After operating with twelve Victorian Suburban teams for over fifty years, the Victorian Football League (V.F.L) as it was then called, expanded in 1982 when South Melbourne became the Swans after moving to Sydney. In 1987, the West Coast Eagles and the Brisbane Lions joined the league.

In 1990, the league became known as the Australian Football League (A.F.L). The Adelaide Crows entered the league in 1991, followed by the Fremantle Dockers in 1995 and finally Port Adelaide Power in 1996.

After an audacious bid by Port Adelaide to enter the competition, the AFL gave Adelaide the green light to become the first South Australian team in 1991. Under coach Graham Cornes, who played only a handful of games in the VFL, but was considered one of the greatest footballers of his era, the Crows proved competitive in their first season winning 10 matches to miss the finals by only three games.

And it is certainly no picnic for visiting teams making the trip to the hostile surroundings of Football Park where an opposition goal is met with a stunned silence.

The Crows finished ninth in their first two years, but the fear Victorians felt for the new Adelaide team was well-founded by 1993.

With glamour full-forward Tony Modra booting 129 goals that year, the Crows led Essendon by 41 points at half-time in the preliminary final only to be overrun by 11 points at the final siren.

It was thought to be only a matter of time before the Crows won their first premiership, but in the comfort zone of their new success and, an inability to win in Melbourne, they finished 11th in the next two seasons.

At the end of 1994, Cornes was made the scapegoat - amid claims of dissension with the players - and was replaced by former Fitzroy coach Robert Shaw. But Shaw had little success and the Adelaide hierarchy - with fans demanding success and the team considered a joke outside South Australia - turned to former South Australian and AFL champion Malcolm Blight in 1997 to lead it to the promised land. Blight was quick to stamp his personal authority when he publicly lambasted the players early on after a loss as he attempted to change the 'soft' culture of the club.

A number of previous stalwarts such as Andrew Jarman and Tony McGuinness left the club and Blight put his faith in youngsters and by the end of 1997 the Crows had made the Grand Final.

While going in as underdogs against St Kilda, Blight's coaching experience and the brilliance of Darren Jarman and youngsters Andrew McLeod and Shane Ellen realised the Victorians' worst nightmare as the Crows took home their first premiership.

After a slow start to the 1998 season many pundits had written the Crows off by the time they were soundly beaten by Melbourne in the first week of the finals. But after brushing past Sydney and the hapless Bulldogs in two successive away finals, the supremely confident Crows staged a magnificent come-from-behind win over North Melbourne to win back-to-back premierships.

Thursday, 4th July, 1996, was a landmark day not just for AFL football but for sport in Australia. It was the birth day of the Brisbane Lions, formed via an historic merger between the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions.

For the first time in elite level sport in Australia two professional organisations joined forces to form one, ending a lengthy period of uncertainty and media speculation over the entire issue.

Fitzroy, a member of the VFL/AFL, had fought a long and seemingly endless battle against financial instability. Often it had seemed they would go under, and just as often there was merger speculation.

As far back as 1986, when the Brisbane Bears were being formed, Fitzroy came within a whisker of relocating north to become the Queensland-based side. But a private benefactor saved the day.

Every year thereafter they found a similar "escape route". They battled on, driven by the spirit of history and tradition, until at last financial problems caught up with them.

Ironically, the Nauru Insurance Corporation, who two years earlier had saved the club from extinction with a sizeable injection of loan capital, had appointed an Administrator to recoup their debts of $1.25million.

Now, with nowhere else to turn, a merger, with the lure of a $6million "carrot" offered by the AFL, became the only option.

Public opinion, driven by strong media speculation, suggested Fitzroy would merge with North Melbourne, but in the last days before the deadline the Bears hierarchy snuck under the Kangaroos' guard. They snatched a deal that would preserve the history and tradition of Fitzroy and provide the Brisbane-based club with a critical Melbourne supporter base, some key ex-Fitzroy players and a cash injection that would ensure on-going financial stability.

So, on 1 November, 1996, after Fitzroy supporters had bid farewell to their club as it was known, and Brisbane Bears supporters had prepared for the change, the merger club was officially introduced to the AFL.

