AFL Wide Bay

AFL Wide Bay

Most recent season or competition: 2024
Formerly	Bundaberg Wide Bay AFL
Sport	Australian rules football
Founded	1987
No. of teams	6
Country	Australia
Most recent champion(s)	Hervey Bay Bombers (2024)
Most titles	Hervey Bay Bombers (19)
Official website	AFL Wide Bay

The AFL Wide Bay is a regional body that coordinates Australian rules football competitions in the Wide Bay–Burnett and northern Sunshine Coast regions of Queensland, Australia. The competition currently features teams from the cities of Bundaberg, Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Gympie and the town of Pomona. AFL Wide Bay operates men's senior, reserves and women's competitions as well as underage competitions including mixed and junior boys teams.

Beginning as the Bundaberg-Wide Bay Australian Football League in 1987 through the merger of the "Bundaberg Australian Football League" and "Wide Bay Australian Football League". The competition was temporarily managed by AFL Queensland as part of its South East Queensland structure for the 2017 season before resuming under the current banner in 2018.

The representative team was known as the "Tigers", wearing guernseys similar to those of the Richmond Tigers.

In 1985, the WBAFL played a five team competition which included teams from Hervey Bay (2), Cooloola Coast and Gympie (2), with Maryborough fielding junior grades. The BAFL played a four team competition which included the three main clubs, Wests, Norths, and Souths (2) with Burnett Heads fielding Reserves and juniors only.

In 1986, the WBAFL played a four team competition, but finished the season with just two clubs, Hervey Bay and Gympie, who fielded just one senior club each that year. Maryborough and Cooloola Coast folded. The BAFL had only three senior teams, Wests, Norths and Souths (with Souths fielding just one A Grade team that year only), and so with backing of the Queensland Australian Football League, the two Leagues merged.

In 1987, the Bundaberg Wide Bay Australian Football League was formed with the five remaining senior clubs, Hervey Bay, Gympie, Norths, Wests and Souths, and the addition of Burnett Heads for a few senior games, before being relegated to the Reserves after five rounds.

In 1988, Maryborough joined the competition to resume a six team competition.

15km
10miles

Pomona Cooroy Demons

Maryborough Bears

The Waves

Hervey Bay Bombers

Brothers Bulldogs

Bay Power

  

Locations of the teams home grounds (Yellow = Reserves only)

Colours	Club	Moniker	Home ground	Years in competition	No. of Premierships	Premiership years	Notes
	Bay Power	Power	Keith Dunne Oval, Urangan	2004–	1	2019
	Brothers Bulldogs	Bulldogs	Brothers Sporting Complex, Kensington	1987–	3	1987, 1995, 2010	Known as West Bundaberg Bulldogs from 1987 until 1996
	Hervey Bay Bombers	Bombers	N. E. Mclean Oval, Wondunna	1987–	19	1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
	The Waves	Eagles	Frank Coulthard Oval, Norville	1997–*	11	1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020	Also known as Across the Waves Bundaberg Eagles
Reserve Grade Only
	Maryborough	Bears	AFL Federation Reserve, Maryborough	1988, 1990–1991, 1993–1999, 2001–2012, 2018 2015-2017, 2019-2021 reserve grade only	0	–	Moniker was Tigers 1988–1994
	Pomona	Demons	Pomona Oval, Pomona	1993-1996, 2004-2006, 2024-	0	–

• Formed from the merger of North Bundaberg Kangaroos and South Bundaberg/ATW Magpies

Colours	Club	Moniker	Years in competition	No. of Premierships	Premiership years	Fate
	Fraser Coast	Magpies	1992-2000 (known as Fraser Coast Lions 1992-1996)	1	1993	Folded
	Gympie	Cats	1987-1989, 1993-1999, 2004–2006, 2018	1	2018	Moved to Queensland Football Association in 2007
	North Bundaberg	Kangaroos	1987-1996	0	-	Merged with South Bundaberg to become Across The Waves (ATW) Eagles
	South Bundaberg	Magpies	1987-1996	0	-	Merged with North Bundaberg to become Across The Waves (ATW) Eagles

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In 2003, four out of the eight clubs that played in a Brisbane League Division Three, were from AFL Bundaberg Wide Bay. They were Hervey Bay Bombers, Maryborough Bears, Across The Waves Bundaberg, and Brothers Bulldogs from Bundaberg. Gympie Cats and Pomona Demons had also previously played in the Wide Bay League. It was a competition which lasted only one season before the above mentioned six clubs, with the addition of new club, Bay Power, resulted in a revamped seven club League reforming the AFL Bundaberg Wide Bay competition the following year.

Hervey Bay Bombers won the Division Three Flag in 2003 beating ATW Bundaberg Eagles, with Maryborough Bears finishing third. The other two clubs in the competition were Bribie Island Bulldogs and Glasshouse Lions.

In 2017, a very similar set up to the 2003 Season took place. Hervey Bay Bombers, Across The Waves Bundaberg, Brothers Bulldogs and Bay Power, joined Sunshine Coast clubs, Maroochydore Roos, Gympie Cats and Pomona Demons, to form QFA Wide Bay-Sunshine Coast for just one season. Maroochydore Roos defeated Brothers Bulldogs in the Grand Final, played at Gympie. The AFL Wide Bay Reserves and Youth/Junior Grades continued under the banner of AFL Wide Bay. Gympie returned to play in the AFL Wide Bay competition in 2018, before leaving the competition once again.

NOTE: In both seasons of 2003 and 2017 all of the AFL Bundaberg Wide Bay Clubs participated in a Brisbane Competition before resuming the Regional League the following year.

NOTE: The Stedman Medal was awarded in both seasons of 2003 and 2017, as all AFL Wide Bay clubs were playing each other, plus other teams from South East Queensland, but not under the banner of the AFL Wide Bay for those two seasons.

Note: The Reserve Grade Seniors Season was suspended after Round 8 in 2002, and was not contested from 2003-2004.

• Australian rules football in South East Queensland

• Official site