149-900: The Fitzroy Bulldogs was a proposed Australian rules football club which was to have formed from the merger between the Fitzroy Lions and the Footscray Bulldogs , and was to have competed in the Victorian Football League from 1990 . The merger was arranged in October 1989 to avert the imminent financial collapse of the Footscray Football Club, but was abandoned within three weeks of its announcement, after Footscray supporters raised almost two million dollars and secured sponsorship and funding to ensure their club's solvency and viability into
298-638: A dominion , leagues were also established in the major cities. This renewed popularity helped encourage the formation of the Australasian Football Council , which in 1908 in Melbourne staged the first national interstate competition, the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival , with teams representing each state and New Zealand. The game was also established early on in the new territories. In
447-650: A scratch match at the Richmond Paddock adjoining the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This was the first of several "kickabouts" held that year involving members of the Melbourne Cricket Club , including Wills, Bryant, W. J. Hammersley and J. B. Thompson . Trees were used as goalposts and play typically lasted an entire afternoon. Without an agreed-upon code of laws, some players were guided by rules they had learned in
596-487: A causal link with Australian football. In Melbourne , in 1858, in a move that would help to shape Australian football in its formative years, private schools (then termed " public schools " in accordance with nomenclature in England) began organising football games inspired by precedents at English public schools . The earliest match, held on 15 June, was between Melbourne Grammar and St Kilda Grammar. On 10 July 1858,
745-517: A century. State of Origin rules, introduced in 1977, stipulated that rather than representing the state of their adopted club, players would return to play for the state they were first recruited in. This instantly broke Victoria's stranglehold over state titles and Western Australia and South Australia began to win more of their games against Victoria. Both New South Wales and Tasmania scored surprise victories at home against Victoria in 1990. The term " Barassi Line ", named after VFL star Ron Barassi ,
894-540: A draw – the third drawn grand final in VFL/AFL history. St Kilda midfielder Lenny Hayes won the Norm Smith Medal for the player judged best on ground in the match, making him the first St Kilda player to ever win the medal. Owing to the draw, a second grand final match was played the following week. In the grand final replay, Collingwood won by 56 points. In December 2010, the club was granted ownership of
1043-419: A draw, but a protest launched by St Kilda saw the result overturned, resulting in a 1-point victory to St Kilda. In 1902, Charlie Baker became the first St Kilda player to be the league's leading goalkicker in a home and away season with 30 goals. Six successive wins at the start of the 1907 season helped St Kilda to its first finals appearance, qualifying third with nine wins and eight losses. The club
1192-419: A game for either medical or tactical reasons. Players on the playing surface can be swapped with those on the interchange bench at any time. They must though pass through a designated "Interchange Area". In the event a player fails to pass through this area correctly, or if too many players from one team are found to be on the ground at a time, a free kick will be awarded to the opposing side. While there
1341-462: A halo, holding the competition's logo. In 1989, just prior to the league officially becoming the AFL, the club used a logo with a red white and black vertically striped design with the goal and behind posts on it, with a stick figure attempting a mark on it with a halo above its head, with the league logo and the club crest on top of either behind post. The VFL league logo was replaced with the AFL logo when
1490-413: A larger and stronger supporter base than Fitzroy, and some prominent opponents of the merger had a contingency plan to encourage Footscray fans to purchase Fitzroy Bulldogs memberships in such high numbers that a voting majority of members could elect a sympathetic board to move the club back to Footscray and restore the club's red, white and blue colours. The effect of the failed Fitzroy Bulldogs merger on
1639-405: A loss in their 2011 elimination final, Ross Lyon left the club, despite one year remaining on his contract, to coach Fremantle . Former Sydney, Fremantle and West Coast player and Collingwood assistant coach Scott Watters was announced as Lyon's replacement in October 2011. The years after the departure of Ross Lyon did not prove fruitful for St Kilda. They failed to make the finals in 2012 for
SECTION 10
#17327931180151788-399: A mark is taken, a small protected zone is established on the field, extending 10 metres (11 yd) either side of "the mark" and the player who marked the ball, with a small protected corridor between "the mark" and the player. The opposition player is permitted to jump, but is not allowed to move from their position on "the mark". Any other movements result in a distance penalty (50 metres in
1937-554: A mendicant club as a result. On 14 March 1873, a meeting was held in Windsor to form the St Kilda Football Club. At this meeting, a provisional committee of men were elected. The formation was completed on 2 April 1873, and on 11 June 1873 another meeting was held to appoint the final committee. The club's original home ground was colloquially nicknamed the "Alpaca Paddock", which was a large fenced-off area at
2086-461: A merger with Melbourne in 1987 for exactly this reason. The merger was a blow to football representation in the inner western suburbs, as the region had already seen one of its two Victorian Football Association clubs, Yarraville , drop out of the competition and go into recess before the start of 1984, and Sunshine had withdrawn from the VFA during the 1989 season, its future still uncertain. There
2235-484: A merger, and the merger plan was announced to the public on 3 October 1989, three days after the 1989 grand final ; Footscray's licence to compete in the VFL was immediately terminated. The negotiations were carried out secretly, and it was not until the plans were leaked on 2 October by former Footscray general manager Dennis Galimberti, who learned of the plans at the club's best and fairest dinner and later became prominent in
2384-404: A modified cricket ground . Points are scored by kicking the oval ball between the central goal posts (worth six points), or between a central and outer post (worth one point, otherwise known as a "behind"). During general play, players may position themselves anywhere on the field and use any part of their bodies to move the ball. The primary methods are kicking , handballing and running with
2533-532: A number of Prahran players. St Kilda competed as a senior club in the VFA from 1877 to 1879, 1881 to 1882 and 1886 to 1896 before accepting an invitation into the breakaway competition, the Victorian Football League, from 1897 onwards. St Kilda were one of the eight clubs that took part in the inaugural VFL season in 1897. They made their debut in an away game against Collingwood on 8 May 1897 at Victoria Park . The club's home ground in
2682-453: A player breaks a rule, a free kick is awarded to the opposing team, from the location that the misconduct occurred, or the ball's current location—whichever is closer to the team's scoring zone. As when a mark is taken, this location is called "the mark", and the same protections regarding the space apply. St Kilda Football Club The St Kilda Football Club , nicknamed the Saints , is
2831-577: A preliminary final. The following year saw a similar result, with the club being defeated in a preliminary final by Sydney. St Kilda's 2006 AFL season saw the club finish in sixth position at the end of the home and away rounds and qualify for a third successive finals series. St Kilda were eliminated by Melbourne in the elimination finals. During this season, Robert Harvey broke the all-time games record for St Kilda when he played in his 324th premiership season match in Round 7. On 11 October 2006, Ross Lyon