The "new" team would wear a new jumper, featuring a maroon body, with a gold Lion on the front, blue shoulders, a gold collar and gold trim. The number on the back would be gold, with white trim, the shorts would be maroon. Socks would be maroon, with blue and gold bands at the top.

They would play 11 "home" games at the Gabba in Brisbane, and as many "away" games as possible in Melbourne, thereby satisfying the needs of two distinct supporter bases.

The history of both clubs was preserved and life members from both were recognised jointly. Slowly, the difficult task of merging two clubs into one in such a passionate industry as football took place.

Roger Merrett, the Bears' favorite son, was honoured in the twin naming of the Brisbane Lions' Club Champion trophy. A subsequent poll of ex-Fitzroy members chose Kevin Murray as the other person to be recognised in this fashion.

The Brisbane Lions' club song adopted the music of the old Fitzroy club song - the stirring tune of the Marseillaise, or the French National Anthem. The words were adapted accordingly, taking different lines from the previous songs of the Bears and Fitzroy.

It was a merger which brought together the old and the new of the AFL. There was the proud history and tradition of Fitzroy, a one-time power club of the competition who had struggled in recent times. And there was the youthful exuberance of the Bears, who, after a diabolical beginning, in 1996 had stamped themselves as a legitimate force in the AFL when they went within one game of the Centenary grand final.

And so, in 1997, the Brisbane Lions joined the AFL competition. It was the end of an era for two clubs, and the beginning of an era for one.

Their 1998 season was one of disappointment and coach John Northey was replaced mid-way through the season by hardman Roger Merrett.

The Lions continuing struggle for success saw a board cleanout and Merrett passed over for the ongoing coaching job at the end of the season.

Hawthorn legend Leigh Matthews was coaxed north to coach the Lions in one of the most anticipated appointments in recent AFL history.

One of the proudest and most successful clubs in the league with 16 premierships. Carlton struggled to make any impact when it first joined the league in 1897.

But under former Test cricketer and Fitzroy player John Worrall, the Blues stamped themselves as a power within 10 years when they won three consecutive premierships from 1906 and only missed a fourth by two points.

During the war, the Blues collected back-to-back flags in 1914-1915, but failed to win another flag until 1938.

Seven years later, the Blues were involved in another premiership in a Grand Final, later labelled the 'Bloodbath' when nine players were reported in one of the most vicious matches on record.

Aside from another premiership two years later, the Blues failed to add to their collection until 1968 and 1970 - the latter in one of the greatest comebacks this century under coach Ron Barassi.

Trailing by 44 points at half-time, Barassi instructed his players to handball at every opportunity and with unknown Teddy Hopkins chiming in with four goals, the Blues overhauled Collingwood to win the flag - and enhance one of the most bitter rivalries in the league that still stands today.

Carlton continued to be succesful with a flag in 1972 and then started a reign of dominance when it won three premierships in four years from 1979-1982. The Club also claimed another flag under Robert Walls in 1987.

By the early 1990s, the Blues had what was considered an ageing list, but under David Parkin - who had success with the Blues in 1981 and 82 before being sacked in 1985 - delivered the faithful their 16th flag - an AFL record until Essendon equalled it in 2000.

Carlton has been littered with some of the game's greatest players including champion full-forward Harry 'Soapy' Vallence, Alex Jesaulenko, John Nicholls, Serge and Steve Silvagni, Bruce Doull and Stephen Kernahan.

During the 1970s and 1980s the Blues have often found themselves in the news through the affairs of outspoken presidents George Harris and John Elliott and, while at times they have been ruthless in their pursuit of success, it has paid dividends.

You either love them or hate them is the catchphrase associated with the Magpies. Although their success has been limited in the modern era, they still draw the big crowds and their fans still believe the club is the greatest in Australia. Collingwood was involved in the league right from the start and was quickly identified as representing the working class. It did not take long for the Magpies to achieve success with back-to-back premierships in 1902-03.

They collected another flag in 1910 and, in 1913, the legendary Jock McHale, who played in the centre in the 1910 flag, turned the club into the most feared combination with eight premierships in the next 38 years.

