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The Victorian Football League (formerly known as the Victorian Football Association or VFA) is widely regarded as Australia's 3rd most competitive Australian Rules Football league after the AFL and SANFL . It features 13 teams from throughout Victoria and Tasmania . HISTORY The Victorian Football Association (VFA) was the first Australian Rules Football league. It was founded in 1877. After the 1896 season, eight clubs broke away to form the Victorian Football League (VFL). The VFA continued to run independently, although more clubs shifted to the VFL in 1908 ( Richmond , University ) and 1925 ( Footscray , Hawthorn , North Melbourne ). The rules of the VFA sometimes differed slightly to those of the VFL (and later Australian Football League ): for example, 16 players afield as opposed to the now typical 18 in the AFL. Also, the VFA pioneered night and Sunday games. After years of losing ground to the VFL, the VFA's launch of Sunday games in 1960 was a turning point for the better. In 1966 Network Ten began to televise these games. Eventually, most games were played on a Sunday, while the VFL played its games on Saturdays. This was similar to the College/Pro football day divide still present in the US. The Victorian Government supported the VFA's newfound vigour, and banned the VFL from holding games on Sundays. The VFA grew stronger. In 1982, the dominant sports radio station 3AW broadcast the Grand Final - a huge sign of support. However, 1982 also saw the beginning of the VFA's demise. In that year the VFL moved the struggling South Melbourne Swans to Sydney. All Swans home games were played on Sunday and televised. This move basically destroyed the VFA's television ratings, and in 1986 Network Ten stopped broadcasting matches. This role was taken on by the ABC , but in a much smaller capacity. In 1990 , the VFL renamed itself the Australian Football League . The VFA renamed itself the Victorian Football League in 1995, after admitting North Ballarat and Traralgon to the competition. The new VFL adopted the original League logo, but featured a gold 'V' and football, to reflect the colours former VFA's logo. The logo reverted to its original colours a few years later. In part due to the AFL's greater "interstate" focus, the VFL experienced a resurgence in the early 1990's. In 1989 the ABC increased its television commitment, and eventually matches were rating better than at any time since the Network Ten broadcast matches. These days the VFL is mildly popular in Victoria, although not nearly as popular as the dominant Australian Football League . ATTENDANCE Attendances are small by AFL standards, and generally less than the SANFL and WAFL , with an average of between 1,000-2,000 in attendance. The exception is the Tasmanian Devils, which regularly draw large crowds in excess of 10,000 in Tasmania. The VFL does not publish home and away attendance figures, however various sources quote attendances for some games of the stronger clubs that maintain home records of their own. The official VFL finals series attendance in 2005 was a total of 45,118, which included 2 finals for Tasmania and a Grand Final between Sandringham and Werribee at Optus Oval , where a crowd of 9,000 were in attendance. CLUBS Current Clubs Past Clubs The VFL has undergone significant format changes since its induction which means several clubs have either left the league or changed identity for different reasons.
SEE ALSO History Of Victorian Football League EXTERNAL LINKS
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