North Pilbara Football League

The North Pilbara Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in Karratha and Port Hedland in Western Australia.[1]

North Pilbara Football League

Formerly	De Grey West Pilbara Football League
Sport	Australian rules football
Founded	1977
No. of teams	6
Most recent champion(s)	South Hedland Swans (2020)
Official website	Official website

History of Football in the Pilbara

Football got its start when a newly transferred Postal worker who was a football fanatic and umpire organized the first game between two pubs in 1962. Colin Matheson marked out an oval on the mud flats in town and got players from the patrons of the Pier and Esplanade Hotels.

Matheson in 1967 founded the first football association in the area. The Port Hedland Football Association was founded with three teams, Rovers, Panthers and Finucane Island.

In 1969 teams from mining towns of Marble Bar and Goldsworthy entered and formed the newly "De Gray Football Association. Marble Bar lasted 3 seasons before withdrawing, it wasn't until 1975 that the competition expanded again with the creation of two new clubs, Shay Gap and South Hedland.

In Karratha competitive football started with the founding of the Dampier District Association in 1973. Renamed in 1974 as West Pilbara Football League, teams came from Dampier, Karratha, Roebourne and Wickham.

In 1977 the De Grey Football Association (based around Port Hedland) and West Pilbara Football League (based around Karratha) merged to form the De Gray West Pilbara Football League.[2]

In 1983 there was a name change to North Pilbara Football League.

Clubs Current and Former

Club	Nickname	Years in competition	NPFL flags	North Pilbara FL premiership years
Dampier	Sharks	1977-	5	1983, 1984, 2005, 2008, 2009
Goldsworthy	Tigers	1977-1981	1	1977
Karratha Falcons	Cardinals 1979-1986 Falcons 1987-	1979-	5	1986, 1987, 1988, 2006, 2010
Karratha Kats	Kats	1977-	12	1979, 1981, 1989, 1991, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2018
Port Hedland	Panthers	1977-1994	1	1982
Port Hedland	Rovers	1977-	9	1978, 1990, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013
Shay Gap	Hawks	1977-1983	0
South Hedland	Swans	1977-	9	1980, 1985, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2015, 2020
Wickham	Wolves	1977-	2	2017, 2019

2006 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Karratha Falcons	11	0	3	1	1514	1267	119.49%	46		1st semi	Wickham	21	13	139	Port Hedland	17	10	112
Dampier	10	0	5	0	1630	1172	139.08%	40		2nd semi	Dampier	20	15	135	Karratha Falcons	14	11	95
Port Hedland	8	0	6	1	1456	1140	127.72%	34		Preliminary	Karratha Falcons	18	10	118	Wickham	17	12	114
Wickham	7	0	8	0	1358	1622	83.72%	28		Grand	Karratha Falcons	17	6	108	Dampier	15	11	101
Karratha Kats	4	0	11	0	1151	1458	78.94%	16
South Hedland	4	0	11	0	916	1366	67.06%	16

2007 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Karratha Falcons	12	0	3	0	1943	916	212.12%	48		1st semi	South Hedland	11	12	78	Dampier	8	10	58
Port Hedland	11	0	4	0	1631	896	182.03%	44		2nd semi	Port Hedland	17	6	108	Karratha Falcons	11	13	79
South Hedland	10	0	5	0	1251	1125	111.20%	40		Preliminary	Karratha Falcons	19	11	125	South Hedland	13	13	91
Dampier	7	0	8	0	1291	1297	99.54%	28		Grand	Port Hedland	18	17	125	Karratha Falcons	9	10	64
Wickham	4	0	11	0	1154	1661	69.48%	16
Karratha Kats	1	0	14	0	697	2072	33.64%	4

2008 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Dampier	13	0	2	0	1711	995	171.96%	52		1st semi	Karratha Falcons	18	19	127	Wickham	16	13	109
Port Hedland	11	0	4	0	1663	1023	162.56%	44		2nd semi	Dampier	12	7	79	Port Hedland	12	6	78
Karratha Falcons	9	0	6	0	1328	1244	106.75%	36		Preliminary	Port Hedland	16	13	109	Karratha Falcons	12	10	82
Wickham	8	0	7	0	1445	1176	122.87%	32		Grand	Dampier	21	12	138	Port Hedland	11	13	79
South Hedland	3	0	12	0	703	1360	51.69%	12
Karratha Kats	1	0	14	0	419	1471	28.48%	4

