Collingwood’s inclusion in the Australian Football League (AFL), then known as the Victorian Football League (VFL), occurred in 1897. This year marks the formal commencement of the club’s participation in the league’s organized competition.
The addition of Collingwood, alongside several other clubs, was instrumental in shaping the nascent VFL into a more structured and widely followed sporting entity. This establishment of the team as a founding member solidified its place within the broader history of Australian Rules Football and established a foundation for their future successes and rivalries.