Query Why do AFL Premiers win flags?

[GUMBLETRON]

It makes sense in the WAFL and SANFL where the cups are perpetual and hence only held for a year (though my googling suggest there's also a different-design WAFL cup, perhaps issued for keeps each season?).

As best I can tell though, the VFL/AFL cup has always been made anew and handed out to the winner each year. The VFA/VFL seems to follow the same practice. So, why the flag as well?

 

[numchuks]

There wasn't premiership cup before 1960, it was just a flag issued and each player received a little trophy each.

After that it was a medallion for every player and a cup and flag for every club.

That's why Eddie got 13 retrospective premiership cups made up, because he thought the Collingwood trophy cabinet looked small with just their 1990 premiership cup in it.

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

It makes sense in the WAFL and SANFL where the cups are perpetual and hence only held for a year (though my googling suggest there's also a different-design WAFL cup, perhaps issued for keeps each season?).

As best I can tell though, the VFL/AFL cup has always been made anew and handed out to the winner each year. The VFA/VFL seems to follow the same practice. So, why the flag as well?

The awarding of flags instead of cups goes back to the late 1880s when the VFL-AFL's foundation clubs competed in the original VFA competition.

Why flags instead of trophies?
I'm yet to find a definitive statement on that in any of the newspapers of the day but put simply, a flag would have been a heck of a lot cheaper to produce than silverware (and a lot easier to show-off to the masses on match day).

Back then it was a big deal if a wealthy patron of the club donated any form of medals, pocket watches, etc for players after a premiership or noteworthy performance.

From time to time different cups and shields were donated to the various state leagues by wealthy patrons or administrators. These were usually donated with a proviso that a club could only take permanent ownership of the award if certain targets were achieved (e.g. first team to win it three times, first team to win it three seasons straight, etc.) Until then it was presented annually but remained the property of the league awarding it.

My personal favourite is the VFA's premiership trophy donated in 1910. The conditions imposed by the donor were that it would be awarded permanently to the first club to win it twice consecutively or three times overall. [North Melbourne Courier and West Melbourne Chronicle 14-10-1910].

The following year Essendon 'A' won their first premiership then in 1912 went back-to-back and promptly claimed ownership of the trophy. Too easy! Incredibly, the club never won another premiership and within 9 years had folded.

VFL/AFL Premiership Cup
This has only been awarded since 1959 (with retrospective cups purchased by the clubs a few years back) and as you noted it has always been made anew each season. You win it, you keep it. The flag is still awarded as well and unfurled the following year...

 

[killer]

according to League football in Victoria 78/79

Kenneth Luke was impressed by the Cup presentation ceremony at Wembley
he saw in the 50s
- had a cup made and got some employee to walk around a park (holding it up)
to check if it had the right look

 

[Chris who]

The old WAFL cup from the early 1900s was bought at a second hand store in the 80s for spare change

The WAFL started proceedings to get it back only to be told that it belonged to the guy who bought it, as like the vfa it was permanently awarded to a team once it had been won 3 times

The cup ended up being owned by the west Australian newspaper on the proviso that the WAFL doesn't ever get its hands on it

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

The old WAFL cup from the early 1900s was bought at a second hand store in the 80s for spare change

The WAFL started proceedings to get it back only to be told that it belonged to the guy who bought it, as like the vfa it was permanently awarded to a team once it had been won 3 times

The cup ended up being owned by the west Australian newspaper on the proviso that the WAFL doesn't ever get its hands on it

Classic!

 

[1892]

Posted this elsewhere, but it's more relevant here.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204671413

The Journal 18 June 1914

Mr. R. T. Rush (treasurer of the Collingwood club) suggested through the council that at the carnival in Sydney next August each league should supply its teams with pennants, the Winner in the games to take the other's flag-as a trophy. The league adopted this suggestion.

 

[Chuckie357]

There wasn't premiership cup before 1960, it was just a flag issued and each player received a little trophy each.

After that it was a medallion for every player and a cup and flag for every club.

That's why Eddie got 13 retrospective premiership cups made up, because he thought the Collingwood trophy cabinet looked small with just their 1990 premiership cup in it.

That sounds like port Adelaide-esque making up history

 

[Rainier Wolfcastle]

according to League football in Victoria 78/79

Kenneth Luke was impressed by the Cup presentation ceremony at Wembley
he saw in the 50s
- had a cup made and got some employee to walk around a park (holding it up)
to check if it had the right look

Here's an article from the 1975 Grand Final Record...