The Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) is the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. Founded in 1892, it consists of six senior men's and women's divisions ranging from Premier to Division 3.
In addition, the VAFA Under-19s sections and five Thirds sections, primarily made up of either clubs only able to field one team, or clubs from higher sections that can field a third team after their seniors and reserves. The league operates a double promotion and relegation system between sections with various rules dictating which section clubs can play in.
The league's administration base is at Elsternwick Park, a former Victorian Football Association stadium in suburban Elsternwick, that was home to the now defunct Brighton Football Club and is now the home base for Old Melburnians Football Club and Elsternwick Football Club. It was redeveloped in 2017 and has a capacity for around 15,000 spectators.
The Association is made up of private school old boys clubs, university clubs and district clubs. No player payments are permitted, however players can be enticed by offers of employment.
History
Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA) The Victorian Amateur Football Association was founded in 1892 as the Metropolitan Junior Football Association. The foundation clubs were: Alberton; Brighton; Collegians; Footscray District; St Jude's; St Mary's; Toorak-Grosvenor; YMCA.
Metropolitan Amateur Football Association (MAFA)
1912
In 1912 the MJFA became the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association.
Prior to World War I, apart from its core function of delivering a competition for amateur footballers, the MAFA also provided an (unofficial) second-level competition for the VFL. The VFL Second XVIII competition began in 1919; the MAFA competition was not resumed, post-war, until 1920.
1920
On Monday, 22 March 1920, a meeting of the (then) Metropolitan Amateur Football Association decided to resume the inter-club competition that it had suspended for the duration of World War I at the end of the 1915 season. The MAFA announced that the re-formed competition would be between four of the "pre-war" clubs — namely, Collegians Football Club, South Yarra Amateur Football Club, Elsternwick Football Club, and Melbourne University Football Club (later University Blacks) — and four "new clubs" — namely, Old Melburnians, Old Caulfield Grammarians, Melbourne Swimming Club Football Club and the Teachers’ College Football Club.
Victorian Amateur Football Association
In 1933 it changed its name to the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
Movement in and out of senior competition since inception
From a history of the VAFA
Inter-league and Inter-state games
1925
In June 1925 a MAFA Representative XVIII defeated the South Australian 21.22 to 8.10 at the MCG in the first amateur Interstate representative game.
1948
Players in the 1948 Perth Carnival included: R. B. Small, K. N. C. Rollanson, G. V. Byrne, C. P. Daley, J. C. Stock, V. G. Miller, E. Jane, W. J. Backhouse, W. T. Taggart, J. P. Sheehan, R. L. Rouse, K. F. Lewis, J. W. Grainier, W. Reynolds’s, N. P. Airmen, G. W. McTaggart, D. B. White, (Deputy Manager) E. L. Macklin, B. F. Judd, V. W. Paxton, M. J. Davidson, D. W. Arnold, (Capt.) G. T. Moore, (Manager) M. K. Fitcher, (Vice-Capt.) A. H. C. Richard’s, E. M. MacGregor.
1951
The Australian Amateur Jubilee Football Carnival was held in Melbourne in July 1951.
The Victorian team included: J. Kelly (Coach), K. Clarke, G. W. Gibbons, A. T. Shiel, D. Bills, J.D. Anderson, M.T. Hastie, A. D. Morning, G. Harris. G.T. Moore (Manager), A. E. Parley, W. B. Thomas, M. Mathewson, A. Ferguson, J. Stock, J. B. Jolley, J. Likely, B. F. Judd, W. M. Judd, P. McLaughlin, . Bedford, S. Bottles, D. W. Arnold (Capt.), P. M. Cox (V-Capt.), H. A. Meredith, A. F. Mellors, E. Donaldson.