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The pictorial article below will afford a glimpse at Australian Rules football in the year of 1914. 1914 of course was the last football season before the full onset of the Great War and its catastrophic effects on the Australian population. The War interrupted sport and had a seriously disruptive impact on most football competitions. The War caused many Leagues to actually shut down altogether, and it created division in those that continued playing.

Thousands, indeed millions, of people were either killed, maimed, or mentally scarred, in the War. Those involved in football - players, officials and supporters - were hardly immune from the effects. Many managed to rebuild their lives after the War and were able to participate in, or contribute to, the dynamic 1920's. For football, the 1920's decade was very different from those that had preceded it. There were important changes in the rules, Leagues were restructured, and goal-kicking rates increased.

1914 will be remembered as the year the great Port Adelaide team, which had dominated the game in South Australia, defeated the VFL premiers Carlton in the very last Championship of Australia match. It will also be remembered for the demise of the University club in the VFL, and for the unfortunate timing of the Sydney (football) Carnival.

At the time of writing (2014) Dustin Fletcher’s longevity in AFL football continues to amaze the football public. Even at the ripe old of 39 years of age, there are those who believe that Dustin is capable of playing next season. It is a remarkable achievement in modern day football. Time will tell but Dustin has written his name into the record books as one of the oldest players to play AFL football.

This story is about H.V. Cumberland who was 43 years and 50 days when he played his last game for St Kilda in 1920. The following account tells of the times, travels and achievements of the oldest player to have ever played at VFL/AFL level.

Stan Middleton has led the charge in recording the history of the ‘Vietnam Football League’ (in which he played), that was played at the Australian beachside base of Vung Tau 125kms from the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) from 1967-1971.

Scratch matches are always organised in the military, but the Vietnam football League was the most organised of the football competitions during the war and its story is a valuable piece of the history of football in the Armed Services and in the history of football outside Australia.

Today the Vietnam Swans (formed in 2003) play an annual ‘ANZAC friendship match’ each year on the nearest Saturday to ANZAC Day in Vung Tau on the same ground where many of the games during the war were played.

Stan has kindly allowed the publication of his, and the league’s story.

Between Round 9 1952 and Round 13 1953, Geelong had a famous run of 26 games without a loss. This passed the previous record of 21 games by Collingwood's 1928/29 side and is still today a VFL/AFL record. This period in Geelong's history has been widely written about. This article attempts to describe the streak, demonstrate that it was more than a random fluke never to be repeated and finally fits the streak into a wider context within Australian football outside the VFL/AFL.