He also guided the club to four consecutive flags - 1927-1930 - a record unlikely to be broken.

In the 1940s, the Magpies failed to win a flag, but by the 1950s returned to the top with flags in 1953 and 1958.

The 1958 flag was one of the greatest in the club's history and most pundits agreed Melbourne was the better team. But the Magpies, desperate to halt the Demons' charge towards four consecutive flags, took a physical approach into the Grand Final, and while the Demons were intent on evening up the bumps, the Magpies went on to win the flag. But success from then on was impossible to attain.

In the next 32 years, the Magpies were to contest nine Grand Finals only to be foiled at the last hurdle - along the way having the unflattering term of Colliwobbles attached to them - a reference to the fact they 'choked' in the big games. But in 1990 under former Hawthorn champion Leigh Matthews, the Magpies broke the drought by defeating Essendon in a Grand Final that produced one of the biggest brawls ever seen.

The Magpies have produced some of the game's greats including Bob Rose, Lou Richards, Harry Collier, Jack Regan, Peter McKenna, Tony Shaw, Murray Weideman, Wayne Richardson and Gordon Coventry who for many years held the goalkicking record with 1299 goals.

After a disappointing 1998 season, media personality Eddie McGuire swept to power at Victoria Park, bringing with him a new board and vowing to return the Pies to their glory days.

For the trivia buffs, it was Essendon who won the first VFL premiership in 1897. Since then the Bombers have been one of the most consistent clubs in the competition, winning premierships on a regular basis to be, along with Carlton, the most successful club in the league.

The Bombers first address was at Jolimont Street before making Windy Hill their home in 1921. They attained their nickname because of their closeness to the Essendon Airport.

They have had many fine players including the great Dick Reynolds, who won three Brownlow Medals; captained the club for 12 years and coached it to four premierships during the 1940s and 1950s.

Arguably, the Bombers produced the greatest full-forward of all time in John Coleman, who played only 98 games, but kicked 537 goals. Coleman was a freakish mark with great skills around the ground. He played in the 1949-50 premierships, and many fans argue his suspension cost their team the 1951 flag.

Essendon also has the distinction of producing the Daniher brothers - Terry, Chris, Neale and Tony who, aside from Neale, created league history by playing in the same team late in 1990.

Coleman also coached the Bombers to the 1962 and 1965 flags, but success eluded the club until former Richmond defender Kevin Sheedy took over the reins in 1981. Within five years, Sheedy had coached the club to back-to-back flags and added another to the cupboard with his 'Baby Bombers' in 1993.

In 1992 Essendon was one of the first clubs to take to the league's rationalisation plans and base itself at the MCG where it thrived with membership and crowd size.

The Bombers were the first club to climb aboard as Colonial Stadium's first tenant for the 2000 season, where they proceeded to have an incredible season. After winning the pre-season Ansett Cup they only lost once in the regular season, before clinching their 16th flag with a victory over Melbourne.

After West Coast started to dominate the competition in the early 1990s, it was only a matter of time before another club would emerge from such a football-talented state as Western Australia.

In 1995, the Fremantle Dockers were given the green light and although they failed to dominate in their first year they won eight games and played an exciting brand of free flowing football.

Early on, the Dockers were able to entice back Ben Allan from Hawthorn, Peter Mann from North Melbourne and Stephen O'Reilly from Geelong to help bolster their young line-up.

The Dockers were reasonably consistent in their first three seasons without setting the league alight, winning eight games in their first season, seven in their second and 10 in their third. But they faltered in 1998, winning only seven games and failing to make any real headway after high expectations.

Coach Gerard Neesham had been loathe to use taggers or employ ultra-defensive tactics preferring to allow his players to create their own opportunities. But his game plan became too predictable and other clubs eventually found it easy to exploit.

Neesham was replaced at the end of the 1998 season by former Geelong player and Sydney reserves coach Damian Drum. That coupled with the signing of such players as Adelaide star Tony Modra and Kangaroos premiership player Peter Bell will undoubtedly instil renewed optimism in their growing supporter base.

Geelong is the second oldest club in the league with links to the game's founder Thomas Wentworth Wills. The club has had a number of nicknames from Seagulls, to the Pivotonians because the club was the railway pivot between Melbourne and Ballarat, but they are best known as the Cats which they adopted in the 1950s.

