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The Victorian Football League, formerly known as the '''Victorian Football Association''' (VFA), and also known as the '''VFA/VFL''', is the oldest Australian Rules Football league, formed in 1877 . Today is it a regional Australian semi-professional competition featuring 13 teams from throughout Victoria as well as a representative side from Tasmania . It should not be confused with the national Australian Football League , which was a breakaway competition originally known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) until 1990 and sometimes still referred to as the VFL/AFL . After the VFL/AFL became recognised as the national competition, the VFA adopted the VFL name, which was effective from season 1996. The VFL is regarded as Australia's second most competitive league after the AFL and the most competitive regional league in front of the " It worked ". URL accessed 6 September 2006. Many Victorian AFL clubs affiliate with VFL clubs, and as a result the league partly serves as a reserves competition for the AFL. HISTORY See Also: History of Victorian Football League The Victorian Football Association (VFA) was the first Australian Rules Football league. It was founded in 1877, replacing an earlier system where club delegates met informally to decide on the rules, the selection of the winner of the Challenge Cup, the division of clubs into Senior and Junior status, and other matters of mutual interest. The VFA continued to list its teams as being of either Senior or Junior status. Foundation Senior clubs of the VFA were Albert Park, Carlton , East Melbourne, Essendon , Hotham, Melbourne , St. Kilda & West Melbourne . During its early years, many clubs dropped in and out and there were erratic promotions between the Senior and Junior sections. Interestingly, in the early years, the compilation of fixtures was not done by the VFA but was the responsibility of each club secretary (a system that had evolved before the formation of the Association). Therefore, in a typical season, a club would play against other VFA teams (both Senior and Junior), non-VFA Victorian clubs, and even interstate teams. At the end of each season, the VFA announced the Premier team. This was usually the club with the most wins, but that may not have been the case if the VFA felt that the leading team had had too many wins against junior clubs. Therefore, there are examples of the Premiership being given to the club with the second-highest number of wins. As the Association continued the earlier practice of recording the number of behinds, but with only goals counting towards a win, the number of draws was extremely high. The number of players on the field was usually 20 but when a Senior and Junior team met, the Junior club was usually allowed to field extra players; there were no reserves and if a player was injured the team was a man short. After the 1896 season, eight clubs broke away to form the Victorian Football League (VFL) [ie. Carlton , Collingwood , Essendon , Fitzroy , Geelong , Melbourne , St Kilda and South Melbourne ]. The VFA contined to be an independent body but quickly adopted a number of the VFL's reforms, including the scoring system (a goal = 6 points; a behind = 1 point), and only 18 players in a team. In 1908 Richmond also shifted to the VFL (along with Metropolitan Football League club University ) and in 1925 VFA clubs Footscray , Hawthorn and North Melbourne ) also defected to the VFL. The first regular radio broadcasts of VFA games were made by 3XY , a little after the station commenced operations in 1935. The commentator was Wallace ("Jumbo") Shallard who had earlier been the first to describe VFL matches, that being on 3AR in 1923. (Jumbo Shallard was a former Geelong player and, at one time, a newspaper football reporter.) In 1954 3AK began broadcasting VFA games, albeit only for a season or two. In 1966 Network Ten began to televise Sunday games. The 1970s also saw broadcasts on 3UZ , while local Geelong station, 3GL , broadcast all Geelong West matches. In 1982, the then-dominant Melbourne sports radio station, 3AW , broadcast the Grand Final . In 2003 3AK evolved into sports radio station SEN 1116, and provided a coverage of VFL matches, but this was discontinued after they won the rights to broadcast the AFL ( Australian Football League ), as from the 2007 season. 