AFL under-19s


The AFL under-19s was an Australian rules football competition that operated as a junior competition to the Australian Football League from 1946 until the end of 1991.
Prior to 1990, it was known as the VFL thirds or VFL under-19s.

History

In 1946, the Victorian Football League introduced a thirds competition for under-19s players. Initially, only 7 clubs competed − Carlton, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Richmond and St Kilda. Several VFL clubs already operated thirds teams in local competitions, while others were affiliated with existing junior clubs.
In 1947, the VFL invited the Doutta Stars Football Club to field a side in the Thirds; the team was known as North Essendon. The side was unsuccessful, and after two seasons a team representing Trans Australia Airlines took its place. However, were beaten too heavily, and withdrew from the competition following round 4 of the 1949 season.
By 1950, all VFL clubs were now in the thirds competition. Richmond chose to enter a second team − known as Richmond Juniors. The new side competed for a single season, and Collingwood joined the competition in 1951.
The competition became known as the VFL under-19s beginning in 1960 − a name that continued until the VFL was renamed to the AFL in 1990.
With the focus of the VFL/AFL moving rapidly towards a national competition, the former metropolitan and country zoning recruitment system for the Victorian VFL/AFL clubs was abolished, and the league's under-19 competition was shut down at the end of 1991. A new competition, called the TAC Cup, began in 1992 with teams that were not linked to AFL clubs.

Clubs

12 clubs competed in the competition's final season.
No teams from Queensland, South Australia or Western Australia ever competed in the VFL/AFL under-19s.
ClubColoursMonikerFirst seasonLast seasonTitleYear of TitleCurrent league--------
ClubColoursMonikerFirst seasonLast seasonTitleYear of TitleCurrent leagueCarltonBlues1946199161948, 1949, 1951,
1963, 1978, 1979		In recess
CollingwoodMagpies1951199141960, 1965, 1974, 1986In recess--------
EssendonBombers1946199151950, 1952, 1959, 1961, 1966In recess--------
FitzroyLions1947199121955, 1982VAFA U19s--------
FootscrayBulldogs1948199111954In recess--------
GeelongCats1947199111962In recess--------
HawthornHawks1946199111972In recess--------
MelbourneDemons1946199161947, 1953, 1964,
1971, 1981, 1983		In recess--------
Stars194719480−EDFL U18s--------
North MelbourneKangaroos1946199171946, 1976, 1984,
1987, 1988, 1990, 1991		In recess--------
RichmondTigers19461991111958, 1967, 1968,
1969, 1970, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1980,
1985, 1989		In recess--------
Tigers195019500−Folded
1950		--------
St KildaSaints1946199111957In recess--------
Sydney
Swans1947199111956In recess--------
TAANone194919490−Folded
1949		--------

Uniforms

Premiers

Richmond won the most under-19s premierships, with a total of 11.