So what exactly happened leading up to the formation of the VFL in 1896. It is surprising how little has been written on the subject. One possible reason is that it was messy and political and it is a blemish that the AFL/VFL would prefer not to focus on.

For someone interested in history, it is a great story about different perspectives, power and money.

Young and Jackson's

The VFA meetings were regularly held at Young and Jackson's Hotel in Flinders street. In time the VFL would get it’s own premises but since the 1880’s, Young and Jackson's was the home of the VFA. Many of the most important events during this period happened at the hotel.

Young And Jackson, Melbourne, Australia Mat Connolley

SLV H84.233202 Flinders St., Melbourne 1907

Young and Jacksons on the right. (Looking down Flinders street)

SLV H86.6 77 Swanston St C1900-1905

Standing near St.Paul's Cathedral looking towards the train terminal and the river. (site of current Flinders Street station). Young and Jackson's ‘Princess Bridge Hotel’ on the right. Note the clocks on the old train terminal.

1894

1896 was not the first time that tension had arisen within the VFA between the bigger and smaller clubs. In fact by 1896, the division with the VFA was clear. A good example is the tension in 1894 regarding the draw.

In earlier years not all teams played each other an even number of times and the top teams had control of the draw.

In 1893 for example Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, South Melbourne and Collingwood all started the first few weeks with a stack of home games against weaker opposition, while weaker clubs started the season with a series of away games against the top clubs.

The Argus noted that in 1893 the 13 clubs had essentially been divided into two sections when planning the draw. They noted the affect the draw had on the weaker clubs, reducing their competitiveness. The Argus was clear on how the VFA operated:

By having a monopoly on the best dates, the top clubs also received some of the strongest gate taking. For example crowds were generally higher in May when the weather was good than in July when it was colder and wetter.

In 1891 ‘Olympus’ writing in Melbourne Punch proposed to divide the clubs into two tiers, with some crossover games to solve the problem.1

1894 was the first season where teams played each other an equal number of times, and the inequality at the start of the season was removed. This did mean that the advantaged teams lost some of their power.2 3

Argus 20 Mar 1894 P6 The Coming Football Season

The term 'unwieldly' came to be used when the smaller clubs fought to even out the competition and the top clubs resisted. The word 'reform' became a byword for ‘less clubs’. Issues regarding venues, player poaching and permits, professionalism, and distributing gate receipts were some areas when the tensions arose.

A quote from Wikipedia shows how that language is still used today:

Terry Keenan has argued a similar point in his important article on the 1896 split.

1896

So after years of difficulty, what made 1896 different?

Various proposals have been made. From pressure due to dwindling gate receipts caused by the great depression, to the increasing violence at games (the evidence here is anecdotal). To me the threat caused by T.S. Marshall’s radical attempt to reduce the inequities within the VFA, and the top clubs lack of voting power against the smaller clubs forced them to either exit the competition or submit to a loss of power.

Mr Marshall’s Proposal

Mr T.S. Marshall, a Carlton Man, had been part of football since the famous 1858 Scotch College-Melbourne Grammar match. He had been a player, captain and administrator. He was a strong advocate of amateurism…. and currently Secretary of the VFA, having served in that post since 1882.

There is a terrific bigraphy at http://www.blueseum.org/Theophilis+S.+Marshall

Sportsman Melbourne 24 May 1892 P1 TS Marshall HonSec VFA TS Marshall VFA HonSec

Sportsman Melbourne 2 May 1893 P1 TS Marchall VFA HonSec TS Marchall VFA HonSec

Sportsman Melbourne 16 May 1896 P6 TS Marshall VFA Hon Sec TS Marshall VFA Hon Sec

Sportsman Melbourne 16 Jun 1891 P6 TS Marshall Secretary VFA TS Marshall Secretary VFA

The Proposal

At the end of the regular VFA meeting on Friday 8th of May read a paper dwelling on the history of the game and comparing it with the modern game. He argues for rule changes, the removal of the 'little mark' but then came his key message, that the Association should enact sweeping changes to remove professionalism from the game.

