| Sport | Australian rules football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 |
| Administrator | AFL Victoria |
| No. of teams | 3 |
| Country | Australia |
| Headquarters | Action Indoor Sports Tullamarine, Melbourne |
| Most recent champion(s) | Hawthorn Brown (1st premiership) |
| Sponsor(s) | Energy Safe Victoria |
| Related competitions |
The Victorian Blind Football League (VBFL) is an Australian rules football competition for people with vision impairment. As of 2023, it has 45 players in three different teams. [1]
The competition is mix-gendered, and open to people with different levels of vision. [2]
The VBFL was founded in 2019 with four teams that were not linked to AFL clubs − Bombers, Bulldogs, Hawks and Saints. [2] Hawthorn and St Kilda formally entered the competition in 2019, with Hawthorn winning the grand final in its inaugural season. [3] [4]
The Bulldogs and the Bombers did not compete in the 2023 season, with Hawthorn instead entering two teams − Hawthorn Gold and Hawthorn Brown.
The VBFL includes a specifically modified football that features a continuous beeping device to assist players tracking the ball. Signage and flickering lights are centrally placed behind the goals to assist players with accuracy when kicking for goal. [1]
Players fall into three different classifications:
Players wear different-coloured wristbands depending on their classification, which assists umpires to officiate matches. [2]
| Team | Colours | Moniker | First season | Total premierships | Years of premierships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn Gold |  | Hawks, Gold | 2023 | 0 | − |
| Hawthorn Brown |  | Hawks, Brown | 2023 | 1 | 2023 |
| St Kilda |  | Saints | 2019 | 1 | 2021 |
| Team | Colours | Moniker | First season | Last season | Total premierships | Years of premierships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombers |  | Bombers | 2019 | 2022 | 0 | − |
| Bulldogs |  | Bulldogs | 2019 | 2022 | 1 | 2022 |
| Hawthorn | | Hawks | 2019 | 2022 | 1 | 2019 |
| Hawks |  | Hawks | 2018 | 2018 | 0 | − |
| Saints | | Saints | 2018 | 2018 | 0 | − |
No VBFL team has ever won a premiership more than once, while the Bulldogs have made the most grand finals with three.
| Season | Premiers | Runners-up | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Hawthorn | Bulldogs | 13.8 (86) d. 12.7 (79) | 12 October 2019 [4] |
| 2021 | St Kilda | Bulldogs | 135 d. 71 | 4 December 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | Bulldogs | St Kilda | 68 d. 58 | 3 September 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | Hawthorn Brown | Hawthorn Gold | 133 d. 106 | 9 September 2023 |
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