Zoning (Australian rules football)
Encyclopedia
In Australian rules football
, zoning (originally called district football) refers to a system whereby a given area, either region or lower-level football league, is reserved exclusively for one club.
Zoning has been historically an important part of most major Australian football leagues, being usually justified as necessary to ensure a reasonably equitable competition.
s, were free agents. Because a small number of clubs, such as Norwood
in the SAFA and Fremantle
in the WAFA, dominated, pressure to eliminate this inequality was always considerable. District football was first introduced in the SANFL in 1897, the year the VFL formed from the VFA. Under district football a player could only play for the club whose district he resided in. The effect on the competitiveness of the SANFL was noteworthy: whereas previously clubs often had runs of three premierships or four in five years, neither occurred again until West Adelaide won four premierships between 1908 and 1912 (the last after beating Port Adelaide who had been unbeaten in the home and away rounds).
The VFL adopted metropolitan zoning formally in 1915 under laws which required a player to play for the club in his zone he lived, unless he
Metropolitan zoning has been seen by historians of the VFL as improving the competitive balance of the league in the years following World War I
. When Footscray, Hawthorn
and North Melbourne
were admitted for the 1925 season, they were allocated zones. Over time, boundaries were changed to cope with demographic
shifts.
Whilst recent studies have shown that following the admittance of the three new clubs in 1925 – done primarily to avoid the necessity of a bye each week – metropolitan zoning became less effective at equalising playing strength, it was already firmly accepted by the majority of club officials in most Australian Rules competitions by the late 1920s and at no stage during the following forty years was there ever any thought of abolishing it. A tradition of club loyalty further entrenched the viewpoint that zoning was a legitimate policy.
With the great urban sprawl
after World War II
, newly developed areas were zoned almost as soon as they were developed. In the case of the VFL such areas were quite often zoned to a different club from the one who held adjacent, previously developed areas, whereas the SANFL tried to keep zones contiguous. These and other leagues remained concerned about the possible impacts if zoning were removed, and this caused their zoning laws to ossify.
leagues, but the growth of Melbourne
, Adelaide
and Perth
due to urbanization
in the 1950s meant that city clubs could offer much more money - even if not as direct payments - than country clubs could. This permitted wealthier clubs to circumvent restrictions imposed by metropolitan zoning, as top country players tended to go to the club able to offer them most money. From the middle 1960s, Essendon
, Geelong
, Carlton
and Collingwood
dominated the competition because their greater wealth allowed them to monopolise top country players and build up greater playing strength than possible beforehand. Other clubs, such as Fitzroy
, were in grave danger of folding.
The VFL's response was to zone rural Victoria and the Riverina
of New South Wales
in a similar manner to metropolitan Melbourne. Because of the sparseness of Australia's rural population, the country zones related not to the player's address, but rather to the league in which he played. This difference was a critical component of the failure of country zoning, because it made zone boundaries impossible to adjust.
Because the VFL was aware that discrepancies existed in the strength of zones, it was originally planned that the zones would be rotated so that each club would obtain a chance of receiving the best young country players. However - partly because those clubs with productive zones were naturally unwilling to give them up for less productive ones - the zones remained the same from the inception of country zoning until it was abolished. There was also no provision for demographic changes
which occurred in the various country zones, which exacerbated the problems mentioned above.
and WAFL
quickly adopted country zoning, its gains were very short-lived. Carlton, Richmond
, Hawthorn
and North Melbourne
won every VFL premiership
between 1967 and 1983, a period of dominance not known in any other era. Strong country zones gave these clubs lists more powerful than any club could build without zoning. In contrast, Melbourne
and South Melbourne
, who had the worst country zones, only played two finals between them during country zoning.
Some writers on VFL history have argued that the inequalities created by country zoning were much greater than those created by club wealth beforehand and that some clubs lost many players they would have gained were players able to move to the club nearest to them. Most significantly, St. Kilda's
return to the bottom of the ladder in the 1970s has been related to its loss (to Hawthorn) of many players from the Frankston
area which was already becoming part of metropolitan Melbourne when country zoning began.
