The Auckland Australian Football League which began in 1974, is an amateur Australian rules football competition in Auckland, New Zealand currently consisting of 6 clubs and is one of the leagues governed by AFL New Zealand. The league has a men's competition and affiliated women's competition known as Auckland Women's AFL featuring some of the same clubs. The competition runs from September to December to avoid clashes with the rugby football season. An earlier league which existed in Auckland from 1904 until the outbreak of World War I was also known, for a time, as the Auckland Australian Football League. History The Auckland Australian Football Association (AAFA) was founded by former Australian professional player Terry Gay in 1974, North Shore Tigers were one of the foundation clubs. Four teams were playing in 1988 and it shifted its season to spring. It was renamed Auckland Australian Football League (AAFL) in 1990. In 2012 the AAFL established a 2nd Division for less competitive clubs however this lated only one year before all clubs were to play in first division. The league has gone through a period of strong growth in the 2010s with players like Te Kopa Tipene-Tomas, Andriu Sucu and Jackson Clince among the players selected to represent New Zealand on the international stage helping to attract more media exposure for the sport in the city. Season 2021 was cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic restrictions. Current clubs Former clubs Results Men's Women's Historic League The 'Auckland Football Association (under Victorian rules)' was formed at a meeting at Foresters' Hall, Newton on 28 April 1904. The initial subscription rate was 2s 6d, and forty members were enrolled at that meeting. At the 1906 AGM, the name was changed to 'The Australian Football League of Auckland' in order to differentiate the league from Rugby Union and Association (soccer) football. After several active seasons which were covered in some depth in the local papers, the league went into decline around the end of the decade due to the departure of a number of the Australian players back home. In 1912 the senior competition was put on hold due to the lack of players, with only a junior competition continuing. Clubs Players A number of the players in the league were immigrants from the southern Australian states. Regular mention was made in the newspaper reports of the arrival of these gentlemen and their intentions to