Template talk:VFA/VFL/AFL seasons

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This template has been extended to incorporate the fore-runner to the VFL for the same reasons that the template includes the AFL and the VFL. Just as the AFL grew out of the VFL, so did the VFL grow out of the VFA. The VFL was not formed in 1897 from nowhere - every single club that joined the VFL was previously a member of the VFA.

It is inaccurate to portray the history of Australian Football's premier competition as beginning in 1897 - it was in fact born in a competitive sense in 1877. This compares favourably to other footballing competitions around the globe - with the formation of organised competition in England which began in 1888/89. A history of English champions English football champions is a pointer to when their most famous sporting league, which was altered in 1992/93 with the breakaway of clubs to form the Premier League - very similar with what happened in 1896 with the VFA.

A certain number of clubs breaking away from to start a new competition in which they can record a greater share of revenues. As those in England recognise that their premier football competitions predates the formation of the Premier League, despite this breakaway action, I see no reason why we should not also recognise the fact that the VFA, 1877-1896, was the premier Australian Football competition in much the same way - the competition from which those clubs that formed the VFL in 1897 broke away.jkm