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. During the 1950s , 1960s and 1970s , as Melbourne expanded geographically, the VFA exbarked on a deliberate plan to establish its presence in new areas by expanding the number of teams, most of these coming from the newer, outer suburbs. In 1960 , because of the large number of teams, the VFA was split into First and Second Divisions, the First Division originally having 10 teams, and Second Division seven. There was a promotion and relegation system between the two Divisions. The VFA also 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. 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's demise may be said to have commenced in 1982 when the VFL moved the struggling South Melbourne Swans to Sydney. All Sydney 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 later taken on by the ABC , but on a much lower-profile basis. In 1990 , the VFL renamed itself the Australian Football League . The VFA evolved into the Victorian Football League in 1995, a change which caused much debate at the time. In the same year (1995) powerhouse clubs North Ballarat and Traralgon joined the nine existing teams. The new VFL adopted the original League logo, but featured a gold "V" and football, to reflect the colours of the former VFA logo. The logo reverted to the original VFL's blue and white, a few years later. In 1989, after the Seven Network was given exclusive rights to broadcast VFL/AFL, the ABC increased its television commitment to the VFA/VFL, attracting good ratings. Despite this, the early 1990s was a difficult period for the League, with many sides, including stalwart sides such as Oakleigh, Prahran and Dandenong leaving the competition or becoming defunct, and others, like the competition's oldest member Williamstown, on the verge of folding. In the 1990s, AFL sides began affiliating with VFL clubs, effectively making the VFL for some a reserves competition for Victorian clubs in the national competition. Some clubs thought of this as a means of not only improving their player list and onfield success, but to attract support from AFL fans and members. More recently, some clubs, such as Frankston and Port Melbourne have resisted or abandoned this trend and seen it as being more advantageous not to affiliate. Following season 1999, the AFL's reserves competition was disbanded, and most AFL clubs launched their own "stand alone" VFL team. Those clubs were Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong, Kangaroos, Richmond and St Kilda. Box Hill aligned with Hawthorn, Port Melbourne with the Sydney Swans, Sandringham with the Demons, while the Western Bulldogs aligned half their list with Werribee and the other half with Williamstown. Eventually the stand alone teams folded or merged with older VFA clubs, and Geelong is now the only AFL club with its own team in the VFL. These days the VFL is moderately popular in Victoria, although not nearly as popular as the dominant Australian Football League . AUDIENCE 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 VFL does not publish home and away attendance figures as some games are played as AFL curtain raisers, however various sources quote attendances for some games of the stronger clubs that maintain home records of their own. Recent Finals Series Television ABC Victoria broadcasts one match a week live on Saturday afternoons during the home and away season, as well as broadcasting most finals matches. In 2006, ABC2 shows replays of VFL matches late on Wednesday nights to a national audience. {Link without Title} . Radio Commencing in 1996 Community radio station CASEY FM ( 3SER ) has broadcast at least one VFL match at least one match per weekend. Although no longer broadcasting on a regular basis (see history section) SEN have reserved the right to broadcast VFL finals and certain other games. In 2007, Melbourne radio station 3XX 1611 kHz commenced broadcasting VFL games on both Saturdays and Sundays. 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.
