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The Melbourne Football Club was formed on August 7, 1858 The first recorded match was between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar School.
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The Geelong Football Club was formed in 1859
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Victorian Footbal League established in 1896. First games were played among the foundation clubs – Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne.
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In 1866 an updated set of rules was put in place and competition started.
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In 1925, Footscray (now the Western Bulldogs), Hawthorn and North Melbourne joined the VFL.
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West Coast Eagles and the Brisbane Bears
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foundation club Fitzroy merged with the Brisbane Bears
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By 1997, the competition comprised 16 clubs after Adelaide (in 1991), Fremantle (in 1995), and Port Adelaide (in 1997) joined the now Australian Football League
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In 2011 the Gold Coast Suns joined the competition, followed by the Greater Western Sydney Giants, creating the 18-team national competition we see today.