2009 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Karratha Falcons	14	0	1	0	1765	660	267.42%	56		1st semi	Port Hedland	16	9	105	Karratha Kats	7	8	50
Dampier	12	0	3	0	1801	856	210.40%	48		2nd semi	Karratha Falcons	0	0	0	Dampier	0	0	0
Port Hedland	8	0	7	0	1148	1005	114.23%	32		Preliminary	Dampier	17	11	113	Port Hedland	6	9	45
Karratha Kats	6	0	9	0	1288	1297	99.31%	24		Grand	Dampier	8	13	61	Karratha Falcons	7	2	44
Wickham	3	0	12	0	539	2079	25.93%	12
South Hedland	2	0	13	0	710	1354	52.44%	8

2010 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Karratha Falcons	13	0	2	0	1455	614	236.97%	52		1st semi	Karratha Kats	13	11	89	Dampier	10	10	70
Port Hedland	13	0	2	0	1241	723	171.65%	52		2nd semi	Karratha Falcons	9	10	64	Port Hedland	5	10	40
Karratha Kats	8	0	7	0	1505	1082	139.09%	32		Preliminary	Port Hedland	9	14	68	Karratha Kats	10	3	63
Dampier	6	0	9	0	1044	1081	96.58%	24		Grand	Karratha Falcons	12	10	82	Port Hedland	6	14	50
South Hedland	3	0	12	0	658	1561	42.15%	12
Wickham	2	0	13	0	529	1371	38.58%	8

2011 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Port Hedland	13	0	2	0	1470	910	161.54%	52		1st semi	South Hedland	17	10	112	Karratha Kats	9	12	66
Karratha Falcons	10	0	4	1	1268	902	140.58%	42		2nd semi	Port Hedland	12	21	93	Karratha Falcons	9	11	65
South Hedland	10	0	5	0	1228	1157	106.14%	40		Preliminary	South Hedland	12	13	85	Karratha Falcons	12	6	78
Karratha Kats	6	0	9	0	1023	1375	74.40%	24		Grand	Port Hedland	13	13	91	South Hedland	7	5	47
Dampier	4	0	11	0	1301	1391	93.53%	16
Wickham	1	0	13	1	603	1158	52.07%	6

2012 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Karratha Falcons	13	0	2	0	1544	907	170.23%	52		1st semi	Karratha Kats	18	18	126	South Hedland	4	3	27
Port Hedland	11	0	4	0	1607	1057	152.03%	44		2nd semi	Port Hedland	17	11	113	Karratha Falcons	9	8	62
Karratha Kats	9	0	6	0	1523	1060	143.68%	36		Preliminary	Karratha Kats	21	14	140	Karratha Falcons	10	11	71
South Hedland	5	0	10	0	1381	1123	122.97%	20		Grand	Port Hedland	17	8	110	Karratha Kats	12	7	79
Wickham	5	0	10	0	1162	1604	72.44%	20
Dampier	2	0	13	0	650	2116	30.72%	8

2013 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Wickham	11	0	3	1	1533	942	162.74%	46		1st semi	Karratha Falcons	13	9	87	Karratha Kats	7	12	54
Port Hedland	11	0	4	0	1535	1040	147.60%	44		2nd semi	Port Hedland	16	15	111	Wickham	10	7	67
Karratha Falcons	10	0	5	0	1229	1018	120.73%	40		Preliminary	Wickham	13	18	96	Karratha Falcons	8	5	53
Karratha Kats	8	0	6	1	1359	1175	115.66%	34		Grand	Port Hedland	11	12	78	Wickham	7	14	56
Dampier	3	0	12	0	1008	1683	59.89%	12
South Hedland	1	0	14	0	922	1728	53.36%	4

2014 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Port Hedland Rovers	12	0	2	1	1768	860	205.58%	50		1st semi	Dampier Sharks	16	11	107	Karratha Falcons	13	9	87
Karratha Kats	10	0	5	0	1471	1149	128.02%	40		2nd semi	Port Hedland Rovers	12	7	79	Karratha Kats	6	5	41
Dampier Sharks	9	0	6	0	1397	1385	100.87%	36		Preliminary	Karratha Kats	12	10	82	Dampier Sharks	11	8	74
Karratha Falcons	6	0	9	0	1159	1375	84.29%	24		Grand	Karratha Kats	15	6	96	Port Hedland Rovers	10	6	66
South Hedland Swans	6	0	9	0	1145	1452	78.86%	24
Wickham Wolves	1	0	13	1	998	1717	58.12%	6

