In 1896, delegates from the stronger and wealthier VFA clubs — Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne — met to form a breakaway competition and in 1897, the Victorian Football League ( VFL ), was born as an eight-team competition.

An AFL Premiership season match at Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast, Queensland | Gold Coast between Adelaide Crows | Adelaide and Melbourne Football Club | Melbourne.

Collingwood succumbed first as the Dons powered their way to an 82 point first semi final victory, and a fortnight later it was the turn of the North Melbourne Football Club as Essendon won the preliminary final a good deal more comfortably than the ultimate margin of 17 points suggested.

A year later Essendon were if anything even more dominant, defeating the North Melbourne Football Club in both the second semi final and the grand final to secure consecutive VFL premierships for the third time.

Two seasons later Coleman's career was tragically ended after he dislocated a knee during the Round 8 clash with the North Melbourne Football Club at Essendon.

It is the third oldest Australian Rules football club ( after the Melbourne Football Club and the Castlemaine Football Club ).

The MCG, often referred to by locals as " The G ", has also hosted other major events, including International Rules between the Australian Football League ( AFL ) and Gaelic Athletic Association, international Rugby union, State of Origin series ( rugby league ), FIFA World Cup qualifiers and International Friendly matches, serves as the finish line for the Melbourne Marathon and also major rock concerts.

The projected cost of $ 100 million was outside what the Melbourne Cricket Club could afford so the Victorian Football League took the opportunity to part fund the project in return for a 30-year deal to share the ground.

The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League ( AFL ) and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world.

Founding father of the NMFC. The North Melbourne Football Club arose from lowly origins in 1869, purportedly established to satisfy the needs of local cricketers who were keen to keep themselves fit over the winter months.

The association between the St Mary's Church of England Cricket Club and the establishment of the North Melbourne Football Club is believed not to be formal, rather a general gathering to play some competitive sport.

The third significant development occurred in 1888 with the club returning to its original name of the North Melbourne Football Club.

* A court case against the North Melbourne Cricket Club had damaged the Football Club ’ s status

This may have seemed like the end for North, but the local community re-established the North Melbourne Football Club as a new identity, and the VFA re-admitted the new club to the Association for the 1908 season.

Essendon League Football Club had lost its playing ground at East Melbourne and had decided to acquire the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve as a new playing ground.

The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney Swans.

Old South Melbourne Football Club shield.

The inauguration date of the club is officially 19 June 1874, but it only adopted the name " South Melbourne Football Club " four weeks later, on 15 July.

It did so in 1925 as the " Footscray Football Club ", at the same time as Hawthorn and North Melbourne, all three coming from the Victorian Football Association ( VFA ).

He was a member of the Melbourne Inter-University Debating team and the United Australia Organization ' A ' Grade debating team, and was president of both the Sports and Social Club and the Law Students ' Society.

Only months before announcing his presence on the international scene, Botham played Grade cricket for the University of Melbourne Cricket Club during the 1976 / 77 Australian Domestic Season.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG ) is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club.

Founded in November 1838 the Melbourne Cricket Club ( MCC ) selected the current MCG site in 1853 after previously playing at several grounds around Melbourne.

From 2011 until 2013, the Victorian Government and the Melbourne Cricket Club will fund a $ 55 million refurbishment of the facilities of Great Southern Stand, including renovations to entrance gates and ticket outlets, food and beverage outlets, public concourses, toilets, function rooms, etc.

To replace the disgruntled Tasmanians the Melbourne Cricket Club issued a challenge to play any team in the colonies for £ 1000.

They quibbled with the Melbourne Cricket Club about paying £ 175 for damages to the MCG despite a prior arrangement to do so.

Conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, the event starts at 3pm ( daylight saving time ) the first Tuesday in November.

One view is that the club was connected to the St Mary ’ s Church of England Cricket Club, now the St Mary's Anglican Church North Melbourne, whose colours – blue and white – are reflected in the Club's colour's today.

North Melbourne was a part of this, but was classed as a “ Junior Club ” having not yet graduated to senior ranks.

In that year, North Melbourne won a third Minor Premiership with 16 wins and 6 losses for the season, but failed to make the Grand Final.

During the first two years of Carey's captaincy at North Melbourne the Kangaroos registered an impressive 25 wins from the 35 home and away games in which Carey played.

After losing their first game against Hawthorn by 50 points and a narrow defeat to Collingwood, Melbourne strung together three consecutive wins against Adelaide, Richmond and Brisbane, making it the first time they have won three games in a row since 2006.

* Collingwood wins the 7th VFL Premiership: Collingwood 4. 7 ( 31 ) d Fitzroy 3. 11 ( 29 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )

** Hawthorn wins the 82nd VFL Premiership ( Hawthorn 18. 13 ( 121 ) d North Melbourne 15. 13 ( 103 ))

** North Melbourne wins the 81st VFL Premiership ( North Melbourne 9. 22 ( 76 ) drew Collingwood Football Club 10. 16 ( 76 ), replay North Melbourne 21. 25 ( 151 ) d Collingwood 19. 10 ( 124 ))

** Hawthorn wins the 80th VFL Premiership ( Hawthorn 13. 22 ( 100 ) d North Melbourne 10. 10 ( 70 ))

** North Melbourne wins the 79th VFL Premiership ( North Melbourne 19. 8 ( 122 ) d Hawthorn 9. 13 ( 67 ))

** Richmond wins the 78th VFL Premiership ( Richmond 18. 20 ( 128 ) d North Melbourne 13. 9 ( 87 ))

* South Melbourne wins the 22nd VFL Premiership: South Melbourne 9. 8 ( 62 ) d Collingwood 7. 15 ( 57 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )

* Collingwood wins the 6th VFL Premiership: Collingwood 9. 6 ( 60 ) d Essendon 3. 9 ( 27 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )

* Fitzroy wins the 8th VFL Premiership – Fitzroy 9. 7 ( 61 ) d Carlton 5. 7 ( 37 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )

* Fitzroy wins the 9th VFL Premiership: Fitzroy 4. 6 ( 30 ) d Collingwood 2. 5 ( 17 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )

* Carlton wins the 10th VFL Premiership – Carlton 15. 4 ( 94 ) d Fitzroy 6. 9 ( 45 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )

* Carlton wins the 11th VFL Premiership – Carlton 6. 14 ( 50 ) d South Melbourne 6. 9 ( 45 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )

* Carlton wins the 12th VFL Premiership: Carlton 5. 5 ( 35 ) d Essendon 3. 8 ( 26 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )