1897 VFL season

Inaugural season of the Victorian Football League (VFL) May 2011 October 2020 1897 Essendon fc 1897.jpg 258px 1897 VFL premiership team 8 May – 4 September 1897 8 1 1 1 Eddy James ()Jack Leith () 22 62 white 1898 VFL season 1898 The 1897 VFL season was the inaugural season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season ran from 8 May to 4 September, comprising a 14-round home-and-away season followed by a three-week finals series featuring the top four clubs. Eight Victorian Football Association (VFA) clubs – , , , , , , and StK – featured in the inaugural season after seceding from the VFA in 1896. Essendon won the inaugural premiership after winning all three of its finals matches, with Geelong finishing as runners-up with two wins. Geelong won the minor premiership by finishing atop the home-and-away ladder with an 11–3 win–loss record. Geelong's Eddy James and Melbourne's Jack Leith tied for the leading goalkicker medal as the league's leading goalkickers. Background In 1897, the VFL competition consisted of eight teams of 20 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves" (although any of the 20 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume their place on the field at any time during the match).http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9171820 THE FOOTBALL SEASON. The Argus Melbourne 8 May 1897 11 Each team played each other twice in a home-and-away season of 14 rounds. Once the 14-round home-and-away season had finished, the 1897 VFL Premiers were determined according to the conditions dictated by the specific format and conventions of the 1897 Finals System, which was used in this season only. Home-and-away season Round 1 Round 1 Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm) 6.13 (49) H 2.4 (16) Brunswick Street Oval Statistics Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm) 5.11 (41) H StK 2.4 (16) Victoria Park Statistics Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm) 3.6 (24) A 7.5 (47) Corio Oval Statistics Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm) 3.9 (27) A 6.8 (44) Lake Oval Statistics Round 2 Round 2 Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm) 6.4 (40) H 5.6 (36) Lake Oval Statistics Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm) 4.6 (30) A 8.2 (50) East Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm) StK 3.8 (26) A 10.6 (66) Junction Oval Statistics Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm) 9.10 (64) H 3.1 (19) Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Round 3 Round 3 Saturday, 22 May (3:00 pm) 6.5 (41) H 5.7 (37) Victoria Park Statistics Saturday, 22 May (3:00 pm) 5.9 (39) A 7.8 (50) Brunswick Street Oval Statistics Monday, 24 May (3:00 pm) 12.6 (78) H 6.5 (41) East Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Monday, 24 May (3:00 pm) 8.11 (59) H StK 0.2 (2) Lake Oval Statistics Round 4 Round 4 Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm) 5.14 (44) H 3.4 (22) Corio Oval Statistics Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm) 5.11 (41) H 5.3 (33) Lake Oval Statistics Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm) 2.8 (20) A 6.6 (42) Brunswick Street Oval Statistics Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm) 11.10 (76) H StK 7.4 (46) Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Round 5 Round 5 Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm) 15.17 (107) H 3.8 (26) Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm) 5.7 (37) H 2.9 (21) Victoria Park Statistics Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm) StK 3.8 (26) A 9.9 (63) Junction Oval Statistics Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm) 10.12 (72) H 3.6 (24) Corio Oval Statistics Round 6 Round 6 Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm) StK 3.6 (24) A 5.5 (35) Junction Oval Statistics Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm) 5.3 (33) H 3.8 (26) Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm) 2.4 (16) A 1.13 (19) Lake Oval Statistics Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm) 3.13 (31) H 2.3 (15) Corio Oval Statistics Round 7 Round 7 Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm) 5.5 (35) A 6.5 (41) Princes Park Statistics Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm) 8.15 (63) H 3.9 (27) East Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm) 5.13 (43) D 5.13 (43) Brunswick Street Oval Statistics Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm) StK 4.7 (31) A 16.18 (114) Junction Oval Statistics Round 8 Round 8 