Some time ago I started to work on a timeline of the expansion of the VFL across the country and came up with this. The first part covers the period 1977 to 1984, the second part covers 1985 to 1990.
Source material for this comes from The Phoenix Rises (Ross Oakley), My Game (Allen Aylett), Football Limited (Gary Linnell), From Port to a Power (Bruce Abernathy), Birth of the West Coast Eagles (Fox Doco), various works by John Devaney and of course the excellent resources at Trove.
1977 – December 23. Ron Barrassi presents a plan to the VFL for a team in Sydney with himself as the coach.
1978 – April 26. VFL board of Directors authorises the VFL to investigate the Sydney Cricket Ground hosting Sunday VFL matches.
1980 – July 29 – VFL approves South Melbourne plan to play 11 home games in Sydney from 1981.
1980 – October 18. East Perth applies to join the VFL. East Perth believed that WA needed to have two teams in the VFL in part to stop the rampant poaching of players.
1980 – November. The VFL Board of Directors resolved to adopt a totally new approach to the recruitment of interstate players. The Permit Regulations of the League were amended to provide that, in future, players could only be registered with VFL Clubs through being drafted at an Interstate Selection meeting.
1980 – The Hennessy Report recommends a team be established in Sydney. The team would be profitable, making profits of $750,000 after three years, and drawing 17,000 average crowds in the first year up to 20,000 in the third.
1981 – January 28. VFL appoints Graham Huggins to do a study into launching a full time VFL side in Sydney. The study takes 5 months
1981 – June 17. Huggins report is tabled to the VFL board recommneding immediate expansion. Under the Huggins report Sydney would be controlled by a VFL trust, and have a trial period of three years in the league before becoming a full member.
1981 – June 11-17. VFL Directors decide that they would consider approaches from South Australia after a week of talks between senior VFL directors and the SANFL General Manager, Don roach.
1981 – July 1. South Melbourne asks the VFL to fixture all home games in Sydney and all away games at VFL Park under lights
1981 – July 5. Keep South at South meets at Lakeside oval.
1981 – July 29. VFL approves moving 11 home games to Sydney in 1982.
1981 – September 22. Extraordinary meeting of South Melbourne members, KSAS committee wins 80% of vote.
1981 – October 1. The VFL drops the old Form Four system previously used to recruit from interstate and moves to a draft.
1981 – October 6. First VFL draft for interstate recruits is held. Alan Johnson from WA is pick 1 by Melbourne.
1981 – October 14. The VFL refuses to rescind the decision to play South in Sydney in 1982
1981 – November 18.The VFL agrees to loan South $400,000 from the Ground Improvement Fund on condition that the club plays its games in Sydney for at least two years.
1981 – December 9. VFL presidents indicate support for the VFL to take over South
1981 – December 11. South Board resigns.
1982 – February 10. Gold Coast Australian Football league launches a campaign to have a VFL team based on the Gold Coast within five years.
1982 – October 19. Second VFL Draft for interstate recruits. Andrew Purser, from WA is selected at No.1 by Footscray.
1982 – December 10. VFL Commissioner says that applications had been recieved from WA, SA, and the ACT. The article quotes Hamilton as saying that the ACT would almost certainly be represented in the VFL in future.
1983 – John Elliot and Elders IXL look at buying the Swans. They would need to pay out 1.6 million in debt and buyout 1800 members at $40 a piece. The plan was later dropped.
1983 – February 5th. Allen Aylett suggests moving clubs interstate to alleviate their financial problems after reported speculation that Footscray or Collingwood could move to Brisbane.
1983 – April-May. Mckinsey report commissioned. The report finds many issues with the leagues decision making processes.
1983 – May 11. A report by David Crawford says the Swans are dangerously close to extinction.
1983 – October 4. The VFL sets up Task Force Mandic.
1984 – April 7. The NFL calls a conference to discuss the VFLs attitude to interstate recruiting after the VFL ignored an NFL request to revoke permits granted to two players to transfer from South Australia back to Geelong.
1984 – May 17. Bob Ansett (North president) says that a national competition was needed to ensure the survival of the VFL after reports emerged that several clubs were considering forming a breakaway competition.
1984 – May 23. The herald reports that Fitzroy is considering a merger with Melbourne. Fitzroy deny any such discussion is taking place.