2980-536: A professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne , Victoria. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier league. The club's name originates from its original home base in the bayside Melbourne suburb of St Kilda in which the club was established in 1873. The club also has strong links to the south-eastern suburb of Moorabbin due to it being
3129-566: A proposed hybrid code of Australian football and rugby league , the predominant code of football in New South Wales and Queensland, was trialled without success. In Queensland, the state league went into recess for the duration of the war. VFL club University left the league and went into recess due to severe casualties. The WAFL lost two clubs and the SANFL was suspended for one year in 1916 due to heavy club losses. The Anzac Day match ,
SECTION 20
#17327931180153278-554: A rematch the following week. St Kilda lost the rematch 7.14 (56) to 5.13 (43). Owing to World War I, St Kilda went into recess in 1916 and 1917. Just prior to their recession, the club temporarily changed their official colours to include yellow in place of white. This was done to avoid association with the German Empire, who had the same colours as St Kilda at the time. The club resumed normal operation in 1918 and fared well initially, qualifying for finals and being defeated in
3427-456: A second-tier status. The VFA merged with the former VFL reserves competition in 1998, adopting the VFL name. State of Origin also declined in importance, especially after an increasing number of player withdrawals. The AFL turned its focus to the annual International Rules Series against Ireland in 1998 before abolishing State of Origin the following year. State and territorial leagues still contest interstate matches, as do AFL Women players. In
3576-464: A select few ways as defined by the Laws of Australian Football, published by the AFL. The ball can be propelled in any direction by way of a kick or a clenched fist (called a handball )—deemed a correct disposal. Failure to dispose of the ball in one of these two methods will result in a free kick to the opposing team. If the ball is not currently in a player's possession, it can be moved legally through
3725-620: A similar situation existing in Western Australia in the sport, the VFL pursued a more national competition. Two more non-Victorian clubs, West Coast and Brisbane , joined the league in 1987 generating more than $ 8 million in license revenue for the Victorian clubs and increasing broadcast revenues which helped the Victorian clubs survive. In their early years, the Sydney and Brisbane clubs struggled both on and off-field because
3874-498: A slightly modified version of the Victorian game in 1879. The South Australian Football Association (SAFA), the sport's first governing body , formed on 30 April 1877, firmly establishing Victorian rules as the preferred code in that colony. The Victorian Football Association (VFA) formed the following month. Clubs began touring the colonies in the late 1870s, and in 1879 the first intercolonial match took place in Melbourne between Victoria and South Australia . To standardise
4023-399: A strong starting position for the future. The key points of the proposal were: Had the merger gone ahead, these arrangements could still have been amended, as they needed to be approved by a three-quarters majority of the remaining 12 clubs. When the merger was averted, the vote was cancelled. The announcement was met with strong anger from Footscray fans. While the merged club was to retain
4172-406: A technique known shepherding when the ball is within 5 metres (5.5 yd) of an opposition player. Shepherding involves the use of a player's body to push, bump or otherwise block an opposition player, providing they do not have possession of the ball. If a player takes possession of the ball that has travelled more than 15 metres (16 yd) from another player's kick, by way of a catch within
4321-410: A three-year sponsorship deal worth between $ 1,000,000–1,500,000 with chemical giant I.C.I. , which had a long history of operations in Melbourne's west and was a major employer in the area. Footscray's VFL licence was restored, and both Footscray and Fitzroy continued as separate entities into the 1990 season. In an extraordinary general meeting on 30 October, the entire board which had been involved in
4470-427: A uniform code known as "Victorian rules". In 1866, the "first distinctively Victorian rule", the running bounce , was formalised at a meeting of club delegates chaired by H. C. A. Harrison , an influential pioneer who took up football in 1859 at the invitation of Wills, his cousin. The game around this time was defensive and low-scoring, played low to the ground in congested rugby-style scrimmages. The typical match
4619-405: Is analogous to a basketball center and as such rucks are typically the tallest player on the team. Lifting teammates is not allowed so the ruck may only jump to reach the ball. If the ruck does not take possession of the football, it must must be tapped or fisted, which is known as a hit-out. An effective hit-out that passes the ball to a teammate is known as a hit-out to advantage. In the event
Fitzroy Bulldogs - Misplaced Pages Continue
4768-460: Is known as the Goal Line. Around the perimeter of the field, two white lines are drawn between the set of behind posts in an arc-shape, marking the field of play. Other field markings include: The 50m arcs, centre square, centre circle and goal square are used at the beginning of each quarter or after each goal. With each team permitted a maximum of six players in each 50m arc, with one in
4917-470: Is no set uniform, the basic equipment for Australian football consists of a guernsey, shorts, socks and boots, with additional pieces of apparel such as headbands and gloves additionally being permitted. Players may wear certain pieces of protective equipment, such as helmets or arm guards, if approved by the relevant controlling body. Mouthguards are strongly recommended for all players. Players are not permitted to wear jewellery, or other materials which
5066-493: Is officiated by at least five match officials, known as an umpire . These match officials are placed into three categories based upon their roles and responsibilities, with varying minimum numbers of Umpires required depending on position: At AFL level, a video score review system is utilised. Only umpires are permitted to request a review, and only scoring shots and potential scoring shots are permitted to be reviewed. An Australian rules football may only be propelled forward in
5215-412: Is unique among the AFL clubs in now utilising this as its official nickname. Dating back to as early as the 1890s, and to as late as the 1950s, the "Seagulls" was also in use as a nickname, but this has fallen out of use. In 1945, the club adopted the moniker "Panthers"; however, this was short-lived. St Kilda's traditional and current home guernsey has three vertical panels of red, white and black on
5364-783: Is used. The ball must be inflated to a pressure of 69 kilopascals (10.0 pounds per square inch). There are no defined laws regarding what material a ball must be made from, but standard AFL match-used balls are produced by Sherrin using cowhide leather. While there is no standard colour of the ball, red and yellow are most common and the only colours used at AFL level. Yellow is used for games beginning after 3 pm or in an enclosed stadium, due to its greater visibility, and to assist score reviews. Unlike other forms of football which are played on rectangular fields, Australian rules football playing fields are oval-shaped, and are between 135 and 185 metres (148 and 202 yd) long and 110 and 155 metres (120 and 170 yd) wide. At either end of
5513-492: The Australian Football League , while the league itself also uses this name for local competitions in some areas. Primitive forms of football were played sporadically in the Australian colonies in the first half of the 19th century. Compared to cricket and horse racing , football was considered a mere "amusement" by colonists at the time, and while little is known about these early one-off games, evidence does not support