Saturday, 26 June (3:00 pm) 1.3 (9) A 5.17 (47) Princes Park Statistics Saturday, 26 June (3:00 pm) StK 4.5 (29) A 7.11 (53) Junction Oval Statistics Saturday, 26 June (3;00 pm) 5.2 (32) A 8.9 (57) East Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Saturday, 26 June (3:00 pm) 3.2 (20) A 11.7 (73) Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Round 9 Round 9 Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm) 4.4 (28) A 11.8 (74) Princes Park Statistics Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm) 5.7 (37) A 6.10 (46) Victoria Park Statistics Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm) 9.21 (75) H StK 2.6 (18) Brunswick Street Oval Statistics Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm) 1.9 (15) H 0.10 (10) Corio Oval Statistics Round 10 Round 10 Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm) 2.1 (13) A 5.12 (42) Princes Park Statistics Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm) 7.10 (52) H 1.4 (10) Corio Oval Statistics Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm) 8.5 (53) H 3.8 (26) Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm) StK 0.3 (3) A 8.16 (64) Junction Oval Statistics Round 11 Round 11 Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm) 2.4 (16) A 9.12 (66) Princes Park Statistics Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm) 0.8 (8) A 2.15 (27) Victoria Park Statistics Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm) 9.8 (62) H 4.6 (30) East Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm) StK 1.7 (13) A 10.11 (71) Junction Oval Statistics Round 12 Round 12 Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm) 2.6 (18) A 5.16 (46) Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm) 4.4 (28) A 3.17 (35) Brunswick Street Oval Statistics Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm) 13.16 (94) H StK 0.3 (3) East Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm) 5.2 (32) A 6.8 (44) Lake Oval Statistics Round 13 Round 13 Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm) 8.11 (59) H StK 3.7 (25) Princes Park Statistics Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm) 5.13 (43) H 3.10 (28) Victoria Park Statistics Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm) 8.1 (49) H 6.9 (45) East Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm) 2.9 (21) A 5.3 (33) Brunswick Street Oval Statistics Round 14 Round 14 Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm) 7.12 (54) H 3.4 (22) Victoria Park Statistics Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm) 8.8 (56) H 6.3 (39) Melbourne Cricket Ground Statistics Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm) 3.12 (30) H 4.5 (29) Lake Oval Statistics Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm) 14.12 (96) H StK 3.0 (18) Corio Oval Statistics Ladder (P) Premiers Qualified for finals |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 1 || align=left | || 14 || 11 || 3 || 0 || 704 || 383 || 183.8 || 44 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 2 || align=left | (P) || 14 || 11 || 3 || 0 || 706 || 445 || 158.7 || 44 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 3 || align=left | || 14 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 685 || 473 || 144.8 || 40 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 4 || align=left | || 14 || 9 || 5 || 0 || 509 || 445 || 114.4 || 36 |- | 5 || align=left | || 14 || 8 || 5 || 1 || 595 || 430 || 138.4 || 34 |- | 6 || align=left | || 14 || 4 || 9 || 1 || 509 || 485 || 104.9 || 18 |- | 7 || align=left | || 14 || 2 || 12 || 0 || 376 || 737 || 51.0 || 8 |- | 8 || align=left | StK || 14 || 0 || 14 || 0 || 280 || 966 || 29.0 || 0 |} Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points forAverage score: 39.0Source: AFL Tables Progression by round yes yes Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 06 06 08 08 07 07 06 46 06 86 04 124 04 164 04 204 02 242 02 282 02 322 02 362 02 402 01 441 03 43 04 44 05 85 02 122 02 162 02 202 01 241 01 241 01 281 01 321 01 361 01 401 01 441 02 442 04 44 02 82 01 121 01 161 01 201 01 241 02 242 03 243 03 243 03 283 03 323 03 363 03 363 03 403 02 42 03 83 02 122 04 124 03 163 03 163 03 203 02 242 04 244 05 245 05 245 05 285 04 324 04 364 05 05 05 45 04 84 03 123 04 124 05 125 05 145 05 185 05 225 04 264 04 304 04 304 05 305 05 345 01 41 01 81 03 83 05 85 05 85 06 86 06 106 06 146 06 186 06 186 06 186 06 186 06 186 06 186 08 08 06 06 06 06 07 07 07 07 07 47 07 47 07 47 07 47 07 47 07 47 07 47 07 87 07 87 StK 07 07 07 07 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 