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]
Kensington and Adelaide merged to create a full squad but resigned from the competition after 4 games.[1]
Norwood's match against Adelaide-Kensington shows in the published tables as a Win for Norwood due to Adelaide-Kensington withdrawal from the Competition during the week. Norwood played against a 25 team from Royal Park.
The Victorian v Port Adelaide match was abandoned due to a crowd invasion and declared a draw. A disputed goal (due to the goal umpire not at his post) 20 minutes before time caused both teams to withdraw from the ground.
South Adelaide played South Park three times for a 1-1-1 record; South Adelaide were ranked above South Park on a superior head-to-head record against Norwood (0-2-1 to 0-3).
Adelaide/Kensington withdrew from the competition after Round 4; all published ladders record their Round 5 match against Norwood as a win for Norwood on forfeit.
^ abc"FOOTBALL". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 9 May 1881. p. 1 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^"FOOTBALL". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 9 May 1881. p. 7. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^ abc"FOOTBALL". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 16 May 1881. p. 6. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^ ab"FOOTBALL". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 23 May 1881. p. 1 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^"Football". South Australian Weekly Chronicle. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 28 May 1881. p. 16. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^ ab"FOOTBALL". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 30 May 1881. p. 7. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^"FOOTBALL". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 31 May 1881. p. 2 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^ ab"FOOTBALL". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 27 June 1881. p. 7. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^ ab"FOOTBALL". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 4 July 1881. p. 6. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^"FOOTBALL". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 11 July 1881. p. 7. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^ ab"FOOTBALL". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 12 July 1881. p. 2 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^ ab"FOOTBALL". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 18 July 1881. p. 2 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^ ab"[No heading]". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 25 July 1881. p. 6. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^ ab"FOOTBALL". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 1 August 1881. p. 1 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^"FOOTBALL". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 11 August 1881. p. 7. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^"FOOTBALL". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 26 September 1881. p. 6. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^"FOOTBALL". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 3 October 1881. p. 7. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^"FOOTBALL". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 4 October 1881. p. 3 Supplement: Supplement to the South Australian Register. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^"Intercolonial Football Match". South Australian Register. Adelaide, SA. 25 August 1881. p. 6.
^"Intercolonial Football Match". South Australian Register (Supplement). Adelaide, SA. 29 August 1881. p. 1.
^"FOOTBALL". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 26 September 1881. p. 1 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER. Retrieved 16 January 2015.