1943 VFL season

47th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL) December 2017 May 2021 vfl_premiership 1943 Richmond fc 1943.jpg 250px Richmond Football Club, premier team 11 5 4 84 42,100 Fred Fanning () Not awarded 1942 1944 The 1943 VFL season was the 47th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. As in 1942, only eleven of the league's twelve clubs competed, with remaining in recess due to travel restrictions during World War II. The season ran from 8 May until 25 September, and comprised a 15-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs. The premiership was won by the Richmond Football Club for the fifth time, after it defeated by five points in the 1943 VFL Grand Final. Background In 1942, the VFL competition consisted of eleven teams of 18 on-the-field players each (Geelong did not field a team due to wartime rail and road transport restrictions), plus one substitute player, known as the 19th man. A player could be substituted for any reason; however, once substituted, a player could not return to the field of play under any circumstances. Teams played each other in a home-and-away season of 16 rounds. During the first eleven rounds, each team played each other once, and had one bye which was worth four premiership points; after round 11, the team in last position on the ladder was eliminated from the competition, and the remaining ten teams played five matches each in rounds 12 to 16, with fixtures determined by the league using a pre-arranged and unequal formula under which the higher placed teams would face a more difficult draw.Millard P. J. Essendon is only safe "four" team https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/246273367 The Herald Melbourne 6 19 July 1943 24 November 2024 At the end of the home-and-away season, the top four teams based on the full sixteen rounds progressed to a finals series using the Page–McIntyre system to determine the season's premiers. During the 1943 season, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Lake Oval and Junction Oval were all appropriated for military use. Mel shared the Punt Road Oval with Ric as their home ground, SM shared Princes Park with Car as their home ground and St Kilda played their home games at Toorak Park (this was possible because there was no VFA competition in 1943); Foo, however, was able to return to Western Oval, as it was vacated by the defence authorities after a year. Home-and-away season Round 1 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 18.9 (117) | | 13.14 (92) | Windy Hill | 16,000 | 8 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 6.22 (58) | | 7.12 (54) | Victoria Park | 8,000 | 8 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.13 (115) | | 8.23 (71) | Princes Park | 17,000 | 8 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | StK | 14.9 (93) | | 13.17 (95) | Toorak Park | 6,000 | 8 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.12 (96) | | 15.9 (99) | Punt Road Oval | 9,000 | 8 May 1943 Round 2 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.14 (62) | StK | 8.14 (62) | Arden Street Oval | 5,000 | 15 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.14 (86) | | 15.19 (109) | Princes Park | 6,000 | 15 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 7.8 (50) | | 11.15 (81) | Glenferrie Oval | 7,000 | 15 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.7 (85) | | 9.12 (66) | Punt Road Oval | 16,000 | 15 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 6.10 (46) | | 8.18 (66) | Western Oval | 11,000 | 15 May 1943 Round 3 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.17 (113) | | 16.16 (112) | Brunswick Street Oval | 15,500 | 22 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.12 (78) | | 9.11 (65) | Windy Hill | 9,000 | 22 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.14 (80) | | 12.16 (88) | Victoria Park | 10,000 | 22 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | StK | 8.15 (63) | | 17.12 (114) | Toorak Park | 11,000 | 22 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.12 (72) | | 17.15 (117) | Punt Road Oval | 5,000 | 22 May 1943 Round 4 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.11 (89) | StK | 6.12 (48) | Western Oval | 7,000 | 29 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.5 (77) | | 15.14 (104) | Princes Park | 15,000 | 29 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.14 (104) | | 10.11 (71) | Arden Street Oval | 5,000 | 29 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.8 (86) | | 9.21 (75) | Glenferrie Oval | 9,000 | 29 May 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.18 (84) | | 14.13 (97) | Punt Road Oval | 23,000 | 29 May 1943 Round 5 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.11 (113) | | 21.15 (141) | Punt Road Oval | 13,000 | 5 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 23.12 (150) | | 10.13 (73) | Brunswick Street Oval | 12,000 | 5 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.10 (106) | | 16.18 (114) | Windy Hill | 18,000 | 5 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.15 (75) | | 12.13 (85) | Princes Park | 14,000 | 5 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | StK | 13.14 (92) | | 12.8 (80) | Toorak Park | 9,000 | 5 June 1943 Round 6 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.7 (91) | | 12.18 (90) | Arden Street Oval | 7,000 | 12 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 21.17 (143) | | 8.15 (63) | Western Oval | 8,000 | 12 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.21 (87) | StK | 5.12 (42) | Victoria Park | 7,000 | 12 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.22 (76) | | 11.16 (82) | Princes Park | 17,000 | 12 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.17 (89) | | 14.11 (95) | Punt Road Oval | 19,000 | 12 June 1943 Round 7 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 20.16 (136) | | 13.17 (95) | Glenferrie Oval | 8,000 | 19 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.11 (107) | | 11.7 (73) | Brunswick Street Oval | 18,000 | 19 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.12 (84) | | 17.12 (114) | Princes Park | 11,000 | 19 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.13 (103) | | 8.14 (62) | Windy Hill | 11,000 | 19 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.14 (92) | | 11.21 (87) | Punt Road Oval | 8,000 | 19 June 1943 Round 8 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.11 (71) | | 6.14 (50) | Western Oval | 7,500 | 26 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.21 (81) | | 13.9 (87) | Victoria Park | 5,000 | 26 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.16 (106) | | 9.13 (67) | Princes Park | 12,000 | 26 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.16 (106) | | 8.14 (62) | Punt Road Oval | 16,000 | 26 June 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | StK | 15.8 (98) | | 20.19 (139) | Toorak Park | 6,000 | 26 June 1943 Round 9 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.2 (56) | | 13.7 (85) | Arden Street Oval | 10,000 | 3 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.14 (110) | StK | 12.10 (82) | Punt Road Oval | 8,000 | 3 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.11 (89) | | 11.13 (79) | Glenferrie Oval | 16,000 | 3 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.18 (108) | | 9.11 (65) | Brunswick Street Oval | 14,000 | 3 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.13 (73) | | 15.13 (103) | Princes Park | 13,000 | 3 July 1943 Round 10 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.23 (77) | | 12.14 (86) | Western Oval | 8,000 | 10 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.16 (70) | | 13.7 (85) | Windy Hill | 8,000 | 10 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.6 (60) | | 16.14 (110) | Victoria Park | 8,000 | 10 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.9 (105) | | 11.14 (80) | Princes Park | 12,000 | 10 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | StK | 10.11 (71) | | 14.14 (98) | Toorak Park | 6,000 | 10 July 1943 Round 11 Round 11 Saturday, 17 July (2:30 pm) NM 12.10 (82) H Car 11.12 (78) Arden Street Oval 7,000 right Statistics Saturday, 17 July (2:30 pm) Haw 16.14 (110) H Col 12.13 (85) Glenferrie Oval 8,000 right Statistics Saturday, 17 July (2:30 pm) Fit 7.14 (56) A Ess 9.24 (78) Brunswick Street Oval 14,000 right Statistics Saturday, 17 July (2:30 pm) Ric 10.19 (79) H Foo 8.9 (57) Punt Road Oval 13,000 right Statistics Saturday, 17 July (2:30 pm) SM 16.19 (115) H StK 11.14 (80) Princes Park 6,000 right Statistics Mel Midseason ladder main WDL 1943 VFL midseason ladder Ladder true points y 4 2 Ess Ric Fit Haw Car Foo Mel Nor Col SM StK 8 2 0 951 782 4 7 3 0 968 808 4 7 3 0 968 849 4 7 3 0 910 866 4 5 5 0 893 789 4 5 5 0 837 774 4 5 5 0 898 1010 4 4 5 1 768 885 4 3 7 0 748 864 4 2 8 0 887 943 4 1 8 1 731 989 4 Hawthorn South Melbourne Richmond