Defenders of country zoning have argued that it provided greater incentive for VFL clubs to look for players in country leagues, and that its abolition has meant that this incentive has been lost.
club West Torrens, Doug Cox, had his permit to play with St. Kilda challenged because he had played in the past for South Mildura, which was within Richmond's country zone. St. Kilda temporarily lost eight points for two wins against Footscray and Melbourne, and were fined $5,000 for playing Cox in the first eight rounds. Soon afterwards, South Melbourne centre-half forward Michael Smith
admitted he gave wrong information on his application for a permit to play with South - his true address was in St. Kilda's zone. South were going to lose four points but the VFL, challenged by the Cox case to be more lenient about its now-archaic zoning laws, was considering changing the rules and South were not punished.
Then the Foschini Case of 1983, where teenage rover/forward, Silvio Foschini
did not want to move to Sydney when South Melbourne did so in 1981/1982 but was refused a clearance to play with St. Kilda
, declared previously unchallenged zoning an illegal labour market restraint. Although the VFL retained zoning for two more years, it had to radically alter the system of clearances and player contracts, and in 1985, with the competition less competitive than ever (only six clubs had made the Grand Final since 1972), reform of the system of player trading began. Zoning was replaced with a player draft
, which studies have shown to be much more effective at equalising club strength than country zoning ever was.
In competitions such as the SANFL and WAFL
, however, country and metropolitan zoning are still used today, despite the declarations concerning their use in the VFL. The SANFL, which introduced country zoning of South Australia
in 1973 has made efforts to make country zoning less inflexible than it proved in the VFL though making provisions for the adjustment of zone boundaries. In the WAFL, however, there is already distinct concern country zoning is creating inequalities in available talent.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
, zoning (originally called district football) refers to a system whereby a given area, either region or lower-level football league, is reserved exclusively for one club.
Zoning has been historically an important part of most major Australian football leagues, being usually justified as necessary to ensure a reasonably equitable competition.
Metropolitan zoning
In the early days of Australian rules football, players, though required to be amateurAmateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
s, were free agents. Because a small number of clubs, such as Norwood
Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
in the SAFA and Fremantle
Fremantle Football Club (1881–1899)
The Fremantle Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Fremantle, Western Australia, that played in the Western Australian Football Association from 1886 to 1899. The club was known as the Unions Football Club from 1882–89....
in the WAFA, dominated, pressure to eliminate this inequality was always considerable. District football was first introduced in the SANFL in 1897, the year the VFL formed from the VFA. Under district football a player could only play for the club whose district he resided in. The effect on the competitiveness of the SANFL was noteworthy: whereas previously clubs often had runs of three premierships or four in five years, neither occurred again until West Adelaide won four premierships between 1908 and 1912 (the last after beating Port Adelaide who had been unbeaten in the home and away rounds).
The VFL adopted metropolitan zoning formally in 1915 under laws which required a player to play for the club in his zone he lived, unless he
- moved after becoming an established player
- was unwanted by the club to which he was zoned
Metropolitan zoning has been seen by historians of the VFL as improving the competitive balance of the league in the years following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. When Footscray, Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
and North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
were admitted for the 1925 season, they were allocated zones. Over time, boundaries were changed to cope with demographic
Demography
Demography is the statistical study of human population. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic human population, that is, one that changes over time or space...
shifts.
Whilst recent studies have shown that following the admittance of the three new clubs in 1925 – done primarily to avoid the necessity of a bye each week – metropolitan zoning became less effective at equalising playing strength, it was already firmly accepted by the majority of club officials in most Australian Rules competitions by the late 1920s and at no stage during the following forty years was there ever any thought of abolishing it. A tradition of club loyalty further entrenched the viewpoint that zoning was a legitimate policy.
With the great urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, newly developed areas were zoned almost as soon as they were developed. In the case of the VFL such areas were quite often zoned to a different club from the one who held adjacent, previously developed areas, whereas the SANFL tried to keep zones contiguous. These and other leagues remained concerned about the possible impacts if zoning were removed, and this caused their zoning laws to ossify.
