We would like to thank Lew Malzard who did us the honour of tossing the commemorative Life Member coin for the match against Lobethal on Saturday 11 April 2026. Lew was joined by his son Jonathan and grandson Lucas.
Lew was a passionate player, member and supporter playing in many premierships over a long period of time. He spent some time at Sturt Football Club but his first love was always Heathfield FC.
Living in Eden hills he commuted to Heathfield by train each week to train and play on the rough oval in the middle of the skyline raceway where Heathfield High School stands today. Lew regularly stayed overnight with the Strazdins family and very close friendships were formed, spending hours on Sunday mornings clearing rocks and debris to create the oval we play on today.
The formation of the Heathfield Aldgate United Football Club saw the team enter the Hills Central Zone in 1967. Unfortunately, Lew missed this premiership as he was in hospital recovering from a car accident. But before long, the hospital room door burst open, with teammates raising the Premiership cup high with many cheers!
Lew played in the 1961 Under 16 premiership for Heathfield, followed by the 1962 first senior premiership in the Sturt District Football League. In 1971, with Coach Warren “Sherg” Foster at the helm, then began the dynasty of a long period of success with 88 games without a loss. Lew also played in the last B grade Premiership with Heathfield Aldgate United in 1978 before the club amalgamated with Stirling in 1979 to become the Mt Lofty District Football Club. He was a staunch club committee member and along with his wife Elizabeth, a foundation member of the sports club.
Lew was proudly awarded Life Membership prior to Mt Lofty entering SAFA, and eventually retired and took up umpiring. Unfortunately, an achilles injury ended his field umpiring career, however after moving to the Fleurieu Peninsula, Lew took up Goal Umpiring at A grade level in the Great Southern Football League with his now local Club Encounter Bay.
Lew is proud of his association with this club and it has been a pleasure to connect with so many over a lifetime. He wishes everyone associated with Hills Football an enjoyable 2026 and his hope to see Mt Lofty get the win on the day came to fruition against the 2025 runner up!
On behalf of everybody at Mt MLDFC, we thank you sincerely for all you have done for the club.
Lew doing us the honour of performing the Life Member Coin Toss. Mt Lofty won the Toss, Mt Lofty Captain Tyson Hone elected to kick uphill first and we won the match.L-R Son Jonathan, Lew Malzard, Grandson LucasL-R President Greg Bond, Lew Malzard, A Grade Coach Michael Bawden, Lofty Legends Convenor and Head Trainer Nikki Moore
“At Mt Lofty we’re building a respectful, positive football environment for everyone.”
Mt Lofty Football Club would like to remind all players, coaches, officials and supporters of the SANFL Behaviour Management System (BMS).
This system is in place across all SANFL-affiliated competitions to promote a safe, respectful and positive environment for everyone involved in our game.
Under the BMS, behaviour at matches is monitored and recorded, with points allocated for any breaches. It is important to understand that this applies to all participants — including players, coaches, team officials and spectators — and that poor behaviour can result in penalties for both individuals and the club.
At Mt Lofty, we pride ourselves on being a strong, community-focused club, and we expect all members and supporters to uphold the values of respect, sportsmanship and accountability. In particular, respect for umpires and opposition is non-negotiable.
We ask everyone to play their part in creating a positive game day environment and setting the right example for our junior players.
“Your behaviour reflects on the club — all grades PLUS the club can be penalised.”
See below for the HFL sanctions for any breaches and new rules as of 2026.
As we head into the upcoming junior season, we’d like to take the opportunity to remind all players, parents, and coaches of the SANFL Junior Fair Play approach.
The focus of junior football is to provide a fun, safe and inclusive environment where all players can develop their skills and enjoy the game. While competition remains an important part of football, the priority at junior level is participation, learning and enjoyment.
Under the Fair Play guidelines, games may be actively managed to ensure they remain competitive and enjoyable for all participants. This may include adjustments such as rotating players, balancing teams, or other measures where required.
Coaches and officials are expected to support and implement these principles at all times. We also ask parents and spectators to support the spirit of Fair Play by encouraging all players, respecting umpires, and focusing on effort and improvement rather than results.
These guidelines are set by the SANFL and apply across all affiliated junior competitions. Our club is committed to upholding these standards and providing a positive experience for every player.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the club.
Welcome to the 2026 football season with the Mt Lofty Devils!
We are looking forward to having you all as part of the candy stripe family. The best news for the upcoming season… Subs remain static for a SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, despite CPI and increases in club costs!
Please remember when registering that volunteers are the only way our club operates, so if you are a parent, or have a family member that can participate, please reach out!
All South Australian children in Reception to Year 9 are eligible for up to two (2) SA Government $100 Sports Vouchers This means children aged 5 (or becoming 5 in the calendar year) to 15 years old are eligible. In 2026, eligible children will have a birth year from 2011 to 2021.
* To claim the SA Government Sports Voucher, select the Government Vouchers dropdown at the final checkout for ‘Sports Vouchers (SA)’ fill out the required information and click ‘APPLY’. The $100 or $200 will then be removed from the final total. If the discount doesn’t applybefore checking out, DO NOT complete your purchase, please contact registration@mtloftydevils.com.au for further information.
Auskick is for all children aged 5-12 and our program is mixed gender HFL Moddies program is mixed gender with teams in U8, U9, U10, U11 & U12 SANFL Girls U12 & U14 HFLW Female U17 & Seniors HFL Male U14, U16, U18 and Seniors A, B & C Grade
If you have registered for Moddies before Friday 7 February 2026 you will receive a free Mt Lofty water bottle.
