AFL reserves

{{redirect|VFL reserves|the competition also known as the VFL reserves in the league formerly known as the VFA|VFL Development League|the similarly-named former competition|Victorian Junior Football Association}} {{Infobox sports league | title = AFL reserves | current_season = | current_season2 = | last_season = | upcoming_season = | logo = AFL Logo 1990-1999.png | pixels = 150px | caption = | formerly = {{nowrap|Victorian Junior Football League}} VFL seconds/reserves | replaced = | sport = Australian rules football | founded = 1919 | administrator = | ceo = | director = | president = | motto = | inaugural = 1919 | teams = | singles = | country = Australia | venue = | continent = | folded = 1999 | champion = | most_champs = {{VFL Gee}} (13) | qualification = | tv = | sponsor = | related_comps = {{hlist|AFL|AFL under-19s}} | founder = | levels = | promotion = | relegation = | domestic_cup = | website = | footnotes = }} The '''AFL reserve grade competition''', commonly known simply as the '''AFL reserves''', was an Australian rules football competition that operated as a second-tier competition to the Australian Football League (AFL) from 1919 until 1999.

Prior to 1990, it was known as the '''VFL reserve grade competition''', '''VFL reserves''' or '''VFL seconds'''.<ref>{{cite web |title=1999 AFL Reserve Grade Competition |url=https://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/australian%2Bfootball%2Bleague/138/reserves/104/140/1999 |publisher=Australian Football}}</ref>

In its final season in 1999, the competition was made up of the reserves teams of all the senior AFL clubs that were based in Victoria, plus that of the Sydney Swans.<ref>{{cite web |title=1999 AFL Reserve Grade Competition |url=https://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/afl/138/reserve%2Bgrade%2Bcompetition/104/140/1999/basic |publisher=Australian Football}}</ref>

Since 2000, the Victorian Football League (VFL), formerly known as the Victorian Football Association (VFA), has operated as a hybrid second-tier senior competition and reserves competition for most of the AFL clubs.

==History== ===Formation=== In 1919, a new football competition known as the '''Victorian Junior Football League''' ('''VJFL''') was established – at this time, junior was the term used for open age football of a lower standard than senior football, rather than for under age football.<ref name="Ross">{{cite book|last1=Ross|first1=John|title=100 Years of Australian Football|date=1996|publisher=Viking Books|location=Ringwood, Australia|isbn=9781854714343|pages=382}}</ref> The league was intended to bring a junior club affiliated with each of the Victorian Football League (VFL) senior clubs into a single competition, and to adopt the same district eligibility scheme which the VFL had introduced in 1916.<ref name="neworg">{{cite web |title=NEW JUNIOR ORGANISATION |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155227061 |publisher=The Age |access-date=19 October 2024 |page=13 |date=18 January 1919}}</ref> Player permit rules allowed for automatic transfers between the junior and senior clubs until July, allowing the juniors to serve as second eighteens for the seniors. The junior and senior clubs shared a home ground, with the juniors playing home when the seniors played away.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Malvern Standard|page=3|date=8 March 1919|title=District junior football}}</ref>

For the inaugural season, four existing junior clubs – the Fitzroy Juniors, Collingwood District (also known as Collingwood Juniors) and Leopold (affiliated with {{AFL SM}}) and Caulfield (affiliated with {{AFL Mel}}) – initially crossed to the new league from the Metropolitan Amateur Association; West Melbourne was affiliated with {{AFL Ess}}; and new junior clubs were formed in Carlton, Richmond and St Kilda.<ref name="neworg" /> {{AFL Uni}}, which had left the VFL senior competition after 1914, also entered a stand-alone junior team in the competition.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155222569 The Sporting World: A Look Ahead] ''The Age'' 12 March 1919 page 11</ref><ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155218895 Smith, W.H. & Ogilvey, A., The Football Season (Letter to the Editor)] ''The Age'' 13 March 1919 page 6</ref>

Shortly before the season, Caulfield withdrew, and a second University team was quickly arranged to take its place for the 1919 season.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|publication-place=Melbourne|title=Football|date=15 May 1919|page=10}}</ref> The two University teams were known as University A and University B, later becoming the modern day 'University Blues' and 'University Blacks'. University B contested only the 1919 season, with a Melbourne Juniors team established for 1920; University A contested the 1919 and 1920 seasons, reaching the grand final both years before dropping out.