Collingwood Carlton Essendon North Melbourne Footscray St Kilda Melbourne Fitzroy Plays 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6thThe Football Record Fixtures Melbourne, VIC 11 17 July 1943 30 12 https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE8461050&file=FL17742397&mode=browse P1 Plays 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th P2 Plays 1st, 2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th P3 Plays 1st, 2nd, 5th, 8th, 10th P4 Plays 1st, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 9th P5 Plays 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th, 10th P6 Plays 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 10th P7 Plays 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th P8 Plays 3rd, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th P9 Plays 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th P10 #FCC Eliminated E 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. complete The Football Record How the clubs stand Melbourne, VIC 10 31 July 1943 30 14 https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE8461050&file=FL17742397&mode=browse Round 12 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.10 (70) | | 7.17 (59) | Brunswick Street Oval | 12,000 | 31 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.11 (95) | | 6.6 (42) | Princes Park | 8,000 | 31 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 23.16 (154) | | 11.8 (74) | Punt Road Oval | 8,000 | 31 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 7.13 (55) | | 9.12 (66) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,000 | 31 July 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.8 (74) | | 28.10 (178) | Victoria Park | 8,500 | 31 July 1943 Round 13 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.6 (60) | | 21.13 (139) | Punt Road Oval | 14,000 | 7 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 7.17 (59) | | 19.19 (133) | Western Oval | 9,000 | 7 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.24 (90) | | 8.8 (56) | Windy Hill | 14,000 | 7 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.24 (108) | | 7.8 (50) | Victoria Park | 5,250 | 7 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.19 (97) | | 10.15 (75) | Princes Park | 15,000 | 7 August 1943 Round 14 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.14 (104) | | 7.12 (54) | Brunswick Street Oval | 8,000 | 14 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.14 (68) | | 11.7 (73) | Punt Road Oval | 15,000 | 14 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 7.11 (53) | | 9.10 (64) | Arden Street Oval | 4,000 | 14 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.18 (90) | | 11.7 (73) | Princes Park | 6,000 | 14 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.13 (67) | | 10.10 (70) | Windy Hill | 19,000 | 14 August 1943 Round 15 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.10 (88) | | 7.14 (56) | Glenferrie Oval | 15,000 | 21 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.17 (113) | | 9.9 (63) | Victoria Park | 6,500 | 21 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.23 (113) | | 7.5 (47) | Princes Park | 8,000 | 21 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.19 (109) | | 12.13 (85) | Punt Road Oval | 9,000 | 21 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.10 (64) | | 6.15 (51) | Western Oval | 6,000 | 21 August 1943 Round 16 |- ! Home team ! Home team score ! Away team ! Away team score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.11 (71) | | 14.14 (98) | Windy Hill | 16,000 | 28 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.11 (59) | | 7.16 (58) | Arden Street Oval | 4,500 | 28 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.19 (79) | | 10.6 (66) | Princes Park | 4,000 | 28 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.17 (113) | | 14.17 (101) | Punt Road Oval | 5,000 | 28 August 1943 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.12 (84) | | 10.9 (69) | Brunswick Street Oval | 18,000 | 28 August 1943 Ladder (P) Premiers Qualified for finals |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 1 || align=left | (P) || 15 || 10 || 5 || 0 || 1435 || 1166 || 123.1 || 44 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 2 || align=left | || 15 || 10 || 5 || 0 || 1296 || 1125 || 115.2 || 44 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 3 || align=left | || 15 || 10 || 5 || 0 || 1345 || 1234 || 109.0 || 44 