1897 VFL season
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1897 VFL season
| 1897 VFL Premiership season | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 8 |
| Premiers | Essendon (1st premiership) |
| Minor Premiers | Geelong (1st minor premiership) |
| Matches played | 62 |
| Highest attendance | 8,000 |
| Leading Goalkicker Medallist | Eddy James (Geelong) Jack Leith (Melbourne) |
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1898 →
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Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1897, the inaugural season of the VFL.
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Contents
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Premiership season
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).[1]
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.
Round 1
| Round 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 8 May | Collingwood 5.11 (41) | def. | St Kilda 2.4 (16) | Victoria Park | |
| Saturday, 8 May | South Melbourne 3.9 (27) | def. by | Melbourne 6.8 (44) | Lake Oval | |
| Saturday, 8 May | Geelong 3.6 (24) | def. by | Essendon 7.5 (47) | Corio Oval | |
| Saturday, 8 May | Fitzroy 6.13 (49) | def. | Carlton 2.4 (16) | Brunswick Street Oval (crowd: 3,000) | |
Round 2
| Round 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 15 May | Melbourne 9.10 (64) | def. | Geelong 3.1 (19) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
| Saturday, 15 May | St Kilda 3.8 (26) | def. by | Fitzroy 10.6 (66) | Junction Oval | |
| Saturday, 15 May | Essendon 4.6 (30) | def. by | Collingwood 8.2 (50) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
| Saturday, 15 May | South Melbourne 6.4 (40) | def. | Carlton 5.6 (36) | Lake Oval | |
Round 3
| Round 3 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 22 May | Collingwood 6.5 (41) | def. | Geelong 5.7 (37) | Victoria Park | |
| Saturday, 22 May | Fitzroy 5.9 (39) | def. by | Melbourne 7.8 (50) | Brunswick Street Oval | |
| Monday, 24 May | Essendon 12.6 (78) | def. | Carlton 6.5 (41) | East Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
| Monday, 24 May | South Melbourne 8.11 (59) | def. | St Kilda 0.2 (2) | Lake Oval | |
Round 4
| Round 4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 29 May | Melbourne 11.10 (76) | def. | St Kilda 7.4 (46) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
| Saturday, 29 May | Fitzroy 2.8 (20) | def. by | Essendon 6.6 (42) | Brunswick Street Oval | |
| Saturday, 29 May | South Melbourne 5.11 (41) | def. | Collingwood 5.3 (33) | Lake Oval | |
| Saturday, 29 May | Geelong 5.14 (44) | def. | Carlton 3.4 (22) | Corio Oval | |
Round 5
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Date |
| Geelong | 10.12 (72) | South Melbourne | 3.6 (24) | Corio Oval | 5 June 1897 |
| Collingwood | 5.7 (37) | Fitzroy | 2.9 (21) | Victoria Park | 5 June 1897 |
| St Kilda | 3.8 (26) | Essendon | 9.9 (63) | Junction Oval | 5 June 1897 |
| Melbourne | 15.17 (107) | Carlton | 3.8 (26) | MCG | 5 June 1897 |
Round 6
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Date |
| Geelong | 3.13 (31) | Fitzroy | 2.2 (14) | Corio Oval | 19 June 1897 |
| South Melbourne | 2.3 (15) | Essendon | 1.13 (19) | Lake Oval | 19 June 1897 |
| Melbourne | 5.3 (33) | Collingwood | 3.8 (26) | MCG | 19 June 1897 |
| St Kilda | 3.6 (24) | Carlton | 5.5 (35) | Junction Oval | 19 June 1897 |
Round 7
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Date |
| Fitzroy | 5.13 (43) | South Melbourne | 5.13 (43) | Brunswick Street Oval | 22 June 1897 |
| Essendon | 8.15 (63) | Melbourne | 3.9 (27) | EMCG | 22 June 1897 |
| Carlton | 5.6 (36) | Collingwood | 6.4 (40) | Princes Park | 22 June 1897 |
| St Kilda | 4.7 (31) | Geelong | 16.18 (114) | Junction Oval | 22 June 1897 |
Note: Geelong's 16.18.114 was the highest score in 1897.
