In the first decade of the Victorian Football Association (VFA), a number of provincial clubs were full administrative members of the association, but never played enough games against other clubs to be considered relevant in the premiership. These clubs were active from the first VFA season in 1877 until.
Notably, a number of 'junior teams' also competed alongside senior sides.
Almost all of these clubs folded after a single season, however a number still exist to this day and compete in local football leagues, including three in the Bendigo Football Netball League.
List of provincial clubs VFA ClubColoursMonikerVFA season(s)Current league(s) Barwon Riverites 1874 1877–1878 Folded (1879) Benalla 1882 Folded Castlemaine Magpies 1859 1877 Folded* Colac/Camperdown Magpies 1877 Folded Canning & Battery United 1879 Folded Chilwell 1874 1878–1881 Merged* Clifton Union 1883 Folded Daylesford Bulldogs 1877 1880 Central Highlands East Geelong 1879 1880–1881 Geelong & District Geelong College 1878 Folded Geelong Imperial Imps 1877 Folded Geelong Juniors Juniors 1877 Folded Geelong Schools 1878–1881 Folded Inglewood 1877 Folded Kyneton Tigers 1868 1877–1885 Bendigo Lincoln United 1877 1878 Folded Maryborough Magpies 1872 1877–1884 Bendigo North Geelong Magpies 1876 1878–1882 Geelong & District Public Schools 1877–1883 Folded Sale Magpies 1877 1878–1883 Gippsland Sandhurst 1861 1877 Bendigo Warwick 1877 Folded Victorian Railways 1877 Folded
= Castlemaine were replaced by present-day Camperdown = Chilwell merged with Newtown in 1933 and are now competing in the Geelong Football Netball League as Newtown & Chilwell
References