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 4 || align=left | || 15 || 9 || 6 || 0 || 1420 || 1136 || 125.0 || 40 |- | 5 || align=left | || 15 || 9 || 6 || 0 || 1259 || 1212 || 103.9 || 40 |- | 6 || align=left | || 15 || 7 || 8 || 0 || 1164 || 1244 || 93.6 || 32 |- | 7 || align=left | || 15 || 7 || 8 || 0 || 1364 || 1537 || 88.7 || 32 |- | 8 || align=left | || 15 || 6 || 9 || 0 || 1346 || 1272 || 105.8 || 28 |- | 9 || align=left | || 15 || 5 || 9 || 1 || 1019 || 1323 || 77.0 || 26 |- | 10 || align=left | || 15 || 5 || 10 || 0 || 1217 || 1358 || 89.6 || 24 |- | 11 || align=left | StK || 10 || 1 || 8 || 1 || 731 || 989 || 73.9 || 10 |} Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points forAverage score: 85.0Source: AFL Tables Finals series Semi-finals |- ! Home team ! Score ! Away team ! Score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.16 (94) | | 5.13 (43) | Princes Park | 39,874 | 4 September |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.17 (71) | | 13.16 (94) | Princes Park | 24,100 | 11 September Preliminary final |- ! Home team ! Score ! Away team ! Score ! Venue ! Crowd ! Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.14 (86) | | 8.13 (61) | Princes Park | 27,335 | 18 September Grand final 1943 VFL Grand Final Season notes Hawthorn's coach Roy Cazaly renamed the club "The Hawks" from "The Mayblooms". This season was the closest Hawthorn came to a finals appearance in its first 32 seasons (1925–56) in the VFL, finishing one spot outside the final four only by an inferior percentage to Carlton. In the spiteful Round 1 match between Essendon and South Melbourne, a vicious brawl broke out in the last quarter when South Melbourne's Jack "Basher" Williams felled Ted Leehane (apparently in a square-off retribution for Leehane's similar action against Williams in the 1942 preliminary final) which involved a dozen players, team officials, trainers, fans, and police. Three players were reported: Williams received an eight-week suspension for striking Leehane, Dick Reynolds, Gordon Lane, and Perc Bushby, 1940 Brownlow Medal winner Herbie Matthews was suspended for four weeks for striking Allan Hird, and Bushby was suspended for two weeks for striking Williams in retaliation. Entering Round 11, St Kilda and South Melbourne were tenth and eleventh on the ladder with two premiership points separating them; as such, the match between those two clubs in Round 11 directly decided which club was eliminated after the first set of home-and-away matches. South Melbourne won the game by 35 points.Stephen Rodgers Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results, 1897–1991 Viking O'Neil Ringwood, VIC 3rd 1992 304 The VFL suspended its Round 12 matches and conducted a one-day lightning carnival amongst the top four teams; the Victorian Football League Patriotic Match Cup was won by Essendon. Munitions worker Bob Chitty played for Carlton in Round 15 despite losing the top of his finger during the week in a workplace accident. Richmond's centre half-forward Jack Broadstock went Absent Without Leave (AWL) from his Army duties in order to play in the 1943 grand final. He was arrested by the Military Police upon his arrival at Princes Park, and it was only after some very persuasive talking by Richmond captain Jack Dyer, who was himself a policeman with the Victorian Police Force, that Broadstock's commanding officer dropped the matter and allowed him to play in the match. Broadstock went on to kick a goal and be one of Richmond's best players. For the first time, no score of four or fewer goals was kicked in a VFL season. Awards The 1943 VFL Premiership team was Richmond. The VFL's leading goalkicker was Fred Fanning of Melbourne with 62 goals. No Brownlow Medal was awarded in 1943. St Kilda took the "wooden spoon" in 1943. The seconds premiership was won by StK for the second consecutive season. St Kilda 11.14 (80) defeated 8.6 (54) in the Grand Final, played as a stand-alone match on 18 September at Victoria Park.The Argus 9 Two pennants to St Kilda Melbourne 20 September 1943The Argus 9 Seconds Grand Final Melbourne 17 September 1943 References Hogan, P., The Tigers of Old, The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 1996. 0-646-18748-1 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 1943 VFL season at AFL Tables 1943 VFL season at Australian Football 1943 Category:1943 in Australian men's sport Category:1943 in Australian rules football