He raised the issue of money:

He then proposed a radical solution

The meeting ended with much congratulation….but it was decided to postpone discussion to the next meeting. Marshall's comments were political dynamite.

This proposal would have a dramatic impact on the revenue of the top clubs, increase the ability of the lower clubs to compete, and significantly shift the financial power from the richer clubs over to the Association. The report was to be printed and circulated for discussion.4

At the June 2nd meeting of the Association they decided to deal with the less contentious rule changes be dealt with first.5 6 This because a catalyst for a wider revision of the rules over the coming year.

It was not until the July 24th meeting of the Association that the Association discussed Marshall’s proposals, And days after that meeting that the first rumours regarding the formation of a new association started. Thus July 24th appears to be a key date in the formation of the VFL.

According to the Age:
The discussion of Mr T.S. Marshall’s paper on Professionalism was resumed.

A vote of thanks to Mr Marshall in recognition of his action in writing the paper terminated the proceedings.7

The Argus added "it was pretty plainly hinted that in the event of any such proposal being pushed to extremes, it would mean the more prosperous clubs forming a separate association."8

Note that North, Port, Richmond, Footscray and Williamstown delegates spoke for the motion. These also happen to be the five clubs not invited to join the new association.

With 13 clubs in the VFA, 7 clubs were needed to win a vote. Assuming Essendon, Geelong, Fitzroy and South Melbourne and Geelong making a second block of five clubs. Collingwood, Carlton and St Kilda were potentially the swing votes.

The Association met regularly every Friday fortnight at Young and Jackson's. Now, at this most critical time, the next regular meeting does not appear to have happened!

The next meeting, on August 28 did not revisit the issue9 , neither did the September 11th meeting10

The September 25th meeting came just after a special meeting to decide on the date for the playoff match and discussed a raft of rule changes to be adopted, but there was no discussion of Mr Marshall’s plan or attempts to conform the seceding clubs.11

Australasian 20 Jun 1896 P21 Ess V SM At East Melbourne

Australasian 20 Jun 1896 P21 Essendon v South Melbourne

Australasian 9 May 1896 P25 MCG

The July 24th meeting must be seen as one of the most important moments in Australian football, as days after, the breakaway movement appears to have began.

Other Key Incidents

A revised Cricket Association

1916 was a reform year. In August 1896 Mr George Moir proposed a radical proposal where only five of the existing nine senior cricket teams would compete in the competition.12

In September 1896, at the same time the VFA issues were happening, the Victorian Cricket system rejected Moir’s proposal. The alternative where eight of the nine existing Associated clubs plus Hawksburn (Winners of the 1895/96 Affiliated clubs pennant) made up Division one and the existing Affiliated clubs plus a demoted University team made up division two. The Association voted against a promotion/relegation system.13

It is not clear how this informed the football debate but the events within the Victorian Cricket Association happened at the same time as events in the Victorian Football Association, and demonstrated that an Association could be reformed.

A Revised Junior Football Association

The Victorian Junior Football Association, the second tier competition under the VFA had reformed in 1895, The 1984 competition had 20 teams in two sections with a final round between the top two teams of each Section to determine the premier. (Two of the twenty teams, University and Camberwell disbanded through the 1894 season).14

Hard decisions were made in early 1895 and the VJFA ejected six of the weakest teams and formed themselves into a single section 12 team competition.15

The VJFA provided a different reform path for the VFA, ejection of the smaller teams.

An Incident at North Melbourne

The ideal of the amateur sportsman was strong in the 19th century. In English cricket there was a distinction between the gentleman player playing for free for the love of the game and the paid professional. Sports such as cricket and the newly formed Olympic games were keenly influenced by the ideal of amateurism. In practice, there were many ways around this rule, and led to the rise of "shamateurism" where players called themselves gentlemen, but found ways of being paid. W.G. Grace, the famous English cricketer was one of the most famous shamateurs of the century.

The amateur nature of Victorian football in the 1890’s game rise to shamaterism, and one of the biggest scandals of the 1896, was the banning of L.Webb an ex Essendon player, now playing at Richmond, for this very practice.16

Amateurism was an ideal for gentlemen players as well as supporters.

