AFL under-19s explained

AFL under-19s
Pixels:200px
Formerly:VFL thirds
VFL under-19s
Sport:Australian rules football
Founded:1946
Inaugural:1946
Teams:12 (final season)
Country:Australia
Folded:1991
Most Champs:Richmond (11)

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.

Prior to 1990, it was known as the VFL thirds or VFL under-19s.

History

In 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, 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

12 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.

ClubColoursMoniker First seasonLast seasonPremiershipsYear(s) of premiershipsCurrent league
style=text-align:left Carltonalign=centre Blues align=centre 1946align=centre 1991align=centre 6align=centre 1948, 1949, 1951, 1963, 1978, 1979align=left In recess
style=text-align:left Collingwoodalign=centre Magpies align=centre 1951align=centre 1991align=centre 4align=centre 1960, 1965, 1974, 1986align=left In recess
style=text-align:left Essendonalign=centre Bombers align=centre 1946align=centre 1991align=centre 5align=centre 1950, 1952, 1959, 1961, 1966align=left In recess
style=text-align:left Fitzroyalign=centre Lions align=centre 1947align=centre 1991align=centre 2align=centre 1955, 1982align=left VAFA U19s
style=text-align:left Footscrayalign=centre Bulldogs align=centre 1948align=centre 1991align=centre 1align=centre 1954align=left In recess
style=text-align:left Geelongalign=centre Cats align=centre 1947align=centre 1991align=centre 1align=centre 1962align=left In recess
style=text-align:left Hawthornalign=centre Hawks align=centre 1946align=centre 1991align=centre 1align=centre 1972align=left In recess
style=text-align:left Melbournealign=centre Demons align=centre 1946align=centre 1991align=centre 6align=centre 1947, 1953, 1964, 1971, 1981, 1983align=left In recess
style=text-align:left align=centre Starsalign=centre 1947align=centre 1948align=centre 0align=centre −align=left EDFL U18s
style=text-align:left North Melbournealign=centre Kangaroosalign=centre 1946align=centre 1991align=centre 7align=centre 1946, 1976, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991align=left In recess
style=text-align:left Richmondalign=centre Tigers align=centre 1946align=centre 1991align=centre 11align=centre 1958, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1989align=left In recess
style=text-align:left align=centre Tigers align=centre 1950align=centre 1950align=centre 0align=centre −align=left Folded
style=text-align:left St Kildaalign=centre Saints align=centre 1946align=centre 1991align=centre 1align=centre 1957align=left In recess
style=text-align:left Sydney
(South Melbourne) 		align=centre Swans align=centre 1947align=centre 1991align=centre 1align=centre 1956align=left In recess
style=text-align:left TAAalign=centre Nonealign=centre 1949align=centre 1949align=centre 0align=centre −align=left Folded

Uniforms

Premiers

Richmond won the most under-19s premierships, with a total of 11.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rhett Barlett . Trevor Ruddell . 1946 Richmond Thirds . Tigerland Archive.
  2. Web site: The Under-19s . Collingwood Forever.
  3. Web site: Under 19s . Demonwiki.
  4. Web site: Club History . Essendon Doutta Stars Football Club.
  5. Web site: 1949 Thirds season . Demonwiki.
  6. Web site: Cornell flies flag for '49ers . 23 July 2019 . Carlton Football Club.
  7. Web site: Rhett Barlett . Trevor Ruddell . 1950 Richmond Thirds . Tigerland Archive.
  8. Web site: Under 19s Best and Fairest . Tigerland Archive.

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