| Competition: | safa |
| Year: | 1901 |
| Teams: | 7 |
| Count: | 12 |
| Mpcount: | 3 |
| Matches: | 64 |
| Highattend: | 7,000 (Grand Final, vs.) |
| Top Goal Scorer: | William Miller (44 Goals) |
| Magarey Medal: | Phil Sandland |
| Prevseason: | 1900 |
| Nextseason: | 1902 |
The 1901 South Australian Football Association season was the 25th season of the top-level Australian rules football competition in South Australia. Minor premier won its 12th premiership. The season marked the formation and debut of the new Sturt Football Club.
The season was played under conventions similar to, but was amended from, the previous two seasons and the system used in the VFL in 1898–1900.
In the minor round, all seven clubs played a double round-robin of twelve matches, and in the major round, all seven clubs played a single round-robin of six matches.
If the minor premiers won the major round, then that team would automatically win the major premiership. If they did not, then the major round winner would be required to defeat the minor premiers in two separate challenge finals to claim the premiership, effectively giving the minor premiers a triple chance to win the premiership.
The minor premier was Norwood, which finished two games clear on top of the ladder with a 10–2 record; however, the club's major round performance was mediocre, finishing fourth with a record of 3–3. Conversely, Port Adelaide, who had finished fourth in the minor rounds with a 6–6 record, was the undefeated winner of the major round.
Norwood then defeated Port Adelaide by four points in the first challenge match to win the club's twelfth premiership.
Final competition placings were based on the combined major and minor round results. As such, Sturt – which was second-last in both the major and minor rounds – was finished in last place overall and is recognised as wooden spooner in its inaugural season.