| 1881 SAFA premiership season | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 6 |
| Premiers | Norwood 4th premiership |
| Leading goalkicker | Joe Pollock Norwood (7 Goals) W J Duffy Norwood (7 Goals) |
| Matches played | 34 |
| Highest | 1,500 (Round 2, Norwood vs. Port Adelaide) |
The 1881 South Australian Football Association season was the 5th season of the top-level Australian rules football competition in South Australia. The premiership season began on Saturday 7 May.
Norwood went on to record its 4th consecutive premiership.
The years premiership trophy was called the Fowler Challenge Cup.[1]
Adelaide and Kensington merged at a meeting held on 11 April 1881 to create full squads of a senior and second twenty and it was decided that the colour of the club be black-and scarlet guernsey, hose, and cap, and navy blue knickerbockers[2] but resigned from the competition after 4 games.[1]
It was then reported endeavours were being made to induce the North Adelaide Juniors and the North Parks to amalgamate and apply to the Association for permission to take up the fixtures of the Adelaide and Kensington Club.[3] However, this didn't eventuate but the two clubs would merge and join the SAFA in 1885 as a new Adelaide senior team.