While Geelong was the most powerful team in the old Victorian Football Association with seven premierships in 10 years between 1878-1876, the Cats failed to make the grade when it entered the VFL in 1897.

In fact, it was not until 1925 that it had won its first premiership and success was only spasmodic until back-to-back flags in 1951-52 under Reg Hickey.

Their last success came in 1963 under the legendary Bob Davis, but since then the Cats have been a source of great heartbreak for their fans - especially from the late 1980s.

Under coach Malcolm Blight, the Cats were involved in one of the great Grand Finals of all time when they failed by just six points to overhaul the powerful Hawthorn team in 1989, despite the great Gary Ablett kicking nine goals to win the Norm Smith Medal for best player on the field.

In the next six years, the Cats were to play in another three Grand Finals and, despite some top-line players in their team, were unable to break the drought.

But despite this heartbreak, Geelong fans can point to the fact they have produced two of the greatest players in history in ruckman Polly Farmer and Ablett.

Anyone watching Hawthorn win four premierships in the mid-1980s may have been forgiven for thinking the team had a long and rich history behind it, but the opposite was the case.

Hawthorn had a less than flattering record in the Victorian Football Association and may have surprised many by being admitted to the VFL in 1925.

Originally adopting the nickname of the Mayblooms before becoming better known as the Hawks, the club languished near the bottom of the ladder for many years and it was not until 1957 that it tasted its first finals appearance.

But success would finally find its way down to Glenferrie Oval in 1960 with the appointment of four-time club best and fairest John Kennedy as coach.

The Hawks soon became known as Kennedy's Commandos as he instilled a new discipline and fitness structure into the club and success soon followed with the club's first premiership the following year and further flags in 1971 and 1976.

By the time Kennedy had stepped down at the end of 1976, the Hawks were no longer the laughing stock of the league, but their most successful period was still to come.

David Parkin collected another flag in 1978, but three years later Allan Jeans took over and oversaw the club dominate the competition in a way rarely seen before.

After winning the flag in 1983, the Hawks never finished worse than first or second until 1990 and in that time collected another three flags including back-to-back flags in 1988 and 89 - although Alan Joyce took over in 1989 with ill-health forcing Jeans out for the year.

The Hawks collected another flag in 1991, but since then success has eluded them. Many people believe no other team will dominate the competition the way Hawthorn did during that era.

After taking out the 1999 pre-season Ansett Cup and finishing 6th in 2000, many are predicting the Hawks to be big improvers after a period of rebuilding through the mid-1990s.

Some of the great names to have played for the Hawks include Leigh Matthews - regarded as one of the greatest players of all time - champion full-forward Peter Hudson, Michael Tuck - the league games record holder with 426 games, Dermott Brereton and Chris Langford to name just a few.

The oldest club in the league formed by the game's founder Thomas Wentworth Wills in 1858. Melbourne was known as the 'Invincible Whites' early on, but adopted the Redlegs tag in 1872 which is still used today.

Melbourne's other nickname - the Demons - was not used until after the second World War.

The Demons won their first VFL premiership in 1900, but it was another 25 years before success came again. Under the leadership of Checker Hughes, the Demons started to make an impact with a hat-trick of flags from 1939-1941, but it was under the genius of Norm Smith that Melbourne dominated the competition.

The Demons reigned supreme with Smith as coach and the on-field leadership of Ron Barassi in the 1950s with five premierships in six years - 1955-57 and 1959-60 - and then added another in 1964.

But then a double blow - from which many believe the Demons never recovered - happened in 1965 when Barassi switched to Carlton and Smith was sacked mid-way through the year.

Smith returned, but the Demons had lost their momentum missing the finals for the first time since 1954 and the club languished for many years afterwards.

In the early 1980s, the Demons brought back their favourite son in Barassi, but he failed to make any impact and it was not until John Northey took over in 1986 that they started the climb back to respectability. They made the Grand Final in 1988, only to be crushed by a record margin of 96 points by Hawthorn.

