1.
Victorian Football League
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The Victorian Football League is the major state-level Australian rules football league in Victoria. The league evolved from the former Victorian Football Association, and has been known by its current name since 1996. The VFA was formed in 1877 and is the second-oldest Australian rules football league, initially serving a primarily administrative function, the VFA premiership served as the top level of club competition in Victoria until 1896. The VFA became the level of club competition from 1897 after its eight strongest clubs seceded to form the VFL. From 1897 until 1995, the VFA remained independent from the VFL as Victorias secondary senior club competition and it presently comprises 14 teams from throughout Victoria, eight of which have a continuous VFA heritage. The Victorian Football Association was founded on 17 May 1877 at the meeting of club secretaries immediately preceding the 1877 season. Decisions were made based on a vote of the Board of Management, the five foundation senior clubs in the Melbourne metropolitan area were Albert-park, Carlton, Hotham, Melbourne and St Kilda. There was no system of promotion and relegation between the senior and junior levels, with it largely at a clubs discretion whether or not it joined the Association as a paying senior member. The affiliation fee for senior clubs was initially set at one guinea, through the first decade of the VFAs existence, the structure of the football season did not change significantly from the informal system which had evolved over previous years. Premierships won under this method are now considered official. Three Ballarat-based clubs – Ballarat, Ballarat Imperial and South Ballarat – were also voting members of the VFA through this time, the two new competitions competed in parallel from their respective 1897 seasons. Because the VFA was independent from the VFL, the VFA had the power to set its own rules, the VFA reduced the number of on-field players from twenty to eighteen in 1897, a move followed by the VFL two years later. The VFA tried reducing the number of players further to 17 in 1908, then to 16 in 1912, the VFA went into recess during World War I, with the 1916 and 1917 seasons cancelled and the 1915 and 1918 seasons shortened. Over first thirty years of the VFAs independence, its relationship with the VFL was, in general, the loss of the VFAs strongest three clubs to the VFL in 1925 firmly cemented the VFA as the second tier competition in the state. Between 1925 and 1929, the addition of outer suburban clubs in Coburg, Camberwell, the relationship with the VFL improved, and a new permit reciprocity agreement was established in 1931. In 1938, the VFA made a rule change by legalising throwing of the football in general play. The change helped to speed up the game, and introduced more run-and-carry play in an era which had previously dominated by a long-kicking style. Additionally, the VFA ended its agreement with the VFL
2.
Australian rules football
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The main way to score points is by kicking the oval-shaped ball between the two tall goal posts. The team with the score by the end of the match wins unless a draw is declared. During general play, players may position themselves anywhere on the field, the primary methods are kicking, handballing and running with the ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled, for example, throwing the ball is not allowed and players must not get caught holding the ball. A distinctive feature of the game is the mark, where players anywhere on the field who catch a ball from a kick are awarded possession, possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a free kick or mark is paid. Players can tackle using their hands or use their body to obstruct opponents. The game features frequent physical contests, spectacular marking, fast movement of players and the ball and high scoring. The sports origins can be traced to matches played in Melbourne, Victoria in 1858. Its annual Grand Final is the highest attended club championship event in the world, the sport is also played at amateur level in many countries and in several variations. The games rules are governed by the AFL Commission with the advice of the AFLs Laws of the Game Committee, there is evidence of football being played sporadically in the Australian colonies in the first half of the 19th century. The earliest such match, held in St Kilda on 15 June, was between Melbourne Grammar and St Kilda Grammar. Born in Australia, Wills played a nascent form of rugby football whilst a pupil at Rugby School in England and his letter is regarded by many historians as giving impetus for the development of a new code of football today known as Australian football. Two weeks later, Wills friend, cricketer Jerry Bryant, posted an advertisement for a match at the Richmond Paddock adjoining the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This was the first of several kickabouts held that year involving members of the Melbourne Cricket Club, including Wills, Bryant, W. J. Hammersley, trees were used as goalposts and play typically lasted an entire afternoon. Without an agreed code of laws, some players were guided by rules they had learned in the British Isles. Another significant milestone in 1858 was a match played under experimental rules between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College, held at the Richmond Paddock. This 40-a-side contest, umpired by Wills and Scotch College teacher John Macadam, began on 7 August and it is commemorated with a statue outside the MCG, and the two schools have competed annually ever since in the Cordner-Eggleston Cup, the worlds oldest continuous football competition. Since the early 20th century, it has suggested that Australian football was derived from the Irish sport of Gaelic football
3.