The eight hour day movement started in the middle of the century and had a large affect on all sports. The shorter working week meant that working class men had more leisure time, many of them used this time to either play, or view sport. The eight hour day brought in a new class of player and supporter, rowdier and happier to pay players.

Australasian 25 Apr 1896 P24 Eight Hour Day

Crowd violence and player behaviour were a rising issue during the 1880's and 1890's.

Of the teams in 1896, five had joined more recently than the rest. Many of these clubs brought with them an unruly supporter base that were a genuine problem for the game.
• Fitzroy (1884-)
• Williamstown (1884-)
• Richmond (1885-)
• Footscray (1886-)
• Port Melbourne (1886-)

Punch 2 Aug 1888 P18 Our Remedy For Rough Play

Port Melbourne, home of the dockworkers had one of the worst reputations on and off the field, but the major incident on 1896 happened at the North Melbourne v Collingwood game on July 25th.

Punch 30 Jul 1896 P3 At The Football Match Collingwood V North Melbourne

Leader 8 Aug 1896 P8 The Football Umpire Of The Future

Free Lance Melbourne 6 Aug 1896 P9

This incident could not have come at a worst time for North Melbourne, coming only days after the Association discussion over the Marshall proposal.

For the six rebels it must have been a choice between including Carlton or including North Melbourne as the 7th team, North Melbourne blamed Collingwood for their exclusion, and if true, this incident might have played a part in that.

August 1896 - A new Football Association in Planning

From July 1896, just days after the Association had met to discuss Mr Marshalls proposal, newspapers began reporting rumours of the formation of a new Football Association for 1897

By early September, more details emerged. Port Melbourne was out. Geelong and Carlton were in.

The Playoff

Round 19 of the 1896 VFA season was played on Saturday 19th September 1896 and in two key games, Fitzroy defeated Collingwood by one goal, at Victoria Park and South Melbourne scored a three goal victory over Port Melbourne at Port Melbourne.

With only one shortened round to go, South Melbourne and Collingwood were equal on premiership points and neither were to play in the final round. It was decided that the top two teams would play an extra 'play-off' match to determine the premiership.

Collingwood and South publicised that the match would be played the following week

A Special meeting of the VFA was held at Young and Jackson's Hotel on Tuesday 22nd of September 1896 to discuss the date and venue for the playoff match.

Some clubs were concerned that the playoff match would hurt the gate takings of the clubs playing that week, and that the playoff should be delayed to the following week. (In fact Collingwood had voted for a delay the previous year when a playoff nearly eventuated).

Collingwood and South Melbourne argued that the match Should take place during the regular season and delaying it would financially hurt their clubs. Two proposals were put and in a close decision, it was decided to delay. (Carlton and St Kilda delegates split their votes and remained neutral). The votes of the other clubs show the factions within the VFA at play18 :

After the vote the Collingwood and South Melbourne delegates threatened to play the game anyway. Another meeting was scheduled for the following night. They warned the weaker clubs that defiance now would have consequences.

The clubs met again at Young and Jacksons Hotel the following night and the decision to delay the game was upheld.20

Herald 24 Sep 1896 P3 Football 600thumb

It is interesting whether this meeting was the catalyst to create the VFL. Collingwood and South warned that there were still two options on the table, a two tier system or the formation of a new association with only limited teams in it. They specifically warned that if their power was threatened, the faction voting against them would be out. This is then exactly what happened.

Weekly Times 10 Oct 1896 P10 Football Premiership Collingwood v South Melbourne

October 1896 - The Announcement

The announcement of the new association became public on the day of the play off, won by Collingwood.

In any event, even though the clubs announced they would create a new competition following year, they did not immediately leave the VFA.

This came to a head in early October and was announced in the papers.

The Age 3-Oct-1896 p9 Football Reform

A crude review of results from 1888 to 1896 in the table below shows that that six break-away teams were the best performing teams of the era. Their decision to bring in Carlton and St.Kilda from the remaining seven teams was not based on recent performance,

VFA 1888-1896

A similar crude analysis of the modern era based at the end of the 2018 home and away season produces an interesting table, seen below. Assuming the top eight teams this time, and maybe 3 or 4 of the remaining 10 teams being invited to join. Would they pick based on supporter base, performance, or to have better coverage in different cities? Would the remaining teams immediately be classified as second class?

