VFA

Until the formation of the VFL in 1897, the Victorian Football Association was the leading football competition in the state. Formed in 1877 the Association replaced the loosely affiliated leagues and gatherings of clubs that had been the norm since the early days of the game. The founding clubs Albert Park, East Melbourne, Essendon, Geelong, Hotham (later North Melbourne), Melbourne and St. Kilda met at Oliver's Cafe in Collins Street on May 7 to create the organisation which would survive almost 125 years before disbanding.

Despite the emergence of the VFL, the Association continued to remain strong throughout the first three-quarters of the 20th century, with Sunday football as their drawcard. During the 1940's there was serious talk about a merger of the two competitions, with the VFA forming a second division, but the talks broke down when the two sides split over automatic promotion and relegation against 'playoff' matches to determine league status.

However as the VFL/AFL started to encroach on this, and the money on offer in the big leagues too much for players to turn back, clubs started to falter and attendances dropped. By the late 1980's several famous clubs had gone under and the league had scaled back from a two division operation to one competition.

In 1995 the competition adopted the name "VFL", which had been dropped by the national competition at the start of 1990. Melbourne enjoyed a successful alignment with the Sandringham Zebras from 2000 to 2008, during which Sandringham won four premierships. From 2009 onwards Melbourne are aligned with Casey Scorpions.

MFC players that played for VFA/VFL clubs before or after (but not during) their career include;

Bendigo Diggers/Bombers

Nick Carter
Gary Moorcroft

Box Hill Mustangs/Hawks

Matthew Bishop
Daniel Breese
Brian Cook
Mitchell Craig
Simon Godfrey
Andy Goodwin
Cameron Hunter
Max Jeffers
Tassie Johnson (Captain/Coach)
Gordon Kramer
Colin Love
Adem Yze

Brighton Penguins/Caulfield Bears

Dick Atkinson (Captain/Coach)
Fred Blackham (pre-VFA)
Ed Buckley
George Cassidy
Mike Collins (1971-1974)
Ernest Denton (pre-VFA)
Ron Hall
Vernon Hazel
Les Jones
Otto Landmann
Hassa Mann (Coach)
Bill McClelland (pre-VFA)
Hughie Odgers (pre-VFA)
Arthur Pound
Hugh Purse (pre-VFA)
Jack Purse (pre-VFA)
Kelvin Richards
Russell Rowe
Bill Shelton
Darcy Walsh
Charlie Young (pre-VFA)

Brunswick Magpies

Les Abbott
Jack Baquie
Ron Baggott (Captain/Coach)
Bruce Brown
Tom Flower
Ossie Green
Harry Harker
Ron Hobba
Mark Jackson
Joe Kinnear
Jack McKenzie (Captain/Coach)
Ted Parker
Alec Proudfoot
Henry Smith
Ray Smith
Clyde Stanway
Howard Steel
Jack Strong
Rodney Wright

Camberwell Tricolours/Cobras

Dave Bedford
Peter Brenchley (Coach)
Neil Chamberlain
Dave Elliman
Tom Flower
Lew Gough
Harry Harley
Alex Holland
George Lenne
Geoff Mason
Ken McKaige
Terry Mountain
Ray Smith (Captain/Coach)
Glenn Walley
Ray Wartman
Max Wright

Coburg Lions/Tigers

Percy Colee
Jack Connole
Tom Elliott
Vernon Hazel
Anthony McDonald
Bill Ralston
Len Smith (coach)
Peter Smith
George Walker
Ron Wilson
Charles Young

Dandenong Redlegs

Ray Biffin (Coach)
Billy Deans (pre-VFA)
Greg Doyle
Tony Elshaug
Gary Guy

Essendon Association

Albert Bickford
Alf George
Charlie Goding
Fred Harris
Percy Hordern
George Martin
Jack McKenzie (Captain/Coach)

Footscray

Fred Elliott
Bill Fawcett
Bill Gillespie
John Lord 1921-1923
Aubrey MacKenzie
Roy Park

Frankston Dolphins

Luke Beveridge
Frank Davis (Coach)
Ryan Ferguson
Leigh Gloury (pre-VFA)
Andy Goodwin
Brett Hutchinson
Ralph Lane (pre-VFA)
Brett Lovett (Coach)

Geelong West Roosters

Nigel Kol
Greg Sizer
Percy Taylor (pre-VFA)

Hawthorn

Jim Fitzpatrick
Vic Gordon
Clarrie Lethlean
Jack McKenzie
Alex Salvado
Jack Woolley

Hotham/North Melbourne

Les Abbott
Jack Geggie
Bill Homan
Herb Matthews
Jack Smith
Eric Tonkin

Moorabbin Kangaroos

Garry Baker (Coach)
Neil Bencraft (Coach)
Alf Copsey
Ben Crameri
Alan Daly
Maurie Lehmann
Peter Schofield
Greg Wells