2015 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Dampier Sharks	12	0	3	0	1608	892	180.27%	48		1st semi	Wickham Wolves	10	10	70	Port Hedland Rovers	7	9	51
South Hedland Swans	12	0	3	0	1519	897	169.34%	48		2nd semi	South Hedland Swans	15	6	96	Dampier Sharks	10	10	70
Wickham Wolves	7	0	8	1	1043	1287	81.04%	30		Preliminary	Dampier Sharks	14	14	98	Wickham Wolves	8	9	57
Port Hedland Rovers	6	0	9	0	965	1414	68.25%	24		Grand	South Hedland Swans	13	19	97	Dampier Sharks	10	12	72
Karratha Kats	5	0	10	0	1020	1154	88.39%	20
Karratha Falcons	3	0	12	0	911	1422	64.06%	12

2016 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Wickham Wolves	12	0	2	1	1401	848	165.21%	50		1st semi	Karratha Kats	9	12	66	Port Hedland Rovers	8	3	51
South Hedland Swans	11	0	3	1	1435	943	152.17%	46		2nd semi	South Hedland Swans	9	13	67	Wickham Wolves	10	6	66
Karratha Kats	7	0	7	1	1152	898	128.29%	30		Preliminary	Karratha Kats	9	8	62	Wickham Wolves	8	4	52
Port Hedland Rovers	6	0	8	1	1056	1079	97.87%	26		Grand	Karratha Kats	12	10	82	South Hedland Swans	7	6	48
Dampier Sharks	4	0	11	0	911	1542	59.08%	16
Karratha Falcons	3	0	12	0	815	1460	55.82%	12

2017 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Wickham Wolves	14	0	1	0	1447	738	196.07%	56		1st semi	Karratha Kats	19	8	122	South Hedland	9	8	62
Dampier Sharks	10	0	5	0	1280	878	145.79%	40		2nd semi	Wickham Wolves	11	8	74	Dampier	5	13	43
Karratha Kats	10	0	5	0	1242	859	144.59%	40		Preliminary	Dampier	13	7	85	Karratha Kats	6	7	43
South Hedland Swans	5	0	10	0	1070	1311	81.62%	20		Grand	Wickham Wolves	12	13	85	Dampier	9	6	60
Port Hedland Rovers	5	0	10	0	848	1347	62.95%	20
Karratha Falcons	1	0	14	0	681	1435	47.46%	4

2018 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Wickham Wolves	13	0	2	0	1726	770	224.16%	52		1st semi	South Hedland	13	12	90	Dampier Sharks	9	8	62
Karratha Kats	13	0	2	0	1427	768	185.81%	52		2nd semi	Karratha Kats	11	18	84	Wickham Wolves	8	10	58
South Hedland Swans	10	0	5	0	1360	948	143.46%	40		Preliminary	Wickham Wolves	19	8	122	South Hedland	4	16	40
Dampier Sharks	6	0	9	0	1047	1307	80.11%	24		Grand	Karratha Kats	13	8	86	Wickham Wolves	9	9	63
Karratha Falcons	2	0	13	0	978	1462	66.89%	8
Port Hedland Rovers	1	0	14	0	543	1826	29.74%	4

2019 ladder

North Pilbara	Wins	Byes	Losses	Draws	For	Against	%	Pts		Final	Team	G	B	Pts	Team	G	B	Pts
Wickham Wolves	14	0	1	0	1533	855	179.30%	56		1st semi	Dampier Sharks	10	10	70	Port Hedland Rovers	8	11	59
Karratha Kats	11	0	4	0	1239	862	143.74%	44		2nd semi	Karratha Kats	9	6	60	Wickham Wolves	7	10	52
Dampier Sharks	7	0	8	0	1337	1123	119.06%	28		Preliminary	Wickham Wolves	10	7	67	Dampier Sharks	8	13	61
Port Hedland Rovers	6	0	9	0	926	1060	87.36%	24		Grand	Wickham Wolves	10	5	65	Karratha Kats	8	16	64
South Hedland Swans	4	0	11	0	1111	1296	85.73%	16
Karratha Falcons	3	0	12	0	799	1749	45.68%	12

References

1. A way of Life
2. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214556717?searchTerm=Karratha%20football&searchLimits=l-decade=197%7C%7C%7Cl-year=1977

Website

Official website

Further reading

• A Way of Life - The Story of country football in Western Australia - Alan East