Western Bulldogs
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The Western Bulldogs is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League, the sports premier competition. The club has won two VFL/AFL premierships, in 1954 and 2016, and was runner up in 1961, the Western Bulldogs home guernsey features two thick horizontal hoops—one red and one white—on a royal blue background. The clubs traditional rivals include St Kilda and geographical rival Essendon, the clubs headquarters and training facilities are located in Footscray at Whitten Oval, nicknamed The Kennel, its original home ground. In 1996, the changed its name from the Footscray Football Club to its nickname. Newspapers record Australian rules football being played in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray in the mid-1870s, in 1880, the club changed its name to the Prince Imperials in honour of Napoléon, Prince Imperial, the heir to French throne, who had recently died in battle. The club reverted to Footscray a few years later, in 1886, Footscray gained admission to the Victorian Football Association after amalgamating with the Footscray Cricket Club to form a senior football club. The club tended to struggle over the decade, occupying the lower rungs of the VFA ladder. The club began to improve after the VFL breakaway of 1896, as no finals were played, Footscray were declared premiers. The club played in and won its first finals match in 1903, against Richmond, the minor premiers, after losing to West Melbourne in the 1906 VFA Grand Final, the club won its first premiership by defeating Brunswick in 1908. The club entered two years of recess during World War I and returned in 1918, still rebuilding, the club won the wooden spoon. From bottom to top in one year,1919 saw the win the premiership. The club went back-to-back in 1923 and 1924, the 1924 premiership would be Footscrays last in the VFA. Footscray recorded a victory, winning by 28 points. The win was a significant factor in Footscray gaining admission to the VFL. In 1919, there were nine clubs competing in the VFL, due to the return of all the foundation teams plus Richmond after World War I and this caused one team to be idle every Saturday and the VFL was keen to do away with this bye each week. On the night of 9 January 1925, a meeting of the VFL, chaired by Reg Hunt of Carlton. It was decided in the meeting to admit Footscray, along two other VFA clubs, Hawthorn and North Melbourne. Footscray played their first VFL match against Fitzroy on Saturday 2 May at the Brunswick Street Oval in front of 28,000 spectators, future Brownlow medallist Allan Hopkins was regarded as Footscrays best player that day
4.
Richmond Football Club
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The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. The club has won ten premierships since joining the competition in 1908, the club is currently ranked sixth in the competition for premierships won. Prior to 1965 the club played games at Punt Road Oval. Based in a traditionally working-class area, Richmond has long-standing rivalries with cross-town Melbourne-based clubs, Collingwood, the club has been home to four AFL Hall of Fame Legends, Ian Stewart, Kevin Bartlett, Royce Hart and Jack Dyer. A team of playing as Richmond is mentioned by the newspapers in the first years of Australian football. Tom Wills, one of the founders, was the clubs inaugural secretary and captain. This loosely organised group has no continuity to the present club, a number of teams formed in the Richmond area during the games rapid expansion of the 1870s and early 1880s. However, all played at a level and it was considered an anomaly that Richmond, one of Melbournes biggest locales. The wait ended when the Richmond Football Club was officially formed at the Royal Hotel in Richmond on 20 February 1885, a successful application for immediate admission to the Victorian Football Association followed. The club shared the Punt Road Oval with the Richmond Cricket Club, at first the team wore a blue uniform. One of the most important features of a nineteenth-century footballers uniform was his headgear, and Richmond opted for yellow and black striped caps, after a couple of years, yellow and black stripes replaced blue as the colours of the teams guernseys. The team was called the Richmondites, the Wasps or, most commonly. During the late 1880s, the VFA expanded rapidly, a booming economy and large numbers of immigrants made Melbourne the largest city in the Australian colonies. The city was mad with football and many tried to get admission to the VFA. Richmond struggled to make an impression and after a promising season in 1888. As the local economy slipped into depression in the early 1890s and the crowds began to dwindle. Richmond were not considered part of elite group, who usually voted together as a block at VFA meetings. A lack of commitment and focused effort was holding the Tigers back, in 1896, Richmond walked off the field in a match with South Melbourne at half time when they were a long way behind on a very wet day to protest the umpiring. Later in the season, the Tigers had their score annulled against Essendon when it was discovered that they had too many men on the ground, in the closing three weeks of the season, Richmonds gate takings amounted to just five pounds
5.