Freelance 17 Oct 1896 P8 Football Reform

Port Melbourne’s Exclusion

Terry Keenan, the club historian for the Port Melbourne Football club has written on the issue of Port Melbourne’s exclusion.

Keenan argues that the split was for financial reasons, and notes the opposition from South Melbourne. His key argument for exclusion is that Port Melbourne were seen as the wrong type of people

The Local Port Melbourne paper did not mention roughness of play, but rather that they would not accept their place when they explained the exclusion.

North Melbourne’s Exclusion

The North Melbourne Courier and West Melbourne Advertiser carried an article on the Victorian Football Association on March 19-1897. The article reviewed North Melbourne’s contribution to the game, and the quality of their ground, it then turned to their detractors:

It is probable that Carlton's long connection to the game, their history of bringing in large crowds and their place in the establishment would have had a larger affect on the decision than a single violent incident.

StKilda’s inclusion

The recent affair at the North Melbourne/Collingwood game would have been front of mind of the six exiting clubs. It is possible that the event increased the importance of 'conduct' when selecting the final team. This would also square with the view of Terry Keenan that Port were the wrong type of people, so who were the right type?

One should remember that this was the era where power in society was changing. The 1890’s saw a series of industrial disputes and strikes and the formation of the Labour party. This power shift can be seen on the sporting field in the clash over professionalism in sport.

Some newspaper extracts from the period focus on StKilda's conduct rather than on their skill:

Many propositions have been put forward for the inclusion of St.Kilda. The most prominent are, they had a quality ground, they had a train line and that the new competition wanted to have a team south of the Yarra. While these are true, they assume that St.Klida was picked for football reasons. I contest that they were included due to the ideal of amateurism and that they were the 'right kind of people', this fits best with contemporary comments who never appear to mention these other factors.

I would also like to consider the location of Victoria’s top private schools. These schools would have been seen as a breeding ground for amateur footballers. St.Kilda may have been seen as having better access to this talent.
I have highlighted key football grounds on an inner Melbourne train map for 1900 from http://www.vrhistory.com/VRMaps/ This modified map shows that Richmond and North Melbourne, not St Kilda, were the most logical teams for transport access. Remember that this is a train map and that trams also provided access within the city.

Railwaymap Melbourne 1900

Population – The Rarely Mentioned factor

Melbourne had a population of less than 500,000 people. Most people lived in what is today considered inner Melbourne. It is clear that in most cases, the populations in the districts of the excluded teams were smaller than the districts of those included.

Looking at the table below. It is clear that St.Kilda had a larger population that the districts of Port, North, Williamstown or Footscray. St.Kilda also connected to Prahran which had a large population without a VFA team. The standouts in the table are Richmond and Hawthorn. Richmond’s with its large population, may begin to explain the rise of Richmond and their inclusion in the VFL in 1908. Hawthorn’s large population should have supported a Senior football team but was without a suitable ground.

Note that the teams to rebuild the VFA came from Brunswick (1897), Prahran (1899), West Melbourne (1899), Essendon Town (1900) and Preston (1903).

Geelong’s population was 24807, significantly smaller than Ballarat (46137) or Bendigo (43075) at the time.

ESTIMATED POPULATION OF PRINCIPAL TOWNS IN AUSTRALASIA 1897 (p68)
Source: POPULATION OF GREATER MELBOURNE, 1897 Victorian Year Book 1895-8 Part II Population (p65)

Alternatives

The announcement of the new association, soon to be called the Victorian football League, did not mean that negotiations ended and that the following season could not go forward with a single competition.

The Copeland Alternative

On the 6th of October a letter to the editor appeared in the Age from E.W. Copeland, Hon Sec of the Collingwood Football club.. It floated a two division system of promotion/relegation or a series of amalgamations (as had happened in 1889).