5662-543: The Brownlow Medal . He remains the only person in league history to win both the league's best and fairest Brownlow Medal and the Coleman Medal in the same season. The league was officially renamed the Australian Football League prior to the start of the 1990 premiership season . A competitive 1991 AFL season saw St Kilda qualify for a finals series for the first time since 1973, qualifying fourth at
5811-519: The Fitzroy Football Club which provided the strongest case. Although Fitzroy's financial position had improved since it almost relocated to Brisbane in 1987, its position was still weak, with around $ 600,000 of debts, and while its immediate solvency was secure, its long-term viability was not, meaning that Fitzroy president Leon Wiegard was willing to merge. The clubs and the VFL executive, under CEO Ross Oakley , agreed to terms for
5960-516: The Sunshine Football Club was more immediate: with Footscray surviving and enjoying renewed support from local businesses and fans in the western suburbs, Sunshine lost any realistic prospect of achieving the local support it needed to regain its place in the VFA for 1990. Two days after the merger collapsed, Sunshine surrendered its VFA licence and folded. Historically, the merger has sometimes been viewed cynically as an attempt by
6109-407: The field umpire has deemed to be either potentially dangerous or increase the risk of injury to other players. Australian rules football is played with an ellipsoid ball, between 72 and 73 cm (28 and 29 in) in long circumference, and 54.5 and 55.5 cm (21.5 and 21.9 in) in short circumference. For women's competitions, a smaller ball size of 69 and 53 cm (27 and 21 in)
Fitzroy Bulldogs - Misplaced Pages Continue
6258-543: The wooden spoon in 2000 . The following two years were similar, finishing second-last in both seasons. During this period, St Kilda recruited players such as Justin Koschitzke , Nick Riewoldt , Nick Dal Santo and Brendon Goddard who were mainstays of the team over the following decade. In 2004 , St Kilda won a club record of 10 consecutive matches from round 1 to round 10. The club returned to finals, eventually being defeated by eventual premiers Port Adelaide in
6407-472: The 1950s, finishing tenth. Allan Jeans retired from coaching two years later after 16 seasons coaching St Kilda, citing burnout as his reason for retirement. After Lindsay Fox was appointed club president in 1979, the club's outstanding debt of $ 1.45 million was addressed. Many senior players and Allan Jeans accepted a deal to be paid 22.5 cents for each dollar they were owed. Additionally, non-football creditors received 7.5 cents for each dollar owed. The club
6556-488: The 1980s, and it was financial pressures that drove South Melbourne to relocate to Sydney in 1982, while more than $ 1,000,000 in debt and the effect of losing the Junction Oval as a home ground almost drove Fitzroy to relocate to Brisbane, merge with Melbourne , or fold at the end of 1986, while St Kilda , Footscray and Richmond all struggled with extensive debts. Many clubs were saved from bankruptcy only by
6705-612: The 2010s, the AFL signalled further attempts at expanding into markets outside Australian football's traditional heartlands by hosting home-and-away matches in New Zealand, followed by China. After several failed bids since the early 1990s for a Tasmania-based AFL team, the Tasmania Football Club secured the 19th AFL license in 2023, and is set to compete by 2028. In a standard match, a team may consist of anywhere between 14 and 18 players who may be permitted on
6854-539: The 2019 trade period, four high-profile players requested a trade to St Kilda and many discussions were held with other players looking to move. In the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season , the club managed 10 of a possible 17 wins to qualify for their first finals series since 2011. During the finals campaign, St Kilda would defeat the Western Bulldogs in an elimination final by 3 points, bringing
7003-464: The AFL). The player who was awarded the mark may then choose to either dispose of the ball over "the mark" or may choose to attempt disposal via a different method, in which case the field umpire will call "play on"—a verbal instruction to continue play. "Play on" may also be called if the umpire deems the player awarded the mark to be taking an unreasonable amount of time to dispose of the football. Once
7152-472: The AFLW using 17 minutes per quarter. For any given match, two timekeepers are appointed to officiate the duration. The timekeepers record all relevant statistics for the match, such as total quarter duration and score by each team. Additionally timekeepers are required to sound a siren prior to and at the conclusion of each quarter until such time they are acknowledged by the field umpires. To stop and recommence
7301-641: The ANFC, and later the Australian Football Championships (AFC) ran a night series , which invited clubs and representative sides from around the country to participate in a knock-out tournament parallel to the premiership seasons, which Victorian sides still dominated. With the lack of international competition, state representative matches were regarded with great importance. Due in part to the VFL poaching talent from other states, Victoria dominated interstate matches for three-quarters of
7450-581: The Australian Football League from the 1990 season, becoming the de jure national administrative body for the sport in 1995 when the National Football League ceased operations. Australian rules football Australian rules football , also called Australian football or Aussie rules , or more simply football or footy , is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field , often
7599-539: The British Isles, "others by no rules at all". Another milestone in 1858 was a 40-a-side match played under experimental rules between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College , held at the Richmond Paddock. Umpired by Wills and teacher John Macadam , it began on 7 August and continued over two subsequent Saturdays, ending in a draw with each side kicking one goal. It is commemorated with a statue outside
SECTION 50
#17327931180157748-638: The Brownlow Medal count. At the time, Skilton was awarded the medal on count-back. The league later decided to award a Brownlow Medal to any player who was eligible to win who tied on the same number of votes as a winner who won on count-back – with Howell receiving the Brownlow retrospectively. In 1958, St Kilda won the Consolation Night Series competition , a competition that was played between clubs that had failed to qualify for
7897-479: The Bulldogs nickname, the other three areas which most clearly defined the club's identity – its name, colours and home ground – would have come from Fitzroy. For this reason, the merger was seen by Footscray fans as a takeover by Fitzroy. Class warfare became a very strong theme in the response from Footscray fans, with the merger being portrayed as a club from the working class western suburbs being taken over by
8046-593: The Footscray Fightback Foundation were established. A legal loophole allowed for a club member to protest the decision if members hadn't been consulted ahead of time; and so on 6 October, rank-and-file Footscray member Irene Chatfield won a stay of proceedings against the merger in the Supreme Court of Victoria , putting her personal assets (including superannuation, life insurance and a car) at risk as collateral against court costs. Under
8195-583: The Irish game evolved in a similar direction. Another theory, first proposed in 1983, posits that Wills, having grown up among Aboriginals in Victoria, may have seen or played the Aboriginal ball game of Marn Grook , and incorporated some of its features into early Australian football. There is only circumstantial evidence that he knew of the game, and according to biographer Greg de Moore's research, Wills