In recent years, Melbourne was mooted as a potential merger partner, but new president, businessman Joe Gutnick and new coach Neale Daniher turned the club around in 1998, finishing fourth after being wooden spooners in 1997 and making the grand final in 2000.

Another club that was a late entry into the league in 1925, North Melbourne had been known as the Shinboners before it adopted the Kangaroos as its official name and emblem.

For almost a quarter of a century, North Melbourne gave few reasons why it should have been in the competition languishing near the bottom of the ladder.

It had two brief moments of glory making the finals in 1945 and and the Grand Final against Essendon in 1950.

It was not until the arrival of supercoach Ron Barassi in 1973, that the once easybeats started to make rivals sit up and take notice.

After finishing sixth in 1973, the Kangaroos made their first Grand Final in 1974 only to go down to Richmond, but the following year, amid wild celebrations, the Roos took their first flag home to Arden Street.

Bridesmaid again in 1976, North Melbourne was again in the thick of things when it was involved in the sensationally drawn Grand Final of 1977 against Collingwood and then won the replay comfortably the following week.

Through the mid-1980s, Barry Cable, Malcolm Blight, John Kennedy and champion defender, Wayne Schimmelbusch, all had stints as coach, but, while at times very competitive, no flags were forthcoming.

In the 1990s, as market forces started to bear down on Melbourne-based clubs, North Melbourne followed in Essendon's footsteps to the MCG and then embarked on the bold step of making night football their own.

They found success and a new breed of fans. Denis Pagan, one of the most successful coaches at under-19 and reserves level, was finally given a senior role as coach in 1993 and, after three consistent years near the top, broke the drought with the help of champion forward Wayne Carey to win the flag in 1996 and once again deny the critics who had predicted the demise of the cl

Despite being touted as grand final favourites in 1998, the Roos kicked poorly and surrendered a significant half-time lead to enable the Crows to collect their second flag. With regular matches in Sydney and Canberra since 1999 and the name change from North Melbourne to the Kangaroos, a move North is likely within the next five years.

Port Adelaide is the oldest club in South Australia and the most successful with 34 premierships and 34 second placings.

With such an abundance of football talent in South Australia - similar to that of Western Australia - it was only a matter of time before a second team emerged from that state.

Port Adelaide had already made one bid in 1990 to enter the AFL, but was rebuffed by the local clubs from the South Australian Football League.

But in 1997, the Power's wish was fulfilled and with a rich tradition and history of football, it was time to mix it with the best of the best.

Most experts looked at the playing list of Port and were struggling to work out if it could even win a game let alone several, but the Power was about to shock even its loyal supporters.

With John Cahill at the helm and a handful of stars such as captain and Brownlow Medallist Gavin Wanganeen, Port continually amazed both fans and foes alike with their tenacious and disciplined play.

The Power maintained their middle ranking on the ladder but were disappointed with their second season in 1998.

But after recruiting well, a new coach in favourite son Mark Williams, and a strong showing in the pre-season 1999 Ansett Cup, expectations were high for the Power's third AFL season. And the club did not let their fans down, making the finals for the first time.

Richmond entered the VFL in 1908, but had to wait until 1920-21 before grabbing its first two flags. The Tigers were ultra competitive during the late 1920s making the Grand Final in 1927/28/29, but in three successive years were conquered by the talented and tough Collingwood team.

But the Tigers' persistence paid off when they picked up flags in 1932 and again in 1934. Under the legendary Jack Dyer - considered by many as one of the meanest and toughest players to pull on a boot - the Tigers had more success in 1943.

But after that there was little joy at Tigerland until a relatively unknown coach from Shepparton in Tom Hafey took over the coaching role in 1966.

Hafey's philosophy was fitness, fitness and more fitness and a year later the power of the Tigers emerged with a 1967 premiership, followed by another one in 1969.

There was more success for Hafey's heroes with back-to-back flags in 1973 and 74 and after his departure Tony Jewell took the Tigers to a flag in 1980, but that was when the rot started to set in.

Despite making the Grand Final in 1982 under Francis Bourke, the Tigers managed to cull six coaches until 1993 when the underrated John Northey was appointed coach.

