Victoria Tasmania Football League

The Victoria Tasmania Football League is a Victorian Football tournament based in Victoria and Tasmania.

## History

The league started off in 1897 when the 8 best clubs from the Victorian Football Association decided to break away and form their own league. The teams were Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St. Kilda and South Melbourne. In 1908, Richmond and University joined the league, but University were short lived and folded in 1914. 1925 saw three new clubs, Footscray, Port Melbourne and Wendouree. In 1941, Port Adelaide and Sturt from the AFL (Adelaide Football League) were added, to grow the game in the Gambier Province. Collingwood and Port Adelaide were both known as the Magpies for quite some time, with people referring to Collingwood as the 'Old Pies' and Port Adelaide as the 'Young Pies' to distinguish the two. In 1955, Williamstown were added alongside Norwood, giving Adelaide a third team. Just a few years later, an agreement was created between the Victorian and Tasmanian governments to let 2 Tasmanian teams compete in the Victorian league. The North Hobart Robins and Sandy Bay Eagles (Sandy Bay renamed to avoid confusion with Williamstown) joined in 1962. With Wendouree having the highest attendances of any club, it was decided to try and base another team in Ballarat. In 1975, Essendon became the Ballarat Bombers and in 1996, Melbourne became the South Ballarat Demons, although both clubs still have a significant amount of fans in Melbourne. Nowadays, the VTFL has 3 teams in Gambier, 3 teams in Lattarat, 1 in Otway, 9 in Greater Melbourne and 2 in Tasmania. In Tasmania, most people support both a team in the TNFL (Tasmanian National Football League) as well as one of the two Tassie VTFL sides. On average, Robins and Eagles games get higher attendances than TNFL games, but a TNFL finals match or even grand final would get more people than a home and away season VTFL game, with Rosny Park's all time attendance record being 78,235 for the 2008 TNFL Grand Final between Glenorchy and Hobart. The record for a VTFL game at Rosny Park being just 71,937 when North Hobart and Sandy Bay clashed in the 1996 Elimination Final.

## Teams

\*Adelaide, Ballarat and Melbourne each have a 'finals stadium'. Every team based in the city plays larger games at the finals stadium. Hobart doesn't have a finals stadium, so their teams play at the local stadium, and Geelong play finals in Ballarat.

\*\*Port Melbourne changed to red and green to avoid a jumper clash with Melbourne

## Logos & Nicknames

 Fitzroy Maroons
 Norwood Redlegs
 Port Adelaide Sharks

 Port Melbourne Borough
 Sandy Bay Eagles

### Theme Songs

Each club in the VTFL has a theme song, which is played as the team runs out onto the ground, and when they win. Here are the lyrics to each song.

BALLARAT BOMBERS

See the Bombers fly up, up!

To win the premiership flag.

Our boys who play this grand old game,

Are always striving for glory and fame!

See the bombers fly up, up,

The other teams they don't fear,

They all try their best,

But they can't get near,

As the bombers fly up!

CARLTON

We are the Navy Blues,

We are the old dark Navy Blues,

We’re the team that never lets you down,

We’re the only team old Carlton knows,

With all the champions they like to send us,

We’ll keep our end up.

And they will know that they’ve been playing

Against the famous old dark Blues.

COLLINGWOOD

Good old Collingwood forever,

we know how to play the game.

Side by side we stick together,

to uphold The Magpies name.

Hear the barrackers are shouting,

as all barrackers should,

Oh, the premiership's a cakewalk

For the good old Collingwood.

FITZROY MAROONS

We are the boys from 'old Fitzroy

We wear the colours, Maroon and Blue

We will always fight for victory

We will always see it through

Win or lose, We do or die

In defeat, we always try

Fitzroy, Fitzroy

The club we love so dear

Premiers will be this year

FOOTSCRAY

Sons of the Scray

Red, white and blue

We come out smiling

If we win or lose

Others build their teams, my lads

And think they know the game

But you can't beat the boys

of the Bulldog breed

We're the team of the mighty Scray

GEELONG CATS

We are Geelong, the greatest team of all,

We are Geelong, We're always on the ball,

We play the game, as it should be played

at home or far away

Our banners fly high, from dawn to dark

down at Kardinia Park!

NORTH HOBART ROBINS

We are the mighty Robins

And we always battle through

We're playing for our colours

And we'll always play it true

We'll beat the mighty Magpies

Then the Eagles and the Roos

The others will not stand a chance

When we come marching through

Cheer on the Robins, that's our name!

The pride of the country

and the greatest at the game

We're fighting through the season

With the flag to be our aim

And when the Robins make it through

The premiers we will reign

Cheer on the Robins, we are one!

