Big Rivers Football League

The Big Rivers Football League (formerly the Katherine District Football League and Big Rivers Australian Football League) is an Australian rules football competition in the Northern Territory, Australia based in the Katherine region. Its governing body is AFL Northern Territory. It consists of 11 clubs, of which 2 are currently women's only, being Eastside FC and Katherine South (both having men's teams in previous seasons). In 2025, new teams Ngaliwurru Lions, Borroloola Thunders and Katherine River Sporting Club have joined the senior men's division, replacing Eastside FC. During its inaugural season (1988/89) K. Watson, for the Kirby's Agents, successfully claimed the leagues first MVP award.

Big Rivers Football League

Sport	Australian Rules Football
Founded	1988 (1988)
Administrator	AFL Northern Territory
No. of teams	11
Headquarters	Katherine Showgrounds
Current premiers	Katherine Camels (Men's, 4th premiership), Arnhem Crows (Women's)
Most premiers	Katherine South Crocs (9 Men's premierships)
Official website	PlayHQ

It consists of 1 Senior Men's (8 teams) and 1 Senior Women's Division (5 teams), plus Under 16's Boys, Under 16's Girls and Under 12 Mixed Divisions played during school terms. Most games are played at the Katherine Showgrounds, with the exception of a few games where teams get home community games or when the Showgrounds aren't available for use.

Current clubs

Men

Club	Colours	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in BRFL	BRFL Senior Premierships
							Total	Years
Arnhem		Crows	Barunga Oval, Barunga	–	2001	2001-2015, 2019-	4	2002/03, 2006, 2009, 2011[1]
Borroloola		Thunders	Borroloola Oval, Borroloola	BAFL	2021	2025-	0	-
Garrak		Bombers	Kalano Oval, Katherine	–	1980s	1989, 1997-2005, 2007-2010, 2012-2025	0	-
Gurindji		Eagles	Michael Jarparta Paddy Football Oval, Kalkarindji	LFL	1995	1995-1996, 1998-2003, 2006-2009, 2014-2017, 2021, 2024-	1	2017[2]
Katherine		Camels	Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine	–	2010-	2011-	4	2012,[3] 2019, 2022, 2024
Katherine River		Saints	Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine	–	2025	2025-	0	-
Ngaliwurru		Lions	Max Duncan Memorial Oval, Timber Creek	–	2025	2025-	0	-
Ngukurr		Bulldogs	Ngukurr Oval, Ngukurr	–	1994	1994-2015, 2020-	4	1999/2000, 2004, 2007,[4] 2023
Northern Warlpiri Swans		Swans	Lajamanu Oval, Lajamanu	–	1992	1992, 1995-1997, 2002-2017, 2019-	2	2005, 2008[5]

Women

Club	Colours	Nickname	Home Ground	Former League	Est.	Years in BRFL	BRFL Senior Premierships
							Total	Years
Arnhem		Crows	Barunga Oval, Barunga	–	2001	2020-	4	2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
Eastside		Double Blues	Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine	–	1988[6]	2018-	3	2018, 2019 2022
Katherine		Camels	Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine	–		2018-	0	-
Katherine South		Crocs	Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine	–		2018-	0	-
Ngukurr		Bulldogs	Ngukurr Oval, Ngukurr	–		2022-	0	-

Men's sides in recess

Club	Colours	Nickname	Home Ground	Est.	Years in BRFL	BRFL Senior Premierships		Fate
						Total	Years
Eastside		Double Blues	Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine	1988[6]	1989-2004, 2011-2019, 2021-	9	1989/90, 1990/91, 1993/94, 1998/99, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019[7]	In recess since 2024 season
Katherine South		Crocs	Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine South		1991-2004, 2017-2023	9	1991/92, 1992/93, 1994/95, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1997/98, 2018,[8] 2020, 2021	In recess since 2023 season

Former clubs

Club	Colours	Nickname	Home ground	Est.	Years in BRFL	BRFL Senior Premierships		Fate
						Total	Years
Alawa (Minyerri 1997-2020)		Tigers	Minyerri		1997-1998, 2001-2010, 2012, 2016-2017, 2021	0	-	Folded
Barunga		Eagles	Barunga Oval, Barunga		1989-1995, 2008	0	-	Folded
Beswick		Bears	Wugularr	2009[9]	1990-1991, 1993-1994, 1998, 2008-2019	1	2010	Folded after 2019 season
Beswick Hawks		Hawks	Wugularr	2017	2017	0	-	Folded
Binjari		Saints	Binjari		2010, 2021	0	-	Folded
Buccaneers (Burton & Balls 1999-2002)		Bucs			1999-2003	0	-	Folded
Daly River		Buffaloes	Nauiyu Oval, Nauiyu	2022	2021-2023	0	-	Folded
East Arnhem			East Arnhem		1999-2000	0	-	Folded
Jilkminggan		Blues	Jilkminggan		2001-2003, 2007-2015, 2017, 2021;	0	-	Folded
Katherine		Kannons	Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine	2006	2006-2010	0	-	Merged with Katherine Roos to form Katherine Camels after 2010 season
Katherine		Roos	Katherine Showgrounds, Katherine	2009	2009-2010	0	-	Merged with Katherine Kannons to form Katherine Camels after 2010 season
Kirby's Agents/Katherine		Hawks	Katherine	1988	1989-2002	1	1988/89	Folded
Numbulwar		Lightning	Numbulwar		2008-2009	0	-	Folded
Tindal		Magpies	Tindal Oval, RAAF Base Tindal	1989[10]	1989-2021	0	-	Folded after 2021 season
Victoria River		Lions	Victoria River		1998-1999	0	-	Folded
Waliburru		Thunder	Minyerri		2016-2017	0	-	Folded
Yarralin			Yarralin		1995-1997, 2002-2003	0	-	Folded
Yugal		Power			2000-2003	0	-	Folded

Premierships (Mens)

• 1988/89 Kirby's Agents
• 1989/90 Rowlands
• 1990/91 Eastside (* Formerly known as Rowlands FC)
• 1991/92 Katherine South
• 1992/93 Katherine South
• 1993/94 Eastside
• 1994/95 Katherine South
• 1995/96 Katherine South
• 1996/97 Katherine South
• 1997/98 Katherine South
• 1998/99 Eastside
• 1999/00 Ngukurr
• 2001 Arnhem Bombers
• 2002 Arnhem Crows
• 2003 Arnhem Crows
• 2004 Arnhem Crows
• 2005 Lajamanu
• 2006 Arnhem Crows
• 2007 Ngukurr
• 2008 Lajamanu
• 2009 Arnhem Crows
• 2010 Beswick
• 2011 Arnhem Crows
• 2012 Katherine Camels
• 2013 Eastside FC
• 2014 Eastside FC
• 2015 Eastside FC
• 2016 Eastside FC
• 2017 Eastside FC
• 2018 Katherine South
• 2019 Katherine Camels
• 2020 Katherine South
• 2021 Katherine South
• 2022 Katherine Camels
• 2023 Ngukurr
• 2024 Katherine Camels

2011 Ladder

Big Rivers AFL	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts
Beswick Bears	12	0	2	0	1486	554	268.23%	48
Arnhem Crows	11	0	3	0	1213	765	158.56%	44
Ngukurr Bulldogs	11	0	3	0	1216	780	155.90%	44
Katherine Camels	8	0	6	0	949	802	118.33%	32
Eastside	6	0	8	0	876	1076	81.41%	24
Lajamanu Swans	5	0	9	0	899	900	99.89%	20
Tindal Magpies	2	0	12	0	611	1418	43.09%	8
Jikminggan Blues	1	0	13	0	459	1414	32.46%	4

FINALS

Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
1st Semi	Ngukurr Bulldogs	14	9	93	Katherine Camels	11	4	70
2nd Semi	Arnhem Crows	17	7	109	Beswick Bears	9	10	64
Preliminary	Ngukurr Bulldogs	11	7	73	Beswick Bears	10	11	71
Grand	Arnhem Crows	14	8	92	Ngukurr Bulldogs	12	6	78

2012 Ladder

Big Rivers AFL	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts
Katherine Camels	13	0	1	0	1280	656	195.12%	52
Ngukurr Bulldogs	11	0	3	0	1264	694	182.13%	44
Beswick Bears	11	0	3	0	1357	760	178.55%	44
Eastside	7	0	7	0	896	996	89.96%	28
Jikminggan Blues	6	0	8	0	908	1125	80.71%	24
Kalano Bombers	5	0	9	0	928	1229	75.51%	20
Tindal Magpies	4	0	5	0	576	630	91.43%	16
Lajamanu Swans	2	0	7	0	271	466	58.15%	8

FINALS

Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
1st Semi	Katherine Camels	10	19	79	Ngukurr Bulldogs	9	11	65
2nd Semi	Beswick Bears	15	2	92	Eastside	14	7	91
Preliminary	Ngukurr Bulldogs	14	18	102	Beswick Bears	7	6	48
Grand	Katherine Camels	14	6	90	Ngukurr Bulldogs	4	6	30

2023 Men's Ladder

Big Rivers Football League	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts
Ngukurr Bulldogs	12	1	2	0	1105	586	188.57%	86
Eastside FC	12	1	2	0	1251	829	150.90%	81
Katherine South	8	1	6	0	1070	1044	102.49%	69
Katherine Camels	7	1	6	0	927	880	105.34%	62
Arnhem Crows	7	1	7	0	1012	920	110.00%	57
Daly River Buffaloes	6	1	7	0	1069	979	109.19%	52
Northern Warlpiri Swans	3	1	6	0	702	1036	67.76%	42
Garrak Bombers	0	1	11	0	434	1296	33.49%	39

FINALS

Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
1st Semi	Katherine South	8	10	58	Katherine Camels	7	5	47
2nd Semi	Ngukurr Bulldogs	17	12	114	Eastside	9	9	63
Preliminary	Eastside	7	8	50	Katherine South	12	11	83
Grand	Ngukurr Bulldogs	14	10	94	Katherine South	9	4	58

2024 Men's Ladder

Big Rivers Football League	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts
Katherine Camels	9	1	1	0	978	328	298.17%	76
Ngukurr Bulldogs	7	2	1	0	982	411	238.93%	64
Arnhem Crows	8	1	2	0	830	606	136.96%	68
Northern Warlpiri Swans	3	2	5	0	560	575	97.39%	50
Garrak Bombers	3	2	6	0	482	940	51.28%	41
Gurindji Eagles	1	2	7	0	379	823	46.05%	34
Eastside FC	1	1	8	0	371	899	41.27%	35

FINALS

Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
1st Semi	Arnhem Crows	12	13	85	Northern Warlpiri Swans	6	5	41
2nd Semi	Katherine Camels	13	6	84	Ngukurr Bulldogs	6	7	43
Preliminary	Ngukurr Bulldogs	10	10	70	Arnhem Crows	10	8	68
Grand	Katherine Camels	13	9	87	Ngukurr Bulldogs	11	4	70

See also

• AFL Northern Territory
• Northern Territory Football League
• Australian rules football in the Northern Territory