Round 8
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Date |
| Melbourne | 3.2 (20) | South Melbourne | 11.7 (73) | MCG | 26 June 1897 |
| Essendon | 5.2 (32) | Geelong | 8.9 (57) | EMCG | 26 June 1897 |
| Carlton | 1.3 (9) | Fitzroy | 5.17 (47) | Princes Park | 26 June 1897 |
| St Kilda | 4.5 (29) | Collingwood | 7.11 (53) | Junction Oval | 26 June 1897 |
Round 9
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Date |
| Geelong | 1.9 (15) | Melbourne | 0.10 (10) | Corio Oval | 3 July 1897 |
| Fitzroy | 9.21 (75) | St Kilda | 2.6 (18) | Brunswick Street Oval | 3 July 1897 |
| Collingwood | 5.7 (37) | Essendon | 6.10 (46) | Victoria Park | 3 July 1897 |
| Carlton | 4.4 (28) | South Melbourne | 11.8 (74) | Princes Park | 3 July 1897 |
Round 10
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Date |
| St Kilda | 0.3 (3) | South Melbourne | 8.16 (64) | Junction Oval | 10 July 1897 |
| Carlton | 2.1 (13) | Essendon | 5.12 (42) | Princes Park | 10 July 1897 |
| Melbourne | 8.5 (53) | Fitzroy | 3.8 (26) | MCG | 10 July 1897 |
| Geelong | 7.10 (52) | Collingwood | 1.4 (10) | Corio Oval | 10 July 1897 |
Round 11
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Date |
| Essendon | 9.8 (62) | Fitzroy | 4.6 (30) | EMCG | 17 July 1897 |
| Collingwood | 0.8 (8) | South Melbourne | 2.15 (27) | Victoria Park | 17 July 1897 |
| Carlton | 2.4 (16) | Geelong | 9.12 (66) | Princes Park | 17 July 1897 |
| St Kilda | 1.7 (13) | Melbourne | 10.11 (71) | Junction Oval | 17 July 1897 |
Round 12
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Date |
| Essendon | 13.16 (94) | St Kilda | 0.3 (3) | EMCG | 24 July 1897 |
| South Melbourne | 5.2 (32) | Geelong | 6.8 (44) | Lake Oval | 24 July 1897 |
| Fitzroy | 4.4 (28) | Collingwood | 3.17 (35) | Brunswick Street Oval | 24 July 1897 |
| Melbourne | 5.16 (46) | Carlton | 2.6 (18) | MCG | 24 July 1897 |
Round 13
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Date |
| Fitzroy | 2.9 (21) | Geelong | 5.3 (33) | Brunswick Street Oval | 31 July 1897 |
| Essendon | 8.1 (49) | South Melbourne | 6.9 (45) | EMCG | 31 July 1897 |
| Collingwood | 5.13 (43) | Melbourne | 3.10 (28) | Victoria Park | 31 July 1897 |
| Carlton | 8.11 (59) | St Kilda | 3.8 (26) | Princes Park | 31 July 1897 |
Round 14
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Date |
| Geelong | 14.12 (96) | St Kilda | 3.0 (18) | Corio Oval | 7 August 1897 |
| South Melbourne | 3.12 (30) | Fitzroy | 4.5 (29) | Lake Oval | 7 August 1897 |
| Melbourne | 8.8 (56) | Essendon | 6.3 (39) | MCG | 7 August 1897 |
| Collingwood | 7.12 (54) | Carlton | 3.4 (22) | Victoria Park | 7 August 1897 |
Ladder
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| TEAM | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | PTS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geelong | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 704 | 382 | 184.29 | 44 | |||
| 2 | Essendon (P) | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 706 | 444 | 159.01 | 44 | |||
| 3 | Melbourne | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 685 | 473 | 144.82 | 40 | |||
| 4 | Collingwood | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 508 | 446 | 113.90 | 36 | |||
| 5 | South Melbourne | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 594 | 430 | 138.14 | 34 | |||
| 6 | Fitzroy | 14 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 508 | 485 | 104.74 | 18 | |||
| 7 | Carlton | 14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 377 | 737 | 51.15 | 8 | |||
| 8 | St Kilda | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 281 | 996 | 28.21 | 0 | |||
| Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against | ||||||||||||
Finals
Week 1
| Week 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 21 August | Geelong 3.11 (29) | def. by | Essendon 5.5 (35) | Corio Oval (crowd: 5,000) | |
| Saturday, 21 August | Melbourne 7.5 (47) | def. by | Collingwood 7.9 (51) | MCG (crowd: 7,000) | |
Week 2
| Week 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 August | Essendon 9.16 (70) | def. | Collingwood 4.6 (30) | MCG (crowd: 8,000) | |
| Saturday, 28 August | Geelong 5.16 (46) | def. | Melbourne 5.7 (37) | Brunswick Street Oval (crowd: 4,000) | |
Week 3
| Week 3 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 4 September | Essendon 1.8 (14) | def. | Melbourne 0.8 (8) | Lake Oval (crowd: 3,800) | |
| Saturday, 4 September | Geelong 8.4 (52) | def. | Collingwood 6.12 (48) | EMCG (crowd: 3,000) | |
Finals Ladder
Main article: 1897 VFL finals series
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| TEAM | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | PTS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essendon | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 67 | 177.61 | 12 | |||
| 2 | Geelong | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 127 | 120 | 105.83 | 8 | |||
| 3 | Collingwood | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 129 | 169 | 76.33 | 4 | |||
| 4 | Melbourne | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 92 | 111 | 82.88 | 0 | |||
| Key: P = Played, W = Won, L = Lost, D = Drawn, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against | ||||||||||||
Grand final
Main article: 1897 VFL finals series
See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.
No grand final held. Essendon won the premiership for finishing on top of the round robin finals ladder.
Awards
- The 1897 VFL Premiership team was Essendon.
- The VFL's leading goalkickers were Eddy James of Geelong and Jack Leith of Melbourne with 22 goals.
- The Argus newspaper's "Player of the Year" was Melbourne's Fred McGinis.
- The 1897 Wooden Spoon went to St Kilda.
Notable events
- 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.
- 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.
- Carlton's first six matches were all away games due to renovations at Princes Park.
See also
References
- ^ "THE FOOTBALL SEASON.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848–1954) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia): p. 11. 8 May 1897. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9171820. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
- Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-9591740-2-8
- Rogers, S. & Brown, A., Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition), Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998. ISBN 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. ISBN 0-670-86814-0
External links
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