Mordialloc Bloodhounds

Garry Baker
Len Dockett (pre-VFA)
John Kerr
Noel McMahen (pre-VFA)
Peter Slade

Murray Kangaroos

None

North Ballarat Roosters

Mark Bradly
Andrew Ford (pre-VFL)
Stewart Gull (pre-VFL)
Darren Jolly

Northcote Brickfielders/Dragons

Bill Adams
Ben Crameri (Coach)
Jack Hammond
Bill Hore
Robert C Johnson
Brian Leahy
Billy Libbis
Les Minto
Jack O'Keefe
Archie Pratt
Alex Salvado
Len Smith
Roy Stabb
Herbert White
Jack Woolley

Oakleigh Devils

Paul Callery (Captain/Coach)
Ray Carr
Wally Carter
Russell Colcott
Neil Crompton (Coach)
Frank Deayton
Kevin Dyson
John Forster
Graham Gaunt
Jack Geggie (Captain/Coach)
Jack Harrison
Tom Quinn
Robert B Johnson (Captain/Coach)
Greg MacDonald
John Murnane
Henry Ritterman
Ted Thomas
Ian Todd

Port Melbourne Boroughs

Les Abbott
Ron Barassi
Harry Brereton
Bruce Brown
Mick Comber
Harry Cope
Harry Coy
Aaron Davey
Herb Friend
Paul Goss
Frank Kelly (Captain/Coach)
Leo Little
Jim Mackie
Geoff McInnes
George Milner
Laurie Mithen (Captain/Coach)
John Quirk
Percy Wilson

Prahran Two Blues

Bill Adams (Coach)
Robin Andrew
Maurie Bartlett
Bert Chadwick
Kelvin Clarke
Jim Conquest
Brian Dixon
Rob Dowsing
Ken Emselle
Arthur Ferguson
John Forster
Alf George
Michael George
Peter Giles
Shane Grambeau
Ray Harvey
Jack House
Greg Hutchison
Dennis Jones (Coach)
Bryan Kenneally
Percy Love
Henry McCrae
Ian McGuinness
Bob McKenzie
George McNaughton
Shane McSpeerin
Bill Morrow
David Murray
Frank O'Connor
Ivan Porter
Rod Payne
Howard Richardson
Archie Roberts
Kerry Ryan
Lou Salvana
Frank Smith
Kim Smith
Brian Stynes
Jim Stynes
John Townsend
Bill Tymms
Barrie Vagg
Don Williams
Gary Wynd
Graeme Yeats

Preston/Northern Bullants

Bill Adams
Matthew Collins
Bob Constable
Harry Davie
Wayne Gordon
Bill Hendrie
Mark McKeon
Gary Moorcroft
Wyn Murray
Alan Ryan
Hedley Tomkins
Billy Walsh
Herbert White
Ted Wood
Jack Woolley

Richmond

Herbert Hill
Ted Leach
Tommy Ryan
Wally Sykes
Ernie Vollugi
Ted Wade
Tom Watson

Sandringham Zebras

Bret Bailey
Neil Bencraft
Ross Brewer
Denis Clark
Kelvin Clarke
Alf Copsey
Jamie Duursma
Frank Giampaolo
Peter Giles
David Grant
Jack Hiscock
Barry Hodges
Brent Jones
David Kelly
Alan Krause
Chris Lamb
Norm Leverton
Andy Lovell (Coach)
Marty Lyons
Ron McKenzie
Glenn McLean
Tom McLean
Graham Osborne
Mal Owens
Phil Rhoden
Kelvin Richards
Guy Rigoni
Haydn Robins
Frank Rugolo
Joe Rugolo
Ray Sampson
Frank Scanlan
Jamie Shanahan
Len Toyne
Bill Tymms
Shane Valenti
Glenn Walley
Stephen Wearne
Fred Webster
Charles Young

Springvale/Casey Scorpions

Gary Cooke
Greg Doyle
Laurie Fowler (Captain/Coach)
Glenn Giles
Peter Keays
John Kerr
Doug Koop
Phil Pinnell (Captain/Coach)
Scott Simister

Sunshine Crows

Kevin Webb (pre-VFA)

Tasmania Devils

Ben Beams

Waverley Panthers

Peter Brenchley
Ross Brewer
Alec Ingwersen
Laurie Fowler
John Gallus
Bob Langford
Kevin Mithen
Tony Sullivan (Coach)
Tony Thiessen
Ian Thorogood (Captain/Coach)

Werribee Tigers

David Allday
Bill Baxter
Neil Crompton (Captain/Coach)
Barry Ough
Shaun Smith

West Melbourne

Albert Gourlay
George McCart
Les Minto

Williamstown Seagulls

Dale Anderson
George Archibald
Billy Bremner
Jim Dorgan
Adrian Dullard (Captain/Coach)
Tony Dullard
Frank Ellis
Eric Glass
Jim Jenkinson
Aubrey Neal
Gordon Ogden
Laurie Ogilvie
Vern Rowe
Tom Sadlier
Craig Smoker
George Woods

Yarraville Eagles

Peter Hannan
David Kelly
Brian Leahy
Gordon Ogden
Percy Streeter
Kevin Webb

Media
The Argus - 09/05/1877

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