West Melbourne faced multiple heavy losses in 1920, including a 197-point loss against Carlton District and a 229-point loss against St Kilda District. The club left the competition at the end of the season, and were replaced by {{AFLR EssJ}}.<ref name="blues">{{cite web |title=1920 Reserves |url=https://www.blueseum.org/1920+Reserves |publisher=Blueseum}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ESSENDON SECOND EIGHTEEN |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202324540 |publisher=The Age |access-date=16 December 2024 |page=13 |date=6 March 1928}}</ref>

===Name change=== In 1925, the VJFL was renamed as the '''VFL seconds''', later known more commonly as the '''VFL reserves'''.<ref>{{cite web |title=V.F.L. SECONDS |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204842229/19259413 |newspaper=Age |date=26 June 1936 |publisher=The Age}}</ref> Following the change, the seconds clubs still operated as distinct stand-alone clubs at this time, rather than coming directly under the influence of their senior clubs. This changed over the following decades, with all of the seconds teams gradually being subsumed by their senior counterparts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Football - Carlton - Seniors may control second eighteen|date=2 March 1936|page=5|newspaper=The Age}}</ref><ref name="district">{{cite web |title=Collingwood District Football Club |url=https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/collingwood-district-football-club/ |publisher=Collingwood Forever}}</ref>

{{AFL Mel}} won the 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934 and 1935 premierships - the only time in VFL/AFL history (seniors or reserves) that a club has won five grand finals in a row.<ref>{{cite web |title=Records and Achievements |url=https://www.melbournefc.com.au/history/honour-board |publisher=Melbourne Football Club}}</ref>

Local players were primarily recruited via the league's metropolitan and country zoning rules, and the clubs had full ability to develop its players through its Under-19s and reserves teams: the same basic structure was also used consistently in the other two elite leagues, the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and the West Australian Football League (WAFL).

===VSFL era=== History was made in 1991, with the Brisbane Bears winning the reserves premiership − the first non-Victorian club to win a VFL/AFL premiership in any grade.

The Victorian State Football League was established at the end of 1991 to take over administration of football in Victoria from the Australian Football League, which was now becoming preoccupied with administration of the game nationally.

The VSFL ran the AFL reserves competition from 1992 until 1999, which was also referred as the VSFL in its first few years.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=North to push for new jumpers|date=21 March 1995|author=Stephen Linnell|page=42}}</ref> At the end of 1994, the VSFL also took over administration of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) competition (which was renamed the Victorian Football League in 1996).<ref name="ozf2">{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-118-0-0-0&sID=54554&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=11104596| title = History of the VFL 1877 - 2009 }}</ref>

===Amalgamation with the VFL=== {{see also|2000 VFL season}} Following the 1999 season, the AFL reserves was merged into the Victorian Football League. Such a merger had first been proposed as early as 1980, and a formal attempt to enact the merger for the 1995 season was defeated after strong opposition from the clubs.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|page=24|date=12 June 1980|title=League nearer Sunday games}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|date=24 May 1994|author1=Stephen Rielly|author2=Stephen Linnell|page=50|title=Vic clubs threaten AFL on reserves}}</ref>

==Clubs== {{AFL SM}} was relocated to Sydney at the end of the 1981 VFL season, after which the club continued to play in the VFL/AFL reserves as Sydney.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/02/1059480597805.html|publisher=The Age|access-date=23 August 2011|date=3 August 2003|title=Unearthing roots of Harbour City talent}}</ref>

The Brisbane Bears competed for four years between 1989 and 1992, winning their only premiership at any grade in 1991. After their merger with {{AFL Fit}} at the end of 1996, the {{AFL BL}} did not compete in the competition.

