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Victorian Football LeagueSee also Australian Football League. This pages covers the VFA/VFL, not the VFL/AFL The Victorian Football Association (VFA) was the first Australian Rules Football league, made up up clubs in the State of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1877; in 1897 several 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 and 1925. The rules of the VFA differed sometimes differed slightly to those of the VFL (and later Australian Football League, AFL). For example, 16 players afield as opposed to the now typical 18 in the AFL. However, 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 Channel Ten began to televise these games. Eventually, most games were played on a Sunday, while the VFL played it's 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 begining of the VFA's demise. In that year the VFL moved the struggling South Melbourne Swans to Sydney (in the neighbouring state of NSW). All Swans home games were played on Sunday and televised. This move destroyed the VFA's TV ratings, and 1986 Channel Ten stopped broadcasting it. This role was taken on the ABC, but in a much smaller capacity. VFA support declined. In 1989 the second division was dissolved. In 1990, the VFL renamed itself the Australian Football League (AFL) in and following year the Victorian clubs' Reserves (2nd teams) competition became known as the Victorian State Football League (VSFL). In part due to the AFL's greater "interstate" focus, the VFA experienced a resurgance in the early 1990's. In 1989 the ABC increased it's TV commitement, and in 1992 the TV matches were rating better than any time since the Ten days. Commercial radio became briefly interested in it again. In 1996, the VFA changed it's name to the VFL. This move confused many people. At the same time it expanded into rural Victoria. It took on two strong teams from country leagues, the North Ballarat Roosters and Traralgon. In 1998 it added the Bendigo Football League composite site the Bendigo Diggers, and Traralgon returned to the LaTrobe Football League. In 2000, the VFL merged with the VSFL. It's lineup was as follows: AFL Clubs Carlton Blues Collingwood Magpies Essendon Bombers Geelong Cats Kangaroos Richmond Tigers St. Kilda Saints Stand Alone VFL Clubs Bendigo Diggers Coburg-Fitzroy Lions Frankston Dolphins North Ballarat Roosters Northern Bullants Springvale Scorpions Mongrel Clubs Box Hill Hawks (Hawthorn Hawks) Port Melbourne Boroughs (Sydney Swans) Sandringham Zebras (Melbourne Demons) Werribee Tigers (Western Bulldogs) Williamstown Seagulls (Western Bulldogs) This new configuration got much media attention at the season launch. The main point of interest was that there were matchups that hadn't occured since the 1897 VFA/VFL schism. Also notable was the playing of feature matches on Monday nights, a time when no AFL matches were played. However, these matches were not shown on FTA TV, only on Channel 7's C7 Sports subscription channel. This was at a time when pay TV penetration was very poor, there was no access to this channel in most of Melbourne, and in the parts of Melbourne that could receive it there was a much more popular competing subscription platform (Foxtel). This new format was not a success. The lineup changed markedly in 2001: AFL Clubs Carlton Blues Essendon Bombers Geelong Cats Stand Alone VFL Clubs Bendigo Diggers Frankston Dolphins North Ballarat Roosters Northern Bullants Tasmania Mariners Mongrel Clubs Box Hill Hawks (Hawthorn Hawks) Coburg Tigers (Richmond Tigers) Murray Kangaroos ( Kangaroos) Port Melbourne Boroughs (Sydney Swans) Sandringham Zebras (Melbourne Demons) Springvale Scorpions (St. Kilda Saints) Werribee Tigers (Western Bulldogs) Williamstown Seagulls (Collingwood Magpies) The Tasmania Mariners were created by the AFL to quell Tasmania's desire for an AFL team. The Murray Kangaroos were a joint venture with the Ovens and Murray Football League of Albury/Wodonga. Note that there were now two teams called the Tigers. In 2002, the Mariners were renamed the Tasmania Devils. The Grand Final got the best VFA/VFL TV ratings ever, largely due to the presence of the Geelong Cats. Their AFL team was doing poorly at the time. In 2003, the lineup changed again: AFL Clubs Geelong Cats Stand Alone VFL Clubs Frankston Dolphins North Ballarat Roosters Tasmanian Devils Mongrel Clubs Bendigo Bombers (Bombers) Box Hill Hawks (Hawthorn Hawks) Coburg Tigers (Richmond Tigers) Northern Bullants (Carlton Blues) Port Melbourne Boroughs ( Kangaroos) Sandringham Zebras (Melbourne Demons) Springvale Scorpions (St. Kilda Saints) Werribee Tigers (Western Bulldogs) Williamstown Seagulls (Collingwood Magpies) At this point, the VFL changed it's team rules. Many of it's rules favoured the AFL linked clubs, particuarly the one forcing clubs to pay transfer fees (unessisary for linked clubs). These rules have so far (2005) stopped further rationalisation. The absorption of the VFSL has seen the league getting a lot more attention from spectators, as the league is now filled with up-and-coming and recovering from injury AFL players. However, only three clubs can claim independence from AFL clubs, and one of those is owned by the AFL itself. The teams have gained support, but at the expense of the clubs. Some argue the scene is ripe for a new Melbourne suburban football league. Current Clubs Links VFL Official Site VFL Official History
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