Northey's Tigers struggled in their two seasons together, but he finally moved the club in the right direction with a finals berth in 1995.

Yet inexplicably, depending on who you believe, club and Northey fell out and Robert Walls was appointed coach and the Tigers stumbled and returned to the dark old days, missing the finals the following season.

The following season, 1997, was again a poor return for the Tigers and, true to form, Walls was sacked and Jeff Gieschen was given his first senior AFL position.

Whatever you say about the Tigers' on-field performances they have certainly provided plenty of headlines off the field in their relentless and ruthless approach to achieving success. But sadly for Tigers supporters the club has achieved little in the way of premierships for a very long time.

The Tigers stumbled again in 1998 and 1999, missing out on the finals after capitulating in the last game of the season. The club held high hopes when former St Kilda star Danny Frawley was appointed coach for the 2000 season, but unfortunately the Tigers once again just missed out on the finals.

While St Kilda is one of the oldest clubs in the league, it has one of the poorest records.

Known as the Seasiders early on - but later more popularly as the Saints - St Kilda was invited to join the VFL in 1897 largely because of its favourable home base, the Junction Oval. St Kilda had one of the worst starts in history playing 48 games before it registered a victory.

It was not as if St Kilda lacked champions with players such as Hugh Cumberland, Roy Cazaly and goalkicking machines Bill Mohr and Neil Roberts who won successive Brownlow Medals in 1957-58, but as a team the Saints failed to fire.

Their only Grand Final appearance was in 1913 and it was not until the 1960s that the Saints started to show some on-field spirit. Allan Jeans was appointed coach in 1961 and for the next few years, the Saints either made the finals or were thereabouts until 1965 when they reached their second Grand Final, but went down to Essendon.

But glory was near and in one of the most nail-biting Grand Finals contested in history, the Saints defeated Collingwood by just one point in 1966 with the great Darrel Baldock captaining the team and Barry Breen kicking the winning point - something that to this day he is constantly reminded about.

Despite stars such as Baldock, firebrand ruckman Carl Ditterich and star centreman Ian Stewart the Saints were unable to add to their premiership collection although they were runners-up to Hawthorn in 1971.

After that brief period of success the Saints wallowed for the next 20 years and during that time used six coaches, sacking five of them.

Ken Sheldon took over the club and with champion full-forward Tony Lockett on fire the Saints made a brief finals appearance in 1992, but a year later Sheldon was replaced by Stan Alves.

From 1993 to 1996 the Saints struggled under Alves and his tenure looked shaky after the club's poor performances early in 1997, but the players rallied and they made it into the Grand Final only to be outplayed by Adelaide.

The Saints went backwards in 1998, finishing also rans after an inexplicable loss of form in the second half of the season. Coach Stan Alves was held responsible for the downturn, and was replaced by former Essendon champion Tim Watson at the end of the season.

Based at Waverley in recent years, the Saints reluctantly abandoned their south-eastern suburbs' base to become Colonial Stadium co-tenants in 2000.

The 2000 season was a disaster for the Saints, finishing with the wooden spoon after only winning two games. Watson stood down and was replaced by AFL legend Malcolm Blight. His appointment, coupled with the arrival of several big name players, has the club very optimistic about its future.

Sydney was created from the old South Melbourne in 1982. With South Melbourne struggling under a weight of debts and the league keen to explore new territory in New South Wales, the bold move was made for South to head to Sydney.

South Melbourne was one of the original members of the league in 1897, but had limited success with premierships in 1909, 1918 and 1933.

The club will long be remembered for the 1945 Grand Final against Carlton dubbed the 'Bloodbath' in which nine players were reported on 15 charges in a game that the Swans lost.

Although legends such as goalkicking star Bob Pratt - who still holds the record along with Peter Hudson of 150 goals in one season - Laurie Nash and triple Brownlow Medallist Bob Skilton made their mark with the club, the Swans always struggled for success.

After making the move to Sydney - much to the anger and disgust of many supporters - the club had some success under Tommy Hafey making the finals in 1986 and 1987. These were the days when Dr Geoffrey Edelsten waved money around and brought big-name players and when the flashy Warwick Capper, forever remembered for his tight shorts, made his name in the goal square.