No teams from South Australia or Western Australia ever competed in the VFL/AFL reserves. {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; width:110%" ! rowspan=2 | Club ! rowspan=2 class=unsortable | Colours ! rowspan=2 | Moniker ! colspan=2 | Seasons ! rowspan=2 | Title(s) ! rowspan=2 | Year(s) of Title(s) ! rowspan=2 | Current league |- ! style=text-align:left | Brisbane | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Bears'' | align=centre | 1989 | align=centre | 1992 | align=centre | 1 | align=centre | 1991 | align=left | '''Merged''' with {{AFL Fit}} Lions, now as Brisbane Lions − VFL |- ! style=text-align:left | Carlton ({{AFLR CarD}}) | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Blues'' | align=centre | 1919 | align=centre | 1999 | align=centre | 8 | align=centre | 1926, 1927, 1928, 1951, 1953, 1986, 1987, 1990 | align=left | '''VFL''' |- ! style=text-align:left | Caulfield | center|40x40px | align=centre | | colspan=4; align=centre | ''N/A'' {{small|Withdrew before start of inaugural 1919 season}} | align=left | '''Folded''' {{small|1976}} |- ! style=text-align:left | {{VFL Cob}} | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Lions'' | align=centre | 1921 | align=centre | 1924 | align=centre | 0 | align=centre | | align=left | '''VFL''' |- ! style=text-align:left | Collingwood {{nowrap|(Collingwood District)}} | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Magpies'' | align=centre | 1919 | align=centre | 1999 | align=centre | 7 | align=centre | 1919, 1920, 1922, 1925, 1940, 1965, 1976 | align=left | '''VFL''' |- ! style=text-align:left | {{VFL Ess}} ({{AFLR EssJ}}) | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Bombers'' | align=centre | 1921 | align=centre | 1999 | align=centre | 8 | align=centre | 1921, 1941, 1950, 1952, 1968, 1983, 1992, 1999 | align=left | '''VFL''' |- ! style=text-align:left | {{AFL Fit}} ({{AFLR FitzJ}}) | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Lions'' | align=centre | 1919 | align=centre | 1996 | align=centre | 3 | align=centre | 1944, 1974, 1989 | align=left | '''Merged''' with {{AFL BB}}, now as Brisbane Lions − VFL |- ! style=text-align:left | Geelong | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Cats'' | align=centre | 1922 | align=centre | 1999 | align=centre | 13 | align=centre | 1923, 1924, 1930, 1937, 1938, 1948, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982 | align=left | '''VFL''' |- ! style=text-align:left | Hawthorn | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Hawks'' | align=centre | 1925 | align=centre | 1999 | align=centre | 4 | align=centre | 1958, 1959, 1972, 1985 | align=left | '''In recess''' {{small|Affiliated with {{VFL Box}} − '''VFL'''}} |- ! style=text-align:left | Leopold | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Leos'' | align=centre | 1919 | align=centre | 1924 | align=centre | 0 | align=centre | | align=left | '''Folded''' {{small|1924}} |- ! style=text-align:left | Melbourne | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Demons'' | align=centre | 1920 | align=centre | 1999 | align=centre | 12 | align=centre | 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1939, 1949, 1956, 1969, 1970, 1984, 1993 | align=left | '''In recess''' {{small|Affiliated with {{VFL Cas}} − '''VFL'''}} |- ! style=text-align:left | North Melbourne (Kangaroos){{efn|North Melbourne was officially known as the Kangaroos Football Club in 1999.}} |center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Kangaroos'' | align=centre | 1925 | align=centre | 1999 | align=centre | 7 | align=centre | 1947, 1957, 1967, 1978, 1979, 1995, 1996 | align=left | '''VFL''' |- ! style=text-align:left | Richmond | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Tigers'' | align=centre | 1919 | align=centre | 1999 | align=centre | 10 | align=centre | 1929, 1946, 1954, 1955, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1977, 1997 | align=left | '''VFL''' |- ! style=text-align:left | St Kilda (St Kilda District) | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Saints'' | align=centre | 1919 | align=centre | 1999 | align=centre | 3 | align=centre | 1942, 1943, 1961 | align=left | '''VFL in 2026''' {{small|Affiliated with {{VFL San}} − '''VFL'''}} |- ! style=text-align:left | Sydney (South Melbourne){{efn|South Melbourne relocated to Sydney in 1982 was renamed Sydney Swans in 1983.}} |center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Swans'' | align=centre | 1925 | align=centre | 1999 | align=centre | 0 | align=centre | | align=left | '''VFL''' |- ! style=text-align:left | {{AFLR UniA}} | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Blues'' | align=centre | 1919 | align=centre | 1920 | align=centre | 0 | align=centre | | align=left | '''VAFA''' |- ! style=text-align:left | {{AFLR UniB}} | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Blacks'' | align=centre | 1919 | align=centre | 1919 | align=centre | 0 | align=centre | | align=left | '''VAFA''' |- ! style=text-align:left | West Melbourne | center|40x40px | align=centre | | align=centre | 1919 | align=centre | 1920 | align=centre | 0 | align=centre | | align=left | '''Folded''' {{small|1940s}} |- ! style=text-align:left | Western Bulldogs (Footscray){{efn|Footscray was renamed Western Bulldogs in 1997.}} | center|40x40px | align=centre | ''Bulldogs'' | align=centre | 1925 | align=centre | 1999 | align=centre | 6 | align=centre | 1936, 1945, 1962, 1988, 1994, 1998 | align=left | '''VFL''' |}

