Despite the lopsided results in many of the matches in its first two seasons, the STFL soon began to rival its long-established counterpart, the TFL Statewide League for attendances, community involvement, players, and money, as players and fans alike became tired of the politics and negativity that permeated the floundering TFL at that time.

Kermandie (then known as the Robins) and Cygnet (then known as the Magpies) were forced to change playing uniforms and emblems (to Bushrangers and The Port respectively) owing to clashes with already established clubs Brighton and Claremont.

Hobart (then known as the Tigers) were forced to change their emblem and playing strip owing to a clash with Kingston (Kingborough).

After numerous meetings and much debate it was decided to accept the three orphaned clubs into the league in early 2001 to create a 15-team competition for that season.

SFL President Paul Harriss remained unconvinced and the League had already printed out the season's roster without Kermandie's involvement.

In 2011, the Triabunna Football Club became known as the East Coast Bombers[5] in a deal with TSL club Lauderdale which will see them send players from their reserves list (the TSL Reserves competition was axed at the completion of the 2010 season) to play for the former Roos senior team, which had been struggling badly since it entered the SFL in 2006.

Following the demise of the Tasmanian State League after the 2024 season, the 5 southern TSL clubs (Clarence, Glenorchy, Kingborough, Lauderdale, and North Hobart) re-joined the SFL.

