Before the AFL, there was the VFL, which was sitting pretty having just survived the VFA’s last great attempt at seizing the football throne. But there was trouble over the border – Western Australia had just defeated the Victorians at an Interstate Carnival. This wouldn’t do. Victoria had to show the other states who the true footballing force was, by manifesting their destiny – or, in other words, taking over the country by force. Could they get it done before their financial reserves went bust?
In this 9-part series, the GAZ-man explores the full history of how the AFL came to be the massive empire it is today. Part 6 covers the time period from 1955 to 1990 – the battle between the three major footballing states for control of the direction of football, and how the Victorians cemented a power base from which they absorbed other states to form Australia’s first true national league.
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DISCLAIMER:
All match content is the property of the Australian Football League, with additional material from Fox Sports and Channel 7, and is used for entertainment and educational purposes under Fair Use.
All music and backing tracks were humbly, and clumsily, self-made on GarageBand and BandLab.
46 Comments
Cheers to GAZ for travelling to all of the south-eastern states for this video… and I'm only 23 minutes in
I know not just afl related but isn't in interesting that not only the afl but nrl and aru all made west Australian teams to pay for original clubs to travel to them
I believe you said Musgrave when the suburb is Mulgrave Gaz!
This series is up there with the best of the Secret Base mate!
Maybe im just old and nostalgic but I genuinely miss Waverley park! It was never the standard of stadium we have today but when it was packed it had an amazing atmosphere the likes of which ive never experienced at docklands
Another great vid. Slight factual correction regarding the foundation of the Bears. The former actor who was involved alongside Skase was Paul Cronin. I do concede it could be argued that Skase was an actor given how successfully he managed to deceive so many people.
The lack of views kinda hurts.
The 10 year rule in 1972 was a disaster that almost killed the VFL.
But the team that took advantage of the short term gain was the one who needed success the most.
Musgrave!? Gaz pls…
12:00 was just uncalled for, especially considering you support Adelaide. Seriously though great video.
50 minute Gazman video? Damn you spoil us
Footy Park hosted SANFL minor round games mate. Every week.
Excellent work again, I don't have anything to say beyond trying to boost this video in the algorithm.
The Father Son rule was perhaps made family ties with football more tighter, making Football Clubs feel like a Family to many players who got into the VFL/AFL thanks to their genetics.
However there were a few occasions when Genetics and Talent went hand in hand as well as hard work making some son's of champions stand out on their own. Daicos, Watson and Ablett are the names that come to mind.
"Notice Me Senpai"
I am really familiar with that term.
As a fan of Love Hina manga back in the day, I knew of that term back in the early 2000s.
It kinda sucks that Australia doesn't understand fine culture.
Amazing research for this one mate.
Tip of the cap to you.
TV was important for the future of the VFL, classic games could be remembered years after they were played especially in the 1980s when VHS became an important medium to relive classic Grand Finals from the 60s and 70s.
1961, 1965 – onwards were all captured on VHS tape despite some messed up quality of time with the footage.
But TV did provide really important capture of magic moment especially for Channel 7 in Melbourne.
Football Park was home to some classic Victoria Vs South Australia games under the short lived State of Oranges banner.
Opps, State of Origin.
VFL: I know we've been stealing your player for decades at this point but… Would you like to join this thing called the AFL? I'm sure it'll benifit everyone
All other states: Yeah sounds fun
AFL (that is essentially VFL): Fucking peasants. Disgusting
Ahh the VFL and VFA TV War. I did my final year 12 english assignment on this.
The WAFL comp was once the best league in Australia and popped at at times in the 70’s and 80’s to thrash the Vic’s. Pitty the AFL boffins don’t even recognise our great league and it’s champions 😂
Excellent effort, well done mate. For anyone interested, I highly recommend Football Limited by Garry Linnell that is a brilliant insight into VFL-AFL operations throughout the 1980's and early 1990's. Despite being published nearly 30 years ago, I would rate it as one of the best books ever written on the game.
I thought VFL days were better days than the present, because, for me living in Hobart, with our cream, being recruited by VFL clubs,we all tuned into Mike Williamson and and Butch and Captain Blood bragging about how good "Victorian" football was, knowing,(whilst laughing down our sleeves) at how interstate footballers were the standout players
Took over half of Australia*
Great video lad. Love the mention of Eggfooty. Both doing great things. Keep it up GAZ man
Ah, Musgrave, right next to Dasdenong and Wheesers Hill
Funny how they thought crowds would go down if we had more games televised, yet the game has never been more accessible and more attended.
0:50
anyone else stupid and delusional enough to believe this was actually an old afl clip 😅😅😅
This is good. well done
33min – "the VFL couldnt afford the $4mil VFL license" (to make the new composite WA team) what!?