===Uniforms=== {| |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _brisbanebears1992|pattern_sh= _goldsides|pattern_so =_brisbanebears1992|body = AB0534|shorts = AB0534|socks = AB0534|title= Brisbane}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _carltonfc16h|pattern_sh= _whitesides|pattern_so = |body = 021A31|shorts = 021A31|socks = 021A31|title= Carlton}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _blackstripes|pattern_sh= _whitesides|pattern_so=|body=|shorts=000000|socks=000000|title= Collingwood}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b = _redrightsash|pattern_sh= _redsides|pattern_so= _hoops_black|body = 000000|shorts = 000000|socks= F40017|title= Essendon}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _fitzroy 1975|pattern_sh= _bluesides|pattern_so = _bluetop|body = FF0000|shorts = FFFFFF|socks= ff0000|title= Fitzroy}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _redband_whiteborder|pattern_sh= _whitesides|pattern_so = _hoops_white|body = 333399|shorts = 333399|socks= 333399|title= Footscray}} |- |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _thinwhitehoops|pattern_sh= _whitesides|pattern_so = _hoops_white|body = 1C3C63|shorts = 1C3C63|socks= 1C3C63|title= Geelong}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _brown_stripes_copia|pattern_sh= _goldsides|pattern_so= _hoops_gold|body= FBBF15|shorts= 823F00|socks= 823F00|title= Hawthorn}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b = _Vonwhite|pattern_sh=_whitesides|pattern_so= _hoops_red|body= FF0000|shorts= FF0000|socks= FFFFFF|title= Leopold}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _red_v_top|pattern_sh= _redsides|pattern_so= _hoops_blue|body= 004AE5|shorts= 004AE5|socks= ff0000|title= Melbourne}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b=_3stripesonwhite|pattern_sh= _whitesides|pattern_so = |body= 133B9F|shorts= 133B9F|socks= 133B9F|title= North Melbourne}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _goldrightsash|pattern_sh=_goldsides|pattern_so=_hoops_black|body= 000000|shorts= 000000|socks= FED102|title= Richmond}} |- |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _stkilda 1923|pattern_sh=_whitesides|pattern_so= _redtop|body= FFFFFF|shorts= 000000|socks= 000000|title= St Kilda}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b = _Vonwhite|pattern_sh=_whitesides|pattern_so= _hoops_red|body= FF0000|shorts= FF0000|socks= FFFFFF|title= South Melbourne}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b = _swans19h|pattern_sh=_whitesides|pattern_so= _hoops_red|body= FF0000|shorts= FF0000|socks= FFFFFF|title= Sydney}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _Vwideblue|pattern_sh= _bluesides|pattern_so= _bluehorizontal|body= 000000|shorts= 000000|socks= 000000|title= University A}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b= _Vwideblue|pattern_sh= _bluesides|pattern_so= _bluehorizontal|body= 000000|shorts= 000000|socks= 000000|title= University B}} |{{Australian rules football kit box |pattern_b = _redrightsash|pattern_sh= _redsides|pattern_so= _hoops_black|body = 000000|shorts = 000000|socks= F40017|title= West Melbourne}} |}

==Notable players== A number of notable players competed solely in the reserves competition.

Shane Warne, considered to be one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket, played a single game for {{AFL StK}} in 1988: he was erroneously listed in the Record as Trevor Warne, and played in the Under-19s for the remainder of the season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Remembering Warnie: The football story before the cricket legend |date=5 March 2022 |url=https://www.saints.com.au/news/1072288/remembering-warnie-the-football-story-before-the-cricket-legend |publisher=St Kilda Football Club}}</ref> Former St Kilda number one ticket holder John Moran also played for the reserves side.<ref>{{cite web |title=John Moran Loyalty Award |date=28 July 2014 |url=https://www.saints.com.au/news/711310/john-moran-loyalty-award |publisher=St Kilda Football Club}}</ref>

John Bourke, a {{AFL Col}} forward, infamously shoved an umpire and then attacked a fan among other incidents during a game in 1985, leading to a suspension of ten years plus 16 games, equivalent to 240 matches.<ref>{{cite web |title=10 of the AFL's most famous suspensions |date=19 June 2019 |url=https://www.zerohanger.com/10-of-the-afls-most-famous-suspensions-30958/4/ |publisher=ZeroHanger}}</ref>

==Premiers== {{main|List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers}} {{AFL Gee}} won the most reserves premierships, with a total of 13.<ref>{{cite web |title=Premierships |url=https://www.geelongcats.com.au/history/premierships/ |publisher=Geelong Cats}}</ref>

==See also== * List of VFL/AFL reserves records

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:History of Australian rules football Category:Defunct Australian rules football competitions in Victoria (state) Category:1919 establishments in Australia Category:1999 disestablishments in Australia Category:Sports competitions in Melbourne Category:Sports leagues established in 1919 Category:Professional sports leagues in Australia