Victorian Football League
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- For the former Victorian Football League now known as the Australian Football League, see Australian Football League.
The Victorian Football League, formerly known as the Victorian Football Association (VFA), is a second-tier Australian rules football league. It should not be confused with the elite Australian Football League, which was known as the VFL until 1990 and sometimes referred to as the VFL/AFL. The VFA, which was founded in 1877, adopted the VFL name from season 1996. It features 13 teams from throughout Victoria and Tasmania, and is regarded as Australia's third most competitive league after the AFL behind the South Australian National Football League<ref>"Vics Lose in a Thriller". URL accessed 6 September 2006</ref> and closely followed by the West Australian Football League<ref>"It worked". URL accessed 6 September 2006</ref>.
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[edit] History
- Full Article History of Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football Association (VFA) was the first Australian rules football league. It was founded in 1877. Foundation Senior clubs of the VFA were Albert Park, Carlton, East Melbourne, Essendon, Hotham, Melbourne, St. Kilda & West Melbourne. 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 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 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 of the VFA logo. The logo reverted to the original blue and white VFL 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.
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.
These days the VFL is mildly popular in Victoria, although not nearly as popular as the dominant Australian Football League.
[edit] Audience
[edit] 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 draw an average crowd of around 4,000 in Tasmania.
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.
[edit] Recent Finals Series
| Year | Grand Final Clubs | Venue | Crowd | Total Finals Series Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Sandringham def Geelong | MC Labour Park | 6,000 | ? |
| 2005 | Sandringham def Werribee | Optus Oval | 9,000 | 45,118 |
| 2004 | Sandringham def Port Melbourne | Optus Oval | ? | 38,656 |
| 2003 | Williamstown def Box Hill | Optus Oval | 10,500 | 43,573 |
| 2002 | Geelong def Port Melbourne | Optus Oval | 11,500 | ? |
[edit] Television
ABC Television 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<ref>[1]</ref>.
[edit] Radio
Sports Radio station SEN 1116 broadcasts one game on Saturday afternoons, as well as covering finals matches.
[edit] Clubs
[edit] Current Clubs
[edit] 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.
- Albert Park Football Club
- Ballarat Football Club
- Ballarat Imperial Football Club
- Barwon Football Club
- Beechworth Football Club
- Bendigo Diggers (changed name to Bendigo Bombers)
- Berwick Football Club
- Brighton Football Club (later Brighton-Caulfield Football Club)
- Brunswick Football Club (later Brunswick-Broadmeadows Football Club)
- Camberwell Football Club
- Carlton Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- Castlemaine Football Club
- Caulfield Football Club
- Collingwood Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- Dandenong Football Club
- Dandenong Redlegs Football Club
- East Melbourne Football Club
- Essendon Association Football Club
- Essendon Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- Essendon Town Football Club
- Fitzroy Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- Footscray Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- Frankston Football Club
- Geelong Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- Geelong Association Football Club
- Geelong West Football Club
- Hawthorn Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- Heidelberg Football Club
- Inglewood Football Club
- Kilsyth Football Club
- Melbourne Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- Melbourne City Football Club
- Moorabbin Football Club
- Mordialloc Football Club
- Murray Kangaroos
- Hotham/North Melbourne Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- Northcote Football Club
- Oakleigh Football Club
- Prahran Football Club
- Richmond Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- Rochester Football Club
- St Kilda Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- South Ballarat Football Club
- South Melbourne Football Club (breakaway club to the VFL/AFL)
- South Williamstown Football Club
- Sunshine Football Club
- Traralgon Football Club
- University Football Club
- Waverley Football Club
- West Melbourne Football Club
- Yarraville Football Club
[edit] External links
- VFL Official Site
- VFL Official History
- List of VFA/VFL premiers since 1877
- VFLFooty Unofficial Fan Site
- VFL Mark of the Year competition
[edit] References
| Clubs in the Victorian Football League |
| Image:EssendonDesign.jpg Bendigo | Image:HawthornDesign.jpg Box Hill | Casey | Coburg | Image:StKildaDesign.jpg Frankston | Geelong | Image:NorthDesign.pngNorth Ballarat | Northern Bullants | Port Melbourne | Sandringham | Image:WoodvilleDesign.png Tasmania | Image:RichmondDesign.jpg Werribee | Williamstown |
