive time. The other teams were Brisbane, Valley, Past Normals, Ipswich Rovers and City, the last-named disbanding before season’s end. From this season the competition was governed by a new, separate entity, the ‘Young Australia Football League’, formed in March. The maximum age for players was fixed at nineteen.
Southport High School adopted Australian rules in 1907. Owing to the difficulty of securing matches against other opponents, just two such games were played during the season. In June a combined Young Australia League team wearing yellow and black jerseys defeated the Southport High School, led by Osborne and wearing dark blue jerseys, white knickers and navy caps, at Queen’s Park. In August the school turned the tables at the School of Arts Ground in Southport when it defeated a combined team featuring Young Australia players from Past Normals and Locos.
1908 saw Taringa defeat Normal at Queen’s Park in the Grand Final of the Schools competition to become premiers for the second successive year, thus securing the Citizens’ silver cup, State School Shield and individual gold medals. Other competing teams were Junction Park, Wynnum, East Brisbane, Bowen Bridge, Valley and Kangaroo Point. Woolloongabba competed in the early part of the season.
In the Young Australia League, Valley became premiers by defeating West Moreton at the East Ipswich Rugby Union Ground. The other teams in the premiership were Wynnum, City, Thompson Estate and Locomotives.
Southport High School played two more matches against other opponents in 1908: a loss to Valley A Juniors and an easy win over Taringa State School. It was reported at the school’s Speech Day in December 1908 that “Australian football had been very keenly accepted by all members of the school, and the excellent record of last season was certainly attributable to the coaching of Mr. McKinley”.
A synopsis of part of the schools and junior section from the Queensland Australian rules football history to be published in 2016.
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