The Alliston Flag Football League (AFFL) was started in 1982 by Paul Boulton, owner of Boulton and Sons Replay Sports in Alliston and then owner of Alliston Sports. “I made up 6 sets of uniforms, put an ad in the paper for players, and things just took off from there”, he says.
Thirty-seven seasons later, the league is still going strong, with a handful of players still involved who started in those early years. It is a Sunday tradition from the Sunday after Labour Day to the Sunday before Grey Cup every year.
Thirty-seven seasons later, the league is still going strong, with a handful of players still involved who started in those early years. It is a Sunday tradition from the Sunday after Labour Day to the Sunday before Grey Cup every year.
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| Long-time Bruzers QB Brian Cook (l) with AFFL Founder Paul Boulton at league's 30th anniversary banquet in 2011. Cook started in the league with the 89ers in 1982 - and will suit up for a 38th season in 2019 with the Jokers. |
None of the original teams are left in the league, with the last one - the Bombers - folding prior to the 2012 season after 30 seasons and three championships. Another original team, the Alliston 89ers, became the Bruzers in 1995, and that franchise folded after the 2018 season. The Sorcerers - still the all-time league leader in championships with six - folded after the 1998 season.
The four-time champion Tottenham Express started play in 1983 and folded in 2005. Finally, the five-time champion Shock folded after the 2013 season.
The four-time champion Tottenham Express started play in 1983 and folded in 2005. Finally, the five-time champion Shock folded after the 2013 season.
1980s & 90s
In the 1980’s, two teams dominated play - the Beeton Bombers and the Sorcerers. Between 1984 and 1991, these teams won nine championships between them, six going to the Sorcerers. The league shuffled between flag and touch, finally settling on flag in 1990.
1992 saw the league grow to 12 teams and two divisions, with the Tottenham Express winning its first title. Competition was fierce, with the Vikings, Marauders, Bruzers, Eagles and Sorcerers emerging as bona-fide contenders. From 1992-1998, five different teams won the “A” title, with the Express taking three championships.
1999 saw the merger of two strong squads, the Vikings and the Sorcerers. The newly formed Ravens went 27-1 over two seasons and were the two-time defending AFFL Champions heading into 2001 after defeating the Express and Shock in consecutive finals. The first half of the new millennium was highlighted by one thing, though – parity.
2001-2006
From 2000-2004, four teams won the “A” title, with seven different teams making it to the finals. First, the Ravens quest for a three-peat was ended in the final by the previously unheralded Jokers, who looked as though they could be kings of the mountain for a long time to come. However, 2002 turned out to be a dream season for the Tottenham Express, who finished with a perfect 14-0 record to claim its fourth AFFL title. In 2003, the Express finished first overall for the third straight year, but lost in the semi-finals to the Golden Beavers, who went on to a come-from-behind 17-16 win against the Shock. In 2004, The Dard, consisting of players from Wasaga Beach and Collingwood, took the “A” crown. After squeaking through the round robin with last second-heroics against the Bruzers and Express, the Dard overcame a two touchdown deficit, four interceptions and a safety to prevail 26-24 against the Shock – the team that had eliminated them from the playoffs in 2003.
In 2005, the Beavers were golden again, taking their second title in 3 years. After a 4th place finish, the Beavs upset the top ranked Punishers (formerly the Dard) and, in a 2003 “A” final rematch, prevailed over the Shock to win the John Boylan Cup.
2006 saw the Beavers go undefeated in the regular season and win their first game of the round-robin playoffs to run their undefeated streak to 16. After a loss to the Jokers and surviving a scare against the Agents, the Beavers reached the final poised for a third title. However, the Warriors, a new team of veteran players from the Bruzers and Vikings, along with some imported offensive firepower, overran the Beavers in the final 36-24 to win their first AFFL title
2007-2011
The Golden Beavers finished first overall in 2007, defeating the Warriors on the last day of the regular season to avenge their 2006 finals defeat and clinch top spot. It looked as though the Beavers and Warriors were headed to a championship rematch, but the Agents and Shock had other plans. In an epic semi-final, the Agents defeated the Beavers in overtime to advance to the “A” Final, while the Shock lived up to their name, shocking the Warriors 16-0 to advance to their fifth championship game. Not to be denied, the Shock shed their “Buffalo Bills of the AFFL” moniker by defeating the Agents to win their first AFFL title.
The Golden Beavers finished first overall in 2007, defeating the Warriors on the last day of the regular season to avenge their 2006 finals defeat and clinch top spot. It looked as though the Beavers and Warriors were headed to a championship rematch, but the Agents and Shock had other plans. In an epic semi-final, the Agents defeated the Beavers in overtime to advance to the “A” Final, while the Shock lived up to their name, shocking the Warriors 16-0 to advance to their fifth championship game. Not to be denied, the Shock shed their “Buffalo Bills of the AFFL” moniker by defeating the Agents to win their first AFFL title.
