Research Missing VFL flags and trophies

[LeverPuller]

Is there any list of the missing trophies or flags to celebrate the VFL premiership? The 1948 flag won by Melbourne just turned up on eBay.

The most famous, of course, is the Dogs' 1954 flag, but Carlton's 1970 and 1972 trophies are also missing

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

I hadn't realised the Dogs' '54 flag was missing as well! If memory serves correctly they lost their 1924 VFA flag and it turned up under a staircase at Whitten Oval a few years back during the renovations.

These things aren't exactly dropping off trees down there - you'd reckon they'd guard them closely

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

Also, not a VFL Premiership as such, but Essendon's trophy from the 1984 Night Series disappeared as well. There's photos of Terry Daniher holding it aloft on the podium but it vanished not long after during the celebrations in the rooms. I believe the club had a replica made for their display at Windy Hill.

 

[LeverPuller]

Apparently Melbourne are missing their 1926, 1941, 1955, 1956 and 1957 flags too...

 

[Mero]

I hadn't realised the Dogs' '54 flag was missing as well! If memory serves correctly they lost their 1924 VFA flag and it turned up under a staircase at Whitten Oval a few years back during the renovations.

These things aren't exactly dropping off trees down there - you'd reckon they'd guard them closely

I don't think the 1924 flag was missing, people knew it was under the stairs, they just didn't bother with it.
And that was mostly because the VFA was seen as an inferior standard to the VFL and they were playing with the big boys now.
Some of the old players heard about the flag and had it mounted and hung up in the Social Club.

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

I don't think the 1924 flag was missing, people knew it was under the stairs, they just didn't bother with it.
And that was mostly because the VFA was seen as an inferior standard to the VFL and they were playing with the big boys now.
Some of the old players heard about the flag and had it mounted and hung up in the Social Club.

No, it was missing. Like so much history of VFL-VFA-SANFL-WAFL clubs back in the day it went astray and nobody noticed. Far from leaving it out of sight due to an inferiority complex over their VFA past, it remained there because nobody knew where it was.

Over time "nobody knew where it was" became "nobody knew it existed". It was boarded up along with other bits and pieces under the stairwell, only turning up when the place was being pulled apart for the renovations. [source - a contact involved with the club at that time].

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

Apparently Melbourne are missing their 1926, 1941, 1955, 1956 and 1957 flags too...

That's a shocker - hopefully this is the trigger to get the Dees serious about cataloguing and preserving their history.

 

[the croucher]

That's a shocker - hopefully this is the trigger to get the Dees serious about cataloguing and preserving their history.

Not only items "missing" or "lost" to worry about.

Australian Football history in general is in a state of "don't worry about it, [...] was published in a book 20 years ago so it must be right" attitude.

Until two or three years ago Melbourne (& the AFL) were still listing Alec Hall as coach in 1914, when in fact it was Len Incigneri.

 

[royals1922]

I was once contacted by a nameless local side to help with their history and led to the room under the Grandstand where all the old photos were placed higgledy piggledy and not even the names were known of the people in photos.

There are a lot of clubs where history is a subject learnt at school....

 

[LeverPuller]

That's a shocker - hopefully this is the trigger to get the Dees serious about cataloguing and preserving their history.

On AW last night they said there are 20 missing around the league. Melbourne confirmed the 55-57 flags are missing, Essendon are missing their first six (apparently the 1924 flag is with the Bulldogs as a result of the VFL-VFA playoff) and more.

 

[Teagueeee15]

Is there any list of the missing trophies or flags to celebrate the VFL premiership? The 1948 flag won by Melbourne just turned up on eBay.

The most famous, of course, is the Dogs' 1954 flag, but Carlton's 1970 and 1972 trophies are also missing

The 1972 premiership cup is no longer missing. The original is in the trophy cabinet at Princes Park and the replica replacement is on display at the National Sports Museum at the MCG.

 

[LeverPuller]

The 1972 premiership cup is no longer missing. The original is in the trophy cabinet at Princes Park and the replica replacement is on display at the National Sports Museum at the MCG.

Was in The Age which is why I said it - good to hear.

 

[Chris who]

In the WAFL the premiership trophy from the 1800's apparently turned up in an op shop in perth. Was bought at auction by a multi millionaire 20 years ago