1984 – June 6. North Melbourne proposes a revamped 16 team competition in six states to a VFL task force.
1984 – June 15. WA Football Commissioner appraches the SANFL to discuss entering the VFL at the same time, but leaves under the impression the SANFL arent interested
1984 – August 1. Mandic Task Force reports ““the overwhelming preponderance of evidence received by the Task Force supports its unanimous view that a new management and policy-making structure with clearly defined objectives needs to be created for the VFL and further, the Task Force has concluded that the present decision-making process with the League is fundamently (sic) deficient”.”
1984 – September 4. Meeting of club representatives organised by John Elliot and Ian Collins proposing the setting up of a new national competition, with financial conditions set, and clubs to be invited from WA and SA. SA is uninterested, but interest from WA was reported as warm. 11 VFL club presidents are reported in favour (Geelongs president wasnt present).
1984 – September 13. The WAFL says its ready to join the VFL, but wants composite teams not individuals. Elliot was reported to have talked to Swan District and Claremont. The SANFL condemned the VFL for keeping it in the dark.
1984 – September 12. John Elliot presents his plan to the VFL board at an emergency meeting “noting that his material had input from the Collingwood president, Ranald Macdonald, and “other club representatives”
1984 – September 14. Victorian Minister for sport and recreation condemns moves to take the VFL national in parliament, saying 90% of the Victorian public opposed the move.
1984 – September 26. VFL subcommittee says changes could not be in place for 1985.
1984 – October 4. ACTAFL president says any national competition should be run by the NFL not the VFL.
1984 – November 7 – ““after long and careful consideration it was resolved “that the VFL Board endorse in principal the Task Force recommendation that the existing VFL Board of Directors structure be replaced by the appointment of a full-time Commissioner and four part-time Commissioners to conduct the administrative affairs of the League on a trial basis”
Part 2 of this series will deal with the inclusion of the WA and SA clubs.
RnR
Guest
Dear Wookie, I haven't been able to find the original source material for this bit: 1984 – September 14. Victorian Minister for sport and recreation condemns moves to take the VFL national in parliament, saying 90% of the Victorian public opposed the move. Can you help?
TW
Guest
Reply to Sticks and Perry Bridge, First up Gillon Mclachlan stated very clearly in his Canberra Press Club speech earlier this year that the AFL will now focus on the Auckland area of NZ for development. He also admitted that International Development had been all over the place in previous years and also mentioned in passing China and India as other locations. He is the boss of the whole scene so we can probably assume the recent developments in NZ win conjunction with AFLNZ are the result of his comments. Two new Comps are starting over there this month and April. A most important point here - It appears AFLNZ have gained access to the North Harbour Cricket Ground in Auckland for the above comps. Mclachlan also mentioned that the AFL will seek access to the new Cricket Stadium planned for Auckland ii circa 2018. Go to the AFLNZ website for more info . There is no doubt in the mooted Womens Comp if they are paid to play will attract players internationally (Canada etc) and some from other sports.. Josh Vanderloo and others at AFL House have got the job of setting up the new league and separately Womens AFL Academies in each state.
andyl12
Guest
Except the Vic clubs rarely if ever vote as a bloc. Many non-Victorians I've met struggle to understand that we're not all Collingwood fans who worship Eddie McGuire. Melbourne is a proudly cosmopolitan and diverse community, and that is reflected by the different types of fans you find at each club. That is why mergers proved so difficult- in many cases you were trying to create a new fruit out of an apple and an orange.
sticks
Roar Rookie
@ Jax, the Victorian comp was always the biggest and strongest and generally had the most money so it was fair they had the bulk of the teams, however what is unfair is the fact that teams in the WAFL and SANFL with hundred year traditions and arguably stronger than the weaker Victorian teams have been shunted and replaced with somewhat plastic franchises.
jax
Guest
I disagree. The system has been designed so as to ensure that the Vic clubs maintain control. When clubs vote 10-8 is always going to go the Vic's way if it's in their interests to do so.
jax
Guest
For some reason my replies to Wookie are not being positioned directly underneath his? They are falling down the page as a random individual comment when they are a direct response to his. I'm also unable to edit any of my comments? You have a bug.
jax
Guest
Of course that's how it is. Very little has been done to create any other outcome. That's something supporters of the VFL/AFL concept need to appreciate. I'm gobsmacked you came out with that one. If you have the most teams and the media centred in the state it stands to reason that you'll have the most fans etc. Sorry, but that's not a good argument at all I'm afraid.