Haha the creation of the AFL was wild!
SA (as in SANFL) beat Vic (as in VFL) at the MCG in 1963
The VFA acting as a feeder league for the VFL? That'll never work🤣
Superb work again. Machiavelli has got nothing on this lot.
I love that the image of Tasmania is superimposed over the photo of VFL Park. I don’t know why, just seems ominous.
I'll watch it later… off to the footy. East Perth put a bid for AFL in early 1980s. I think West Perth did too leading into the mid 80s. IPL (West Coast) had to pay $4 million upfront in 1986 money and then from memory had to pay to travel and pay for opposition teams to travel to Perth. Ultimately the IPL started to go under. For the team to survive the WAFC bought the Eagles, but the Eagles had to provide a dividend back to the WAFC to pay for WA junior footy. This is still ongoing. Dockers do the same. That is why its vitally important for the Eagles to be reasonably successful. They are the golden goose for WA junior footy. IF the Eagles can't keep the mney flowing through then the WAFC will just go to the AFL, who will have to fund WA footy like the other states. The AFL will not want that. The WAFC ownership impacts decision making by the Eagles and Dockers.
Football park open in 1974, And it did not only host finals, Many a regular season game was played there. It was also the home ground for West Torrens for a period of time.
Mate I just need to tell you I’ve binge watched nearly all of your videos over the last 3 days and it’s actually criminal how under rated your channel is. Keep it up, it’s an absolute gem 👍👍
I've lived in Australia my whole life and had never heard of the VFA before 😅
Can there be a third team in Western Australia. It will depend on whether WA Football Commission agree that it will mean more money for WA footy. WAFC owns Eagles and Dockers and earn a good dividend to fund WA junior footy, if the teams are playing well. With Eagles struggling the dividend has reduced. Then you have stadium deals to be renegotiated. If it could be proven that WAFC could earn more money consistently then they will push for a third team and the AFL would likely agree. Because the AFL see that a successful club would mean less of a drain on the AFL, and would also benefit WA footy, thereby allowing AFL to be totally removed from any funding. But I think it will be tricky and WAFC may end up taking the safe option.
It is galling at how the strong teams are basically propping up the poorer teams. Its not sustainable, and now there will be Tasmania and a 20th team too. Ultimately, it takes money away from footy. Sure there are more matches, but the players can't be paid as much. I think that 14 teams is about right. But AFL lack the courage. They won't even force North to better service an outer suburb region that is dominated by soccer and rugby. North want to take and not give back.
WA flogged Vic in the original 1977 state of origin. Vic was having none of that and all vic clubs made it hard for star WA and SA players to be released to play for their states …in other words the vics were butt hurt and rigged it in their favour and subsequently killed state of origin..well done Victoria 😜
Incredible video, I love this series dearly. Also at 44:44 – thign
Good work into the video. Been watching a lot of old videos of SANFL games and VFL games from suburban grounds from the 1980's and really feel we are missing something in football this century when nearly all matches are in big stadiums with loud speakers, video screens and reviews that mess with the natural footy day atmosphere that made me fall in love with the game as a kid. The Gather round games at Norwood remind me what we are missing mostly. Think the VFL, SANFL, WAFL and NFL really messed things up for our sport between the mid 80's and 90's and all we are left with running the sport is the AFL running it like a big entertainment industry business and have left the sport itself fall by the wayside. To see what has happened to the VFA, SANFL and WAFL is really sad that all had really great football cultures that still existed whilst the big league of the VFL did not need to take over everything at such a cost to the grass roots culture of our sport. Still love the sport but the state of the game is no longer something I feel glued to like I once was. To over coached to have the flair and instinctive play in real time that once what made the game addictive to me. I still hold out hope someone in a position of power sees how much we have lost and course corrects but it looking more and more to me like it might be too late.
If I could go back in time would have seen at the end of 1988 all the main leagues and VFA got together with the governing body of the NFL and found a way to solve all their issues together. Sunday should have been agreed to be VFL/AFL free. That should have been the time for VFA, SANFL and WAFL be theirs and the big league run it's round from Thursday night to Saturday. We could have had the best of both worlds but alas they all dropped the ball in that time and did not work together for the good of the sport.
Many factual errors in the video regarding SA. Firstly Football Park was opened in 1974 not 1977. And matches were played there every week, It wasn't reserved for finals only.
Also post ww2 Port was by far the most successful club in SA. Playing in 33 Grand Finals between 1950 and 2000 winning 23 premierships. Norwood won merely 5 during the period.
Great video but you really can’t include Davis, Rantall etc going to North to demonstrate that successful clubs & wealthy clubs recruited high priced top players as North hadn’t won a premiership until AFTER they arrived at Arden Street.
The NFL was shafted by the VFL and they created the AFC night competition.