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VFL Sub-Districts
Australian rules football competition, 1925–1949 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The VFL Sub-Districts (VFLSD), sometimes referred to as the Victorian Sub-District Football League (VSDFL), was an Australian rules football competition played in the state of Victoria and managed by the Victorian Football League (VFL), now known as the Australian Football League (AFL).[1][2] The competition was preceded by the Melbourne District Football Association (MDFA) and succeeded by the Metropolitan Football League (MFL).
The Sub-Districts included a number of "thirds" teams for senior VFL clubs, prior to the introduction of the VFL thirds (later VFL/AFL under-19s) in 1946.[3] A similar competition, the VFA Sub-Districts, also existed at the time of the VFLSD and was managed by the Victorian Football Association (VFA).[4][5]
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History
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MDFA
The Melbourne District Football Association (MDFA) was formed in the 1900s.[6][7][8][9]
The MDFA appears to stopped play during World War I, although a different competition (known as the Melbourne Junior Football Association) was formed in April 1918.[10][11] It is possible that MDFA clubs including Coburg and Moreland joined this competition for the 1918 season.[12][13]
VFLSD
At the end of the 1924 season, the VFL took over the MDFA and replaced it with the VFL Sub-Districts, officially called the Victorian Football League Sub-Districts Association.[14][15] W.H. Smith was elected as the new league's inaugural president, and the first game was played on 2 May 1925 between Oakleigh and Dandenong.[16][17][18][19] Public Service won the inaugural premiership in 1925, with a total of ten clubs competing in the competition the following year in 1926.[20][21][22][23]
The competition was split into two in 1927.[15] In 1927, there was a further split with the introduction of "First Grade North" (Division 1 North), "First Grade South" (Division 1 South), the "unallocated Second Grade" (Division 2) and the similarly-named "Seconds Grade" (the latter being a reserves competition, largely for the "Second Grade").[23] The winner of the North and South sections would go on to play in a grand final for the overall VFLSD premiership, while the winners of Division 2 and the Seconds (Reserves) Grade also played each other.[24] In 1929, Division 2 was also split into North and South sections.[25]
Fairfield and Kew drew in the 1929 grand final, with the replay won by Kew.[26][27] The clubs again drew in the 1935 grand final, with that replay won by Fairfield in a game that resulted in four players being suspended for fighting.[28][29]
Like in the senior VFL competition, the Page–McIntyre system was introduced in 1933, replacing the Argus finals system.[30] However, it appears the Argus system (or a similar system) returned in 1944, as The Age noted grand finalist East Brunswick "[had] the right of an extra game" after losing a final to Richmond District the week before.[31]
MFL
In 1950, the VFL Sub-Districts was succeeded by the Metropolitan Football League (MFL).[32][33][34]
Following the conclusion of the 1958 VFA season, the Prahran Football Club was expelled from the VFA for failing to meet the minimum home ground requirements, and was replaced by the Sunshine Football Club, which had been runners-up in the MFL in 1958.[35][36] Prahran subsequently spent 1959 competing in the MFL's A Grade, winning the premiership with just a single loss for the season, and the club returned to the VFA in 1960.[37][38]
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Clubs
Dozens of clubs competed in the MDFA, VFL Sub-Districts and MFL.[23][39][40]
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Premiers
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Kew won the most known Division 1/A Grade VFLSD premierships, with a total of five.[23][60]
| GF | Premiership decided by a grand final where a challenge was not needed |
| GF (R) | Premiership decided by a grand final replay, after the scheduled grand final was drawn |
| CF | Premiership decided by a challenge final under the Argus system |
MDFA premiers
VFL Sub-Districts premiers
Division 1 North premiers
Division 1 South premiers
Second Grade premiers
This premiership was contested by the winner of the unallocated "Second Grade" (Division 2) and the "Seconds Grade" (reserves competition), and later the winner of Division 2 North and Division 2 South.[24][25]
Division 2 premiers
Division 2 North premiers
Division 2 South premiers
Reserves premiers
MFL premiers
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Best and fairest
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The best and fairest award in the VFL Sub-Districts and the MFL was known as the Clota Medal (sometimes referred to as the Clota Trophy).[175][176] The award was named Marcus Clota, a former vice-president of South Melbourne who served as the VFL Sub-Districts president until his death on 25 December 1940.[177][178]
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Notes
- The Argus wrote in April 1936 that South Melbourne Districts was in the VFA Sub-Districts, while The Age wrote in May 1936 that the club was instead in the VFL Sub-Districts.[4][55] It is possible that the Districts had two teams, one in each competition, just as Balwyn had a team in both the VFL Sub-Districts and Reporter District Football Association during the 1927 season.[56][57][58]
- The scoreline from 1943 VFL Sub-Districts grand final is unknown.[23] On 21 August 1943, Abbotsford played Fitzroy in a semi-final.[145] It appears Fitzroy may have lost, as on 28 August 1943, Fitzroy then played East Brunswick in a final.[146] It also appears Fitzroy lost that game and were eliminated from the 1943 finals series, as The Herald wrote on 20 September 1943 that "[Fitzroy's] Thirds were runners-up in Sub-District League".[147] The grand final was played at Northcote Park on Saturday, 4 September 1943.[148] However, no known newspapers from Monday, 6 September 1943, include information about the VFL Sub-Districts grand final.[149][150]
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References
External links
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