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Every page counts in AFL club history books

Neotraveler new author
Roar Rookie
11th January, 2012
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Neotraveler new author
Roar Rookie
11th January, 2012
17
1391 Reads

For a league that apparently puts such emphasis on history, constantly quoting statistics and historical achievements, many in the AFL have decided to arbitrarily ignore a part of their history that is just as significant as any other.

Before the debate begins I believe it’s important to reveal my hand.

I’m a Carlton supporter, one who doesn’t hate Collingwood anywhere near as much as I should, but who despises Essendon so much so that it overflowed to other sporting entities that shared those same colours. Ferrari F1 and the Chicago Bulls, I’m talking to you.

Carlton is acknowledged as having a very successful history. The Western (nee Footscray) Bulldogs, on the other hand, have endured a barren existence. You can follow their tiny website history tab to ‘1954′, revealing their one shining (albeit fading) moment of glory.

Ah, the memories of winning a school yard argument against those dish-licker supporters over the years. “I’ll see your one flag and raise you 13, 14, 15…16” worked every time. Those were the days (thanks Big Jack).

The thing is, though, the Doggies are a club with a long and proud history, one that should be boasting ten premierships, not one.

Many fans seem to embrace two types of history when it comes to footy. Sometimes its whatever serves their purpose at that particular moment. Sometimes, everything that falls outside of the VFL/AFL history books is moot.

There’s no better example than the Bomber faithful that steadfast refuse to adhere to a clash jumper that would require them to alter their ‘sacred’ sash, one that has supposedly been in existence since the dawn of time.

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History reveals the fact the Essendon Football Club began with red and black stripes, not their beloved sash, and that the club has decided for whatever reason to ignore that part of their history in recent times (Heritage Round?). Without that first chapter of the Essendon history books, the rest simply would not exist.

A little over six months ago, Geelong president Colin Carter waded into the history debate, attempting to build a case that VFA premierships won prior to 1897 to be included into the official VFL/AFL tally. It would drastically alter the landscape of the premiership standings, with Essendon rising to outright first on twenty, two clear of their arch-rival Carlton.

Not surprisingly, Geelong would add a handy seven titles to their tally, leap-frogging quite a few on the existing table.

Is a VFL premiership won in 1897 any more valuable than the VFA trophy held aloft in 1896 in a league that consisted of basically the same teams? Was the VFL always superior to the VFA, the SANFL, the WAFL? These are questions without definitive answers.

But do club officials who worked tirelessly so that our clubs of today survived the difficult first years deserve recognition? Do players who where the best of the best in their era, whenever it was, deserve recognition? The answer has to be yes. These were achievements that cannot and should not be ignored any longer.

But I’m yet to be convinced they should be added to the AFL’s official tally.

In my opinion a club’s history and the league’s history are not necessarily intrinsically entwined. The VFL/AFL has a set of records that cannot be altered ad-hoc for the simple premise of historical romance. They are records of what happened in the VFL or AFL, pure and simple.

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Yet most AFL clubs have a history that extends beyond the history of the current league. Does that make it any less worthy to the club? Of course not.

And yet, the complication of topping up the flag count gets even messier when considering that AFL clubs boast premierships from a range of competitions, including the VFL, VFA, SANFL and Challenge Cup of yesteryear. What is the solution to pay appropriate tribute to these important achievements?

The VFL/AFL acknowledges its past and each of its premiers. Now, it’s time for individual clubs to follow in the footsteps of teams like Port Adelaide and acknowledge theirs – all of it.

No, it won’t help the Blues skip clear of the Bombers in the AFL premiership race, but next time Sticks opens his “I am Carlton” speech, I want him to proudly proclaim a club that has celebrated the ultimate achievement twenty-three times (VFL/AFL, VFA and Challenge Cup), sixteen of those within the VFL/AFL.

The people who paved the way for him to stand proudly at the podium representing over 40,000 members deserve nothing less.

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