sticks
Roar Rookie
Off topic to a degree, but if we use the WAFL 1970 crowds per round as a indicator. http://www.wafl.com.au/games More people went to the highest standard of football in Perth every week then, than what they do now, Perth could easily satisfy another club, i would imagine that Adelaide would be the same, although i doubt whether a 3rd club would work now in Adelaide, however if the top 3 SANFL clubs were in the AFL then 3 clubs in Adelaide could work.
sticks
Roar Rookie
I don't think it is baffling, i think it is attempting to grow the game in new areas, junior or grass roots football was very weak in Sydney and Brisbane pre Swans and Lions, sure it existed and would have continued to exist, but now Sydney ( Swans) has built the Northern and Eastern suburbs to a point where they are getting good draft picks every year, not to mention the Swans academies further north which just last year produced Heeney. These players, many more and many from QLD probably would not have played Australian Football with your line of thinking.
Nick Nack
Guest
We tolerate it, but the sheer size of the league compared to what we had is staggering.
Nick Nack
Guest
Too rich to care I guess.
Nick Nack
Guest
Obviously not everyone in West Sydney gives a toss about NRL or soccer also or they would be selling out Homebush every week. NRL has to contend with rugby union nicking all it's players. The lower that Aussie peso goes, the more attractive union in Europe looks.
Gyfox
Guest
I think you shouod have included the VFL playing HA games in Sydney in 1979. It was the overture to Act 1
sticks
Roar Rookie
Of course they were, they did not want to give up the power clubs who provided $$ , the VFL now AFL wanted to preserve all it's teams and that is fair enough. But from my POV a national comp with the big Melbourne 4 plus a few more ( Geelong, St kilda etc ) combined with 2 to 3 power clubs from the SANFL and WAFL as well as the current expansion clubs would give us a fantastically historically enriched national comp. The power base would be as it is now, slanted to Victoria, but by using traditional clubs in SA and WA, perhaps the cry for SOO may be much bigger.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
The WAFL and SANFL were dead against state league sides joining a national competition. The VFL wouldnt even help with NFL feasibility studies into it.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Hi andy, I dont believe there is a way to make the competition completely equitable. Too much of the competition still relies on the Victorian base. It was the whole reason the Victorians went their own route in the first place, and even now the figures justify that position. yes you have small victorian clubs, but for the most part those clubs are small due in large part to artificial restrictions from league hq - the fixture and stadium deals being prinary drivers of revenue, attendance and membership.
andyl12
Guest
Hi Wookie- I'd actually meant my 4.06PM post as a reply to Jax's 1.36PM post. But I may as well ask you- what composition of teams in what states or territories would create an equitable competition in your mind? And what other measures would we take to make all teams in all states (with the possible exception of some Victorian teams) equally satisfied?
WhereIsGene
Guest
Oh boy the Hennesy Report got it wrong! Stating a Sydney team would make a profit after three years? We're still waiting for that to become a reality. Swans couldn't even make a profit after winning the flag in 2012. I don't want to think of how many millions the AFL has sunk into propping up the franchise but I've no doubt it would've been enough to save Fitzroy from going under many many times over. :(
sticks
Roar Rookie
Women's football, when the national league starts, the standard between Australia and O/S is much closer than the mens, we will see quite a number of O/S women down under.
sticks
Roar Rookie
1984 – October 4. ACTAFL president says any national competition should be run by the NFL not the VFL. ^^^^^^ This i like, from memory Ainslie football club in Canberra at one stage was far more financially stable than many VFL clubs ( 1980's) was winning the comp every year and was seriously looking at joining the SANFL, had the NFL run the National league and not the VFL we could have teams like East and West Perth in the league as well as Norwood and a couple of SANFL powerhouses, perhaps a few other teams as well, perhaps even a Tassie powerhouse. Some old VFL teams would have probably fallen by the way side but we would have a had a league overall far more enriched in history, one of the strong points of the VFL now AFL and the many Melbourne teams. This year perhaps was the first year ever when all 8 finalists were expansion cubs, remembering Richmond although founded in 1885 did not join the VFL until 1908. The league will continue to expand, Nth Qld, 3rd Perth, maybe Tassie and ultimately a 3rd Sydney team and NZ team will appear.