[7] Premier League: 2002, 2004, 2006 Regional League: 2002, 2003, 2004 Regional League: 2008 Premier League: 2005 Regional League: 2005, 2007 ● 1996 – Brad Howarth (Channel) – 123 ● 1997 – Darren Kaye (Lindisfarne) – 101 ● 1998 – Michael Darcy (Cygnet) – 119 ● 1999 – Dale Hall (Hobart) – 98 ● 2000 – Michael McGregor (Kermandie) – 114 ● 2001 – Robbie Devine (North Hobart) – 109 ● 2009 – Adrian Burdon (New Norfolk) – 106 ● 2010 – Clint Curtain (Claremont) – 87 ● 2011 – Tim Lamprill (Kingborough) – 105 ● 2012 – Michael Thompson (New Norfolk) – 101 ● 2013 – Ben Halton (Cygnet) – 88 ● 2014 – Josh Hall (New Norfolk) – 112 ● 2015 – Sean Salter (Claremont) – 101 ● 2016 – Sean Salter (Claremont) – 90 ● 2017 – Michael Cassidy (Lindisfarne) – 72 ● 2018 – Michael Cassidy (Lindisfarne) – 77 ● 2019 – Marcus Parker (New Norfolk) – 85 ● 2020 – Josh Fox (Cygnet) – 61 ● 2021 – Cambell Hooker (Dodges Ferry) – 81 ● 2022 – Josh Green (Lindisfarne) – 97 ● 2023 – Josh Green (Lindisfarne) – 86 ● 2024 – Ed Stanley (Lindisfarne) – 104 ● 2002 – Robbie Devine (North Hobart) – 65 ● 2003 – Matthew Smith (New Norfolk) – 67 ● 2004 – Sean Salter (Glenorchy) – 71 ● 2005 – Sean Salter (New Norfolk) – 76 ● 2006 – Michael Darcy (Kingborough) – 94 ● 2007 – Mitchell Williamson (Clarence) – 58 ● 2008 – Robbie Devine (North Hobart) – 82 ● 2002 – Daniel Walter (Cygnet) – 88 ● 2003 – Michael Darcy (Cygnet) – 122 ● 2004 – Michael Darcy (Cygnet) – 117 ● 2005 – Michael Darcy (Cygnet) – 108 ● 2006 – Sam Bowering (Sorell) – 86 ● 2007 – Michael Darcy (Cygnet) – 103 ● 2008 – Chris Joyce (Huonville Lions) – 136 (Best Player in the SFL Premier League Grand Final 2002-2008) ● 2002 – Nick Davey (Clarence) ● 2003 – Robbie Devine (North Hobart) ● 2004 – Tim Geappen (Clarence) ● 2005 – Michael Thompson (New Norfolk) ● 2006 – Jeremy Sharpen (Clarence) ● 2007 – Brad Curran (Glenorchy) ● 2008 – Damian McIver (Glenorchy) (Best Player in the SFL Regional League Grand Final 2002-2008) ● 2002 – Gordon Shaw (Cygnet) ● 2003 – Heath Dillon (Cygnet) ● 2004 – Grant Clark (Cygnet) ● 2005 – David Reynolds (Kermandie) ● 2006 – Jamie Curran (Dodges Ferry) ● 2007 – Anthony Baker (Kermandie) ● 2008 – Darren Garth (Huonville Lions) (Best Player in SFL Grand Final 2009–present; Amalgamation of previous Gorringe and Martyn Medals) ● 2009 – Sam Hall (New Norfolk) ● 2010 – Matthew Smith (New Norfolk) ● 2011 – Grant King (Kingborough) ● 2012 – Brad Carver (New Norfolk) ● 2013 – Nathan Ross (New Norfolk) ● 2014 – Nathan Ross (New Norfolk) ● 2015 – Nathan Matthews (Claremont) ● 2016 – Braden Barwick (Claremont) ● 2017 – Jason Laycock (New Norfolk) ● 2018 – Michael Cassidy (Lindisfarne) ● 2019 – Brad Tennick (Lindisfarne) ● 2020 – Rhys Ward (Huonville Lions) ● 2021 – Thor Boscott (Cygnet) ● 2022 – Matthew Phillips (Lindisfarne) ● 2023 – Thor Boscott (Cygnet) ● 2024 – Luke Ashlin (Cygnet) ● 1996 – Jason Gulliver (Claremont) ● 1997 – Tim Blanden (Lindisfarne) ● 1998 – Andrew Beveridge (Channel) ● 1999 – Jason Philp (Huonville Lions) ● 2000 – Brendan Browning (Brighton) ● 2001 – Damien Dillon (Cygnet) - Awarded a William Leitch Medal (Retrospective) ● 2002 – Brad Marsland (Lauderdale) ● 2003 – Danny Noonan (Dodges Ferry) ● 2004 – Jeremy Brereton (Cygnet) ● 2005 – Craig McLeod (Dodges Ferry) & Michael Gowans (Channel) ● 2006 – Nick Doyle (Huonville Lions) ● 2007 – Andrew Nash (Kermandie) ● 2008 – Jamie Curran (Dodges Ferry) ● 2002 – Matthew Jones (New Norfolk) - Awarded a William Leitch Medal (Retrospective) ● 2003 – Brendon Bolton (North Hobart) - Awarded a William Leitch Medal (Retrospective) ● 2004 – Brock Ackerley (New Norfolk) & Roger Belcher (New Norfolk) ● 2005 – David Newett (Glenorchy) ● 2006 – Jesse Crouch (Glenorchy) ● 2007 – Brad Carver (New Norfolk) ● 2008 – Shane Piuselli (Glenorchy) ● 2009 – Roger Belcher (New Norfolk) ● 2010 – James Lange (Huonville Lions) ● 2011 – Nathan Ross (New Norfolk) ● 2012 – Michael Thompson (New Norfolk) ● 2013 – Nathan Ross (New Norfolk) ● 2014 – Caden Wilson (New Norfolk) ● 2015 – Nathan Brown (Claremont) ● 2016 – Troy Cunliffe (Lindisfarne) ● 2017 – Troy Cunliffe (Lindisfarne) ● 2018 – Jarrod Lawler (Huonville Lions) ● 2019 – Mitchell Walker (Claremont) ● 2020 – Ethan Brock (Huonville Lions) ● 2021 – Thor Boscott (Cygnet) ● 2022 – Joshua Green (Lindisfarne) ● 2023 – Darcy Gardner (Brighton) & Sheldon Smith (Lindisfarne) ● 2024 – Sheldon Smith (Lindisfarne) ● 396 – Channel 60.36 (396) d Lachlan 1.0 (6) – Snug Park (29 July 1996) ● 362 – Huonville Lions 57.20 (362) d Triabunna 0.3 (3) – Huonville (24 July 2010) ● 349 – Huonville Lions 54.25 (349) d Claremont 0.0 (0) – Huonville (13 April 2024) ● 341 – Huonville Lions 52.29 (341) d Claremont 0.0 (0) – Huonville (31 July 2021) ● 329 – Cygnet 52.17 (329) d Claremont 0.0 (0) – Abbotsfield Park (29 May 2021) ● 311 – Channel 48.23 (311) d Sorell 4.5 (29) – Snug Park (15 June 1996) ● 311 – Huonville Lions 47.29 (311) d Triabunna 4.4 (28) – Huonville (30 June 2007) ● 303 – Cygnet 46.27 (303) d Claremont 0.0 (0) – Cygnet (14 August 2021) ● 293 – Cygnet 43.35 (293) d Claremont 2.2 (14) – Snug Park (6 July 2024) ● 293 – Brighton 45.23 (293) d Sorell 4.3 (27) – Pontville (29 March 1996) ● 291 – Cygnet 44.27 (291) d Claremont 2.1 (13) – Abbotsfield Park (27 April 2024) ● 289 – Brighton 43.31 (289) d Claremont 1.0 (6) – Pontville (7 August 2021) ● 279 – Brighton 43.21 (279) d Claremont 0.2 (2) – Pontville (27 July 2024) ● 277 – Lindisfarne 42.25 (277) d Channel 2.7 (19) – Anzac Park (12 July 2008) ● 276 – Claremont 43.18 (276) d Huonville Lions 2.1 (13) – Abbotsfield Park (2 August 2014) ● 276 – New Norfolk 40.36 (276) d Triabunna 4.5 (29) – Triabunna (5 June 2010) ● 270 – Kermandie 42.18 (270) d Triabunna 7.4 (46) – Kermandie (16 June 2007) ● 0 - Claremont 0.0 (0) v Huonville Lions 54.25 (349) – Huonville (13 April 2024) ● 0 – Claremont 0.0 (0) v Cygnet 46.27 (303) – Cygnet (14 August 2021) ● 0 – Claremont 0.0 (0) v Cygnet 52.17 (329) – Abbotsfield Park (29 May 2021) ● 0 – Claremont 0.0 (0) v Huonville Lions 52.29 (341) – Huonville (31 July 2021) ● 1 – Hobart 0.1 (1) v Cygnet 35.20 (230) – Cygnet (1 June 2024) ● 1 – Claremont 0.1 (1) v New Norfolk 39.27 (261) – Boyer Oval (2 April 2021) ● 1 – Claremont 0.1 (1) v Cygnet 40.19 (259) – Kermandie Oval (5 August 2023) ● 2 – Claremont 0.2 (2) v Brighton 43.21 (279) – Pontville (27 July 2024) ● 2 – Hobart 0.2 (2) v Sorell 25.23 (173) – Pembroke Park (13 July 2024) ● 2 – Claremont 0.2 (2) v Sorell 23.25 (163) – Pembroke Park (15 June 2024) ● 2 – Claremont 0.2 (2) v Sorell 24.30 (174) – Abbotsfield Park (3 July 2021)