08 Source: AFL Tables Finals series 1897 VFL finals series Finals week 1 Finals week 1 Saturday, 21 August (2:30 pm) 3.11 (29) A 5.5 (35) Corio Oval 5,000 Report Stats Saturday, 21 August (2:30 pm) 7.5 (47) A 7.9 (51) Melbourne Cricket Ground 7,000 Report Stats Finals week 2 Finals week 2 Saturday, 28 August (2:30 pm) 9.16 (70) H 4.6 (30) Melbourne Cricket Ground 8,000 Report Stats Saturday, 28 August (2:30 pm) 5.16 (46) H 5.7 (37) Brunswick Street Oval 4,000 Report Stats Finals week 3 Finals week 3 Saturday, 4 September (2:30 pm) 1.8 (14) H 0.8 (8) Lake Oval 3,800 Report Stats Saturday, 4 September (2:30 pm) 8.4 (52) H 6.12 (48) East Melbourne Cricket Ground 3,000 Report Stats Finals ladder Won the premiership |- style=background:#CCFFCC | 1 || align=left | || 3 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 119 || 67 || 177.6 || 12 |- | 2 || align=left | || 3 || 2 || 1 || 0 || 127 || 120 || 105.8 || 8 |- | 3 || align=left | || 3 || 1 || 2 || 0 || 129 || 169 || 76.3 || 4 |- | 4 || align=left | || 3 || 0 || 3 || 0 || 92 || 111 || 82.9 || 0 |} Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points forSource: AFL Tables Win–loss table The following table can be sorted from biggest winning margin to biggest losing margin for each round. If two or more matches in a round are decided by the same margin, these margins are sorted by percentage (i.e. the lowest-scoring winning team is ranked highest and the lowest-scoring losing team is ranked lowest). Opponents are listed above the margins and home matches are in bold. + Win Qualified for finals − Loss Eliminated Draw Team Home-and-away season Ladder Ladder position and win–loss–draw record Finals series Finalsladder Finals ladder position and win–loss–draw record 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 F1 F2 F3 Car 08 FIT−33 05 SM−4 07 ESS−37 06 GEE−22 08 MEL−81 02 STK+11 06 COL−6 07 FIT−38 07 SM−46 06 ESS−29 07 GEE−50 07 MEL−28 01 STK+34 07 COL−32 7(2–12–0) Col 02 STK+25 03 ESS+20 04 GEE+4 05 SM−8 04 FIT+16 06 MEL−7 03 CAR+6 04 STK+24 06 ESS−9 07 GEE−42 05 SM−19 04 FIT+7 02 MEL+15 02 CAR+32 4(9–5–0) 03 MEL+4 01 ESS−40 02 GEE−4 02 3(1–2–0) Ess 03 GEE+23 06 COL−20 02 CAR+37 02 FIT+22 03 STK+37 04 SM+3 02 MEL+36 06 GEE−25 03 COL+9 03 CAR+29 03 FIT+32 01 STK+91 04 SM+4 06 MEL−17 2(11–3–0) 04 GEE+6 04 COL+40 04 MEL+6 04 1(3–0–0) Fit 01 CAR+33 02 STK+40 06 MEL−11 07 ESS−22 05 COL−16 08 GEE−16 05 SM0 02 CAR+38 01 STK+57 05 MEL−27 06 ESS−32 05 COL−7 06 GEE−12 05 SM−1 6(4–9–1) Gee 06 ESS−23 08 MEL−45 05 COL−4 03 CAR+22 02 SM+48 01 FIT+16 01 STK+83 03 ESS+25 04 MEL+5 02 COL+42 02 CAR+50 03 SM+12 03 FIT+12 01 STK+78 1(11–3–0) 01 ESS−6 03 MEL+9 03 COL+4 03 2(2–1–0) Mel 04 SM+17 01 GEE+45 03 FIT+11 01 STK+30 01 CAR+81 03 COL+7 07 ESS−36 08 SM−53 05 GEE−5 04 FIT+27 01 STK+58 02 CAR+28 07 COL−15 03 ESS+17 3(10–4–0) 02 COL−4 02 GEE−9 01 ESS−6 01 4(0–3–0) SM 05 MEL−17 04 CAR+4 01 STK+57 04 COL+8 07 GEE−48 05 ESS−3 04 FIT0 01 MEL+53 02 CAR+46 01 STK+61 04 COL+19 06 GEE−12 05 ESS−4 04 FIT+1 5(8–5–1) StK 07 COL−25 07 FIT−40 08 SM−57 08 MEL−30 06 ESS−37 07 CAR−11 08 GEE−83 05 COL−24 08 FIT−57 08 SM−61 08 MEL−58 08 ESS−91 08 CAR−34 08 GEE−78 8(0–14–0) Source: AFL Tables Season notes The game between Essendon and Melbourne in the third round of the finals holds the record for the lowest combined score in a match in VFL/AFL history: 1.16 (22). George Stuckey, the captain of the Essendon Football Club team that won the VFL's inaugural premiership, also won the 130-yard Stawell Gift in 1897 in 12.2 seconds off a handicap of 12 yards. In the first round of 1897, the VFL revoked the VFA's (then prevailing) push-in-the-back rule. The rule was reinstated before the second round's matches on the following Saturday due to complaints from fans, players and officials. On 12 June, a League representative team played against a Ballarat Football League representative team at the Brunswick Street Oval. Ballarat 13.11 (89) defeated the League 8.6 (54).'Markwell', "Football Notes: Ballarat Defeat the League, The Australasian, (Saturday, 19 June 1897), p.1229. On 3 July 1897, Fitzroy rover Bill McSpeerin weaved his way and bounced the ball the length of the Brunswick Street Oval to score a goal against St Kilda.'Markwell', "Football Notes: Hollow Defeat", The Australasian, (Saturday, 10 July 1897), p. 77. Fred Waugh was unable to play in South Melbourne's team for the Round 11 game with St Kilda after attempting suicide. He had been spurned by his lover, and had become disconsolate. His mother found him in his room covered in blood, having cut his throat