Victoria Australian Rules Football Team

Victoria Australian Rules Football Team

The Victorian Australian rules football team, also known as the Big V is the representative side of Victoria, Australia in the sport of Australian rules football.

The senior men's side last played in the once-off AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match in 2008; prior to that, it had played representative games at least annually until 1999. The Big V dominated the first hundred years of intercolonial and interstate football before the change to State of Origin rules. The introduction of State of Origin rules in 1977 saw Victoria defeated by Western Australia. South Australia also challenged Victoria's superiority with many victories over the Big V between 1977–1999. Since the VFL/AFL became governing body, only players from the Australian Football League are eligible for selection in the Victorian team. After proposals to resurrect the Big V in a once-off AFL State of Origin carnival in 2008 to celebrate the game's 150th anniversary, the Big V made an appearance in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match on 10 May, an all-star game, defeating the "Dream Team".

Victoria is also represented by the Big V at multiple levels and leagues (for example the AFL U18 National Championships, VFL, amateur and women's). The guernsey is navy blue with a big white V (including serif) across the chest and, more recently, the Victorian state logo in a crest at the top left of the V.

In some carnivals, particular the AFL's under 18 and under 16 national tournament, Victoria is represented by separate Metropolitan and Country teams. In this case, both teams wear a Big V design, but neither wears the state-wide colour combination: instead, Vic Metro wears a navy blue guernsey with sky blue V, and Vic Country wears a white guernsey with navy blue V.

Further information: Interstate matches in Australian rules football

Read more about Victoria Australian Rules Football Team:  History, Jumper, Ted Whitten, Big V in Popular Culture

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