AS COA Competition Ended Plans To Take VFL Nationwide Started

Victor P Taffa

Seasons 1973 and 1974 saw Richmond Tigers as VFL Premiers and COA Premiers.

As the Champions of Australia (COA) Competition ended in 1975 plans began to take the success of the VFL Competition Nationwide. By 1990 the plan became reality with the first AFL season.

COA Competition ended in 1975 and the 1977 VFL Grand Final was the first to be televised live in Sydney. Season 1979 saw VFL matches played at the SCG for Premiership Points.

From 1979-81 VFL matches for Premiership Points were played at the SCG. These included:

Season 1979

15 July 1979

Round 15

Richmond 22. 20. (152) d. Fitzroy 20. 15. (135)

Official Crowd 17, 140

 

Season 1980

27 April 1980

Round 5

North Melbourne 26. 21. (177) d. Footscray 8.7. (55)

Official Crowd 13, 476

25 May 1980

Round 9

Carlton 20. 11. (131) d. Essendon 13. 16. (94)

Official Crowd 24, 545

16 June 1980

Round 12

Geelong 21. 21. (147) d. South Melbourne 12. 12. (84)

Official Crowd 13,209

20 July 1980

Round 16

Richmond 34. 18. (222) d. St. Kilda 11.4. (70)

Official Crowd 14,077

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Season 1981

3 May 1981

Round 6

Geelong 22. 21.(153) d. Melbourne 16. 8. (104)

Official Crowd 11,077

26 July 1981

Round 17

South Melbourne 18.13. (121) d. Collingwood 15. 13. (103)

Official Crowd 22,238

 

At the end of the 1981 VFL season South Melbourne relocated to Sydney and became the Sydney Swans.

12 Team VFL Competition expanded into other states.

 

Brisbane Bears/Lions (Fitzroy Lions merged with Brisbane Bears in 1996)

Year Entered Competition: 1987

Year Left Competition:

Home Ground: Gabba

1^st Grade Premierships: (3) 2001, 2002, 2003,

Runners-Up: (1) 2004,

Fitzroy Lions (Fitzroy Lions merged with Brisbane Bears in 1996)

Year Entered Competition: 1897

Year Left Competition: 1996

Home Ground: Junction Oval/ Western Oval

1^st Grade Premierships: (8) 1898, 1899, 1904, 1905, 1913, 1916, 1922, 1944,

Runners-Up: (5) 1900, 1903, 1906, 1917, 1923,

Sydney Swans (Originally South Melbourne and relocated to Sydney in 1982)

Year Entered Competition: 1897

Year Left Competition:

Home Ground: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)/ Lake Oval

1^st Grade Premierships: (5) 1909, 1918, 1933, 2005, 2012,

Runners-Up: (12) 1899, 1907, 1912, 1914, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1945, 1996, 2006, 2014, 2016,

West Coast Eagles

Year Entered Competition: 1987

Year Left Competition:

Home Ground: WACA

1^st Grade Premierships: (3) 1992, 1994, 2006,

Runners-Up: (3) 1991, 2005, 2015,

 

Season 1989 was the last VFL season in its form at the time as Season 1990 became the first AFL Season.

Champions Of Australia (COA)

Championship of Australia was the name given to an Australian Rules football tournament which was contested between football clubs from the Victorian, South Australian, West Australian and Tasmania football leagues. The Championship took place 3 times in the 19th century and then from 1907 to 1914 with the exception of 1912 and every year from 1968 to 1975.

Champions By Year (1888–1914, 1968–75)

Club

Club Nicknames are in Brackets.

Carlton (Blues)

Premierships: (2) 1968, 1970,

Runners-Up: (4) 1907, 1908, 1914, 1972,

Collingwood (Magpies)

Premierships: (1) 1896,

Runners-Up: (1) 1910,

Essendon (Bombers)

Premierships: (1) 1893,

Runners-Up: (1) 1911,

Fitzroy (Lions)

Premierships: (0)

Runners-Up: (1) 1913,

Hawthorn (Hawks)

Premierships: (1) 1971,

Runners-Up: (0)

North Adelaide (Roosters)

Premierships: (1) 1972,

Runners-Up: (1) 1971,

North Melbourne (Kangaroos)

Premierships: (1) 1975,

Runners-Up: (0)

Norwood (Redlegs)

Premierships: (2) 1888, 1907,

Runners-Up: (1) 1975,

Port Adelaide (Magpies)

Premierships: (4) 1890, 1910, 1913, 1914,

Runners-Up: (0)

Richmond (Tigers)

Premierships: (3) 1969, 1973, 1974,

Runners-Up: (0)

South Melbourne (Swans)

Premierships: (1) 1909,

Runners-Up: (2) 1888, 1890,

Subiaco (Swans)

Premierships: (0)

Runners-Up: (1) 1973,

Sturt (Double Blues)

Premierships: (0)

Runners-Up: (4) 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974,

South Adelaide (Panthers)

Premierships: (0)

Runners-Up: (2) 1893, 1896,

West Adelaide (The Bloods)

Premierships: (2) 1908, 1911,

Runners-Up: (1) 1909,

 

Abbreviations

(AFL)              Australian Football League

(WAFL)          Western Australia Football League

(SANFL)         South Australian National Football League

(VFL)              Victorian Football League (Preceded the AFL Competition)

(SCG)              Sydney Cricket Ground

(Gabba)           Brisbane Cricket Ground in suburb of Woolloongabba and known as Gabba

(WACA)         Western Australia Cricket Association

Definitions

G. B. T.

G         Goals kicked are worth 6 Points

B         Behinds kicked are worth 1 Point

T         Total Score