Timeline ImageSize = width:700 height:750 PlotArea = width:550 height:700 left:140 bottom:20 AlignBars = late BarData= bar:Ya text:Yarraville bar:Wi text:Williamstown bar:WM text:West Melbourne bar:We text:Werribee bar:Wa text:Waverley bar:Un text:University bar:Tr text:Traralgon bar:Ta text:Tasmania bar:Su text:Sunshine bar:SK text:St Kilda bar:Sp text:Springvale (Scorpions) bar:SW text:South Williamstown bar:SM text:South Melbourne bar:SB text:South Ballarat bar:Sa text:Sandringham bar:Ri text:Richmond bar:Pr text:Prahran bar:PM text:Port Melbourne bar:Oa text:Oakleigh bar:No text:Northcote bar:PB text:Northern Bullants bar:NM text:North Melbourne bar:NB text:North Ballarat bar:MK text:Murray Kangaroos bar:Md text:Mordialloc bar:Mo text:Moorabbin bar:MC text:Melbourne City bar:Me text:Melbourne bar:Ki text:Kilsyth bar:Ha text:Hawthorn bar:He text:Heidelberg bar:GW text:Geelong West bar:GA text:Geelong A bar:Ge text:Geelong bar:Fr text:Frankston bar:Fo text:Footscray bar:Fi text:Fitzroy bar:EA text:Essendon Association bar:Es text:Essendon bar:EM text:East Melbourne bar:Da text:Dandenong bar:Co text:Collingwood bar:Cb text:Coburg bar:Ca text:Carlton bar:Cm text:Camberwell bar:Br text:Brunswick bar:BC text:Brighton-Caulfield bar:BH text:Box Hill bar:Bw text:Berwick bar:Be text:Bendigo bar:BI text:Ballarat Imperial bar:Ba text:Ballarat bar:AP text:Albert Park Colors = id:grey value:gray(0.4) id:lgrey value:gray(0.8) DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1877 till:2007 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:1877 gridcolor:lgrey ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1877 PlotData= color:green width:3 bar:AP from:1877 till:1880 at:1880 mark:(line,red) shift:(1,0) text:Merged with South Melbourne bar:Ba from:1887 till:1893 color:blue at:1893 shift:(1,-3) text:(Ineligible for Premiership) bar:Be from:1998 till:end bar:Bw from:1983 till:1987 bar:BC from:1908 till:1988 bar:BH from:1951 till:end bar:BI from:1887 till:1893 color:blue at:1893 shift:(1,-3) text:(Ineligible for Premiership) bar:Br from:1897 till:1991 bar:Ca from:1877 till:1897 bar:Cb from:1925 till:end bar:Cm from:1926 till:1991 bar:Co from:1892 till:1897 bar:Da from:1958 till:1991 at:1991 text:Exit Unknown bar:EA from:1900 till:1922 at:1922 mark:(line,red) shift:(1,1) text:Merged with North Melbourne at:1905 mark:(line,black) shift:(1,-10) text:Name change from Essendon Town bar:EM from:1877 till:1878 from:1879 till:1882 bar:Es from:1877 till:1897 bar:Fi from:1884 till:1897 bar:Fo from:1886 till:1925 bar:Fr from:1966 till:end bar:Ge from:1877 till:1897 bar:GA from:1922 till:1928 bar:GW from:1963 till:1988 bar:Ha from:1914 till:1917 from:1919 till:1925 bar:He from:1900 till:1902 bar:Ki from:1982 till:1985 bar:Me from:1877 till:1897 bar:MC from:1912 till:1914 bar:Mo from:1951 till:1964 from:1983 till:1987 bar:Md from:1958 till:1988 bar:MK from:2001 till:2001 bar:NB from:1996 till:end bar:NM from:1877 till:1925 bar:NM at:1888 mark:(line,black) shift:(1,1) text:Name change from Hotham bar:No from:1908 till:1988 bar:Oa from:1929 till:1989 bar:PB from:1903 till:1912 at:1912 mark:(line,red) shift:(1,0) text:Merged with Northcote from:1926 till:end at:2000 mark:(line,black) at:1969 text:Name change from Preston bar:PM from:1886 till:end bar:Pr from:1886 till:1889 at:1889 mark:(line,red) shift:(1,0) text:Merged with St Kilda from:1960 till:1994 from:1899 till:1959 bar:Ri from:1885 till:1908 bar:Sa from:1929 till:end bar:SB from:1887 till:1893 color:blue bar:SB at:1893 shift:(1,-3) text:(Ineligible for Premiership) bar:SK from:1877 till:1880 from:1881 till:1883 from:1886 till:1897 bar:SM from:1879 till:1897 bar:Sp from:1982 till:end bar:Su from:1959 till:1989 bar:SW from:1886 till:1888 bar:Tr from:1996 till:1998 bar:Ta from:2001 till:end bar:Un from:1885 till:1889 bar:Un at:1889 mark:(line,red) shift:(1,0) text:Merged with Melbourne bar:Wa from:1961 till:1988 bar:We from:1965 till:end bar:Wi from:1884 till:end bar:WM from:1877 till:1881 from:1899 till:1908 bar:Ya from:1928 till:1984 LineData = layer:front # all lines in front of bars unless stated otherwise at:1916 color:grey width:4 # WWI at:1917 color:grey width:4 # WWI at:1943 color:grey width:5 # WWII at:1942 color:grey width:2 # WWII at:1944 color:grey width:2 # WWII at:1961 color:orange width:0.5 # Divisions introduced at:1988 color:orange width:0.5 # Divisions abandoned at:1996 color:orange width:0.5 # change to VFL TextData= pos:(350,728) fontsize:L text:VFA Clubs pos:(304,700) textcolor:grey fontsize:M tabs:(0-right) text:^WW1 text:^disruption pos:(415,700) textcolor:grey fontsize:M tabs:(0-right) text:^WW2 text:^disruption pos:(493,740) textcolor:orange fontsize:M tabs:(0-right) text:^Divisional system text:^adopted pos:(642,740 textcolor:orange fontsize:M tabs:(0-right) text:^reversion to text:^single division pos:(700,740) textcolor:orange fontsize:M tabs:(0-right) text:^VFL name text:^adopted EXTERNAL LINKS
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