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1905 to 1912

1905: Formal establishment, in November, in Melbourne, of Australasian Football Council (AFC). Delegates at inaugural meeting represent Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, New Zealand, Northern Tasmania, Barrier Ranges (Broken Hill) and Goldfields (Western Australia).  Tom MacKenzie (North Adelaide) becomes first player to win Magarey Medal twice; his first win had been while with West Torrens.  Midland Junction admitted to WAFA.  Essendon Town become known as Essendon Association. Grand final results - VFL: Fitzroy 4.6 (30) d. Collingwood 2.5 (17); SAFA: North Adelaide 6.8 (44) d. Port Adelaide 1.6 (12); WAFA: West Perth 4.7 (31) d. East Fremantle 3.9 (27); VFA: Richmond 9.7 (61) d. North Melbourne 5.6 (36); NSWAFL: Sydney 7.9 (51); YMCA 7.8 (50); WA State Premiership: West Perth 8.10 (58) d. Kalgoorlie Railways 4.13 (37); NTFA: North Launceston 7.6 (48) d. Launceston 6.9 (45); QFL: City -.- (73) d. Valley -.- (22). Other premiers - STFA: North Hobart (on points).

1906: North Adelaide's Tom MacKenzie wins third Magarey Medal (the first of which had been won as a West Torrens player). Name of STFA changed to Tasmanian Football League (TFL).  East Perth admitted to WAFA. Grand final results - VFL: Carlton 15.4 (94) d. Fitzroy 6.9 (45); SAFA: Port Adelaide 8.12 (60) d. North Adelaide 5.9 (39); WAFA: East Fremantle 12.3 (75) d. West Perth 5.6 (36); VFA: West Melbourne 7.8 (50) d. Footscray 5.9 (39); NSWAFL: Newtown 9.8 (62) d. Redfern 1.14 (20); QFL: City 10.11 (71) d. Brisbane 2.5 (17); WA State Premiership: Mines Rovers 7.5 (47) drew with East Fremantle 6.11 (47); Replay - East Fremantle 7.5 (47) d. Mines Rovers 3.10 (28). Other premiers - TFL: Derwent (on points); NTFA: North Launceston (on points).

The above photograph shows action from the 1907 VFL grand final in which Carlton (dark guernseys, white shorts) defeated South Melbourne by 5 points.

1907: The club championship of Australia (CoA) series resumes after a 14 year break with Norwood 13.12 (90) defeating Carlton 8.10 (58) at the Adelaide Oval. Name of SAFA changed to South Australian Football League (SAFL). Perth win WAFA premiership on protest: scoreboard after grand final shows East Fremantle 6.11 (47); Perth 6.6 (42), but Perth's claim that one of East's goals should have been disallowed is upheld by Appeals Board. [See GREAT GAMES section]  The VFA introduces mandatory numbering of players. Grand final results - VFL: Carlton 6.14 (50) d. South Melbourne 6.9 (45); SAFL: Norwood 8.7 (55) d. Port Adelaide 3.9 (27); VFA: Williamstown 7.10 (52) d. West Melbourne 3.16 (34); NSWAFL: Sydney 1.6 (12) d. Newtown 1.4 (10); QFL: Locomotives 13.11 (89) d. Wynnum 6.13 (49). Other premiers - TFL: Lefroy (on points); NTFA: City (on points); WA State Premiership: Not contested.

The Western Australian team which competed in the 1908 Melbourne carnival, beating South Australia and New South Wales, but losing to the VFL.  (Image kindly supplied by Western Australian football historian, Steve Davies.)

1908: First interstate championship series contested in Melbourne with all 7 members of the AFC participating. The VFL emerge as undefeated champions.  North Hobart 2.7 (19) defeat Lefroy 1.9 (15) in replayed TFL grand final. Name of WAFA changed to Western Australian Football League (WAFL). VFA reduces number of players per team from 18 to 17.  Northcote and Brighton join VFA, replacing Richmond and University which enter VFL. Grand final results - CoA: West Adelaide 12.9 (81) d. Carlton 7.10 (52); VFL: Carlton 5.5 (35) d. Essendon 3.8 (26); SAFL: West Adelaide 7.10 (52) d. Norwood 6.13 (49) [See GREAT GAMES section]; WAFL: East Fremantle 5.7 (37) d. Perth 0.8 (8); VFA: Footscray 9.10 (64) d. Brunswick 6.4 (40); NSWAFL: YMCA 15.6 (96) d. East Sydney 5.8 (38); QFL: Locomotives 10.8 (68) d. City 4.4 (28). WA State Premiership: Not contested.  Other premiers - NTFA: City (on points).

1909: Inauguration of Tasmanian State Premiership (TSP), contested by the premiers of the TFL and NTFA.  Cananore are first premiers after a 6.10 (46) to 2.6 (18) defeat of Launceston in Hobart. Grand final results - CoA: South Melbourne 11.8 (74) d. West Adelaide 7.14 (56); VFL: South Melbourne 4.14 (38) d. Carlton 4.12 (36) [See GREAT GAMES section]; SAFL: West Adelaide 7.17 (59) d. Port Adelaide 6.5 (41); WAFL: East Fremantle 8.8 (56) d. Perth 4.6 (30); VFA: Brunswick 10.11 (71) d. Prahran 8.7 (55); NSWAFL: North Shore 7.5 (47) d. YMCA 5.5 (35); QFL: Wynnum 4.10 (34) d. Valley 1.3 (9); WA State Premiership: East Fremantle 8.10 (58) d. Boulder City 3.9 (27). Other premiers - TFL: Cananore (on points); NTFA: Launceston (on points).

1910: Formation of Tasmania's North West Football Union (NWFU), with Ulverstone 8.13 (61) defeating Mersey 5.8 (38) in the first grand final.  VFA reduces number of players in a team from 17 to 16. Grand final results - CoA: Port Adelaide 15.20 (110) d. Collingwood 7.9 (51); VFL: Collingwood 9.7 (61) d. Carlton 6.11 (47); SAFL: Port Adelaide 8.12 (60) d. Sturt 5.11 (41); WAFL: East Fremantle 5.5 (35) d. East Perth 2.10 (28); VFA: North Melbourne 9.14 (68) d. Brunswick 5.9 (39); NTFA: City 7.19 (61) d. North Launceston 7.7 (49); NSWAFL: YMCA 5.18 (48) d. East Sydney 3.6 (24); QFL: South Brisbane 9.13 (67) d. City 1.7 (13); TSP: Cananore 7.14 (56) d. City 4.5 (29); WA State Premiership: East Fremantle 1.7 (13) d. Boulder City 0.8 (8). Other premiers - TFL: Cananore (on points).

1911: Second interstate championships held in Adelaide and won by South Australia. Payment to players approved by VFL. East Fremantle 14.12 (96) defeat West Perth 7.3 (45) to win fourth WAFL flag in a row.  Midland Junction leave WAFL.  VFL and VFA enter into permit agreement whereby players wishing to transfer between the two bodies must first obtain a clearance.  VFA reverts from 16 to 17 players per team. Grand final results - CoA: West Adelaide 8.9 (57) d. Essendon 7.12 (54); VFL: Essendon 5.11 (41) d. Collingwood 4.11 (35) [See GREAT GAMES section]; SAFL: West Adelaide 7.9 (51) d. Port Adelaide 6.10 (46); VFA: Essendon Association 4.10 (34) d. Brunswick 3.8; TFL: Cananore 9.6 (60) d. Lefroy 6.8 (44); NTFA: North Launceston 6.13 (49) d. City 3.5 (23); NSWAFL: East Sydney 4.5 (29) d. Sydney 2.4 (16); QFL: South Brisbane 4.8 (32) d. Wynnum 3.12 (30); NWFU: Mersey 7.8 (50) d. Latrobe 1.9 (15). TSP: Cananore 16.18 (114) d. North Launceston 1.4 (10). WA State Premiership: Not contested.

1912: Club championship of Australia not contested.  Dave McNamara (Essendon Association) kicks 107 goals for season in VFA.  The VFL introduces mandatory numbering of all players following a trial of the system during the 1911 finals. VFA again reduces number of players per team from 17 to 16.  VFA orders Preston and Northcote to merge.  Melbourne City admitted to VFA.  Grand final results - VFL: Essendon 5.17 (47) d. South Melbourne 4.9 (33); SAFL: West Adelaide 6.10 (46) d. Port Adelaide 5.2 (32); WAFL: Subiaco 5.8 (38) d. East Fremantle 4.3 (27); VFA: Essendon Association 9.8 (62) d. Footscray 5.11 (41); TFL: Lefroy 6.12 (48) d. North Hobart 3.12 (30); NTFA: North Launceston 7.12 (54) d. Launceston 5.4 (44); NSWAFL: Sydney 5.13 (43) d. Paddington 2.3 (15); QFL: Valley 9.6 (60) d. South Brisbane 5.15 (45); NWFU: Mersey 2.8 (20) d. Ulverstone 1.7 (13); TSP: Lefroy 8.9 (57) d. North Launceston 4.10 (34); WA State Premiership: Kalgoorlie Railways 8.12 (60) d. Subiaco 7.9 (51).  Other premiers - NTFA: North Launceston (on points).

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