He proposed a nine club competition with amalgamations

• Collingwood/Richmond,
• Carlton/North Melbourne
• South Melbourne/St.Kilda
• Footscray/Williamston
• Fitzroy
• Port Melbourne
• Essendon
• MCC
• Geelong

The suggested amalgamation of South Melbourne and StKilda, would have matched two teams who had a common interest in the amateur ideal. These would also be two of the weakest VFL teams over the next 100 years. Carlton and North had much in common…but Richmond/Collingwood….would have had a large population base and been difficult to stop.

The Leader (1-Aug-1896) had also proposed amalgamations as a solution in their case Carlton/North Melbourne, Footscray/Williamstown and Port Melbourne/South Melbourne. They argued for the dumping of Richmond and the protection of St Kilda 25 .

Amalgamations would have reduced the voting power of the smaller clubs, but Copeland's proposition did not get much of a response.

The Marshall Alternative

T.S. Marshall, whose paper set off the secession, proposed that all teams stayed in the VFA in two divisions, the eight VFL’ers in Division 1 and the others in Division (with the addition of a few more junior teams). He proposed that the tier two clubs get one delegate and the tier one clubs two delegates, that each division organise its own matches and importantly, that there was a system of promotion and relegation. Essentially this is the plan that the seceding clubs had already considered.26

Marshall's proposal went to a meeting of the VFA on 23-October-1896, as usual at Young and Jackson's Hotel. The meeting started and the began with the five clubs excluded clubs agreeing to Marshall’s proposal. What would be the response. According to the Age,

This made it crystal clear that the seceding clubs and no interest in reforming the VFA, they wanted a clean start.

Proposed VFL/VFA amalgamation

At the end of the 1897 season delegates from the VFA met the VFL and proposed amalgamation, and again with the Marshall alternative.

Mr R.H. McLeod from Melbourne supported the amalgamation. Mr C.G. Wilson, the St Kilda delegate (and bottom ranked team) said he would not stand in the way.

Mr Shaw, the Carlton delegate asked whether this idea had been previously considered. (Showing how little information had been shared by the six instigators)

Mr M'Mullen, the Geelong delegate then popped up strongly objecting to any amalgamation.

After discussion it was decided to get the VFA delegates to submit their proposal in writing and have another meeting within a month to deal with the proposal, but I can find no record of any follow-up meeting.

Argus 23 Oct 1897 P14 Senior Football Associations

January 1897 - The Five take action

The five outsider clubs did not sit idle. They started to meet to work out what they were going to do. They could not meet as the existing body, as the eight exiting clubs had not yet left the association. The Footscray Independent posted an article in early January 1897 that presented the latest news. The phrasing is interesting as the talk about the five teams being ‘kicked out’, and at the same time note that they are continuing the old association.

Finding Replacement Clubs

The five clubs left out of the new competition began approaching other clubs to join the VFA. Brunswick were keen to join and the Coburg Leader reported on 23-Jan-1897 that "a large and influential meeting was held at the Mechanics Institute last Wednesday to consider an offer by the Victorian Football Association to admit Brunswick into the Premiership ranks. The meeting resolved ‘that Brunswick form itself with a Premiership Club.’ which was carried unanimously"30

Other clubs considered included :

• Essendon District, (Note that the existing Essendon team in the new VFL had played their home game in the inner city East Melbourne Cricket Ground since 1881.)
• Hawthorn and Hawksburn did not have a large enough grounds 31
• Prahran, Brunswick and University32
• Brighton
• Geelong Juniors

Friends of the VFA accused the VFL clubs of sabotage

Prahran Chronicle 27-Feb-1897 p3

Finances

On Friday the 5th of February, the new Victorian Football League met to appoint a Secretary. Mr E.L. Wilson of Collingwood. They also discussed their exit from the existing Association.

Sportsman Melbourne 24 May 1892 P1 Alexander McCracken VP VFA

Sportsmen 8 Aug 1899 P6 EL Wilson Collingwood Delegate VFL

On Friday night, 19 February 1897 the clubs leaving the VFA forced a meeting to discuss VFA finances. This would be the last VFA meeting that they ever attended. As usual the meeting took place at Young and Jackson’s hotel opposite the railway terminal, (the magnificent Flinders Street Central station did not yet exist.) Essendon’s Alexander McCracken was in the chair.

