Initially formed as the South Australian Gridiron Association (SAGA) the name was changed to Gridiron Association of South Australia (GASA) in 1990 (with a proposed return to SAGA in 07). Despite the name change the Association has remained the sole Gridiron league within South Australia since its inception in 1985.
The league started with four clubs, the Eastside Razorbacks, Brighton Breakers, Port Adelaide Spartans and Southern District Longhorns (now Oilers). Since then three new clubs have joined, they are the Eagles, South City Chiefs and Elizabeth Lions (now Northern District Pirates). The Breakers and Pirates no longer enter teams in the Gridiron SA competition.
The league’s history can best be separated into three era’s each based on the location of its central venue where almost all games were played. For the first three years the league was based at Norwood Oval before moving to the other side of the city to Thebarton Oval for seven seasons.
SANFL clubs used both facilities in the winter providing spectators with covered grandstands, they also had lighting towers enabling double-header games to be played on warm summer evenings.
For the last twelve seasons the league has been based at the Pines Hockey Stadium now the Distinctive Homes Hockey Arena, long recognised at the best Gridiron facility in the country. The league has always aimed to play its games at stadium type facilities, which has enabled Gridiron SA to be one of the best-attended leagues in the country with Grand Finals always having a four-figure crowd in attendance.
With regular commentary & music, cheerleading routines, a weekly game program, an electronic scoreboard and now a twenty five second clock installed there is no doubt that the Gridiron SA competition is one of the most professionally presented in the nation.
On the field the Eastside Razorbacks have earned themselves the title of one of Australia’s most successful Gridiron Clubs with a national record fourteen state titles in twenty-one years.
The South Australian state side also has a proud record in interstate and international competition. As the Dragons, SA not only won the inaugural GA National Champions in 1996 but they are also the only state to have a winning record (2-1) against ISSI Down Under Bowl teams from the US. South Australians also played a key role in the Australian National teams ’99 World Cup Campaign in Palermo both on & off the field.
In recent years Gridiron SA has started a junior contact program with all clubs now fielding a team.
In 2002 the league took on its biggest challenge yet, to host the 2003 Gridiron Australia National Championships. Due mainly to the 40 strong “Green Team” volunteer staff, the event was a great success. South Australia again became hosts for the 2005 and 2006 season National Championships.
History
OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE GRIDIRON ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