8344-534: The Linen House Centre, a new training and administration property in the City of Frankston at Seaford valued at approximate $ 11 million. Following the season, the club announced a record net profit of $ 7.467 million for season 2010. St Kilda also achieved a new record membership for a single season and were the 2nd-most-watched team on television, rating 22,777,092 viewers across the season. Following
8493-752: The MCG at the Parade Hotel, owned by Bryant, and drafted ten rules: "The Rules of the Melbourne Football Club" . These are the laws from which Australian football evolved. The club aimed to create a simple code suited to the hard playing surfaces around Melbourne, and to eliminate the roughest aspects of English school games—such as "hacking" (shin-kicking) in Rugby School football—to reduce the risk of injuries to working men. In another significant departure from English public school football,
8642-560: The MCG, and the two schools have since competed annually in the Cordner–Eggleston Cup , the world's oldest continuous football competition . Since the 1920s, it has been suggested that Australian football may have been derived from the Irish sport of Gaelic football . However, there is no archival evidence in favour of a Gaelic influence, and the style of play shared between the two modern codes appeared in Australia long before
8791-576: The Melbourne rules omitted any offside law . "The new code was as much a reaction against the school games as influenced by them", writes Mark Pennings. The rules were distributed throughout the colony; Thompson in particular did much to promote the new code in his capacity as a journalist. Following Melbourne's lead, Geelong and Melbourne University also formed football clubs in 1859. While many early Victorian teams participated in one-off matches, most had not yet formed clubs for regular competition. A South Yarra club devised its own rules. To ensure
8940-692: The Melbourne-based Bell's Life in Victoria and Sporting Chronicle published a letter by Tom Wills , captain of the Victoria cricket team , calling for the formation of a "foot-ball club" with a "code of laws" to keep cricketers fit during winter. Born in Australia, Wills played a nascent form of rugby football while a pupil at Rugby School in England, and returned to his homeland a star athlete and cricketer. Two weeks later, Wills' friend, cricketer Jerry Bryant , posted an advertisement for
9089-409: The SANFL's Port Adelaide (1997), the only pre-existing club outside Victoria to join the league. In 2011 and 2012, respectively, two new non-Victorian clubs were added to the competition: Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney . The AFL, currently with 18 member clubs, is the sport's elite competition and most powerful body. Following the emergence of the AFL, state leagues were quickly relegated to
SECTION 60
#17327931180159238-609: The St Kilda end of what is now known as Albert Park . During its formation years, the club underwent multiple mergers. In June 1873, it merged with the South Yarra Football Club and adopted the red from their colour scheme. In 1875, the club briefly merged with University to stay financially viable. In March 1888, a decision was made to amalgamate St Kilda with nearby Prahran Football Club. St Kilda retained their colours, name and ground as well as picking up
9387-559: The VFL to rationalise the number of Victorian clubs and grounds to facilitate the nationalisation of the league, and Peter Gordon once described the merger as an arranged marriage orchestrated by the VFL. Whether or not that was the case, Fitzroy is the only one of the eleven Victorian clubs from 1989 which no longer competes in the AFL competition (they are now competing in the Victorian Amateur Football Association). The VFL went on to change its name to
9536-853: The VFL was the de facto highest level of competition in Australia, with the ability to attract the strongest players from interstate. Throughout the 1980s, the VFL began to expand to teams based outside Victoria: the league had looked to establish a new club in Sydney in 1982 before the South Melbourne Football Club elected to relocate there instead (becoming the Sydney Swans ), and newly established clubs based in Perth (the West Coast Eagles ) and south-eastern Queensland (the Brisbane Bears ) were admitted to
9685-581: The annual game between Essendon and Collingwood on Anzac Day, is one example of how the war continues to be remembered in the football community. The role of the Australian National Football Council (ANFC) was primarily to govern the game at a national level and to facilitate interstate representative and club competition. In 1968, the ANFC revived the Championship of Australia , a competition first held in 1888 between
9834-415: The ball is in dispute at all times except when a free kick or mark is paid. Players can tackle using their hands or use their whole body to obstruct opponents. Dangerous physical contact (such as pushing an opponent in the back ), interference when marking, and deliberately slowing the play are discouraged with free kicks, distance penalties , or suspension for a certain number of matches depending on
9983-436: The ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled; for example, players running with the ball must intermittently bounce or touch it on the ground . Throwing the ball is not allowed, and players must not get caught holding the ball . A distinctive feature of the game is the mark , where players anywhere on the field who catch the ball from a kick (with specific conditions) are awarded unimpeded possession . Possession of
10132-403: The campaign against the merger, that the merger became public knowledge. It is believed that if the merger had not been announced, the VFL would have appointed an administrator within the week: Footscray would been placed into liquidation, and the club would have folded. A set of proposed arrangements for the merger was negotiated with the VFL executive, which would have given the merged club
10281-442: The case of Sydney , denial of access to grounds, the influence of university headmasters from Britain who favoured rugby, and the loss of players to other codes inhibited the game's growth. In 1896, delegates from six of the wealthiest VFA clubs— Carlton , Essendon , Fitzroy , Geelong, Melbourne and South Melbourne —met to discuss the formation of a breakaway professional competition. Later joined by Collingwood and St Kilda ,
10430-435: The clock, the field umpires are required to signal to the timekeepers to indicate when the clock should be stopped or restarted. Between each quarter, a break is observed to allow players a rest period. Two six-minute breaks are observed between the first and second quarters, and the third and fourth quarters. A longer 20-minute break is observed between the second and third quarter, commonly known as half-time . Each game
10579-550: The club from the " silvertail " inner suburbs. The secretive nature of the merger negotiations, and lack of consultation with members, also drove much of the anger from fans. The Essendon Football Club , which was the next-most western club remaining in the league, received inquiries from many Footscray fans who planned to switch allegiance to the Bombers if the merger went ahead. The response from Fitzroy fans, who had endured merger and relocation discussions only three years earlier,
10728-662: The club went into administration in 1996, it had its AFL playing operations taken over by the Brisbane Bears, who were rebranded as the Lions. The Fitzroy Football Club came out of administration in 1998, and has competed in its own right in the Victorian Amateur Football Association since 2009. Although the clubs' boards were united in their decision to merge, it is far from certain that the merger would have been harmonious. Footscray had
10877-571: The club's condition had dwindled to terminal. The club tried selling home games to Hobart and Canberra, but the ventures were neither financially successful nor supported by the AFL Commission. Ironically, in 1994, Fitzroy moved its permanent home playing base from Princes Park to the Western Oval. Between 1994 and 1996, the club attempted to broker mergers with Melbourne and North Melbourne to stay in Victoria, but those failed. After
