V FL ), ▁ent iced ▁by ▁the ▁bigger ▁money ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁gain ing ▁a ▁reputation ▁as ▁the ▁" big " ▁league . ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁perhaps ▁best ▁ev iden ced ▁in ▁that ▁Victoria ▁( i . e . ▁the ▁V FL ▁representative ▁team ) ▁had ▁by ▁far ▁the ▁best ▁record ▁in ▁inter state ▁games ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁time . ▁But ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁when ▁the ▁first ▁proper ▁State ▁of ▁Origin ▁match ▁was ▁played , ▁it ▁saw ▁Western ▁Australia ▁inf lict ▁its ▁biggest ▁defeat ▁on ▁a ▁Victor ian ▁team . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁the ▁W AN FL ▁dropped ▁the ▁" N " ▁and ▁the ▁" ern " ▁and ▁revert ed ▁to ▁being ▁called ▁the ▁W AF L . ▁ ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁crow ds ▁were ▁as ▁big ▁as ▁they ▁ever ▁were . ▁So on ▁afterwards , ▁however , ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁W AF L ▁began ▁a ▁slow ▁decl ine , ▁as ▁it ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁obvious ▁that ▁even ▁larger ▁numbers ▁of ▁the ▁W AF L ' s ▁best ▁players ▁were ▁going ▁to ▁head ▁east . ▁ ▁Enter ing ▁the ▁National ▁Compet ition ▁By ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁the ▁W AF L ▁had ▁decided ▁that ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁the ▁game ▁in ▁W A ▁dep ended ▁on ▁it ▁entering ▁a ▁team ▁in ▁the ▁V FL . ▁The ▁West ▁Coast ▁E ag les ▁were ▁formed ▁and ▁entered ▁the ▁V FL ▁( the ▁V FL ▁was ▁renamed ▁the ▁A FL