with a blunt knife. Luckily, he missed severing his windpipe and blood vessels, and a doctor was able to repair the wounds.A Footballer's Romance: Rejected by his Sweetheart: He Attempts Suicide, The Argus, (Monday, 12 July 1897), p. 5. Carlton's first six matches were all away games due to renovations at Princes Park, with the first game at Princes Park being a 5.6 (36) loss to Collingwood 6.4 (40) on 22 June, the Diamond Jubilee Holiday.Ross John 100 Years of Australian Football 1996 Penguin Books Ringwood, Victoria 978-0670868148 39 The first-round finals match between Geelong and Essendon at the Corio Oval was the only finals match to be played in Geelong until 2013. Leading goalkickers yes yes wikitable plainrowheaders font-size:90%; text-align:center ! rowspan=2 style=width:2em | # ! rowspan=2 | Player ! rowspan=2 | Club ! colspan=14 | Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal) ! colspan=3 | Finals series ! rowspan=2 | Total ! rowspan=2 | Games ! rowspan=2 | Average |- ! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! F1 !! F2 !! F3 |- ! scope=row style=text-align:center | 1 | align=left | Eddy James || align=left | || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 22 || 13 || 03 || 36 || 39 || 110 || 313 || 013 || 114 || –14 || –14 || 115 || 419 || bgcolor=CCFFCC | 322 || 123 || 225 || 227 || 27 || 15 || 1.80 |- ! scope=row style=text-align:center | 2 | align=left | Jack Leith || align=left | || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 22 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 46 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 17 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 07 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 411 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 314 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 216 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 016 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 016 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 117 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 219 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 221 || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 122 || bgcolor=CCFFCC | 022 || 426 || 026 || 026 || 26 || 17 || 1.53 |- ! scope=row style=text-align:center | 3 | align=left | Norman Waugh || align=left | || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 22 || 02 || 13 || 25 || –5 || –5 || 16 || 28 || 19 || 110 || 212 || 214 || 418 || 119 || 019 || 423 || 023 || 23 || 15 || 1.53 |- ! scope=row style=text-align:center | 4 | align=left | Charlie Coles || align=left | || –0 || –0 || 11 || 12 || 35 || 16 || 28 || 311 || 011 || 213 || 114 || 115 || 116 || 117 || 017 || –17 || –17 || 17 || 13 || 1.31 |- ! scope=row style=text-align:center rowspan=2 | 5 | align=left | Wally O'Cock || align=left | || 11 || 12 || 13 || 14 || 26 || 06 || 39 || –9 || –9 || –9 || –9 || 211 || 213 || 215 || colspan=3 | || 15 || 10 || 1.50 |- | align=left | Archie Smith || align=left | || 00 || 22 || 24 || 15 || 27 || 18 || 08 || 210 || 111 || 112 || 012 || 012 || 214 || 014 || 014 || 014 || 115 || 15 || 17 || 0.88 |- ! scope=row style=text-align:center rowspan=5 | 7 | align=left | Hugh Gavin || align=left | || –0 || 00 || 00 || 11 || 23 || 03 || 25 || 05 || 27 || 07 || 310 || –10 || 010 || 212 || 012 || 214 || 014 || 14 || 15 || 0.93 |- | align=left | Dinny McKay || align=left | || 11 || 34 || 26 || 06 || 06 || 06 || 28 || 19 || 312 || 012 || 012 || 113 || 114 || 014 || colspan=3 | || 14 || 14 || 1.00 |- | align=left | Jack Quinn || align=left | || 00 || 00 || 11 || 01 || 12 || 13 || 36 || –6 || 06 || 28 || 19 || 110 || 010 || 111 || 112 || 012 || 214 || 14 || 16 || 0.88 |- | align=left | Fred White || align=left | || –0 || –0 || –0 || –0 || –0 || 00 || 00 || 22 || –2 || 02 || 35 || 27 || 07 || 310 || 111 || 112 || 214 || 14 || 11 || 1.27 |- | align=left | Charlie Young || align=left | || bgcolor=C9F0FF | 22 || 02 || 35 || 16 || –6 || 17 || 07 || 07 || 07 || 29 || 211 || 011 || 011 || 112 || 113 || 114 || 014 || 14 || 16 || 0.88 |} Source: AFL Tables References Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. 0-9591740-2-8 Rogers, S. & Brown, A., Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition), Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998. 0-670-90809-6 Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. 0-670-86814-0 Sources 1897 VFL season at AFL Tables 1897 VFL season at Australian Football 1897 Category:1897 in Australian men's sport Category:1897 in Australian rules football