The AFL under-19s was an Australian rules football competition that operated as a junior competition to the Australian Football League (AFL) from 1946 until the end of 1991.
 | |
| Formerly | VFL thirds VFL under-19s |
|---|---|
| Sport | Australian rules football |
| Founded | 1946 |
| First season | 1946 |
| Ceased | 1991 |
| No. of teams | 12 (final season) |
| Country | Australia |
| Most titles | Richmond (11) |
| Related competitions | |
Prior to 1990, it was known as the VFL thirds or VFL under-19s.
History
editIn 1946, the Victorian Football League (VFL) introduced a thirds competition for under-19s players. Initially, only 7 clubs competed − Carlton, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Richmond and St Kilda.[1] Several VFL clubs already operated thirds teams in local competitions, while others were affiliated with existing junior clubs.[2][3]
In 1947, the VFL invited the Doutta Stars Football Club (which competed in the Essendon District Football League) to field a side in the Thirds; the team was known as North Essendon.[4] The side was unsuccessful, and after two seasons a team representing Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) took its place. However, TAA were beaten too heavily, and withdrew from the competition following round 4 of the 1949 season.[5][6]
By 1950, all VFL clubs (bar Collingwood) were now in the thirds competition. Richmond chose to enter a second team − known as Richmond Juniors.[7] The new side competed for a single season, and Collingwood joined the competition in 1951.[2]
The competition became known as the VFL under-19s beginning in 1960 − a name that continued until the VFL was renamed to the AFL in 1990.[8]
With the focus of the VFL/AFL moving rapidly towards a national competition, the former metropolitan and country zoning recruitment system for the Victorian VFL/AFL clubs was abolished, and the league's under-19 competition was shut down at the end of 1991. A new competition, called the TAC Cup, began in 1992 with teams that were not linked to AFL clubs.
Clubs
edit12 clubs competed in the competition's final season. No teams from Queensland, South Australia or Western Australia ever competed in the VFL/AFL under-19s.
| Club | Colours | Moniker | First season | Last season | Premierships | Year(s) of premierships | Current league |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton |  |
Blues | 1946 | 1991 | 6 | 1948, 1949, 1951, 1963, 1978, 1979 | In recess |
| Collingwood |  |
Magpies | 1951 | 1991 | 4 | 1960, 1965, 1974, 1986 | In recess |
| Essendon |  |
Bombers | 1946 | 1991 | 5 | 1950, 1952, 1959, 1961, 1966 | In recess |
| Fitzroy |  |
Lions | 1947 | 1991 | 2 | 1955, 1982 | VAFA U19s |
| Footscray |  |
Bulldogs | 1948 | 1991 | 1 | 1954 | In recess |
| Geelong |  |
Cats | 1947 | 1991 | 1 | 1962 | In recess |
| Hawthorn |  |
Hawks | 1946 | 1991 | 1 | 1972 | In recess |
| Melbourne |  |
Demons | 1946 | 1991 | 6 | 1947, 1953, 1964, 1971, 1981, 1983 | In recess |
| North Essendon |  |
Stars | 1947 | 1948 | 0 | − | EDFL U18s |
| North Melbourne |  |
Kangaroos | 1946 | 1991 | 7 | 1946, 1976, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991 | In recess |
| Richmond |  |
Tigers | 1946 | 1991 | 11 | 1958, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1989 | In recess |
| Richmond Juniors | |
Tigers | 1950 | 1950 | 0 | − | Folded 1950 |
| St Kilda |  |
Saints | 1946 | 1991 | 1 | 1957 | In recess |
| Sydney (South Melbourne)[a] |
 |
Swans | 1947 | 1991 | 1 | 1956 | In recess |
| TAA |  |
None | 1949 | 1949 | 0 | − | Folded 1949 |
- ^ South Melbourne relocated to Sydney in 1982 was renamed Sydney Swans in 1983.
Uniforms
edit     Carlton |
 Collingwood |
   Essendon |
   Fitzroy |
  Footscray | |
 Geelong |
   Hawthorn |
  Melbourne |
 North Essendon |
 North Melbourne | |
 Richmond |
Richmond Juniors |
  St Kilda |
  South Melbourne |
 Sydney |
  TAA |
Premiers
editRichmond won the most under-19s premierships, with a total of 11.[9]
References
edit- ^ Rhett Barlett; Trevor Ruddell. "1946 Richmond Thirds". Tigerland Archive.
- ^ a b "The Under-19s". Collingwood Forever.
- ^ "Under 19s". Demonwiki.
- ^ "Club History". Essendon Doutta Stars Football Club.
- ^ "1949 Thirds season". Demonwiki.
- ^ "Cornell flies flag for '49ers". Carlton Football Club. 23 July 2019.
- ^ Rhett Barlett; Trevor Ruddell. "1950 Richmond Thirds". Tigerland Archive.
- ^ "Under 19s Best and Fairest". Tigerland Archive.
- ^ Stephen Rodgers (1992), Every Game Ever Played – VFL/AFL results 1897–1991 (3rd ed.), Viking O'Neil