11026-460: The club, and a total of $ 450,000 in donations was raised on that day alone. An extensive door-knocking and tin-rattling campaign throughout the western suburbs on the following weekend raised $ 160,000. A legends match was held between a team of former Footscray players and a team of former Collingwood players on Sunday 22 October at Skinner Reserve , which drew a large crowd of 8,000 to see Footscray 11.5 (71) d. Collingwood 9.11 (65). As fundraising
11175-399: The club. Former St Kilda coach Ross Lyon would be reinstated as senior coach for the 2023 season. In the 2023 season , Ross Lyon's first season back as coach, St Kilda would return to the finals, finishing sixth with a 13–10 record. They would be defeated by Greater Western Sydney by 24 points in the elimination final. In 2017, following the inaugural AFL Women's (AFLW) season, St Kilda
11324-426: The clubs formed the Victorian Football League (VFL), which held its inaugural season in 1897 . The VFL's popularity grew rapidly as it made several innovations, such as instituting a finals system, reducing teams from 20 to 18 players, and introducing the behind as a score. Richmond and University joined the VFL in 1908, and by 1925, with the addition of Hawthorn , Footscray and North Melbourne , it had become
11473-490: The code took hold during a series of gold rushes . Likewise, when New Zealand experienced a gold rush , the sport arrived with a rapid influx of Australian miners. Now known as Australian rules or Australasian rules, the sport became the first football code to develop mass spectator appeal, attracting world record attendances for sports viewing and gaining a reputation as "the people's game". Australian rules football reached Queensland and New South Wales as early as 1866;
11622-445: The competition changed names in 1990. The St Kilda Football Club crest first appeared officially on the jumper in 1933, after existing at the club for quite some time beforehand in basic design form. The crest became an iconic feature of the club's jumper – a well-known and recognisable symbol of the club. The crest also includes the club's motto, Fortius Quo Fidelius , which is usually translated as "Strength through Loyalty". As with
11771-424: The decade, and won three wooden spoons over the period. At the end of 1955, Alan Killigrew was appointed as the club's coach. As part of Killigrew's plan to reinvigorate the club, 17 players were removed from the club's list - one of the most substantial list turnovers in VFL history. Between 1957 and 1959, St Kilda won three consecutive Brownlow Medals. The 1959 winner, Verdun Howell , tied with Bob Skilton in
11920-619: The dividends they received from the $ 4,000,000 licence fees charged to Brisbane and West Coast, as well as the $ 4,000,000 earned when the Sydney Swans were sold to Dr Geoffrey Edelsten in 1985, but these cash injections provided only temporary relief, and did nothing to address the ailing long-term viability of the clubs. The Footscray Football Club had been in financial trouble throughout the 1980s, and it had faced pressure to stay afloat, investigating options including relocation to Brisbane as early as 1982. By 1989, its financial position
12069-453: The end of the home and away rounds. However, the club failed to win a final, being defeated by Geelong. St Kilda finally broke through the following year, winning its first finals series match since 1973 against Collingwood. St Kilda won the 1996 Ansett Australia Cup competition, also known as the pre-season cup. The team defeated Carlton in the final 20.10 (130) to 10.12 (72) in front of 66,888 people at Waverley Park. Nicky Winmar became
12218-405: The eventual premiers, Hawthorn, in the preliminary final. St Kilda's 2009 season is considered one of the most dominant home-and-away seasons in AFL history. The club won 20 games—the best-ever home and away record for the club—as well as winning 19 games in a row before being defeated by Essendon. In Round 14, St Kilda defeated Geelong by six points , with both teams being undefeated prior to
12367-409: The field of play, it is deemed as a mark . To be awarded a mark, it must be deemed that the player sufficiently controlled the ball and took possession prior to it being touched, touching the ground, or in the case of a contest, being spoiled by an opponent. Upon a mark being taken, one opposition player may choose to stand on the point on the field where the mark was taken, known as "the mark". When
12516-413: The field, two sets of posts are erected in a straight line to indicate the scoring areas on the field, each with two kinds of posts, named the goal posts and the behind posts respectively. The goal posts are placed first, located 6.4 metres (7.0 yd) apart from each other, with a behind post being placed a further 6.4 metres to the side of each goal post. The name for the field line between two goal posts
12665-487: The first laws of Australian football in May 1859. Australian football has the highest spectator attendance and television viewership of all sports in Australia, while the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's only fully professional competition, is the nation's wealthiest sporting body. The AFL Grand Final , held annually at the Melbourne Cricket Ground , is the second-highest-attended club championship event in
12814-409: The first St Kilda player to kick 100 goals or more in a season. The club qualified for finals in 1939 , finishing the season in fourth after a record run of eight consecutive victories. The team had its first finals win since 1913, against Richmond , but were eliminated in the preliminary final by Collingwood. St Kilda won three of the first four games early in the 1940 season and were on top of
12963-499: The first St Kilda player to win the Michael Tuck Medal for best player on the ground in the 1996 Ansett Australia Cup Final. Despite this success, the club failed to make the finals. In the 1997 season , St Kilda qualified for the finals series in first position at the end of the home and away rounds with 15 wins and 7 losses, winning the second minor premiership in the club's history. St Kilda defeated Brisbane in
13112-568: The first finals victory to the club since 2010 preliminary final against the same opponent. Richmond would later defeat St Kilda by 31 points in the semi-final, ending their campaign. In the following 2021 season, the club would decline in performance, leading to the club finishing 10th with only a 10–12 record. In the 2022 season, after starting at an impressive 8-3 record by round 11, the club would then win only three of their last 11, leading to an 11-11 record, finishing 10th once again. On October 14, 2022, senior coach Brett Ratten would be sacked by
13261-627: The first match in Darwin . The game went on to become the most popular sport in the Territory and build the highest participation rate for the sport nationally. Both World War I and World War II had a devastating effect on Australian football and on Australian sport in general. While scratch matches were played by Australian " diggers " in remote locations around the world, the game lost many of its great players to wartime service. Some clubs and competitions never fully recovered. Between 1914 and 1915,
13410-496: The first time since 2007 and continued poor performances that ultimately culminated in the club finishing last in 2014. Despite this, the 2013 season marked a historic moment for St Kilda and the AFL when St Kilda hosted the first premiership match outside of Australia in New Zealand . Following the 2013 season, senior coach Scott Watters was sacked. On 14 November, former Port Adelaide director of coaching Alan Richardson
13559-536: The formation of the Adelaide Football Club , the oldest football club in Australia outside Victoria. It devised its own rules, and, along with other Adelaide -based clubs, played a variety of codes until 1876, when they uniformly adopted most of the Victorian rules, with South Australian football pioneer Charles Kingston noting their similarity to "the old Adelaide rules". Similarly, Tasmanian clubs quarrelled over different rules until they adopted
