Grand Final History Podcast. Every season of the VFL/AFL, taking it one season at a time

[Grand Final History]

Hi everyone

Time for some shameless self promotion. The Grand Final History Podcast is a history of every season of the VFL/AFL starting way back in 1897 and moving forward one season at a time. Each show covers a bit of what was going on in the world, how the season unfolded and a detailed look at the finals.

As I write this in May 2025 I have made it up to season 1942 with many more to come. So you can listen year by year or just go for the seasons your team won the premiership.

Much has changed in football since the VFL's early years but many issues stay the same. The holding the ball/holding the man rule has been contentious since the game started, plenty of supporters claim we don't see the long kicking high marking game of the past, regardless of what decade they are in, players of today are not as good as those in the past and they want too much money, the League is only interested in money and not the spectators or the game and gambling is a problem. Fitzroy supporters were complaining about the Grand Final always being held at the MCG and the "large sums in travelling expenses" this caused in 1905. That same year viruses and vaccinations were causing South Melbourne problems with their travel plans but that was due to a Smallpox outbreak in Tasmania and not COVID!

Grand Final History available where ever you get your podcast from or check out the website with all the episodes and a grand final database covering all the things that make up grand final day wherever the match is held at www.grandfinalhistory.au

 

[Grand Final History]

Eleven teams started the 1943 season but only ten made it to the final round. To ensure only one bye per team, the club on the bottom of the ladder after round eleven was eliminated! The earliest Wooden Spoon ever! The war meant everything was different, US Marines were at the MCG, they even played a gridiron game, the American football code as a rare game on the G once it was occupied for the war. The Americans even took on the Australians in a hybrid football game described as ‘aerial bombardment”. All the while the VFL season unfolded, with challenges of player availability and news of loss at the front line. Still plans were being prepared for peace time, would the VFL be expanding?