The Kentish Football Association was the final name of an Australian rules football competition based in the Kentish region of northern Tasmania.
History The Kentish FA began life as the Roland Football Association in 1904, with Barrington, Sheffield, Wilmot and Railton comprising the initial roster of clubs. Beulah and Sunnyside both joined in 1905 but only competed for one and two seasons respectively. Barrington won the first three premierships of the competition in a row. The name of the competition in its early years is somewhat unclear - during the early 1910s it is referred to as both the Roland Football Association and Wilmot Football Association seemingly interchangeably, however by 1915 the Roland name seemed to have won out. The competition was abandoned midway through the 1915 season to allow for players to enlist for service in World War I.
The competition returned in 1919 under the Wilmot FA name with Barrington, Roland, Sheffield and Wilmot competing. Roland left after the 1919 season but were replaced by Barrington Rovers, Railton and Staverton for the 1920 season. The two Barrington clubs merged in 1924 in order to create a stronger, united club for the district. Significant changes to football in the Kentish region occurred in 1929, when the KFA was abandoned in favour of fielding a united Kentish team in the NWFU Central Combine competition. This recess would only last a season, with Barrington, Wilmot and the newly-formed Railton-based Cement Rovers re-forming the KFA in 1930. The Association would again enter recess in 1937 and would not return until after WWII.
1945 saw Barrington, West Kentish, Wilmot and Sheffield re-form the association. This line-up of clubs had comprised the backbone of the Association for much of its existence and would remain unchanged until the competition's demise in 1954. West Kentish could not field a team in 1955, which saw the remaining clubs transfer to the NWFA for that season.
Clubs
Final ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in KFAKFA Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsBarringtonRobinsBarrington Football Ground, BarringtonNWFA, WFA18951904-1911, 1919–1928, 1930–1936, 1946–195471904, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910, 1933, 1953Recess between 1912–18 and in 1929. Moved to Latrobe FL in 1937. Moved to NWFA in 1955.Sheffield(?-1936)(?-1954)Sheffield Football Ground, SheffieldNWFA, LFL19041904-1928, 1931–1932, 1935–1936, 1946–1954111907, 1909, 1911, 1921, 1922, 1925, 1928, 1931, 1948, 1949, 1954Recess between 1929 and 1930. Joined Latrobe FL in 1933 and 1937. Moved to NWFA in 1955.West KentishDark with white veeWest Kentish Recreation Ground, West KentishWFA19141915, 1927–1928, 1931–1936, 1946- 195441946, 1950, 1951, 1952Recess in 1929-30 and 1936, re-formed in Wilmot FA in 1938. Folded after 1954 seasonWilmotTigersWilmot Football Ground, WilmotWFA, NWFA18961904-1909, 1911–1912, 1914, 1919–1928, 1930–1936, 1946–1954101920, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1947Formed Wilmot FA in 1910. Recess in 1929 and 1937. Formed Wilmot FA in 1938. Moved to NWFA in 1946 and 1955
Former ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.Years in KFAKFA Senior PremiershipsFateTotalYearsBarrington Rovers/Lower BarringtonRoversLower Barrington Recreation Ground, Lower BarringtonNWFA19091910-1915, 1920–192331912, 1913, 1914Merged with Barrington in 1924Barrington TommiesBarrington Football Ground, Barrington–191519150 -Folded after 1915 seasonBeulah–190519050 -Entered recess after 1905 seasonCement RoversDark with light veeRailton Recreation Ground, RailtonLFL19301930, 19330 -Played in Latrobe FL between 1931 and 1932, returned there in 1934Claude RoadClaude Road Recreation Ground, Claude RoadWFA, KJFA19071910, 1923–19240 -Entered recess in 1911. Folded after 1924 season.RailtonRailton Recreation Ground, RailtonMFA19001904-1905, 1907, 1911, 1914, 1920–19250 -Entered recess in 1906 and 1912. Moved to Midhurst FA in 1908. Recess between 1915 and 1919. Moved to Latrobe FL in 1926.RailwaySheffield Football Ground, Sheffield–19121912-19130 -Folded after 1913 seasonRolandWest Kentish Recreation Ground, West Kentish–19191919, 1921–19220 -Recess in 1920. Folded after 1922 seasonStaverton–191919200 -Merged with West Kentish to form Roland in 1921Sunnyside–19051905-19060 -Entered recess after 1906 season
Premierships YearPremierScoreRunners-upNotesRoland Football Association1904Barrington?.? (40) - ?.? (23)Sheffield1905BarringtonMargin 2 pointsWilmot1906BarringtonSunnyside1907Sheffield?1908Barrington?1909Sheffield4.10 (34) - 2.6 (18)Wilmot1910Barrington3.6 (24) - 1.7 (13)SheffieldWilmot Football Association1911SheffieldRailton1912Barrington Rovers?1913Barrington Rovers?1914Barrington RoversWilmotRoland Football Association1915Season not completed - no premier1916-18Association in recess1919??1920Wilmot?1921Sheffield?1922Sheffield3.6 (24) - 3.3 (21)Barrington Rovers1923Wilmot4.10 (34) - 4.8 (32)Sheffield1924Wilmot7.14 (56) - 5.6 (36)Barrington1925Sheffield7.13 (55) - 7.6 (48)WilmotKentish Football Association1926??1927Wilmot9.19 (73) - 3.4 (22)Sheffield1928Sheffield8.9 (57) - 8.8 (56)Wilmot1929Association in recess1930Wilmot?1931Sheffield8.4 (52) - 6.12 (48)West Kentish1932Sheffield10.8 (68) - 7.6 (48)Wilmot1933BarringtonCement Rovers1934Wilmot9.15 (69) - 9.10 (64)Barrington1935Wilmot8.6 (54) - 4.11 (35)Sheffield1936Wilmot10.12 (72) - 8.7 (55)West Kentish1937-45Association in recess1946West Kentish8.4 (52) - 4.6 (30)Barrington1947Wilmot9.14 (68) - 9.9 (63)Sheffield1948SheffieldBarrington1949SheffieldBarrington1950West Kentish9.14 (68) - 7.9 (51)Barrington1951West Kentish5.14 (44) - 5.6 (36)Barrington1952West Kentish8.17 (65) - 2.10 (22)Barrington1953Barrington4.8 (32) - 4.3 (27)Sheffield1954Sheffield15.18 (108) - 4.8 (32)Barrington
References