Country zoning
In the early days of Australian Rules football, metropolitan clubs were unable to buy players from ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
leagues, but the growth of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
due to urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
in the 1950s meant that city clubs could offer much more money - even if not as direct payments - than country clubs could. This permitted wealthier clubs to circumvent restrictions imposed by metropolitan zoning, as top country players tended to go to the club able to offer them most money. From the middle 1960s, Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
, Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
and Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
dominated the competition because their greater wealth allowed them to monopolise top country players and build up greater playing strength than possible beforehand. Other clubs, such as Fitzroy
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
, were in grave danger of folding.
The VFL's response was to zone rural Victoria and the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in a similar manner to metropolitan Melbourne. Because of the sparseness of Australia's rural population, the country zones related not to the player's address, but rather to the league in which he played. This difference was a critical component of the failure of country zoning, because it made zone boundaries impossible to adjust.
Because the VFL was aware that discrepancies existed in the strength of zones, it was originally planned that the zones would be rotated so that each club would obtain a chance of receiving the best young country players. However - partly because those clubs with productive zones were naturally unwilling to give them up for less productive ones - the zones remained the same from the inception of country zoning until it was abolished. There was also no provision for demographic changes
Demography
Demography is the statistical study of human population. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic human population, that is, one that changes over time or space...
which occurred in the various country zones, which exacerbated the problems mentioned above.
Major Leagues and VFL clubs
- Bendigo Football LeagueBendigo Football LeagueThe Bendigo Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Bendigo region of Victoria, Australia.Formed in 1880, it is one of the oldest football leagues in Australia, and among its members are some of the oldest football clubs in Australia, including the Castlemaine...
to CarltonCarlton Football ClubThe Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897... - Western Border Football LeagueWestern Border Football LeagueThe Western Border Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Lower South East region of South Australia, and south-western border region of Victoria. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League and the Victorian Football League...
to CollingwoodCollingwood Football ClubThe Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... - Wimmera Football LeagueWimmera Football LeagueThe Wimmera Football League is based in Western Victoria, with clubs located in towns in the Wimmera region. The regional centres along the Western Highway from Ararat to Nhill as well as Minyip-Murtoa and Warracknabeal.The league is a major country league....
to EssendonEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... - Hampden Football League to FitzroyFitzroy Football ClubThe Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
- Gippsland Football LeagueEast Gippsland Football LeagueThe East Gippsland Football League is an Australian rules football League in the East Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia.-History:The East Gippsland FL in its present incarnation began in 1974 with the merger of the Gippsland Football League and the Bairnsdale District Football League...
to Footscray - Latrobe Valley Football LeagueWest Gippsland Latrobe Football LeagueThe Gippsland Football League , is an Australian rules football League in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia...
to Footscray - Geelong & District Football LeagueGeelong & District Football LeagueThe Geelong & District Football League is the oldest surviving football competition in Victoria . It is one of three Australian rules football leagues in the Geelong area, the others being the Geelong Football League and the Bellarine Football League....
to GeelongGeelong Football ClubThe Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also... - Mid Murray Football LeagueCentral Murray Football LeagueThe Central Murray Football League is a major country Australian rules football competition based in northern Victoria, Australia and southwest New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
to GeelongGeelong Football ClubThe Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also... - Goulburn Valley Football LeagueGoulburn Valley Football LeagueThe Goulburn Valley Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia...
to MelbourneMelbourne Football ClubThe Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria.... - Mornington Peninsula Football LeagueMornington Peninsula Nepean Football LeagueThe Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League is an Australian rules football competition, governed by the Victorian Country Football League. The MPNFL contains teams near the south eastern region of Victoria, Australia...
to HawthornHawthorn Football ClubThe Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys... - Ovens & Murray Football LeagueOvens & Murray Football LeagueThe Ovens and Murray Football League, often referred to locally as the O&M, is a semi-professional Australian rules football league based around ten clubs in north-eastern Victoria and the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, and affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League...
to North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world... - Sunraysia Football LeagueSunraysia Football LeagueThe Sunraysia Football League is an Australian Rules league based in Northwestern Victoria with clubs located in the vicinity of Mildura and Wentworth, New South Wales...
to RichmondRichmond Football ClubThe Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,... - Riverina Football LeagueRiverina Football LeagueThe Riverina Football Netball League is a semi-professional Australian rules football and netball competition containing nine clubs based in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The league features three grades in the Australian rules football competition, these being seniors,...
to South MelbourneSydney SwansThe Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney... - Ballarat Football LeagueBallarat Football LeagueThe Ballarat Football League is an Australian rules football competition that operates in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia.The competition formed in 1893 as the Ballarat Football Association and was renamed Ballarat Football League in 1908 and was briefly known as the Ballarat-Wimmera...
to St. KildaSt. Kilda Football ClubThe St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The club plays in the Australian Football League, the sport's premier league....
