1944 VFA season

none December 2017 December 2017 VFA Premiership season 1944 VFA Premiership not contested 1943 1945 The 1944 Victorian Football Association season was not played owing to World War II, which was at its peak at the time. It was the last of three seasons which were cancelled during World War II. Abandonment of the season World War II commenced in Europe in September 1939, and had spread to the Pacific in December 1941. The Association had continued with a full program of football in the 1940 and 1941 seasons – with the sole exception that Sandringham had competed as an amateur club in the latter seasonThe Argus Melbourne, VIC Association teams – Preston's haul 12 April 1941 16 – but had cancelled the 1942 and 1943 seasons when it became clear that the competition would distract from the war effort.The Argus Melbourne, VIC No Association football 23 February 1943 9 The Association decided not to recommence play in February 1944, though four clubs – Coburg, Oakleigh, Northcote and Prahran – were in favour of recommencing. The issue of military commandeering of football grounds was no longer a significant impediment, but wartime rationing did not cover uniforms and footballs.VFA not to resume https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11805241 The Argus 10 June 2025 9 15 February 1944 The Association seconds competition, which had been in recess during 1942 and 1943, resumed in 1944, with ten of the twelve clubs fielding a team – only Sandringham and Brighton did not compete.VFA SECONDS https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11819145 The Argus 10 June 2025 6 29 April 1944 Clubs were, however, limited in the number of former senior players they could field.Fiddian, Marc: Devis at Play: A History of the Oakleigh Football Club, p. 37 0959631631 The seconds premiership was won by Port Melbourne. Port Melbourne 20.16 (136) defeated Oakleigh 12.16 (88) in the Grand Final at Coburg on 23 September before a crowd of 7,000.The Argus Melbourne, VIC VFA seconds 25 September 1944 9 Notable events On 12 April, Association president J. J. Liston died at age 70 after a short illness.The Argus Melbourne, VIC Death of Mr J. J. Liston 13 April 1944 3 Liston had been president of the Association since 1929.The Argus Melbourne, VIC New Association President 12 February 1929 14 Long-time Preston presidentMarc Fiddian 2004 The VFA: a history of the Victorian Football Association, 1877–1995 99 Mr Henry Zwar, MLA replaced Liston as Association president.The Argus Melbourne, VIC New football leader 9 May 1944 9 References 2 Category:Victorian Football League seasons VFL Category:Events cancelled due to World War II