After claiming their first crown after four defeats in the finals, the Shock dominated league play for next four seasons, culminating with a 5th consecutive AFFL title in 2011. The Agents and Beavers challenged the Shock, but could not overcome them. From 2003 to 2011, the Shock appeared in eight of nine AFFL finals and along the way set records for most points scored per game, least points allowed per game and the all-time consecutive wins record (30).
2012-Present
After the 2011 season, a change in the balance of power occurred at the top of the AFFL. Perennial standout Chris Graham and back-up QB Duane Kennedy left the Shock to join Chris's brother Jay on the Beavers, turning them into instant favourites. However, in 2012, the Big Dogs emerged as a force after a couple of seasons in the league, dethroning the Shock and upsetting the Beavers en route to upending the Jokers to claim the AFFL title.
In 2013, the Big Dogs returned to the championship to take on the Beavers, but this time the Beavers prevailed 14-5. In 2014, the Big Dogs recruited former Shock QB Greg Moore to take the helm and the team got back to the finals for the third year in a row, but could not upset the defending champion Beavers, who won a tight defensive struggle with a late TD by a 10-1 count.
The Beavers looked to make it three in a row in 2015 and join the Shock as 5-time AFFL champs, trailing only the 6-time champion Sorcerers for the most ever AFFL championships. However, the quest fell short. For the third consecutive year the Beavers met the Big Dogs in the final, but this time the Big Dogs prevailed 27-7 for their second title in 4 years - and Moore's sixth title overall.
The Big Dogs went on to claim titles again in 2016 and 2017, making it six consecutive title game appearances and four championships - and giving Greg Moore 8 rings - just one short of the 9 championships won by Neil Pendlebury with the Express and Shock. But the Dawgs fell short in 2018, eliminated by the up and coming Untouchables. However, the Beavers proved golden again, winning 37-20 over the Untouchables for their 5th overall title, tied with the Shock and one shy of the Sorcerer's all-time record. The win also tied Chris Graham with Greg Moore for second on all-time individual title list with 8 championship victories.
The decade came to a close in 2019 with the Big Dogs and Beavers poised to clash again. But the Agents and Untouchables had other plans. The Agents defeated the defending champ Beavers 26-25 in the semi-finals, and the Untouchables beat the Big Dogs in the semis again. The Agents then put their undefeated record on the line and overcame a 15 point second half deficit to win their first AFFL title 20-17 and finish a perfect 10-0 season.
2012-Present
After the 2011 season, a change in the balance of power occurred at the top of the AFFL. Perennial standout Chris Graham and back-up QB Duane Kennedy left the Shock to join Chris's brother Jay on the Beavers, turning them into instant favourites. However, in 2012, the Big Dogs emerged as a force after a couple of seasons in the league, dethroning the Shock and upsetting the Beavers en route to upending the Jokers to claim the AFFL title.
In 2013, the Big Dogs returned to the championship to take on the Beavers, but this time the Beavers prevailed 14-5. In 2014, the Big Dogs recruited former Shock QB Greg Moore to take the helm and the team got back to the finals for the third year in a row, but could not upset the defending champion Beavers, who won a tight defensive struggle with a late TD by a 10-1 count.
The Beavers looked to make it three in a row in 2015 and join the Shock as 5-time AFFL champs, trailing only the 6-time champion Sorcerers for the most ever AFFL championships. However, the quest fell short. For the third consecutive year the Beavers met the Big Dogs in the final, but this time the Big Dogs prevailed 27-7 for their second title in 4 years - and Moore's sixth title overall.
The Big Dogs went on to claim titles again in 2016 and 2017, making it six consecutive title game appearances and four championships - and giving Greg Moore 8 rings - just one short of the 9 championships won by Neil Pendlebury with the Express and Shock. But the Dawgs fell short in 2018, eliminated by the up and coming Untouchables. However, the Beavers proved golden again, winning 37-20 over the Untouchables for their 5th overall title, tied with the Shock and one shy of the Sorcerer's all-time record. The win also tied Chris Graham with Greg Moore for second on all-time individual title list with 8 championship victories.
The decade came to a close in 2019 with the Big Dogs and Beavers poised to clash again. But the Agents and Untouchables had other plans. The Agents defeated the defending champ Beavers 26-25 in the semi-finals, and the Untouchables beat the Big Dogs in the semis again. The Agents then put their undefeated record on the line and overcame a 15 point second half deficit to win their first AFFL title 20-17 and finish a perfect 10-0 season.