13708-409: The front, with the club crest located on the left breast. The guernsey has a plain black back, white ribbing and white numbers. The away guernsey is similar. The current clash guernsey is similar to other guernseys but has extra white panels on either side of the red and black panels. The guernsey has a white back, with the tri-colour panels continuing below the number. It retains the white ribbing of
13857-612: The future. Until the 1980s, the Victorian Football League was one of seven nominally equivalent top-level state-based Australian rules football competitions in Australia that were administered at a national level by the National Football League . However, in practice, the VFL, the SANFL and the WAFL were seen as the "big three" leagues. In this regard, the higher population and greater money available in Melbourne meant
14006-435: The goal square and four players in the centre square with one in the centre circle. If this is breached, a free kick is awarded. A game lasts for 80 minutes, split into four-quarters consisting of 20 minutes playing time, with the clock being stopped for stoppages in play such as scores, or at the umpire 's discretion, e.g. for serious injury. Leagues may choose to employ shorter quarters of play at their discretion, such as
14155-476: The grand final, Ross Lyon signed a three-year extension to his coaching contract until the end of the 2012 season . The following year, St Kilda experienced a similar level of success, qualifying for the finals in third position. The club recorded their first win against Geelong in a finals match in the 2nd qualifying final and eventually qualified for the Grand Final against Collingwood. The match ended in
14304-429: The home and away season as minor premiers for the first time in the club's history. St Kilda defeated Collingwood in the second semi-final to progress into the grand final. The club finished second in the 1965 premiership season, being defeated by Essendon in the 1965 VFL Grand Final . Following their successful 1965 season, St Kilda qualified for finals in consecutive years for the first time since 1907–08. The club
14453-411: The home guernseys and has black numbers. St Kilda has used multiple different logos since it was formed in 1873. Prior to 1976, no clubs in the VFL used logos in an official capacity. Many early club logos were printed in the same shield design frame and had each club's individual colours, name and design in them. St Kilda used a consistent design in the 1970s and 1980s, featuring a stick figure bearing
14602-424: The knees (a low tackle or a trip ) or above the shoulders (a high tackle ), the team with possession of the football gets a free kick. Furthermore, tackles deemed to be dangerous by the umpire and those conducted from front-on while an opposition player has their head over the football are deemed to be prohibited contact, and will incur a free kick against the offending player. Additionally, players may perform
14751-403: The ladder after Round 4, however, the club went on to finish second last. Despite prominent players emerging for the club such as Harold Bray , Keith Drinan , Peter Bennett and later Neil Roberts , St Kilda were rarely competitive for the duration of the 1940s. The 1950s were initially as uncompetitive for St Kilda as the prior decade. The club failed to make the finals for the first half of
14900-481: The league (27 times), having the longest current premiership drought and fourth-longest in history (58 years) , as well as having the second-lowest all-time win percentage of any team still playing in the league (after the Gold Coast Suns ). Additionally, St Kilda have been the most significant beneficiary of AFL funding of the Victorian clubs in the decade up to 2022, and have gained the reputation of being
15049-487: The league in 1987. This created a flurry of speculation in the late 1980s as stakeholders in Adelaide, Fremantle, Canberra and Tasmania all looked to join what was evolving into a national league. At the same time, the rising cost of players and administration was severely affecting the weaker clubs as the league nationalised around them. Seven of Melbourne's eleven VFL clubs faced financial ruin at different times during
15198-400: The league's grounds rationalisation, retaining the venue as its training and administrative base, and then later for its reserves and women's teams. Gordon served as president until 1996, and returned in 2012 for a second stint as president: this included the club's second premiership in 2016, also the club's first premiership since 1954. Although Footscray/Western Bulldogs has never reached
15347-410: The league; it was widely recognised that the club needed a big off-field change to survive. The Footscray Council had offered the club a package worth more than $ 1,600,000, which included a $ 600,000 direct cash injection, $ 400,000 to upgrade facilities at Western Oval, and its assistance to secure $ 600,000 in sponsorships, but the league rejected this as another temporary solution which failed to address
15496-563: The long-standing location of their training ground. St Kilda were one of five foundation teams of the Victorian Football Association (VFA), now known as the Victorian Football League (VFL), and later became one of eight foundation teams of the original Victorian Football League in 1897, now known as the AFL. Additionally, St Kilda are in an alignment with the Sandringham Football Club in
15645-486: The match. The game broke multiple records, including highest-ever crowd for an AFL match at Docklands Stadium (54,444). The game was sold out two weeks in advance, causing a change in timeslot (moving from 2:10 pm to 3:10 pm) so that the Seven Network could broadcast the game live in Victoria. St Kilda eventually progressed to that year's grand final , when they were defeated by Geelong by 12 points. Following
15794-548: The merger stepped down. Peter Gordon was elected president of the club after his strong work as part of the Save the Dogs Committee. Peter Welsh, Ken Greenwood, Bob Moodie and Ron Coleman were elected to the board. Since 1990, Footscray (known as the Western Bulldogs since 1997) has remained viable. For a period through the early 1990s, the club worked aggressively to improve the Western Oval and attract more sporting clubs to
15943-512: The merger was abandoned. As far as the football world was concerned, the merger was all but finalised. Newspapers began running predictions of the Fitzroy Bulldogs' on-field prospects for 1990, and plaques bearing Footscray's and Fitzroy's logos were taken down from the façade at VFL Park. Footscray supporters immediately began a legal response against the merger, and the Save the Dogs Committee, led by local solicitor Peter Gordon, and
16092-455: The modern VFL. St Kilda have won a single premiership to date, a one-point win in the 1966 VFL Grand Final against Collingwood. They have also qualified for the grand final on six additional occasions. The club has won the minor premiership three times, in 1965 , 1997 and 2009 . St Kilda have developed a reputation as perennial underachievers, much of this attributed to their record of finishing last more often than any other club in
16241-414: The new league was the Junction Oval in the suburb of St Kilda, Victoria and the club's first home game was against Fitzroy . St Kilda's early years in the VFL were not successful and, in 1899, they had the lowest score ever recorded in a VFL/AFL match, one point against Geelong. The club lost 48 consecutive games, recording their first win on 5 May 1900, against Melbourne. This match initially ended as
16390-568: The new national capital Canberra both soccer and rugby had a head start, but following the first matches in 1911, Australian rules football in the Australian Capital Territory became a major participation sport. By 1981 it had become much neglected and quickly lagged behind the other football codes. Australian rules football in the Northern Territory began shortly after the outbreak of the war in 1916 with
16539-513: The nickname "Saints", the club crest has no religious associations. A logo change before the start of the 1995 season saw the club make the decision to use the official club crest as the club's official logo in the league. The club song is an adaption of " When The Saints Go Marching In ". The song was recorded in 1972 by the Fable Singers and released as a single. The song was recorded with all copyright and royalty agreements in place, and
