Congratulations to our own Devil Lily Smart who has made the AFLW State Draft Combine for 2025 
On top of all her other achievements, this is another feather in the cap for Lily 
Give ’em Hell mate 
LINK FOR FURTHER INFO HERE
It is with great sadness that we advise of the passing of Mt Lofty Sports Club Life Governor, and long-time player, volunteer and supporter of both the Stirling and Mt Lofty Football Clubs, Lynton Laffey.
A staunch supporter, with his wife Margaret, who attended all Mt Lofty matches until ill health prevented this several years ago, Lynton remained fully across the club’s progress until his passing on Thursday 31 July 2025.
Following in the footsteps of his father, who was a champion goal kicking forward for Stirling, Lynton played his football for the heritage club, being a member of the 1963 Senior Colts Premiership side and later becoming a very strong and passionate volunteer on the formation of the Mt Lofty Football Club. Such was his dedication that he and Margaret became Life Governors of the then Mt Lofty Sports Club which was fundamental to the construction of the Licensed Club building, now referred to as the Pavilion.
Lynton’s passion for Mt Lofty saw him provide much voluntary work for the club in the background and his support grew even further when his son Chris proudly wore the red and white as a junior and senior player, being a member of the 1998 Senior Colts Premiership. The family’s conviction to Mt Lofty has certainly been very strong through Lynton, Margaret, Chris and Lynton’s sister Helen Hewitt and a family connection with Grandson, Charlie Ness still playing in the U14’s with Mt Lofty.
Lynton’s Funeral service will be held in the Carr Memorial Chapel, 1 Morphett St, Mt Barker on Thursday 7th August 2025, at 10.00am.
The Lofty Legends Group and the Mt Lofty District Football Club pass on our sincere condolences at this very sad time to Margaret, Kerryn, Chris and their families and the extended family.
What a day we just witnessed! Tough, fit, honour, humble. Brad Burch!
He just played 350 Senior Club matches for the Mt Lofty Districts Football Club (the first and only MLDFC player to achieve 300 A Grade Games) on top of this he has played A Grade matches for Tea Tree Gully (we cannot track matches) and Sturt Football Club Reserves (we cannot track matches) What a performance Burchy put on for us too.. As always! His football knowledge, calm demeanour, and mentoring attributes are astronautical. .
Respected by all in our club, Bradley is the most understated, humble and gentle human at Mt Lofty. We could not be more honoured to call him a Mt Lofty Devil. Shown by his refusal to be chaired off for match 350, or any socials posts (sorry – not sorry – Bradley!)
When Mt Lofty people think of Brad, they immediately search for the right words to describe the amazing achievements of an exceptional player who seems to be almost indestructible. A hard running mid fielder, who is one of the toughest inside players in the HFL and who has also taken some incredible marks in his time, Brad has worked extremely hard throughout his career and this was obvious when he first pulled on the red and white in 2000.
Interestingly, it was not one of the club’s recruiters who was responsible for Brad joining the Devils, but in his words “….I met a lovely young lady who persuaded me to play with her brothers….” “(She is now my wife!)”. That “lovely young lady” was Jenny, at the time Stapleton, and is not only Brad’s wife, but also mother of their 4 beautiful children.
Club and HFL achievements are amazing –
Brad’s early football days saw him playing for several different clubs, largely the result of family moves. Beginning at 7 years of age on the Eyre Peninsula at Wudinna, Brad went on to play for Mundulla, Bordertown, Hope Valley, Norwood Under 17’s Under 19’s and Reserves and Tea Tree Gully in 1999. Again, achievements during these years were impressive:
Playing at Norwood, saw Brad play at Under 17, Under 19 and Reserves between 1994 and 1995 and achieving success as shown above. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious facial injury in a training accident where he fractured his eye socket and sustained a depressed cheekbone.
It is incredible to think that, in 2025, Brad is still playing in the HFL, 25 years after his start in 2000 with Mt Lofty’s Devils. During the 2004 season he was recruited by Sturt and went on to be the runner up in the club’s Reserves B&F after playing only part of the season. In 2005, after being BOG in multiple Reserves matches, Brad was not able to break into the League side and sadly received a serious break to his jaw in 2 places. Club icon, the late Frank Clements, was in constant contact with Brad during his time at Sturt and finally convinced him to return to Mt Lofty in 2006.
His resumption was timely for the club and for Brad himself, as after returning to finals football in 2005, the A Grade went on to win three Premierships in a row in 2006, 2007, and 2008. As mentioned earlier, he won the Alec Parker Medal in the 2006 & 2008 Premiership as Best on Ground, but he missed the Grand Final in 2007, playing only 10 games due to a career move. Brad joined the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service and was undertaking training which incorporated a large amount of practical work and could not afford to risk injury, therefore standing out of games in the latter half of the year and the finals series.