The Collingwood delegates Mr Beazley and Mr E.L Wilson spoke first. They believed that the Association should pay the club for premiership caps and proposed a motion that "The Association pay the liabilities to the Collingwood club and any other liabilities, and the balance in hand, after receiving the amount from the various clubs, be divided equally among the 13 clubs composing the association.". R.H. McLeod from Melbourne seconded the motion and the chair (McCracken from Essendon) noted what a just and fair proposal it was.

Finally, the chance came for the remaining five clubs to speak. Mr J. Fotheringham of Footscray spoke first in protest then Mr Mitchell from North Melbourne and finally Mr Fitzpatrick from Williamstown. The common thread was that "the five clubs involved intended to remain as an association and have financial charge, and pay their obligations." Or in other words,"Why should the association’s funds be divided up and proportionally given to the exiting clubs when the association was going to continue?"

At around this point, the chairman said ''"that while he was sorry the secession had taken place, the league were doing the proper thing with regard to the finances. If the position taken up now were not perhaps legal, it was strictly equitable. Trouble about the finances would do no good."

After further at attempts by the five clubs to delay the vote, the leaguers forced the vote through. Mr Beazley (Collingwood) said "the object of the league was to dissolve a partnership, and square up the finances".

After the adjournment of the VFA, the VFL club delegates walked out of Young and Jackson's and down to their the Port Phillip Hotel which appears to have been their regular meeting place till around 1908. The five clubs remaining in the VFA continued their meetings over the following years at Young and Jackson's.35 36

Site Of Port Phillip Hotel

Port Phillip Club Hotel, Flinders Street J. W Lindt. SLV

Sportsman Melbourne 24-May-1892 p1 Alexander McCracken VP VFA

With the finances divided the breakaway clubs finally left the VFA.

After announcing the formation of a new competition, the seceding clubs remained in the VFA for over five months, blocking the clubs that wanted to remain in the competition from moving on, as the breakaway clubs controlled the numbers.

Port Melbourne and other clubs were severely in debt at this time. The split in the association reduced their capacity to repay that debt. The exiting clubs, by leaving without warning, the VFL clubs caused a financial crisis on the remaining clubs who had assumed a higher revenue into the future. Taking a share of the VFA funds on the way out was not seen as assisting an amicable exit.

Though the VFL clubs talked of fair treatment, this was probably of the view of the delegates left in Young and Jackson's as they watched the final walkout of the delegates from the VFL clubs.

No Quorum

On Friday March 12th, at Young and Jackson’s, a meeting of the VFA was to have taken place. This time the exiting clubs did not appear leaving only the delegates of the five remaining clubs and delegates from the Brunswick club.
It is clear that the five planned to continue the old association, as they chose not officially act, as they did not have a quorum present.

Weekly Times 29-May-1897 p11 Football Favourites

Statements at Annual Meetings

The 1897 annual meetings were the first chance that the committees had to explain what had happened to their supporters. The teams not selected for the new League expressed their disappointment.

Footscray Annual Meeting
At the Royal Hall in Footscray

Port Melbourne Annual Meeting
At the Port Melbourne Town Hall, Mr J.J. Sinn read the report of the committee

Williamstown Annual Meeting
At the Mechanics Institute in Williamstown, Mr F.J. Ogden read the report

North Melbourne Annual Meeting
At the U.F.S. Hall in North Melbourne Mr F.Mitchell addressed the meeting,

Richmond
I cannot find a record

Discussion of the new League at the Annual meetings of the clubs that made it was quite different, sometimes transactional and just like the remaining Association teams, presented with a bit of spin.

Fitzroy Annual Meeting

Geelong Annual Meeting
At the Wool Exchange,

St Kilda Annual Meeting
At the Prahran Town Hall, Secretary Wilson read the report.

South Melbourne Annual Meeting

hoped that the organisation would prove a success. Had his suggestion some time ago been
adopted, and the old association been divided into two sections, the accession of the strong

Carlton
I cannot find a record

Premiership Caps

The V.F.A. also distributed the 1896 premiership caps. Though it appears the manner in which it was done could have been better:

Two senior competitions.

