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If you love your footy
but are getting too old to keep up with the young
blokes, then this is the game for you. AFL Masters (
previously known as Masters Australian Football and
originally called Superules), is Australian Rules
Football for those players over 35 years of age who
enjoy their footy and want to keep playing in a
non-competitive environment. The Victorian Country
competition involves teams from all over country
Victoria. Games are played every second Sunday with a
National Carnival played at the end of the season. All
States and Territories compete in the following age
divisions at the Carnivals:
Supers - 35 and over. Masters - 40 and over, Seniors -
45 and over. Super Seniors - 50 and over Legends 55 +
Although John Hammer "kicked off' Superules in Victoria
on August 29 1980, Victorian Country
Superules,officially started on September 12 1981. The
inaugural game for Victorian Country Superules was
played as a curtain raiser to the VFA preliminary final
against a team from Melbourne. In 1982, South Australia
played a combined Victorian Country team in Nhill. Geoff
Gosper won the Superules Best & Fairest Medal that year.
In early days the attitude was much a casual one,
whereby the lads would have a social game of football on
the odd Sunday. In fact most of the 35 year olds used it
as a loosener from their Saturday game. In 1982, 1983 &
1984 some of the Victorian Country towns who were
fielding teams were Riverland, Navarre, Mildura, Echuca,
Mt Gambier, Portland, Naracoorte, Shepparton, Kyabram
and Sunraysia. Then in 1983 as word spread, Werribee,
Sunbury, Bendigo, Bacchus Marsh, Melton Ballarat and
Maryborough decided to join the competition. These teams
were to become the nucleus of Victorian Country
Superules. Eventually due to the travel and increased
administrative demands, some teams such as Nhill and
Warrnambool started to disappear, leaving the newer
teams to take over.
Although regular games are played during the 'season' it
has always been the interstate carnival that is the
pinnacle of the Superules year. The concept of
interstate carnivals started in 1983 when a combined
Victorian Country team played Alice Springs for the
first game of the season and the first end of season
carnival was held at Camberwell in Victoria. This was
the beginning of interstate carnivals as we know and
enjoy them today. Official carnivals held over the years
have been :
| 1983: Melbourne |
1992: Gold Coast |
2001 Gold Coast |
| 1984: Darwin
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1993: Hobart
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2002 Melbourne |
| 1985: Hobart |
1994: Perth
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2003: Perth |
| 1986: Perth
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1995: Sydney |
2004: Cairns |
| 1987: Brisbane |
1996: Adelaide
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2005: Adelaide
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| 1988: Adelaide |
1997: Geelong
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2006: Maroochydore
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| 1989: Canberra |
1998: Canberra |
2007: Sydney - St Ignatius
College |
| 1990: Melbourne |
1999 Darwin |
2008: Darwin |
| 1991: Darwin
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2000: Hobart |
2009: Cairns |
Victorian Country is proud to have had very competitive
sides in all the carnivals and many players being named
as ' All Australian Players'. We have also had some
brilliant years, including a win in both Supers and
Masters in Canberra in 1989 and wins in Melbourne 1990
and Hobart 1993. In 1996, fielding a Seniors (over 45)
team for the first time, Vic Country beat South
Australia and had the great distinction of having only 3
goals kicked against them in 3 games. The competition
continues to grow and we want it to expand through all
of country Victoria. New teams are always welcomed and
encouraged. We are extremely proud of our heritage and
reputation as a strong and close knit competition with
an emphasis on non-competitive football for fun and
family involvement.
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