A century has passed since the 1916 VFL grand final, staged amid the upheaval of the First World War. Just four clubs managed to compete that season, leading to the anomaly of Fitzroy winning both the wooden spoon and the premiership in the same year – the Lions finishing fourth and then beating Carlton in the grand final.

Just over 21,000 fans attended the grand final, as Melburnians grappled with the notion of watching sporting events amid the devastation of the Great War. The league itself even pondered whether to switch the grand final from the MCG to a smaller ground, but decided to stick with tradition and play at the biggest venue on offer, to give the most people the chance to attend.

Fast forward 100 years and much has changed. While four clubs remain in the hunt, as they did that September a century ago, they now represent the very best of an 18-team competition that spans the length and breadth of the country. Now, instead of pondering whether or not attending football is appropriate with a war on, Victorians are given a day off work on the eve of the match, an ill-conceived and financially costly public holiday that is seemingly the personal whim of Premier Daniel Andrews.

And now, instead of opening up a final to the highest possible number of spectators, the AFL has effectively shut out fans and opened the door for scalpers by deciding to stage the preliminary final between Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs at Spotless Stadium, a ground with a capacity of only 24,000.