1903 VFA season

none December 2017 December 2017 VFA Premiership season 1903 North melbourne fc 1903.jpg 250px North Melbourne, premiers 10 1 1 1902 1904 The 1903 Victorian Football Association season was the 27th season of the Australian rules football competition. For the first time in its history, the VFA introduced an annual finals series to determine the premiership. The premiership was won by the North Melbourne Football Club, after defeating in the challenge final; it was the first premiership in the club's history, after having competed in the Association since its inaugural season in 1877. Association membership The size of the association was increased from nine to ten teams in 1903, with the Preston Football Club – which had won the previous three Victorian Junior Football Association premierships – elevated to senior level and admitted to the competition.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9825227 Football The Argus Melbourne 28 March 1903 18 February 2015 18 National Library of Australia Premiership The Association introduced a finals system to determine the major premiership for the season. Finals had been used by the rival Victorian Football League since its establishment in 1897, but this was the first time it had been used by the Association. The finals were played according to the amended Argus system – the system which had been in use in the League since 1902, except with a slight variation that the League would not adopt until 1907; in summary: The top four clubs after the eighteen home-and-home matches qualified for the finals In the first week of finals, 1st played 3rd and 2nd played 4th In the second week, the winners from the first week played against each other In the third week, the minor premier (i.e. the club atop the ladder after the home-and-home matches) played against the winner from the second week to decide the major premiership – unless the winner from the second week was the minor premier, in which case the premiership was awarded automatically. Ladder main WDL Q 1903 VFA ladder true points 4 2 no Premiers RIC NOR FOO WME West Melbourne WIL Williamstown BRU Brunswick NBU Preston PMB Port Melbourne PRA Prahran ESS Essendon Town 16 2 0 941 351 15 2 1 1017 444 P 14 4 0 954 457 11 7 0 924 488 10 7 1 814 620 8 10 0 727 692 6 12 0 686 825 6 12 0 555 824 3 15 0 596 979 0 18 0 334 1233 #CCFFCC A A A A 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for. complete The Argus 31 August 1903 The Association Clubs 9 Melbourne Observer Finals Semi Finals Saturday, 5 September 8.8 (56) H West Melbourne 4.4 (28) Port Melbourne Cricket Ground The Argus Melbourne Football 7 September 1903 7 Observer Saturday, 5 September 4.5 (29) A 9.11 (65) North Melbourne Recreation Reserve Preliminary Final Saturday, 12 September 7.11 (53) H 4.9 (33) East Melbourne Cricket Ground The Argus Melbourne Association Semi-Final 14 September 1903 7 Observer 1903 VFA Grand Final Saturday, 19 September 0.0 (0) 1.4 (10) 1.4 (10) 3.9 (27) Johnston, Maine, Watson A 3.4 (22) 3.4 (22) 7.6 (48) 7.6 (48) Considine 3, Londrigan, McCann, Noonan, O'Brien East Melbourne Cricket Ground 18,000 – 20,000 The Argus Melbourne Football – The Association Premiership 21 September 1903 7 ObserverNorth Melbourne Gazette North Melbourne Victorian Football Association – Final Match 25 September 1903 3 O'Loghlen Owing to a very strong wind blowing during the game, neither team scored to the railway end of the ground. Notable events Mr James Hall, who had served as Association president since 1901,Williamstown Chronicle Williamstown, VIC Short and sharp 20 April 1901 2 retired from his position prior to the start of the season. president, Mr Jason Cuming, was initially elected president in the annual general meeting in April 1903,The Argus Melbourne Victorian Football Association – Opinions on the Game 18 April 1903 15 but he declined the position; in a second election on 1 May, Essendon Town president Cr John George Aikman was elected president.The Argus Melbourne Victorian Football Association 2 May 1903 18 Aikman served as president until his death in 1928.The Argus Melbourne Association – All leaders win well 30 July 1928 6 Onlooker See also Victorian Football Association/Victorian Football League history (1877–2008) List of VFA premiers References Category:Victorian Football League seasons VFA