VFL v VFA rules.

[Lip Gallagher]

Back in the day the VFL fielded 18 a side and the VFA fielded 16 (no wings), if the AFL are looking to build a 20 team comp is the VFA formula more attractive given the watering down of talent?

I followed the VFA in the 80s, KFs kicked a lot of goals.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Loved the old VFA.

 

[gelder01]

Would certainly open up the game & produce higher scores. Not sure why local footy leagues don’t do this.

 

[Underarm]

I followed the VFA in the 80s, KFs kicked a lot of goals.

Causation =/= correlation. VFL forwards also kicked alot of goals.

 

[btdg]

I don't think 16 per side will open the game and produce higher scores. The opposite will occur - teams will push further back into defence. Then, with less players up the ground and more space to cover they will find it harder to break out.

We have AFLW for evidence of this already. They are hardly putting up 20 goals per game each...

 

[RUNVS]

I don't think 16 per side will open the game and produce higher scores. The opposite will occur - teams will push further back into defence. Then, with less players up the ground and more space to cover they will find it harder to break out.

We have AFLW for evidence of this already. They are hardly putting up 20 goals per game each...

AFLW is hardly the same thing as women can't as reliably kick 50 metres so there is less space that needs guarding when setting up a zone.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

I don't think 16 per side will open the game and produce higher scores. The opposite will occur - teams will push further back into defence. Then, with less players up the ground and more space to cover they will find it harder to break out.

We have AFLW for evidence of this already. They are hardly putting up 20 goals per game each...

I think this is spot on. A footy ground is big enough to accommodate 18 v 18. But 1/4 of a footy ground is not big enough to accommodate 16 v 16.

 

[Engimal v3]

The dilution of talent I think is one of the biggest myths in Australian football today. Go actually watch some old footage with a modern lens. There's very little gameplan, most of the kicks are 40m+ bombs towards the f50, and defensive tactics consists mostly of ear-massages.

I think players appears more skilled, because the opposition was putting far less effort into defensive efforts.

Modern footballers would run rings around the champion teams of yesteryear.

 

[Wallaby]

Defensive skills, tactics and strategies have improved far more over the last few decades than attacking skills.

 

[fumbler]

A lot of the VFA clubs like Port, Willy, Coburg and Brunswick used the wings to perfection and ran the ball along the wings.

Nowadays the AFL has allowed the ball to get stuck in rucks and then thrown out so it rolls and rucks very much like a Union game, if only they rewarded tackles where the ball bounces out or the tackled player drops it or doesn't even attempt to get rid of it.

The game is like it is because the league made umpires let it get to what it is.

 

[pablo668]

What ever parties were responsible, it was a huge mistake to kill off the VFA, whether it was intentional or by neglect.

 

[Breretonisahood]

We already play VFA rules. The old VFA throw pass is alive and well. The AFL must have adopted this rule and told the umpires without letting the rest of us know.

 

[footyfan1978]

Causation =/= correlation. VFL forwards also kicked alot of goals.

Exactly.
VFA only did that for a point of difference.
Overall footy was the same. VFA from just another level down and had retirees from AFL go there a bit.

There were other things in much earlier decades VFA did different on purpose.
I think that is why VFA was no longer involved in the Carnivals as they did not comply to NFC banner with things like throwing the ball allowed when other leagues went with standard football rules.

I think we need to bring back the wings so we get to see the types like Robbie Flower, Doug Hawkins, Matera and Keith Greig shine again with their brilliant footballing skills.

 

[JohnZ]

What ever parties were responsible, it was a huge mistake to kill off the VFA, whether it was intentional or by neglect.

The VFA still exists, it's called the VFL.

When VFL -> AFL
VFA -> VFL

 

[footyfan1978]

What ever parties were responsible, it was a huge mistake to kill off the VFA, whether it was intentional or by neglect.

Same with the SANFL, WAFL etc.
We killed off the cut and thrust of all these wonderful league that had healthy crowds following them each weekend.

 

[footyfan1978]

A lot of the VFA clubs like Port, Willy, Coburg and Brunswick used the wings to perfection and ran the ball along the wings.

Just because there was no wing on the team selection sheet did not mean players were not playing wing.
I assume some clubs just essentially had a couple of flankers go play wing , rather than half forward or half back flank.
Now the half forward flankers are banned from starting on a centre square line due to 6, 6, 6 stating position rule after each goal.

 

[footyfan1978]

I don't think 16 per side will open the game and produce higher scores. The opposite will occur - teams will push further back into defence. Then, with less players up the ground and more space to cover they will find it harder to break out.

We have AFLW for evidence of this already. They are hardly putting up 20 goals per game each...

Correct, whether you got 36 players in one half of ground or 32, it virtually the same flood the opposition forward line tactic and concede having a forward line until you control the territory battle again, that coaches are running with as control freaks. Whilst that congestion tactic is the dominant tactic for coaches, not much will change.

 

[pablo668]

The VFA still exists, it's called the VFL.

When VFL -> AFL
VFA -> VFL

Er not exactly. My understanding is that a lot of the old VFA clubs, clubs with histories of their own, rich ones, are no longer in the renamed comp (VFL), and that the clubs left are just AFL(vic) reserve sides. Port Melbourne are one of the only original stand alone clubs left afaik.

So the VFA isn't really still there.

 

[footyfan1978]

Er not exactly. My understanding is that a lot of the old VFA clubs, clubs with histories of their own, rich ones, are no longer in the renamed comp (VFL), and that the clubs left are just AFL(vic) reserve sides. Port Melbourne are one of the only original stand alone clubs left afaik.

So the VFA isn't really still there.

Essentially right. Even Port Melbourne have not been stand alone in some of past decades. At times they been a spot for reserve players of AFL clubs. I think Swans and North have used them at times but think Port one of first clubs to get back to being stand alone when they saw the identity evaporating.
Wiliamstown and Port Melbourne are both very old clubs which go back as far as earliest decades of VFA playing against clubs like Melbourne, Geelong and Carlton when they were in VFA. The VFA is long gone, some of the clubs that came from VFA manage to keep some of their identity by going back to stand alone. Hopefully Sandringham break free of St.Kilda soon and it is good Preston Bullants no longer part of Carlton reserves mix but they lost the Preston name but thankfully have the red jumper of Preston live on now. Sadly Prahran are long gone and Coburg had so many alliances with other AFL clubs they do not seem like the original VFA club they were in Phil Cleary days. When I see Port Melbourne, Willy and Sandringham jumpers least it reminds me a little bit of VFA still lives on through them.

 

[boncer34]

The dilution of talent I think is one of the biggest myths in Australian football today. Go actually watch some old footage with a modern lens. There's very little gameplan, most of the kicks are 40m+ bombs towards the f50, and defensive tactics consists mostly of ear-massages.

I think players appears more skilled, because the opposition was putting far less effort into defensive efforts.

Modern footballers would run rings around the champion teams of yesteryear.

It staggers me that people dont understand this.

In the good old days your kick to a leading forward could be 5m off, they can adjust their lead and pluck it.

If you kick 5m off now it's a turnover

 

[terrybull]

The dilution of talent I think is one of the biggest myths in Australian football today. Go actually watch some old footage with a modern lens. There's very little gameplan, most of the kicks are 40m+ bombs towards the f50, and defensive tactics consists mostly of ear-massages.

I think players appears more skilled, because the opposition was putting far less effort into defensive efforts.

Modern footballers would run rings around the champion teams of yesteryear.

I always wondered what year you need to go back to for an amateur team of today say Collegians 2021 would beat a VFL team from ????

I guess you need also have to take account on what era rules that are played.