The Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) is the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. Founded in 1892, it consists of six senior men's and women's divisions ranging from Premier to Division 3. In addition, the VAFA has under-19s and thirds sections, primarily made up of either clubs only able to field one team, or clubs from higher sections that can field a third team after their seniors and reserves. The league operates a double promotion and relegation system between sections, with various rules dictating which section clubs can play in. The league's administration base is at Elsternwick Park, a former Victorian Football Association stadium in suburban Elsternwick, that was home to the now defunct Brighton Football Club and is now the home base for Old Melburnians Football Club and Elsternwick Football Club. It was redeveloped in 2017 and has a capacity for around 15,000 spectators. The Association comprises private school old boys clubs, university clubs and district clubs. No player payments are permitted, however players can be enticed by offers of employment. As of 2021, the VAFA has 14,000 male players and 4,000 female players.

History

MJFA

The VAFA was founded in 1892 as the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA). Ten clubs competed in the inaugural season − Alberton, Brighton, Collegians, Edlington, Footscray District, South St Kilda, St Jude's, St Mary's, Toorak-Grosvenor and YMCA.

MFA name change

On 27 March 1900, the MJFA decided on a change of name to the Metropolitan Football Association (MFA). MJFA president Lawrence Adamson believed that his association was now a senior competition and the "junior" label no longer applied. Adamson brokered a deal that the existing MFA (of 1899) became the MJFA, giving his MJFA (of 1892) the "Metropolitan Football Association" name. Despite this, various newspaper reports from 1900 until 1912 still use the MJFA (or simply "Metropolitan Junior Association") name when referring to Adamson's competition. Most consensus is that "MJFA" in this time period refers to the now-VAFA, and the VAFA's official history continues to use the MJFA name until 1912.

MAFA

In 1912, the MJFA became the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA). Prior to World War I, apart from its core function of delivering a competition for amateur footballers, the MAFA also provided a de facto second-level competition for the VFL. The 1915 home-and-away season was originally scheduled to end on 26 August. However, due to the impacts of World War I, the MJFA decided at a meeting on 26 July to curtail the home-and-away season four weeks early. Prior to the final games held in round 14, some clubs had already struggled to find players as a result of enlistments. Following the conclusion of the season, officials from the VFL sought to have the MAFA become a reserves competition to the VFL for the 1916 season. At least two clubs – Beverley and South Yarra – reported the MAFA that they had been "approached" about becoming reserves teams to and respectively. The MAFA announced in late 1915 that they would not resume competition until the war had ended, while also stating that they were not prepared to be absorbed by the VFL. As of 30 July 1915, 164 MJFA players had been enlisted in the Australian Army. In 1920, the MAFA announced that the re-formed competition would be between four of the "pre-war" clubs — namely, Collegians Football Club, South Yarra Amateur Football Club, Elsternwick Football Club, and Melbourne University Football Club (later University Blacks) — and four "new clubs" — namely, Old Melburnians, Old Caulfield Grammarians, Melbourne Swimming Club Football Club and the Teachers’ College Football Club. By 1922, the association was divided into 2 sections of 8. Only four years later, three sections were established: Section A with 10 clubs and Section B and C with 8 clubs each.

VAFA and growth

In 1933, the MAFA changed its name to the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA). Competition was ceased for the Second World War (as it had after the Great War). Restarting in 1946 with 27 clubs in three sections, by 1947 34 clubs were competing over three sections. 1948 saw 35 clubs spread over four sections. In 1954 the MAFA established a fifth section for its 48 senior clubs. 1960 saw 74 clubs over 7 sections, but the association then dwindled and lost two sections. Section F was reintroduced in 1971. Section G was introduced in 1986. By 1987, there were 68 clubs over 8 sections. Between 1995 until the end of the 1999 season, there was a geographic split in some VAFA divisions with "E South" (later "E White"), "E Central" (later "E Blue") and "E East" (later "F Section"). As well as an end to the geographic split, the 2000 season also saw the renaming of D Section, E Section, F Section and G Section to Division 1, Division 2, Division 3 and Division 4 respectively. In 2010, A Section was renamed to Premier Division, B Section was renamed to Premier B and C Section was renamed to Premier C. Starting in 2017, the VAFA has operated a women's competition in addition to the men's. At the end of the 2023 season, Division 4 was abolished after Ivanhoe and Old Paradians were accepted into the Northern Football Netball League. Starting in 2024, each section has 10 teams with the exception of Division 3, which has 11.

Inter-league and interstate games

1925

In June 1925 a MAFA Representative XVIII defeated the South Australian 21.22 to 8.10 at the MCG in the first amateur Interstate representative game.

1948

Players in the 1948 Perth Carnival included: R. B. Small, K. N. C. Rollanson, G. V. Byrne, C. P. Daley, J. C. Stock, V. G. Miller, E. Jane, W. J. Backhouse, W. T. Taggart, J. P. Sheehan, R. L. Rouse, K. F. Lewis, J. W. Grainier, W. Reynolds’s, N. P. Airmen, G. W. McTaggart, D. B. White, (Deputy Manager) E. L. Macklin, B. F. Judd, V. W. Paxton, M. J. Davidson, D. W. Arnold, (Capt.) G. T. Moore, (Manager) M. K. Fitcher, (Vice-Capt.) A. H. C. Richard’s, E. M. MacGregor.

1951

The Australian Amateur Jubilee Football Carnival was held in Melbourne in July 1951. The Victorian team included: J. Kelly (Coach), K. Clarke, G. W. Gibbons, A. T. Shiel, D. Bills, J.D. Anderson, M.T. Hastie, A. D. Morning, G. Harris. G.T. Moore (Manager), A. E. Parley, W. B. Thomas, M. Mathewson, A. Ferguson, J. Stock, J. B. Jolley, J. Likely, B. F. Judd, W. M. Judd, P. McLaughlin,. Bedford, S. Bottles, D. W. Arnold (Capt.), P. M. Cox (V-Capt.), H. A. Meredith, A. F. Mellors, E. Donaldson.

1954

On 14 June 1954, the Queen's Birthday holiday, a Victorian representative team defeated a South Australian team 12.14 (86) to 10.15 (75) at the Junction Oval. The match was preceded by the Grand Final of a "lightning premiership" that involving sixteen teams playing knock-out matches of two 10 minute halves. Four of the first round matches were played at the Junction Oval, and the other four were played (simultaneously) at the Ross Gregory Oval at the other end of Albert Park Lake. The quarter final, semi final, and the Grand Final matches were all played at the Junction Oval. The sixteen teams involved were: Parkside (the team that would later go on to have its twenty-ninth consecutive win in the 1954 C Section Grand Final), having beaten Balwyn in the first round, Preston in the quarter finals, and Ivanhoe in the Semi-finals, defeated Alphington in the Grand Final to win the lightning premiership.

1956

In 1956 a VAFA XVIII beat the combined VFL/VFA Amateurs in an Olympic demonstration game, 12.9 (81) to 8.7 (55).

1957

Of some considerable historical significance, the VAFA vs. South Australian Amateur Football League interstate match, played at Olympic Park on 17 June 1957 — which Victoria won 15.9 (99) to 8.3 (51) — was the first ever uninterrupted telecast of a complete Australian rules football game (viz., it was a direct broadcast of the entire four quarters of the match, rather than just the last quarter).

1971

In 1971 a VAFA Representative side beat a VFA XVIII for the inaugural Victorian Football Cup 23.12 to 19.17.

Premiers

Men's clubs

Premier

Premier B

Premier C

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3

Thirds only

Women's clubs

Premier

Premier B

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3

Division 4

Former clubs

Sources:

Club movements

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