Effects of country zoning
Although the more even distribution of top country players at the beginning of the 1970s was such that the SANFLSouth Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
and WAFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
quickly adopted country zoning, its gains were very short-lived. Carlton, Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
, Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
and North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
won every VFL premiership
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
between 1967 and 1983, a period of dominance not known in any other era. Strong country zones gave these clubs lists more powerful than any club could build without zoning. In contrast, Melbourne
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
and South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
, who had the worst country zones, only played two finals between them during country zoning.
Some writers on VFL history have argued that the inequalities created by country zoning were much greater than those created by club wealth beforehand and that some clubs lost many players they would have gained were players able to move to the club nearest to them. Most significantly, St. Kilda's
St. Kilda Football Club
The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The club plays in the Australian Football League, the sport's premier league....
return to the bottom of the ladder in the 1970s has been related to its loss (to Hawthorn) of many players from the Frankston
City of Frankston
The City of Frankston is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 131 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 128,576 people....
area which was already becoming part of metropolitan Melbourne when country zoning began.
Defenders of country zoning have argued that it provided greater incentive for VFL clubs to look for players in country leagues, and that its abolition has meant that this incentive has been lost.
End of VFL zoning
In 1981, the system of player permits based on country and metropolitan zoning was threatened by two cases. In the better-known of these, a full-back from SANFLSouth Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
club West Torrens, Doug Cox, had his permit to play with St. Kilda challenged because he had played in the past for South Mildura, which was within Richmond's country zone. St. Kilda temporarily lost eight points for two wins against Footscray and Melbourne, and were fined $5,000 for playing Cox in the first eight rounds. Soon afterwards, South Melbourne centre-half forward Michael Smith
Michael Smith (Australian footballer)
Michael Smith is a former Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League ....
admitted he gave wrong information on his application for a permit to play with South - his true address was in St. Kilda's zone. South were going to lose four points but the VFL, challenged by the Cox case to be more lenient about its now-archaic zoning laws, was considering changing the rules and South were not punished.
Then the Foschini Case of 1983, where teenage rover/forward, Silvio Foschini
Silvio Foschini
Silvio Foschini is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Sydney Swans and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League .-Career:...
did not want to move to Sydney when South Melbourne did so in 1981/1982 but was refused a clearance to play with St. Kilda
St. Kilda Football Club
The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The club plays in the Australian Football League, the sport's premier league....
, declared previously unchallenged zoning an illegal labour market restraint. Although the VFL retained zoning for two more years, it had to radically alter the system of clearances and player contracts, and in 1985, with the competition less competitive than ever (only six clubs had made the Grand Final since 1972), reform of the system of player trading began. Zoning was replaced with a player draft
AFL Draft
The AFL Draft is the annual draft of new unsigned players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.-History:...
, which studies have shown to be much more effective at equalising club strength than country zoning ever was.
In competitions such as the SANFL and WAFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
, however, country and metropolitan zoning are still used today, despite the declarations concerning their use in the VFL. The SANFL, which introduced country zoning of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
in 1973 has made efforts to make country zoning less inflexible than it proved in the VFL though making provisions for the adjustment of zone boundaries. In the WAFL, however, there is already distinct concern country zoning is creating inequalities in available talent.
Further references
- Competitive Balance in Australian and Japanese Sport
- CORRECTED TRANSCRIPT by Tom HafeyTom HafeyThomas Stanley Raymond Hafey is a former Australian rules football Victorian Football League player and coach. Hafey played for Richmond between 1953 and 1958, and coached four clubs—Richmond, Collingwood, Geelong and Sydney—between 1966 and 1988, leading teams to a total of four premierships...
- Unobserved Components in Competitive Balance and Match Attendances in the Australian Football League, 1945-2005: Where is all the Action Happening?