twelve participating AFL clubs' under-19s teams) was shut down, to be replaced by the TAC Cup featuring six new independent district-based under-18s clubs. The change to the Reserves competition was mostly administrative: while it became known as (and was governed by) the VSFL, it was otherwise identical to the 1919-1991 VFL/AFL Reserves, and is considered a direct continuation. The VFL/AFL Reserves in 1919-1988 and the VSFL in 1993-1996 were contested by the traditional VFL clubs: at the end of 1996, Fitzroy had their AFL operations taken over by the Brisbane Bears, thus reducing the VSFL competition to eleven teams until 1999. While the Sydney Swans continued to participate after South Melbourne's relocation at the end of 1981, and Brisbane participated in 1989-1992, none of the South Australian or Western Australian clubs ever competed. Combination with the VFL (since 2000) Following the 1999 season, the VSFL was merged into Victoria's second-tier senior football league, the Victorian Football League, which had been known as the Victorian Football Association until 1995 (with a history dating back to 1877). Such a merger had first been proposed as early as 1980, and a formal attempt to enact the merger for the 1995 season was defeated after strong opposition from the clubs. Since the merger, the VFL has served as a hybrid second-tier senior competition and Reserves competition for AFL clubs. While the VFL also had its own Reserves competition, the VFL Development League, none of the eight Victorian AFL clubs who fielded a stand-alone team in the VFL seniors was ever involved in this League before it was shut down at the end of the 2018 season. Since the merger, there have been four types of club participating in the VFL: VFL/AFL club affiliations: in these cases, an AFL club enters into an agreement with a single VFL club (or, in some former cases, two VFL clubs). Any players listed at the AFL club are permitted to play with the VFL club on weekends when not selected for an AFL game. The VFL club maintains its own, separate playing list, and its weekly team is composed of a mixture of VFL-listed and AFL-listed players. The exact nature of the organisational relationship between the VFL and AFL club varies on a case-by-case basis, with some VFL sides enjoying reasonable autonomy, and others being heavily influenced by their AFL-affiliates. Stand-alone AFL reserves teams: in these cases, the