A second Division 1 Premiership for Brad followed in 2008 and in the same year he undertook coaching while still playing. He and team mate Rob O’Gorman coached the Senior Colts in 2008 and 2009 proving to be a very capable and popular combination.
A third Premiership came for Brad in 2014 in Country Division where the club played for just one season, winning Premierships in 4 grades. Success at A Grade level since returning to Division 1 has proven difficult, but Brad is encouraged by the development occurring at the moment with Club Coach Michael Bawden leading the Senior Squad with 14 players from the 2019 and 2020 Under 18 Premiership sides, 12 of whom have had experience in the A Grade side.
Still dedicated to performing at his best, Brad, has always paid a lot of attention to fitness and sets a great example to the young inexperienced players, guiding them from his position, now in the defensive six. In terms of fitness, at one stage he would run up to 5 kilometres in preparation for each match. Most players could not imagine such a pre-game preparation, but this did change somewhat on the arrival of Jen and Brad’s children. The Burch family now has four children with Jaida, Xavier, Zara, and Conor.
With Xaviar playing in the Under 16 boys and also for Sturt, Zara playing in the Under 12 girls and also in U14 Girls, and Conor playing in U10, the future looks very bright for the club, particularly with cousins and sons of Damian, Michael and Matthew Stapleton also very likely to be Mt Lofty players. (Jaida and Zara also play netball for Heathfield.) It is possible that the Burch and Stapleton dynasty could number up to 9 players in the future. Along the way, Dad or Uncle Brad, is very likely to be involved in coaching some of the children as he is very interested in resuming as a coach on retirement.
Over the year’s Brad has played with many wonderful Mt Lofty players registering now 300 A Grade games. Former Club Champions Leith Dawes (256 A Grade games for a total of 289 Senior matches) and Bruce Dawes (228 A Grade games for a total of 362 Senior matches) and is still playing along the likes of Premiership team mates, Club Champions, Mark Nielsen (233 A Grade games for a total of 241 Senior matches) and Alex Weeks (258 A Grade Games for a total of 285 Senior Games)
The first Mt Lofty player to achieve 300 A Grade matches sitting at 350 Senior matches that is very quickly closing down on the all time Senior games club record holder at 362 of Bruce Dawes, looks to be slowing down no time soon!
Respected by all in our club, Bradley is the most understated, humble and gentle human at Mt Lofty. We could not be more honoured to call him a Mt Lofty Devil.
On behalf of all Mt Lofty people, we congratulate and salute you Brad.
Keep on giving ’em Hell mate 🔥
We would like to thank David Evans, who is did us the honour of tossing the commemorative Life Member coin for match against Blackwood on Saturday 26 July 2025, joined by Sons Luke and Todd.
David “Taffy” Evans was made a Mt Lofty District Football Club Life Member in 1992. His two sons and grandchildren call him “FOSL”. Affectionally, David thinks that maybe they are correct!
Way back when the oval was just scrub and some trees, there was one of many community working bees. The rocky base needed to be blasted out using explosives called gelignite. This was then levelled with large machines before the topsoil was added. As a young Heathfield Primary School lad, David remembers vividly that he and Kevin Hampton joined many rows of people lining up with garden rakes and wheelbarrows to clear the rock heaps. There was no council help at all, just the community getting it done.
David played Junior footy for Heathfield Aldgate United, colts footy and filled in with the B2 grade when his dad coached, before moving more permanently to the Bs and As.
Premierships with Heathfield Aldgate United totalled 6 and for Mt Lofty he played in the first 1981 SAFA A grade match which became Mt Lofty’s first A Grade Premiership, as well as the 1986 A grade and 1988 A2 Premiership’s. David also played League and Reserve years at Sturt as player number 797 and was lucky enough to be part of a Grand Final winning team.
He was involved in Auskick coaching and training, helped coach Mt Lofty Bs and was the main bar and security bloke in the club run Casper Discos. Today he is still doing things such as Chairman of the Sports Club and he says he remains a very proud life member of this great club.
Davids playing accolades include:
4 A Grade Premierships, 3 Other Senior Premierships, 2 Junior Premierships:
Thank you sincerely on behalf of everybody at Mt Lofty for all that you do for our club.
Thanks to our incredible player sponsors for their generosity in supporting our senior players.
Make sure you get around them!!
Here are some of them:
Guttsa Gutter Liner
Ashford Group
CM Constructions
Toms Town and Country Garden Maintenance
Harris Real Estate
#devssupportingdevs #devssponsor2025
