| Most recent season or competition: 2017 VFL season#Development League | |
 | |
| Formerly | VFA Second Eighteens VFA seconds VFA reserves VFL reserves |
|---|---|
| Sport | Australian rules football |
| Founded | 1928 |
| First season | 1928 |
| Ceased | 2017 |
| Administrator | AFL Victoria |
| No. of teams | 8 (final season) |
| Country | Australia |
| Most titles | Coburg (18 titles) |
| Related competitions | Victorian Football League |
| Official website | vfl |
TheVFL Development League, officially known as theAFL Victoria Development League and formerly known as theVFL reserves,VFA seconds/reserves andVFA Second Eighteens, was anAustralian rules football competition that operated as a second-tier competition to theVictorian Football League (VFL, originally known as theVFA) from 1928 until 2017.
The VFA Second Eighteens emerged from theVictorian Junior Football Association (VJFA), the first successful junior football competition in Melbourne which was founded in 1883. Although formally operating as the VFA's reserves competition starting in 1928, the VJFA name was retained until the end of the 1932 season.
Coinciding with the seniors VFA competition, a second reserves division was established in1961. Clubs played in the same division as their senior teams, until the separate divisions were abolished for both grades at the end of1988.
From its inception until 1979, the seconds team played on Saturday afternoons, playing at home when the senior team played away and vice versa.
Starting in 1980, seconds matches were played as curtain-raisers to senior matches, on Saturdays or Sundays as necessary.[1]
The competition was later renamed the VFA reserves (becoming the VFL reserves when the competition changed its name in 1996), and then from the beginning of the2012 season it became the VFL Development League, a move that coincided with the introduction of the AFL Victoria Development Academy which provides development opportunities for up to 25 selected VFL players per year.[2]
Fielding a team in the reserves competition was mandatory for all senior VFA teams for most of the competition's history. Since the changes to the VFL in2000, all AFL clubs fielding their reserves teams in the VFL seniors opted not to contest the minor grade.
Several regional clubs were unable to sustain teams, withBendigo andNorth Ballarat leaving the competition at the end of the2009 and2013 seasons respectively.[3]
The Development League was abolished after the2017 season.[4]
Eight different clubs competed in the VFL Development League's final season. They wereBox Hill,Casey,Coburg,Northern Blues,Port Melbourne,Sandringham,Werribee andWilliamstown.[5]
| Club | Colours | Moniker | Seasons | Div 1 flags | Div 2 flags | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | Last | |||||
| Bendigo |  | Diggers, Bombers | 1998 | 2009 | 0 | – |
| Berwick |  | Gippslanders, Wickers | 1983 | 1987 | – | 0 |
| Box Hill |  | Mustangs, Hawks | 1951 | 2017 | 5 | 0 |
| Brighton |  | Penguins | 1928 | 1961 | 0 | 0 |
| Brighton-Caulfield | | Penguins | 1962 | 1964 | – | 0 |
| Brunswick–Broadmeadows (Brunswick) |  | Magpies | 1928 | 1991 | 5 | 5 |
| Camberwell |  | Cobras | 1928 | 1991 | 0 | 2 |
| Casey |  | Scorpions, Demons | 1982 | 2017 | 3 | 1 |
| Caulfield |  | Bears | 1965 | 1987 | 0 | 1 |
| Coburg |  | Tigers, Lions | 1928 | 2017 | 18 | 1 |
| Dandenong | | Dandies, Redlegs | 1958 | 1994 | 1 | 1 |
| Frankston |  | Dolphins | 1966 | 2016 | 3 | 1 |
| Geelong West |  | Roosters | 1963 | 1988 | 0 | 0 |
| Kilsyth | | Cougars | 1982 | 1984 | – | 0 |
| Moorabbin (I) | | Kangaroos | 1951 | 1963 | 1 | – |
| Moorabbin (II) |  | Kangaroos, Kangas | 1983 | 1987 | – | 0 |
| Mordialloc | .svg) | Bloodhounds | 1958 | 1988 | 0 | 0 |
| North Ballarat |  | Roosters | 1996 | 2014 | 2 | – |
| Northcote | .svg) | Dragons | 1928 | 1987 | 0 | 5 |
| Northern Blues |  | Bullants, Blues | 1928 | 2017 | 6 | 2 |
| Oakleigh |  | Oaks, Devils | 1929 | 1994 | 1 | 1 |
| Port Melbourne |  | Borough | 1928 | 2017 | 14 | 0 |
| Prahran |  | Two Blues | 1928 | 1994 | 2 | 1 |
| Sandringham |  | Zebras | 1929 | 2017 | 9 | 0 |
| Sunshine |  | Crows | 1959 | 1989 | 0 | 1 |
| Waverley |  | Panthers | 1961 | 1987 | 1 | 0 |
| Werribee |  | Tigers | 1965 | 2017 | 1 | 2 |
| Williamstown |  | Seagulls | 1928 | 2017 | 13 | 2 |
| Yarraville |  | Eagles | 1928 | 1983 | 3 | 2 |
Coburg won the most reserves premierships, with a total of 18.[6] The competition's final premiership was won byCasey.[7]
| GF | Premiership decided by a grand final where a challenge was not needed |
| GF (R) | Premiership decided by a grand final replay, after the scheduled grand final was drawn |
| Year | Premiers | Runners-up | Score | Venue | Date | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | Coburg(1) | Port Melbourne | 4.5 (29) d. 1.9 (15) | Coburg Cricket Ground | 15 September 1928 | [8] |
| 1929 | Coburg(2) | Williamstown | 14.16 (100) d. 14.7 (91) | Oakleigh Cricket Ground | 28 September 1929 | [9] |
| 1930 | Coburg(3) | Preston | 9.12 (66) d. 6.13 (49) | North Melbourne Recreation Reserve | 4 October 1930 | [10][11] |
| 1931 | Brunswick(1) | Coburg | 12.10 (82) d. 5.14 (44) | Preston City Oval | 26 September 1931 | [12] |
| 1932 | Brunswick(2) | Coburg | 13.15 (93) d. 4.13 (37) | Coburg Cricket Ground | 1 October 1932 | [13] |
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| 2017 | Casey | Williamstown | 13.16 (94) d. 11.16 (82) | North Port Oval | 17 September 2017 | [14] |