Australian Rules Football - Early Years in Victoria

**Early years of Australian Rules Football in Victoria**
19th century records
Champion clubs Challenge Cups for Senior clubs. 1862 University 1863 Melbourne, Geelong 1864 Geelong 1865 Melbourne, University, South Yarra 1866 South Yarra 1870 Albert Park (disputed) 1871 Carlton Premiership 1870 Melbourne 1871 Carlton 1872 Melbourne 1873 Carlton 1874 Carlton 1875 Carlton 1876 Melbourne Following the establishment of the Victorian Football Association in 1877, the VFA announced a Premier team. This was usually the club with the highest number of wins but this was not always the case; if a high proportion of wins were against Junior clubs, this would count against the team. The following list shows the teams recognised as the top four VFA clubs 1877–96 (in consecutive order). From 1888, the VFA published a list of the final four clubs at the end of what are now called home-and-away matches. However, the listings for 1877 to 1887 are based on various newspaper reports. Between 1897 and 1900, the top teams for both the VFA and VFL are listed: 1877 Carlton Melbourne Hotham Albert Park 1878 Geelong Melbourne Carlton Hotham 1879 Geelong Carlton South Melbourne Melbourne 1880 Geelong South Melbourne Carlton Melbourne 1881 South Melbourne Geelong Carlton Melbourne 1882 Geelong Essendon South Melbourne Carlton 1883 Geelong South Melbourne Carlton Melbourne 1884 Geelong Essendon Hotham South Melbourne 1885 South Melbourne Essendon Geelong Carlton 1886 Geelong South Melbourne Carlton Port Melbourne 1887 Carlton Geelong South Melbourne Fitzroy 1888 South Melbourne Geelong Williamstown Carlton 1889 South Melbourne Carlton Port Melbourne Essendon 1890 South Melbourne Carlton Essendon Fitzroy 1891 Essendon Carlton Fitzroy South Melbourne 1892 Essendon Fitzroy Geelong Melbourne 1893 Essendon Melbourne Geelong South Melbourne 1894 Essendon Melbourne South Melbourne Fitzroy 1895 Fitzroy Geelong Melbourne Collingwood 1896 Collingwood South Melbourne Essendon Melbourne 1897 Port Melbourne (VFA); Essendon (VFL) North Melbourne (VFA); Geelong (VFL) Footscray (VFA); Collingwood (VFL) Williamstown (VFA); Melbourne (VFL) 1898 Footscray (VFA); Fitzroy (VFL) North Melbourne (VFA); Essendon (VFL) Port Melbourne (VFA); Collingwood (VFL) Richmond (VFA); Geelong (VFL) 1899 Footscray (VFA); Fitzroy (VFL) North Melbourne (VFA); Essendon (VFL) Port Melbourne (VFA); Geelong (VFL) Williamstown (VFA); Collingwood (VFL) 1900 Footscray (VFA); Melbourne (VFL) Williamstown (VFA); Fitzroy (VFL) Richmond (VFA); Essendon (VFL) Prahran (VFA); Collingwood (VFL)
Leading goalkickers 1858–66 ? 1867 12: L. N. Bell (Melbourne) 1868–71 ? 1872 6: J. Donovan (Carlton); C. Loughnan (Melbourne) 1873 ? 1874 10: W. Dedman (Carlton) 1875 13: W. Dedman (Carlton) 1876 18: W. Dedman (Carlton) 1877 12: C. Baker (Melbourne) 1878 ? 1879 19: George Coulthard (Carlton) 1880 33 (some scored on tour & interstate) Percy Douglass (Geelong); 21: George Coulthard (Carlton) 1881 25: E. Brooks (Carlton) 1882 29: Hugh McLean (Geelong) 1883 29: Phil McShane (Geelong) 1884 33: Phil McShane (Geelong) 1885 38: G. Houston (Hotham) 1886 51: Phil McShane (Geelong) 1887 36: Tom McShane (Geelong) 1888 50: "Dinny" McKay (South Melbourne) 1889 40: Jack Barrett (South Melbourne) 1890 49: Jim Grace (Fitzroy) 1891 37: Jim Grace (Fitzroy) 1892 56: Albert Thurgood (Essendon) 1893 64: Albert Thurgood (Essendon) 1894 63: Albert Thurgood (Essendon) 1895 42: Dave de Coite (Geelong) 1896 ? 1897 – VFA 38: Daly (Port Melbourne) 1897 – VFL 27: E. James (Geelong) 1898 – VFA ? 1898 – VFL 31: Archie Smith (Collingwood) 1899 – VFA 39: Daly (Footscray) 1899 – VFL 32: E. James (Geelong) 1900 – VFA 32: Daly (Footscray) 1900 – VFL 26: Albert Thurgood (Essendon)

Challenge Cups for Senior clubs.

Premiership

Following the establishment of the Victorian Football Association in 1877, the VFA announced a Premier team. This was usually the club with the highest number of wins but this was not always the case; if a high proportion of wins were against Junior clubs, this would count against the team. The following list shows the teams recognised as the top four VFA clubs 1877–96 (in consecutive order). From 1888, the VFA published a list of the final four clubs at the end of what are now called home-and-away matches. However, the listings for 1877 to 1887 are based on various newspaper reports. Between 1897 and 1900, the top teams for both the VFA and VFL are listed:

1858–66 ?
1867 12: L. N. Bell (Melbourne)
1868–71 ?
1872 6: J. Donovan (Carlton); C. Loughnan (Melbourne)
1873 ?
1874 10: W. Dedman (Carlton)
1875 13: W. Dedman (Carlton)
1876 18: W. Dedman (Carlton)
1877 12: C. Baker (Melbourne)
1878 ?
1879 19: George Coulthard (Carlton)
1880 33 (some scored on tour & interstate)
Percy Douglass (Geelong); 21: George Coulthard (Carlton)
1881 25: E. Brooks (Carlton)
1882 29: Hugh McLean (Geelong)
1883 29: Phil McShane (Geelong)
1884 33: Phil McShane (Geelong)
1885 38: G. Houston (Hotham)
1886 51: Phil McShane (Geelong)
1887 36: Tom McShane (Geelong)
1888 50: "Dinny" McKay (South Melbourne)
1889 40: Jack Barrett (South Melbourne)
1890 49: Jim Grace (Fitzroy)
1891 37: Jim Grace (Fitzroy)
1892 56: Albert Thurgood (Essendon)
1893 64: Albert Thurgood (Essendon)
1894 63: Albert Thurgood (Essendon)
1895 42: Dave de Coite (Geelong)
1896 ?
1897 – VFA 38: Daly (Port Melbourne)
1897 – VFL 27: E. James (Geelong)
1898 – VFA ?
1898 – VFL 31: Archie Smith (Collingwood)
1899 – VFA 39: Daly (Footscray)
1899 – VFL 32: E. James (Geelong)
1900 – VFA 32: Daly (Footscray)
1900 – VFL 26: Albert Thurgood (Essendon)

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