North Melbourne Football Club
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It is based at the Arden Street Oval in the inner Melbourne suburb of North Melbourne, Victoria, but plays its home matches at the nearby Docklands Stadium. The clubs mascot is a kangaroo, and its use dates from the middle of the 20th century. The club is also known as The Shinboners, a term which dates back to its 19th-century abattoir-worker origins. The clubs motto is Victoria amat curam, Latin for Victory Demands Dedication, in two aspects North Melbourne stands second to none. One is the loyalty of its supporters, the other is the determination to carry on, despite its disadvantages. In the face of adversity, which might well have broken the spirit of most men, North Melbourne Football Club originated in the year 1869, when a football team was formed for local cricketers desiring to keep fit over the winter months. Information on the clubs first ever match is limited, but it is known that it took place in Royal Park, the ball used in the match was purchased by a local resident called Tom Jacks, who sold some roofing iron to pay for it. James Henry Gardiner is considered the founder of the club and he continued an active role with North Melbourne until his death in 1921. Regular premiership matches of Australian Football commenced in Victoria in 1870, Although North Melbourne was a part of this, it was classed as a junior club. The Australasian noted them as being one of the best of junior clubs. The club continued to develop, graduating to senior ranks in 1874 finishing 4th, along with the promotion, the club adopted its first uniform of blue and white horizontal stripes. In 1877, the club was re-established as a club under the new name of Hotham. Football took a giant step forward in 1877, with the formation of Victorias first colonial football league, Hotham were prime movers in establishing this league and were afforded a place in light of their previous contributions to Australian Football. The 1880s marked the emergence of the identity we now associate with North today. In 1882, the club amalgamated with the Hotham Cricket Club and moved into the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve, the joint venture was aimed at affecting improvements at the Hotham Cricket Ground, which was the name of the Reserve at the time. Four years later the club adopted the uniform of blue and white vertical stripes at the insistence of the VFA. The third significant development occurred in 1888 with the returning to its original name of the North Melbourne Football Club. This followed the name of the local area reverting from Hotham to North Melbourne, the 1880s saw the club develop a penchant for inter-colonial travel with trips to Tasmania and South Australia
6.
Williamstown Football Club
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The Williamstown Football Club, nicknamed The Seagulls, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne. The club currently competes in the Victorian Football League, the Williamstown Football Club was formed in 1864, making it one of the oldest football clubs in Australia. The club was considered a junior club, before being granted senior status in 1884. Starting in 1884, the competed in the Victorian Football Association. Williamstowns original colours were black and yellow, in 1886, players wishing to play on the cricket ground ultimately established a rival senior club, the South Williamstown Football Club, which also contested the VFA for two seasons. The Williamstown and South Williamstown clubs were off-field rivals, but they never played a match against each other, in the late 1930s, Larry Floyd and Bill Dooley decided to adopt a more modern nickname, and the club became formally known as “the Seagulls”. Throughout its history, the club has also been known by the abbreviated name ‘Town. Williamstown won its first VFA premiership in 1907, and its second in 1921, Williamstown finished fourth on the ladder but, despite not having won a final since 1924 won three close finals for its third VFA premiership. The Seagulls continued their raid on the VFL, recruiting star players Ron Todd and Des Fothergill. Following the end of the era in 1950, many Association clubs began to struggle through the following decade as the prestige of the VFA declined. Under Carter, the club won three premierships in 1954,1955 and 1956, and was unbeaten in the 1957 home-and-away season before crashing in the finals to finish third. Carter was replaced as coach in 1958 by club legend Gerry Callahan, who served as captain-coach until 1959, williamstowns form slumped in the 1960s and 1970s, and it finished last in Division 1 in 1967, resulting in relegation to Division 2. It won the Division 2 premiership in 1969 under captain-coach Max Papley to return to Division 1. The club was relegated again in 1975, won the Division 2 premiership in 1976 under the coaching of Mal Allen, despite this finals success, the clubs best home-and-away finish in those six years was second, achieved only in 1989. During the middle 1990s Williamstown slipped, and at its nadir in 1995, after the clubs could not agree to terms, the VSFL decided to grant the remaining licence and the affiliation with the Jets to Williamstown, resulting in Werribees temporary expulsion from the VFL. Williamstown and Collingwood were affiliated from 2001 until 2007, during which time the club won one premiership, in 2003. Williamstown and the Western Bulldogs ended their affiliation after the 2013 season, the club was also found guilty of salary cap breaches in 2013 and their punishment was never made public. The club won the premiership in 2015, its second stand-alone season. F. A
7.