But eventually the money ran out and the Swans struggled financially and on the field. But the league was determined that a team survive in the NSW market, and the Swans were given financial help and draft choices in a bid to turn things around.

After hitting rock-bottom under Colin Kinnear and Gary Buckenara, the great Ron Barassi took over the reins in 1993 with a long-term plan of rebuilding the club for a younger man to take over.

That man was Rod Eade, who took over in 1996, and guided the club into the Grand Final where it was outgunned by North Melbourne.

But the Swans are no longer a laughing-stock and have made great inroads into the Sydney market attracting a large and loyal following, to the point where there is now talk of a second club eventually coming out of Sydney.

Goal-kicking collossus Tony Lockett set the AFL world on fire in 1999 when he broke the all-time AFL goal-kicking record, eventually retiring with 1357 goals.

After just missing the finals in 2000, and courageous captain Paul Kelly back from a knee injury, the Swans will be looking for big things in 2001.

When West Coast first joined the league, Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy was one of the first to warn of the potential power from the team out west - and it did not take long before he was proven right.

In its first season in 1987 under coach Ron Alexander and captain Ross Glendinning, the Eagles won 11 of their 22 games to finish only one match outside the finals.

But the Eagles hierarchy, although new to the AFL, were quick to pick up the ruthlessness of their Victorian counterparts and despite the team's impressive inaugural season, Alexander was replaced by John Todd.

Todd was quick to capitalise on the good work and the Eagles made their first finals appearance the following year and were beaten by just two points by Melbourne in the elimination final when Murray Wrensted ran into an open goal in the dying moments of the game and missed.

The Eagles slipped back to 11th the following year, and the Eagles decided it was time for some Victorian influence and Mick Malthouse was appointed coach.

Malthouse had almost immediate success in 1990 lifting his team into the finals where they were involved in a sensational tied game with Collingwood in the qualifying final when Peter Sumich failed to convert with only minutes left.

The Eagles were thrashed the following week, but they had put other clubs on notice - they were a power waiting to happen.

They were runners-up to the powerful Hawthorn line-up the following year, but in 1992 and again in 1994 won premierships defeating Geelong both times.

The Eagles ageing list caught them out in 1998. They dipped to seventh and were well off the pace, being thrashed by the Western Bulldogs in the first week of the finals.

Several veterans of the Eagles' golden era retired before the 1999 season, including captain John Worsfold, but the club still made the finals for the 10th consecutive year, an outstanding achievement.

Following the departure of Malthouse to Collingwood, former Hawthorn champion Ken Judge took over the coaching job in 2000.

Formerly known as Footscray, the club was a power in the Victorian Football Association winning nine premierships before being admitted to the VFL in 1925.

But success was very rare for the club dubbed the 'Bulldogs', with only three finals appearances before the 1950s.

In 1951, Charlie Sutton took over as coach and in his second season, the Bulldogs started to give their fans some hope with a finals appearance a year later.

In 1954 with a young Teddy Whitten at centre half-forward, the Bulldogs finally tasted success with a premiership.

Whitten went on to become a living legend of the game playing in 10 finals, coaching the team for 13 years and captaining it for 14.

His games record of 321 games was eventually broken by Doug Hawkins who went on to play another eight for the Dogs.

During the 1980s, the Bulldogs enjoyed little success except for a brief finals appearance in 1985 when the club was beaten in the preliminary final by Hawthorn.

In the 1990s the club has been competitive and in 1998 the club hierarchy decided to change the name of the club to give it more of a western suburbs flavour.

Alan Joyce was sacked in 1996 and Terry Wallace took over, promising a more attacking football style in 1997. He delivered as the Bulldogs jumped from 15th position to third after the home and away season only to be bundled out in the preliminary final by Adelaide.

History repeated itself in the cruellest fashion when the Bulldogs lost their second consecutive preliminary final in 1998. They finished 6th in 1999 and 8th in 2000.

With finances short for Victorian-based clubs, the Western Bulldogs have made every effort to ensure their long-term viability by taking their home matches away from their beloved Whitten Oval (formerly the Western Oval) to Optus Oval and now Colonial Stadium as a permanent base.