VFL Sub-Districts

The VFL Sub-Districts (VFLSD), sometimes referred to as the Victorian Sub-District Football League (VSDFL), was an Australian rules football competition played in the state of Victoria and managed by the Victorian Football League (VFL), now known as the Australian Football League (AFL).^[1][2] The competition was preceded by the Melbourne District Football Association (MDFA) and succeeded by the Metropolitan Football League (MFL).

The Sub-Districts included a number of "thirds" teams for senior VFL clubs, prior to the introduction of the VFL thirds (later VFL/AFL under-19s) in 1946.^[3] A similar competition, the VFA Sub-Districts, also existed at the time of the VFLSD and was managed by the Victorian Football Association (VFA).^[4][5]

The Melbourne District Football Association (MDFA) was formed in the 1900s.^[6][7][8][9]

The MDFA appears to stopped play during World War I, although a different competition (known as the Melbourne Junior Football Association) was formed in April 1918.^[10][11] It is possible that MDFA clubs including Coburg and Moreland joined this competition for the 1918 season.^[12][13]

At the end of the 1924 season, the VFL took over the MDFA and replaced it with the VFL Sub-Districts, officially called the Victorian Football League Sub-Districts Association.^[14][15] W.H. Smith was elected as the new league's inaugural president, and the first game was played on 2 May 1925 between Oakleigh and Dandenong.^{[16][17][18][19]} Public Service won the inaugural premiership in 1925, with a total of ten clubs competing in the competition the following year in 1926.^{[20][21][22][23]}

The competition was split into two in 1927.^[15] In 1927, there was a further split with the introduction of "First Grade North" (Division 1 North), "First Grade South" (Division 1 South), the "unallocated Second Grade" (Division 2) and the similarly-named "Seconds Grade" (the latter being a reserves competition, largely for the "Second Grade").^[23] The winner of the North and South sections would go on to play in a grand final for the overall VFLSD premiership, while the winners of Division 2 and the Seconds (Reserves) Grade also played each other.^[24] In 1929, Division 2 was also split into North and South sections.^[25]

Fairfield and Kew drew in the 1929 grand final, with the replay won by Kew.^[26][27] The clubs again drew in the 1935 grand final, with that replay won by Fairfield in a game that resulted in four players being suspended for fighting.^[28][29]

Like in the senior VFL competition, the Page–McIntyre system was introduced in 1933, replacing the Argus finals system.^[30] However, it appears the Argus system (or a similar system) returned in 1944, as The Age noted grand finalist East Brunswick "[had] the right of an extra game" after losing a final to Richmond District the week before.^[31]

In 1950, the VFL Sub-Districts was succeeded by the Metropolitan Football League (MFL).^[32][33][34]

Following the conclusion of the 1958 VFA season, the Prahran Football Club was expelled from the VFA for failing to meet the minimum home ground requirements, and was replaced by the Sunshine Football Club, which had been runners-up in the MFL in 1958.^[35][36] Prahran subsequently spent 1959 competing in the MFL's A Grade, winning the premiership with just a single loss for the season, and the club returned to the VFA in 1960.^[37][38]

Dozens of clubs competed in the MDFA, VFL Sub-Districts and MFL.^[23][39][40]

Club	Colours	Nickname	Former league	Est.	Seasons	Premierships		Fate	Ref.
						Total	Most recent
Balwyn		Tigers	RDFA	1909	1927−1931	1	1927	EFNL	[41]
Camberwell		Cobras	VJFA	1880s	1920−1925	0	−	Folded 1995	[42]
Canterbury		Tricolours	RDFA	1881	1925−1931	0	−	VAFA	[43]
Carnegie			VJFA	1920s	1928−1931	0	−	Folded 2000	[44]
Caulfield		Fieldsmen	MAFA	1890s	1925−1931	0	−	Folded 1976	[45]
Coburg		Lions	VJFA	1891	1913−1920	3	1920	VFL	[46]
Darling					1928−1933	0	−	Folded 1940	[47]
Elsternwick		Wickers			1911−1912			VAFA	[48]
Eltham		Panthers	DVFL	1909	1936−1937	0	−	NFNL	[49]
Fitzroy Stars		Stars	−	1973	1973−1974	1	1974	NFNL	[50]
Heidelberg		Tigers	DVFL	1876	1926−1929	0	−	NFNL	[51]
Kew		Bears	VJFA	1876	1927−1949	5	1937	VAFA	[52]
Oakleigh		Purple and Golds		1891	1928−1933	1	1928	Folded 1994	[53]
Prahran		Two Blues	VFA	1899	1959	1	1959	VAFA
Public Service		Service		1915	1915−1933	1	1925	Folded 1933s	[54]
South Melbourne Districts		Bloods	VJFA	1912	1927−1973[a]	0	−	VAFA	[59]

Kew won the most known Division 1/A Grade VFLSD premierships, with a total of five.^[23][60]

This premiership was contested by the winner of the unallocated "Second Grade" (Division 2) and the "Seconds Grade" (reserves competition), and later the winner of Division 2 North and Division 2 South.^[24][25]

The best and fairest award in the VFL Sub-Districts and the MFL was known as the Clota Medal (sometimes referred to as the Clota Trophy).^[175][176] The award was named Marcus Clota, a former vice-president of South Melbourne who served as the VFL Sub-Districts president until his death on 25 December 1940.^[177][178]

• Inaugural VFL Sub-Districts season fixture from 1925