Brunswick Football Club
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Brunswick Football Club was an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association from 1897 until 1991. Based in Brunswick, Victoria, for most of their time in the Association they were known as the Magpies, in its final two seasons in the VFA, it was known as Brunswick-Broadmeadows. Brunswick Football Club was formed in 1865 and joined the VFA in the 1897 season and they struggled to be competitive in the league early on, finishing last in 1898,1899 and 1902. They won the first of their three 1st division premierships in 1909 which started an era for the club under former Essendon Football Club player Jack McKenzie. Up until 1915 they played in six series and four grand finals. After consistently making the following the end of the war they won another premiership in 1925. Their third and last first division premiership came during this period, for the remaining fifty years of its time in the Association, Brunswick was consistently a middle-of-the pack team. J. Liston Trophy winner Tony West –1986 J. J
8.
Port Melbourne Football Club
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The Port Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Borough, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne and is currently playing in the Victorian Football League. The club currently has no reserves alignment with an Australian Football League club, the Borough joined the Victorian Football Association in 1886 and has played in every season since then. In 1897, Port Melbourne was left out of the group of eight clubs which formed the breakaway VFL competition, the club, and the suburb of Port Melbourne in general, were heavily associated with wharf labourers and the union movement. During a 1928 waterfront strike in Melbourne, a wharf labourer protesting the use of labour was shot by police, as a result. The policy remained in place until the late 1950s, for most, the nickname of the Borough may seem strange, but its origins lie when the team was based in what was known as the Borough of Port Melbourne. The name stuck, even after the area was upgraded to the status of town, Port Melbourne went on to become one of the strongest clubs in the VFA, and today still attracts some of the biggest crowds to its games. Traditionally the Boroughs greatest rivals are the Williamstown Seagulls and the Sandringham Zebras, all three teams continue to play in the VFL to this day. Prior to the breakaway of the VFL from the VFA in 1897. Port Melbourne has been affiliated with the Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup team since the 1999 season and it had previously been affiliated with the Geelong Falcons, and in 1995 was part of a three-way affiliation which saw it share the Calder Cannons and Western Jets with Williamstown and Coburg. The Port Melbourne Football Clubs Guernsey is royal blue with red vertical stripes, the club song is sung to the tune of Youre a Grand Old Flag. In 2011, Port Melbourne completed a season, winning all eighteen home-and-away games. It was the first perfect season in the VFA/VFL first division since 1918, the Port Melbourne Football Club team of the century was chosen in 2003, combining all the clubs greats from across its long history. Hyde, W. Findlay, F. Johnson, V. Aanensen, S. Allender, W. Swan, S. Harkins, S. Valenti Highest Score,43.29 v the Sandringham Zebras in 1941 Lowest Score,0.2 v Prahran F
9.
Prahran Football Club
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Since 2007, the club has competed in D1 Section of the Victorian Amateur Football Association. The nickname Two Blues comes from the uniform which has been royal blue. Prahran fields Senior, Reserves, Club XVIII and junior teams, the senior team was coached in 2006 by Leigh Stafford, who resigned from the coaching role at the end of the season. In 2007 the new coach is Paul Greenham, who has played for Richmond and its sister team is the Deakin Devils – a Division 1 Victorian Womens Football League team. Kevin Sheedy – former coach of Essendon Football Club and former Richmond player, sam Kekovich – North Melbourne Premiership player and well known football identity. Don Chipp – Australian Federal politician, a former Liberal Minister in the Australian government and inaugural leader of the Australian Democrats political party. Played in the clubs 1951 VFA Premiership team, after 1887, it amalgamated with the neighbouring St Kilda Football Club, which was based less than a mile away. A new senior Prahran Football Club was established in March 1899, and joined the VFA that season, in 1999, the club merged with Southbank Amateur Football Club in 1999 and joined the Victorian Amateur Football Association under the stewardship of Herald Sun racing writer Tim Habel. It also re-established its junior arm, and, after commencing with just two teams, the club now has eight junior teams and has formed a joint Under 19 team with Caulfield Football Club. In 2010, a voint venture with Assumption College was approved and in 2011 the club changed its name to Prahran/Assumption Football Club
10.