We'll take on the Blues

Then the Sharks and the Swans

So give a cheer for North

We're the team for me and you

The pride of old Tasmania

We are loyal and we're true

NORWOOD

We're the boys from Norwood

In the red and gold and blue

They call us the Redlegs

Tough, brave and bold

And when it comes to football

The 'legs will always see it through

The premiership flag

Is our aim to unfold

Onward the Redlegs

Onward the Redlegs

Go out and fight 'til the final siren sounds

We will fight for our team

And we will always play it clean

We are the Redlegs, the talk of the town

Onward the Redlegs

Onward the Redlegs

We've got the team and we're playing to win

We've got heart, we've got skill

We've got everything at Norwood

We are the Redlegs, we play with a grin

PORT ADELAIDE SHARKS

PORT MELBOURNE

We're the Port of Melbourne and we strive for our success

Dedication is the way we fight for happiness

We're the mighty emeralds and we'll grind them in the ground

To the premiership we're bound

Glory, glory, up the Borough

Glory, glory, up the Borough

Glory, glory, up the Borough

Port Melbourne's striving on!

RICHMOND

Oh, we're from Tigerland,

A fighting fury, we're from Tigerland,

In any weather you will see us with a grin,

Risking head and shin,

If we're behind then never mind,

We'll fight and fight and win.

For we're from Tigerland,

We'll never weaken 'til the final siren's gone.

Like the Tigers of old,

We're strong and we're bold.

For we're from Tiger, YELLOW AND BLACK!

For we're from Tigerland.

SANDY BAY EAGLES

Eagles, Eagles, that's our name

We're the team that plays the game

The Robins, the Tigers

We've beaten them too

The Bulldogs, the Magpies

And even the Roos

So come on, come on

Win or lose

it matters not to the white and blues

Eagles, Eagles, flying high

May the spirit never die

SOUTH MELBOURNE SWANS

Cheer, cheer the red and the white,

Honour the name by day and by night,

Lift that noble banner high,

Shake down the thunder from the sky

Whether the odds be great or small,

South will go in and win overall

While her loyal sons are marching

Onwards to victory.

SOUTH BALLARAT

Its a grand old flag

Its a high flying flag

Its the emblem for me and for you

Its the emblem of the team we love

The team of the red and the blue

Every heart beats true

For the red and the blue

And we sing this song to you

Should all acquaintance be forgot

Keep your eye on the red and the blue

ST KILDA

Oh when the Saints

Go marching in

Oh when the Saints go marching in

I want to be in St. Kilda

When the Saints go marching in

STURT DOUBLE BLUES

WENDOUREE

So join in the chorus

And sing it one and all

Join in the chorus

Wendouree's on the ball

Come on Wendouree

We're champions you'll agree

Wendouree is the team that plays

To win for you and me

WILLIAMSTOWN

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

Oh I do like to be beside the sea

And down at the oval there's a football crowd

And that's where the 'Gulls come marching out

They call us the mighty fighting Seagulls

And this year, the premiers we will be

Though it's not yet in the bag

We've got hopes of winning the flag

Beside the seaside, beside the sea

### Jokes and Stereotypes

**Ballarat Bombers**

People joke that Ballarat doesn't really care about football, and the Bombers reflect that. The Bombers get the poorest attendances out of the three Ballarat teams, and while different reports have had different conclusions, it is said that about 30% of their home crowds are old Essendon fans travelling from Melbourne. They also get quite good away crowds in Melbourne, although the two cities aren't very far away, so a lot of people would be encouraged to drive to Melbourne for away games. Historically, Melbourne was Victoria's football city, and Ballarat was the cricket city, although football is becoming more popular in Ballarat and vice versa.

**Collingwood Magpies**

The joke about the Magpies is that their fans are hairy and toothless. Nothing's changed here.

**Fitzroy Maroons**

People say that Fitzroy is consistently one of the best teams, but they will never win the grand final. Fitzroy's last grand final win was in 1951, and they have appeared in several since.

**Footscray Bulldogs**

People joke that Bulldogs fans often complain about umpiring. There will be booing when a score review goes against them, a 50 metre penalty goes the other way or any holding the ball or deliberate isn't their free.

**Geelong Cats**

The joke about Geelong is that they duck and dive to try and get free kicks. While there aren't any statistics to prove that they were earned wrongfully, there are statistics showing that Geelong do get a lot of free kicks. This one is *probably* true.

**Port Melbourne Borough**

Port Melbourne were almost denied entry into the VFL due to violence at their matches. It has since become a stereotype that Port Melbourne fans are drunk, angry and always getting into fights. This was certainly the case in the early days of the Port Melbourne-South Melbourne rivalry, when fights between fans were common.

**Wendouree Kangaroos**

Wendouree has become known as the 'bandwagon team'. The team who people start supporting because they're winning. Wendouree are the most popular club in Victoria, however, this is because Ballarat is a massive city with only three football teams. That being said, Wendouree are the most popular VTFL club outside of Victoria, with many HFA, SFA and LFL fans getting behind them as a second team.

**Williamstown**

Williamstown have become known as the umpire's favourite team. There is bound to be at least a few dodgy free kicks to Williamstown every game, and when there is, you can count on the crowd to chant the now iconic catchphrase- "Get your willies out for Willy, umpire!". The catchphrase has become so iconic in Victoria, that people have made versions of the club songs with 'new lyrics'.