The 1897 season started for the first time with two senior competitions in Melbourne. Although observers accepted that the VFL was the stronger competition, they saw the two competitions as rivals. The VFA certainly saw such a rivalry.

Permits

To limit the effect of their defection, the VFL consitituion and rules issued in February 1897 included the following statement:

This clause effectively protected the VFA clubs from poaching for 1897. This was a great public relations move but effectively recognised the VFA clubs as senior clubs for the next season, as they received special treatment that the Junior clubs did not. In many ways this made the VFL more reliant on junior players.

On 9th July, a deputation from the Victorian Junior Football Association attended the VFL meeting. They had a number of requests, for financial assistance, recognition of their delegates for free entry into VFL games and finally “that the old rule as to allowing junior players to join the ranks of the seniors only at certain dates be resumed, as the present practice of allowing them to join at any time caused junior teams to become disorganised at critical periods of the season.” – The Age 10-Jul-1897 p11. The VFL asked for the VJFA balance sheet at the end of the season, said no to free admission and would not consider the permit issue until the following year.52

The best way for the VFL to eliminate the VFA would have been to immediately treat them as junior clubs, but this did not happen.

In May 1897, after discussing whether to treat the VFL as a senior organisation, the VFA accepted VFL players with a valid permit.53 But in June the VFL rejected the VFA's request to add treat Brunswick as a Senior club in 1896 and therefore be protected from player poaching.54

In 1898 Markwell, writing in the Australasian was able to report that the League again extended it's protection to the VFA:

In 1899 Prahran and West Melbourne joined the VFA. This time the VFL accepted players with a valid VFA and VFL permit.55

This recognition of the VFA by the VFL would have great consequences over the coming years, but it also indicates that the 1896 split was seen as a schism within the VFA rather than the 'top' teams leaving to form the VFL. In a way, this is a recognition of the strength of the VFA teams and VFA competition.

The Next Hundred Years

The next hundred years saw a schism in Victorian football with the V.F.A rebuilding and having a roller coaster journey as a competition. Richmond joined the VFL in 1908, and North Melbourne, Footscray and Hawthorn in 1925. But Brunswick, Brighton, Northcote, Prahran, Preston and many other teams joined the VFA and over the years it played as a competition of the VFL and later as an alternative Sunday competition.

In the past the VFL has worked to downplay the role of the VFA during the 20th century. This is still evident in how many wikipedia pages are written.

There have been recent claims that the 1877-1896 era should be taken from V.F.A. history and put into VFL/AFL history, the main arguments for this appear to be that 'they were the same clubs'.

See https://australianfootball.com/articles/view/Rethinking+the+historical+record/161

But this retelling only works through the lens of VFL interests. Looking through the eyes of Port Melbourne this view of history does not hold up. And nor does it with the facts of what happened in 1896-1897. As this article demonstrates, the VFL was the result of considering and then rejecting reform within the VFA and was done to ensure control by the top clubs.

Marc Fiddian's 'The VFA : a history of the Victorian Football Association (1877-1995)' is one book that tells the history through V.F.A. eyes and is recommended.

Final Notes

In 1896, the 13 team senior football competition which contained too many uneven games. This could have be solved by either splitting the competition in two (or into two tiers or as separate competitions) or by putting in place practices that would even the overall playing field. In 1896 the big clubs did not have the votes at VFA meetings to stop attempts at evening the competition. This above all else caused split and eventual VFL breakaway.

Today, forms of 'socialism' such as sharing gate receipts, salary caps, draft picks and other measures are an accepted part of the game to keep the competition even and exciting for fans. Very different indeed.

END

Parallels in the 1970's

Anyone interested in this story may also be interested in the struggle for control of football in the 1970’s. Hardballget has a series of reviews of interstate night football competitions that provide a fascinating read.
https://www.hardballget.net/npm-nfl-1976-wills-cup.html
https://www.hardballget.net/npm-nfl-1977-ardath-cup.html
https://www.hardballget.net/npm-nfl-1978-escort-cup.html
https://www.hardballget.net/npm-nfl-1979-escort-cup.html

allso at wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_National_Football_Council