1909 Grand final footage. Sensational!!

[top40]

Wonderful stuff! I hope it permanently stays on you tube.

Interestingly South lost the first Grand Final in 1909. As minor premiers they were entitled to play Carlton again for a second 'challenge' Grand Final, (seen in this film), which they ultimately won.

1918 and 1933 represent the only occasions that South were never beaten in a Finals series, (they lost a game onward to victory also in 2005). So if victory awaits against Hawthorn, 2012 will be only the third time that South Melbourne/Sydney have gone through a finals series undefeated.

[Legs Akimbo]

Sobering thought that every person shown on that film is now dead! I guess the film of tomorrow's GF, if shown in 2115, will mirror our fate. (Sorry but nerves for tomorrow's game are putting me in a morbid mood and I'm trying to put everything in perspective)

?As you are, we once were. As we are, you shall be one day.?

[aardvark]

Just thought i'd bump this up for anyone who missed it during GF week.

[goswannies]

Why isn't there a DVD of this game?! With match & season stats & still photos as extras?! I'd buy that!!

[ScottH]

This is doing the rounds on Social Media at the moment.
I thought Social Media was supposed to keep people up to date.

[mcsean]

This is so great. ScottH, really enjoyed the Argus piece too. What a different world! The footy is totally different too. So much is in the video but funny how the hitting the ball off the palm of the hand rule had obviously not entered the game yet.

[Kirkari]

How about the guns on the third Swan onto the field? Daniel Bradshaw would be jealous.

Great clip.

[CureTheSane]

Sobering thought that every person shown on that film is now dead! I guess the film of tomorrow's GF, if shown in 2115, will mirror our fate. (Sorry but nerves for tomorrow's game are putting me in a morbid mood and I'm trying to put everything in perspective)

I was thinking exactly the same things.
Every single face on that footage is now no longer with us.

[Mel]

Great clip. I really enjoyed not only seeing how different the game was, but also the crowd

[iigrover]

...the last SA or WA team to beat a VFL team was as recently as 1986, the year before West Coast and Brisbane joined the then-VFL and a truly national club comp began to slide into existence).

With 10 Victorian teams and only 2 from each other State and none from Tasmania (despite it being an ?Australian Rules? State), I think it a looooong stretch to claim the AFL is a truly national comp. IMO, until the AFL get real about distribution of teams its still an expanded VFL.

In fact, 1909 turned out to be the only ever Champions of Australia match played at the MCG, and one of only two ever played in Melbourne (Adelaide monopolised hosting rights for some reason, even in the 1960s/70s phase when WA teams were involved).

I don?t know for sure, but I suspect it might have something to do with the fact that the South Australian League (formed in 1877) is older and was much stronger than the VFL/AFL (formed in 1896).

Indeed I remember laughing at what a joke the AFL was in 2008 when it so publically celebrated 150 years of Australian Rules football (following the 1858 match between Scotch and Melbourne), when in fact the 150 year anniversary was 15 years prior as the first recorded Australian Rules football game was in 1843 in South Australia.

The Victorians have always hated the fact that Aussie Rules began in South Australia and have for many years tried to ignore fact and rewrite history. Just have a look at the ?History of the Game? on the AFL?s website and compare it to the same section of the SANFL?s website ? not a single mention of Aussie Rules being played in SA years prior to Victoria.

Its only really been in the second half of the history of the game that the money and population strength of Victoria, vs other states has seen the Victorian league dominate Aussie Rules.

In fact many years ago New Zealand used to be a strong participant in what was the State of Origin style comps. Sadly, betterment of the Victorian league prevailed over betterment of the Game. IMO, the AFL today remains terribly torn on this issue.

Good to see within the historical record of the VFL, acknowledgment that our national game has always been just that.

If only?

[Kirkari]

I was thinking exactly the same things.
Every single face on that footage is now no longer with us.

Oh my lord you're a morbid lot. Of course people who played or attended footy in 1909 are dead (almost all of them, I'm sure). Why is this sad? Imagine if they were all still alive? Right lot of grumpy old farts posting on here about how the game isn't half as good as it once was...

[0918330512]

I don?t know for sure, but I suspect it might have something to do with the fact that the South Australian League (formed in 1877) is older and was much stronger than the VFL/AFL (formed in 1896).

Given that the VFL was a break away competition from the VFA, the VFA was also founded in 1877

Indeed I remember laughing at what a joke the AFL was in 2008 when it so publically celebrated 150 years of Australian Rules football (following the 1858 match between Scotch and Melbourne), when in fact the 150 year anniversary was 15 years prior as the first recorded Australian Rules football game was in 1843 in South Australia.

Haha South Australians are a funny breed. While as early as 1841, there is documented evidence of "foot-ball" being played in metropolitan and country Victoria as well as mention of early matches in Adelaide (1843) and southern Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). While the exact rules being played in these matches are unknown they may have shared similarities and influences. The Scotch / Melbourne Grammar game was the first recorded organized public school football game & the rules of Austealian football steamed from these. LoL next thing those funny South Aussies will claim that their Scotch College is original one in Australia. I've heard many Crow-eaters seem to believe it.

The Victorians have always hated the fact that Aussie Rules began in South Australia and have for many years tried to ignore fact and rewrite history. Just have a look at the ?History of the Game? on the AFL?s website and compare it to the same section of the SANFL?s website ? not a single mention of Aussie Rules being played in SA years prior to Victoria.

I honestly believe that Vics really don't care about the "rivalry" between SA & Vic. Vic's moving to SA are told of this rivalry ... many SA people moving Melb tell me they are surprised that Vics don't really care.