16688-401: The phasing out of many of the game's kicking styles and the increasing use of handball; while presentation was influenced by television. In 1982, in a move that heralded big changes within the sport, one of the original VFL clubs, South Melbourne, relocated to Sydney and became known as the Sydney Swans . In the late 1980s, due to the poor financial standing of many of the Victorian clubs, and
16837-407: The player has disposed of the ball, or "play on" is called, normal play resumes. Rucking is the only specialist skill and is performed by a ruck, the term for designated players from each side to which umpire sends the ball to commence play. Only a nominated ruck may contest ball-ups and throw-ins. They are the only player allowed within the 10 metre circle at a centre bounce. Functionally the role
16986-429: The player penalised for ' holding the ball ', except if the umpire deems there was a lack of prior opportunity to do so. The ball carrier may only be tackled between the shoulders and knees from the front or side. If the player forcefully contacts the opposing in the back while performing a tackle, the opposition player will be penalised for a push in the back . If the opposition tackles the player with possession below
17135-436: The playing surface at any given time. Each team may have up to four interchange (reserve) players who may be swapped for those on the field at any time during the game. Although some leagues in less populated areas may use as few as 12 players. In addition, some leagues notably including the AFL, have each team designate one additional player as a substitute who can be used to make a single permanent exchange of players during
17284-459: The point where it could be called a wealthy club, it has not since faced financial difficulties anywhere as dire as those it faced in 1989. On the other hand, Fitzroy was disappointed by the collapse of the merger; it saw the merger, and particularly the offer for its debts to be cleared by the VFL, as one of its best opportunities to secure a future in Melbourne. It had no plan for long-term stand-alone viability in Melbourne, and within seven years
17433-609: The preeminent league in the country and would take a leading role in many aspects of the sport. The time around the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901 saw Australian rules undergo a revival in New South Wales, New Zealand and Queensland. In 1903, both the Queensland Australian Football League and the NSW Australian Football Association were established, and in New Zealand, as it moved towards becoming
17582-481: The premiers of the VFA and SAFA. Although clubs from other states were at times invited, the final was almost always between the premiers from the two strongest state competitions of the time—South Australia and Victoria—with Adelaide hosting most of the matches at the request of the SAFA/SANFL. The last match took place in 1976, with North Adelaide being the last non-Victorian winner in 1972. Between 1976 and 1987,
17731-443: The premiership season finals series. St Kilda defeated Carlton 16.13 (109) to 15.11 (101). In 1961, after finishing sixth in 1960, Allan Jeans was appointed coach. In his first season as coach, St Kilda qualified for the final four for the first time since 1939. The club lost to Footscray in the first semi-final. The club qualified for finals again in 1963 , but was eliminated in the semi-finals again. In 1965, St Kilda finished
17880-485: The premiership. However, the team's performance declined severely, losing six of their final eight matches to from first to sixth at the conclusion of the premiership season. After qualifying for the finals in consecutive seasons, St Kilda were defeated narrowly by Sydney in the qualifying finals and then eliminated comprehensively by Melbourne in the semi-finals. During the early part of the decade, St Kilda struggled, winning only two matches and drawing one to finish with
18029-414: The qualifying finals and North Melbourne in the preliminary finals to move through to the grand final. St Kilda finished second after being beaten in the 1997 AFL Grand Final by Adelaide. The 1998 season initially appeared to be equally strong for the club. After Round 14 of the season, St Kilda was on top of the ladder in Round 14 with eleven wins and three losses and were tipped as warm favourites for
18178-463: The root cause of its problems. Seeing few other options, Footscray President Nick Columb, who had been involved with the club for about ten years but had been elected President only in March 1989, began negotiations for a merger. He had approached all of the league's struggling clubs, eliciting some interest from St Kilda and no interest from North Melbourne and Richmond , but it was discussions with
18327-483: The semi-finals. However, the following years saw St Kilda consistently struggle with poor form. The club qualified for finals once between 1919 and 1938, although during this time period Colin Watson became the first St Kilda player to win the league's highest individual award, winning the 1925 Brownlow Medal . Additionally in 1936, forward Bill Mohr kicked 101 goals, winning the leading goalkicker award and becoming
18476-508: The severity of the infringement. The game features frequent physical contests, spectacular marking , fast movement of both players and the ball, and high scoring. The sport's origins can be traced to football matches played in Melbourne , Victoria , in 1858, inspired by English public school football games . Seeking to develop a game more suited to adults and Australian conditions, the Melbourne Football Club published
18625-467: The sport across Australia, delegates representing the football associations of South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland met in 1883 and updated the code. New rules such as holding the ball led to a "golden era" of fast, long-kicking and high-marking football in the 1880s, a time which also saw players such as George Coulthard achieve superstardom, as well as the rise of professionalism , particularly in Victoria and Western Australia , where
18774-472: The sport experienced a period of dominance in the former, and in the latter, several regions remain strongholds of Australian rules, such as the Riverina . However, by the late 1880s, rugby football had become the dominant code in both colonies, as well as in New Zealand. This shift was largely due to rugby's spread with British migration, regional rivalries and the lack of strong local governing bodies. In
18923-478: The stay, the club needed to raise $ 1,500,000 (later increased to $ 1,800,000) and prove its viability by 25 October to have its VFL licence restored. The Save the Dogs committee set about raising the necessary funds through donations from the public and seeking corporate sponsorship. The first grassroots fundraising event was a rally at the Western Oval on Sunday 8 October, which drew a crowd of 10,000 fans keen to save
19072-414: The substantial TV revenues they generated by playing on a Sunday went to the VFL. To protect these revenues the VFL granted significant draft concessions and financial aid to keep the expansion clubs competitive. The VFL changed its name to the Australian Football League (AFL) for the 1990 season , and over the next decade, three non-Victorian clubs gained entry: Adelaide (1991), Fremantle (1995) and
19221-613: The supremacy of the Melbourne rules, the first-club level competition in Australia, the Caledonian Society's Challenge Cup (1861–64), stipulated that only the Melbourne rules were to be used. This law was reinforced by the Athletic Sports Committee (ASC), which ran a variation of the Challenge Cup in 1865–66. With input from other clubs, the rules underwent several minor revisions, establishing
19370-412: The usage of other means, such as punching. While in possession of the ball, players may run with the ball, but are required to either bounce or touch the ball on the ground at least once every 15 metres (16 yd). Tackling is a technique employed by players used to force opposition players to dispose of the ball when they are in possession. Failure to dispose of the ball when legally tackled may see
