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I'm hoping that there is some genuine recognition of the 150th year. It will be a travesty if there isn't something to mark the milestone.
I have been hoping that the competition will pivot back to its proper VFA name, but realise I'm probably living in fantasy land.
Port Adelaide are pushing pretty hard to be admitted into the competition. I doubt that the clubs have much say in the matter as the AFL make the decisions these days and there isn't too much control from the member clubs.
I'd love to see some VFA/VFL clubs playing off in a Grand Final.
Regardless of what the AFL does Port Adelaide are asking to join after their contract with the SANFL ends after the 2028 season, so I doubt anything happens either way on that front in 2027.
I'll be pleasantly surprised if the AFL does anything to mark the 150th year beyond a few articles on the website. I'll be pleasantly surprised if the AFL does much of anything to give the impression that they care about the history of the game... or for that matter about the current game - though the 20-game season with fewer byes that's apparently being planned for 2027 does sound like an improvement. Would be great to see all the VFA/VFL clubs make finals and for two of them meet in the grand final.
I think a few articles is wishful thinking. The AFL have never shown an ounce of respect for the VFA's contributions to the game.
I floated a few ideas on BigFooty earlier this year and didn't get a response. To be honest I think any meaningful celebrations will have to be club-led and I've heard nothing to suggest that the standalones are working on it.
Yeah, I expect that's true, UpTheDolphins, that there won't even be any articles. A few years ago the AFL did make a bit of attempt to co-opt the history of the VFA founding when McLachlan endorsed that book by Colin Carter that makes the utterly nonsensical claim that the VFL/AFL, and not the VFA/VFL, was the continuation of the VFA founded in 1877, so if there was an article it might not even be a decent one. [Edit: yeah, "might not" is still too optimistic...] It's too bad that none of the clubs seem to be planning anything.
Yea, the 'about us' section of the VFL website was utterly contrived and disrespectful of the competition and it's history.
I would like the season revert to every club playing each other once, and perhaps a state game against SA and WA during the season.