Northern Blues
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The Northern Blues are affiliated with the Carlton Blues in the AFL, and play their home games at the Preston City Oval and Ikon Park. The club was established in 1882 as the Preston Football Club, the club participated in the VFA between 1903 and 1912, and then since 1926. After World War II, the club was known as the Bullants, the club later became the Northern Bullants. Ahead of the 2012 season, the club adopted the colours and nickname of its AFL-affiliate, the club was formed in 1882 but little is known of its first three years before the Shire of Jika Jika changed its name in September 1885 to Preston. Preston and another club, Gowerville, then merged and competed at lower levels of the Victorian Junior Football Association. Further premierships followed in 1901 and 1902, no finals being played as Preston finished the two games clear of their nearest rivals to claim the title. Despite a reasonable opening season where they won six games, the club struggled to find players, with Northcote joining the Association in 1908, pressure was applied for the two clubs to merge and the VFA forced the issue early in 1912. Preston were simply promoted before their time, by 1912, the district numbered just 4,800 people spread over 8,800 acres, of the other suburbs represented in the VFA, the next smallest was Brighton with 11,000. Prestons leading player during early VFA days was Sid Hall, a centre half-back regarded as the best high mark in the competition. Despite the lack of success, Preston managed to some fine players to League ranks in Percy Ogden, Hedley Tompkins and Bill Hendrie, Hugh James, Joe Prince, George Doull. Prestons place was taken by Melbourne City who didnt win a game in the two years before they folded, the nucleus of the Preston club returned to the First-Rate Division of the Victorian Junior Football Association. Ogden returned to captain-coach the clun in 1916 and 1917 while Essendon were in recess for the First World Warr, with the loss of North Melbourne, Footscray and Hawthorn to the League in 1925, the Association accepted Preston and Camberwell into their ranks for the 1926 season. The team used their uniform from junior days, a red stripe down the chest and back. This time the club was ready for senior ranks, raising a few eyebrows when they won nine of the 18 games in their first season as well as supplying the Recorder Cup winner, William Bluey Summers. A finals appearance came the year, Prestons first ever senior final finished in a draw with Brighton. Needing to win 12 games straight to ensure a spot, Preston managed to sneak in with 11 wins and a draw. Despite the modest finals record, the club provided the 1934 and 1936 Recorder Cup winners in Danny Warr and Bert Hyde respectively. Leading players up to World War 2 included Summers, Warr, Bert Smith, Frankie Dickie Dowling and Bill Socks Maslen, although he was never a star with Preston, 17-year-old Bert Deacon played his first match in 1940, later becoming Carltons first Brownlow Medallist in 1947
11.
1884 VFA season
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The 1884 Victorian Football Association season was the eighth season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Geelong Football Club and it was the clubs sixth VFA premiership in just seven seasons, and was the third in a sequence of three consecutive premierships won from 1882 to 1884. The senior metropolitan membership of the Association increased from six to eight clubs in 1884, the two new clubs were the Williamstown Football Club, which was elevated from junior status, and the newly established Fitzroy Football Club. At this time, three other senior clubs were full Association members represented on the Board of Management, Ballarat, South Ballarat. Due to distance, these clubs played too few matches against the rest of the VFA to be considered relevant in the premiership, the 1884 premiership was won by the Geelong Football Club, which won twenty-two and drew one of its twenty-five matches. Essendon finished second with sixteen wins and two draws from twenty-four matches, Hotham finished third, the below table details the playing records of the eight clubs in all matches during the 1884 season. The clubs are listed in the order in which they were ranked in the Sportsman newspaper, Victorian Football Association/Victorian Football League History List of VFA/VFL Premiers History of Australian rules football in Victoria
12.
1891 VFA season
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The 1891 Victorian Football Association season was the 15th season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Essendon Football Club and it was the first premiership in the clubs history, and it was its first premiership out of a sequence of four consecutive premierships won from 1891 to 1894. Teams did not play a number of premiership matches during the season. After this adjustment, there was no process for breaking a tie. On 11 July, extremely wet conditions saw most grounds partially submersed in water, one match – that between North Melbourne and Williamstown – was drawn by mutual agreement without taking the field. In another, only twelve Footscray players took the field against St Kilda, the match was abandoned at or around half time, Victorian Football Association/Victorian Football League History List of VFA/VFL Premiers History of Australian rules football in Victoria
