It was the year of the Olympics and the Titanic’s maiden voyage. But in Melbourne the focus was on the footy. Players now had numbers on their jumpers and the Footy Record was on sale before the game. Could Essendon go back to back under super coach Jack Worrall? One club would mourn the loss of an iconic leader with a shock death before the season began. Another club would have the honour of being the last team to be beaten by University as the students endured another tough year. Listen to the Grand Final History Podcast to hear whci club was able to take out the 1912 VFL premiership.

The era of amateurism (or shamateurism) is over, the VFL changes to a professional league but not all clubs agree. And a potential path to amalgamation is explored with the VFA. Essendon employ the original super coach Jack Worrall to move them to the next level. Meanwhile St Kilda players go on strike and the club uses more than 60 players in a season. A record that will never be broken. Listen to the Grand Final History podcast to hear whether Jack Worral can help Essendon in their quest for another VFL Premiership.

A year unlike any other. Committee room coups, on field violence, players arrested and charged in court, umpires assaulted at the tribunal hearings and bribery allegations during the final series. It has to be a bumper episode to fit all this in, so put your headphones on and find out what happened in the most controversial season of all time. 

And on a positive note, the New York Times publishes an article claiming the Australian game is the best football anywhere on the planet. Wouldn’t the AFL like to see that happen this year.  Listen to the Grand Final History podcast to hear how the VFL suvived a scandal prone season, even if some would never play the game again.

The Grand Final is held in October for the first time. This year also saw a visit from a touring American team playing Australian rules, would they help grow the game in the USA? Carlton have to deal with dissent and disunity as they chase their fourth premiership in a row, St Kilda select a suspended player and lose one of their few victories for the year. And with the introduction of Half Day Trading on Saturday in the retail trade, many more people can now attend the games. All that extra money will not cause any problems in this most amateur of sports, surely? Listen to the Grand Final History podcast to hear how the new crowds impacted the game.

The first two expansion clubs, Richmond and University, join the VFL to make a ten team competition. Victoria wins the International Football Jubilee held at the MCG to celebrate the 50th year of the Australian Game. 

During the 1908 season St Kilda was caught up in two separate dramas. Were committee members and players caught up in gambling? Was there a game lost deliberately against a less established team? Could any of the allegations be proven? Then during the finals, were St Kilda players under the influence of alcohol, how much did they drink at half time? 

And who would win the premiership in 1908? Could Carlton make it three in a row or would another club rise to the occasion. Listen to the Grand Final History Podcast to hear how the first expansion season unfolded.

This is episode 11 about season 1907. From the formation of CUB to the and the league actually admitting they have made mistakes. (Not sure that has happened since 1907) there is a lot going on. You also hear how young people are growing up “spineless, lazy sports spectators” and that was before radio, TV, computer games, internet of mobile phones. Clearly young people have been no good for a very long time  Listen to the Grand Final History Podcast to hear more about the premiers for 1907.

A supplementary program that takes a quick look at the first 10 years of the VFL looking at 

• The Different Finals Systems used and the Grand Final Venues
• The efforts of the VFL to promote the game nationally and internationally
• The emerging challenges of player payments and gambling

It is a way of looking at some of the trends of the first decade and see how the VFL developed in its early years.  Listen to the Grand Final History podcast for an overview of the first tem years of the VFL.

The tenth year of the VFL saw the competition healthy and popular. The crowds had returned but there were growing rumblings about clubs breaching the original salary cap. No one was supposed to be paid when the rules said it was an amateur competition. But with big gate takings and the desire to win if you could get the best players the rumours of payment would not stop. One reporter called it the world’s most expensive form of amateurism.

And the league were enthusiastic about the potential for international expansion. They even sent a letter to the President of the United States and dared to hope about international games against America.  Listen to the Grand Final History podcast to hear how the tenth VFL premiership unfolded.

The VFL was sending money to Queensland to help support the Australian game in Brisbane and beyond. (Perhaps this investment paid off in 2020 when many clubs were able to relocate to Queensland during the Corona Virus affected season?)

Some clubs in 1905 were not happy about the Grand Final being played at the MCG every year, disadvantaging the teams that had succeeded during the year and costing their supporters large sums (in aggregate) in travel costs. And some players even had to return from their sheep shearing duties to run out onto the ground on Grand Final day. Listen to the Grand Final History podcast to hear which clubs were unhappy being forced to play the grand final at the MCG.

The game is getting too fast for one umpire, it is time to bring in boundary umpires, who will signal out of bounds by waving white handkerchiefs. 

Carlton had some challenges when the committee tried to sack the coach but the players backed their man and it was the committee members who were pushed out. Many more committee room coups to come.

The VFL learns that it can increase the price of finals tickets and the crowds continue to come to the games. The money was to promote the game in Sydney, although not everyone agreed. Listen to the Grand Final History podcast as King Football makes a return in 1904.