19519-519: The venue, and in 1991/92, the club was part-owner of the Melbourne Monarchs baseball club, which played at Western Oval, and it investigated establishing a rugby league club at Western Oval to become the NSWRL 's first Melbourne-based club. The club ceased playing home games at the Western Oval in 1997, moving to Princes Park from the same year and then Docklands Stadium in 2000 as part of
19668-545: The world . The sport is also played at amateur level in many countries and in several variations . Its rules are governed by the AFL Commission with the advice of the AFL's Laws of the Game Committee. Australian rules football is known by several nicknames, including Aussie rules, football and footy. In some regions, where other codes of football are more popular, the sport is most often called AFL after
19817-429: Was "almost solely influenced by his experience at Rugby School". A loosely organised Melbourne side, captained by Wills, played against other football enthusiasts in the winter and spring of 1858. The following year, on 14 May, the Melbourne Football Club was officially established, making it one of the world's oldest football clubs . Three days later, Wills, Hammersley, Thompson and teacher Thomas H. Smith met near
19966-556: Was a 20-per-side affair, played with a ball that was roughly spherical, and lasted until a team scored two goals. The shape of the playing field was not standardised; matches often took place in rough, tree-spotted public parks, most notably the Richmond Paddock ( Yarra Park ), known colloquially as the Melbourne Football Ground. Wills argued that the turf of cricket fields would benefit from being trampled upon by footballers in winter, and, as early as 1859, football
20115-485: Was allowed on the MCG. However, cricket authorities frequently prohibited football on their grounds until the 1870s, when they saw an opportunity to capitalise on the sport's growing popularity. Football gradually adapted to an oval-shaped field, and most grounds in Victoria expanded to accommodate the dual purpose—a situation that continues to this day. Football became organised in South Australia in 1860 with
20264-409: Was already facing pressure to play its games elsewhere. A couple of decades of generally mediocre on-field performances were also contributing to declining attendances, and finishing second-last on the ladder in 1989 had accelerated the decline. The VFL had been concerned about Footscray's financial position throughout the year, and required that the club prove its ongoing viability to hold its place in
20413-421: Was among eight clubs that applied for licences to enter the competition from 2019 onwards. In September 2017, the club was announced as one of four clubs to receive a licence to join the competition in 2020 . The club's on-field nickname is the "Saints", usage of which dates back to as early as the 1870s. Many clubs' early nicknames were derived from an abbreviation or demonym of the club's suburb, but St Kilda
20562-506: Was announced as new senior coach for the next three years. Following further poor performances in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Richardson was advised that his contract would not be renewed for 2020. As a result, he resigned from his position as senior coach. Assistant coach Brett Ratten took over as caretaker coach. After winning three of the season's last six games, Ratten was appointed permanent senior coach in September 2019. During
20711-407: Was appointed as the new head coach for St Kilda, replacing Grant Thomas . After missing finals in 2007 , St Kilda again qualified for the finals in 2008 . A 108-point win over Essendon in the final home-and-away round saw the club take fourth position for the finals series. St Kilda were defeated by Geelong in the qualifying finals, defeated Collingwood in the semi-finals and were eliminated by
20860-442: Was beaten by eventual premiers Carlton . The following year, the club once again qualified in third position and were again eliminated by Carlton in the semi-finals. The 1913 season saw major improvement with the team finishing fourth, eventually being defeated in the Grand Final by Fitzroy. Owing to the finals system at the time, Fitzroy, who had been defeated by St Kilda the previous week, were allowed to challenge St Kilda to
21009-435: Was coined by scholar Ian Turner in 1978 to describe the "fictitious geographical barrier" separating the rugby-following parts of New South Wales and Queensland from the rest of the country, where Australian football reigned. It became a reference point for the expansion of Australian football and for establishing a national league. The way the game was played had changed dramatically due to innovative coaching tactics, with
21158-414: Was defeated in the second semi-final by Collingwood - however, the club defeated Essendon in the preliminary final in to qualify for the 1966 VFL Grand Final . St Kilda defeated Collingwood by a single point to win their first premiership in 68 seasons. The following year, St Kilda failed to qualify for the finals series, finishing fifth. Despite continued finals appearances in the early 1970s, St Kilda
21307-444: Was far less negative than the response from Footscray fans, in large part because this merger preserved more of Fitzroy's identity and did not require a relocation. Many Fitzroy players, on the other hand, were upset by the merger proposal because the playing group would be broken up by the merger, and many fringe players were fearful for their jobs. Players commented that they had almost unanimously favoured relocation to Brisbane over
21456-404: Was going on, Footscray administrators continued preparations for the 1990 season on the basis that the merger would be averted, and assistant coach and former player Terry Wheeler was appointed senior coach on 8 October. Wheeler was critical of outgoing senior coach Mick Malthouse , who had left the club before the merger was announced, for not doing enough to motivate players and the club when it
21605-400: Was known that the off-field position looked bleak in the latter part of the 1989 season. By 23 October, Footscray had raised the money and resources it needed to regain its VFL licence. Its fundraising efforts raised $ 1,100,000, it had consolidated its support from the local council, developed a business plan to return to delivering profits within three years, and had most significantly secured
21754-458: Was some discussion that a new Footscray Football Club, or a wider western suburban club in partnership with Sunshine, could be established in the VFA to retain a high level senior football club in the region, with the possibility that it could form an informal developmental partnership with the Fitzroy Bulldogs similar to those enjoyed between Geelong and Geelong West or Collingwood and Preston , but these discussions progressed no further before
21903-464: Was terminal. The club was more than $ 2,000,000 in debt, and was forecast to post a $ 800,000 operating loss in 1989. The club's location in Melbourne's working class inner western suburbs and the poor quality of facilities at its home ground at the Western Oval were hindering its ability to gain corporate support; in fact, the ground's grandstand had been declared a fire hazard in 1988, and the club
22052-420: Was ultimately able to settle with its creditors for $ 195,000. Despite these efforts, continuing financial pressures and defeats saw the club remain in the bottom three for every season between 1979 and 1986. In 1987 , Tony Lockett won the league's Coleman Medal for leading goalkicker in the home-and-away season, the fourth St Kilda player to achieve this. Lockett also became the seventh St Kilda player to win
22201-404: Was unable to win a second premiership - being defeated by the eventual premiers in each finals series between 1970 and 1973. During this 4-year period, St Kilda qualified for the 1971 VFL Grand Final . Despite leading by 20 points at the beginning of the last quarter, they were defeated by Hawthorn by 7 points. In 1974 , St Kilda declined to the lower half of the ladder for the first time since
#14985