South Melbourne and Sydney Swans add to the trophy cabinet

Then AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said at the time that “each club has the option to decide how it will recognise its history across VFA/VFL or SANFL (for Port Adelaide)/AFL, depending on its continuous passage as a club.”

Carter, who finished his 10-year tenure as Geelong president at the end of 2020, told The Age and the Herald he was rapt to hear that the Sydney Swans were recognising their South Melbourne history in such a tangible way.

“I think what Sydney has done is terrific,” Carter said.

Harley said it follows logic to recognise the flags in such a way as the club celebrates their 150th anniversary with South Melbourne beginning in 1874. They moved to Sydney in 1982.

The replica flags recognising premierships won in the 1880s were created using an insignia from the time while the VFL flags are as they were handed out at the time.

Carter is likely to be in touch with the Cats to see whether they might follow the lead in finding a way to recognise their seven premierships – 1878, 79, 80, 82-84, 86 – they won through that era.

“What is completely incontrovertible is that the VFL founders for 20 years or more regarded the prior period as part of their competition,” Carter said.

Before the VFL competition began in 1897, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne all competed in the Victorian Football Association (VFA).

If flags won between 1870-1896 were included in official records Carlton would lead the tally with 22, Essendon 20, Geelong and Collingwood 17 apiece, Melbourne 16, Richmond 13, Hawthorn 13 with South Melbourne/Sydney eighth on the table with 10 flags.

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