1895: East Sydney (NSWAFA) premiers for sixth successive time.  Port Natives admitted to SAFA.  Imperials admitted to WAFA. Other premiers - VFA: Fitzroy; SAFA: South Adelaide; WAFA: Fremantle; STFA: Railway and City (joint premiers - equal on points); NTFA: City.

1896: Eight clubs - Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne - break away from VFA at end of season to form Victorian Football League (VFL). NSWAFA disbands. Fremantle (WAFA) win fifth successive premiership. Other premiers - VFA: Collingwood; SAFA: South Adelaide; STFA: Railway; NTFA: Fitzroy.

1897: System of scoring by points introduced; hitherto behinds had been recorded but did not count towards overall score. Finals system introduced in VFL whereby top four clubs after home and away matches played off on round robin basis for premiership, won by Essendon.  Abolition of the 'little mark'.  Admission of Brunswick to the VFA, which had been reduced to a six team competition.  Port Natives (SAFA) change name to West Torrens.  SAFA expands to six clubs with admission of West Adelaide (not the same club as that which had competed a decade earlier). Other premiers - SAFA: Port Adelaide; WAFA: West Perth; STFA: Hobart; NTFA: Launceston; VFA: Port Melbourne.

1898: SAFA introduce Magarey Medal (named after William Ashley Magarey, chairman and commissioner of the SAFA, and later president of the SAFL until his death in 1929) for Fairest and Most Brilliant player each year as determined by field umpires. Top three teams in VFL play off for premiership with Fitzroy 5.8 (38) defeating Essendon 3.5 (23) in grand final. SAFA also introduce three team finals system which culminates in South Adelaide 8.8 (56) defeating Port Adelaide 4.8 (32) in premiership decider.  East Fremantle added to WAFA competition to bring number of teams to four.  Number of players in a team in the VFA reduced from 20 to 18. Other premiers - WAFA: Fremantle (on points); STFA: Lefroy (on points); NTFA: Essendon; VFA: Footscray (on points).

1899: Top two teams in VFL play off for premiership. Number of players per team in VFL reduced from 20 to 18.  Perth admitted to WAFA as replacement for Rovers, who disband mid-season. Prahran and West Melbourne readmitted to the VFA. Grand final results - VFL: Fitzroy 3.9 (27) d. South Melbourne 3.8 (26) [See GREAT GAMES section]; SAFA: South Adelaide 5.12 (42) d. Norwood 2.2 (14); STFA: Lefroy 8.17 (65) d. Wellington 3.5 (23); NTFA: Launceston 7.5 (47) d. North Launceston 5.12 (42). Other premiers - WAFA: West Perth (on points); VFA: Footscray (on points).

1900: Top three clubs in VFL play off for premiership. Footscray (VFA) win third premiership in succession.  Fremantle replaced in WAFA competition by South Fremantle.  Essendon Town admitted to VFA. Grand final results - VFL: Melbourne 4.10 (34) d. Fitzroy 3.12 (30) [See GREAT GAMES section]; SAFA: North Adelaide 4.3 (27) d. South Adelaide 1.8 (14); STFA: Wellington 7.8 (50) d. Lefroy 5.6 (36); NTFA: Launceston 5.6 (36) d. City 4.7 (31). Other premiers - WAFA: East Fremantle (on points).

1901: Top four clubs in VFL play off for premiership.  Sturt admitted to the SAFA.  North Fremantle and Subiaco join WAFA.  Grand final results - VFL: Essendon 6.7 (43) d. Collingwood 2.4 (16); SAFA: Norwood 4.9 (33) d. Port Adelaide 4.5 (29); STFA: Lefroy 11.12 (78) d. Wellington 3.8 (26). Other premiers - WAFA: West Perth (on points); VFA: Port Melbourne (on points); NTFA: North Launceston (on points).

1902: Grand final results - VFL: Collingwood 9.6 (60) d. Essendon 3.9 (27); SAFA: North Adelaide 9.14 (68) d. South Adelaide 4.7 (31); STFA: North Hobart 4.11 (35) d. Lefroy 2.6 (18). Other premiers - WAFA: East Fremantle (on points); VFA: Richmond (on points); NTFA: City (on points).

1903: Western Australian State Premiership contested for the first time, with Goldfields premiers Kalgoorlie Railways defeating WAFA premiers East Fremantle, 7.6 (48) to 5.11 (41).  VFL fixture between Fitzroy and Collingwood played in Sydney in effort to promote code and give newly formed New South Wales Australian Football League (NSWAFL) a boost.  Formation of Queensland Football League (QFL) but no premiership contested.  Preston admitted to the VFA.  Finals system introduced by VFA. Grand final results - VFL: Collingwood 4.7 (31) d. Fitzroy 3.11 (29); SAFA: Port Adelaide 6.6 (42) d. South Adelaide 5.5 (35); VFA: North Melbourne 7.6 (48) d. Richmond 3.9 (27); NSWAFL: East Sydney 6.8 (44) d. North Shore 4.2 (26). Other premiers - WAFA: East Fremantle (on points); STFA: Wellington (on points); NTFA: City (on points).

1904: Western Australia play first ever interstate matches, beating South Australia 10.7 (67) to 8.10 (58) in Adelaide, but losing 8.11 (49) to 14.10 (94) against the VFL in Melbourne. WAFA premiership determined by play off system for first time.  Grand final results - VFL: Fitzroy 9.7 (61) d. Carlton 5.7 (37); SAFA: Norwood 9.8 (62) d. Port Adelaide 8.10 (58) [See GREAT GAMES section]; WAFA: East Fremantle 12.11 (83) d. Perth 3.7 (25); NSWAFL: North Shore 5.13 (43) d. Balmain 2.8 (20); WA State Premiership: East Fremantle 12.15 (87) d. Kalgoorlie Railways 4.9 (33). Other premiers - VFA: Premiership awarded to North Melbourne after grand final opponents Richmond objected to VFA's choice of field umpire; STFA: Wellington (on points); NTFA: North Launceston (on points); QFL: Norths, Souths and Wests, which finished level on points, shared the premiership, known at the time as the Heindorff Cup (see footnote 1).

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Footnotes

1.  I am indebted to Greg Parker for generously sharing the outcome of his research into this matter, and in particular the confirmation in 'The Saturday Sports Observer' for 1/10/1904 that "the three teams (Norths, Souths, and Wests) came out level for the Heindorff Cup competition".  Return to Main Text