The Canaries ran out winners over the Trowutta City Bulldogs by 22 points, in the process earning a spot in Australian football history for the most premierships.

Until Saturday's grand final, the record of 36 premierships was held by Port Adelaide, which won 34 SANFL flags before joining the AFL in 1997.

The club was reformed in the SANFL later as the Port Adelaide Magpies, winning two more South Australian titles.

The record by the Canaries is a remarkable achievement in its own right, but even more amazing, considering the club almost folded four years ago.

Faced with a player shortage and a number of under 17 players having to double up in the seniors, only to be on the receiving end of substantial floggings every week, things looked grim for the proud club.

But its members refused to let the club die and a steady team rebuilding over the past four years paid dividends with a flag on Saturday.

The future of the club now looks much brighter too, as its under 17 team also won its grand final on Saturday, beating Scotchtown by five points in a thriller.

The club is also the only remaining CHFA club which hasn't been formed by the amalgamation of one or more other clubs.

According to club historian Jill Kay, who wrote a book on the club's history called Irish Eyes, the club was founded in 1896 and was originally known as the Irelanders or the Dubliners, from the O'Halloran family, who originally settled the district.

It was not until the 1950s the club became known as the Canaries and adopted the green and gold colours.

Of the club's 37 premierships, the first came in 1906 and was followed by the next nine in a row, until World War 1 forced the CHFA into recess.

When the association reformed in 1918, Irishtown was not allowed to participate, because it was alleged its registration was received too late, in what was most likely a conspiracy.

But the Irelanders had their revenge the following year and won the 1919 flag and then the next five in a row up until 1924 and then again in 1926, 1927, and 1928.

"You could really say the club's golden era was from 1906 to 1928," Kay said.

The Canaries' last premiership, before Saturday, was back in 1996, ironically in its centenary year.

"It's taken us 12 years to get the (Australian) record, but we're all thrilled about it," Kay said.