1919 VFL season#Round 17
{{Short description|23rd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox VFL season
| year = 1919
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| date = 3 May—11 October 1919
| teams = 9
| premiers = {{AFL Col}}
| premcount = 5
| minorpremiers = {{AFL Col}}
| mpcount = 6
| leadinggoalkicker = Dick Lee ({{AFL Col}})
| goals = 47
| matches = 76
| prevseason = {{coloured link|white|1918 VFL season|1918}}
| nextseason = {{coloured link|white|1920 VFL season|1920}}
}}
The 1919 VFL season was the 23rd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. For the first time since the peak of World War I, all nine clubs featured, with {{AFL Mel}} returning after being in recess the previous three seasons. The season ran from 3 May to 11 October, comprising a 16-match home-and-away season followed by a four-week finals series featuring the top four clubs.
{{AFL Col}} won the premiership, defeating {{AFL Ric}} by 25 points in the 1919 VFL grand final; it was Collingwood's fifth VFL premiership. Collingwood also won the minor premiership by finishing atop the home-and-away ladder with a 13–3 win–loss record. Collingwood's Dick Lee won his seventh leading goalkicker medal as the league's leading goalkicker, which remains a league record to this day.
Background
In 1919, the VFL competition consisted of nine teams of 18 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves", although any of the 18 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume their place on the field at any time during the match.
Each team played each other twice in a home-and-away season of 18 rounds (i.e., 16 matches and 2 byes).
Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1919 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the amended "Argus system".
Home-and-away season
=Round 1=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 14.14 (98)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 8.7 (55)
| 3 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL StK}}
| 12.14 (86)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 9.4 (58)
| 3 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 12.19 (91)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 10.11 (71)
| 3 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 6.13 (49)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 9.8 (62)
| 3 May 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 2=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 3.10 (28)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 10.19 (79)
| MCG
| 10 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 7.9 (51)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 10.6 (66)
| 10 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 5.15 (45)
| {{AFL StK}}
| 5.18 (48)
| 10 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 9.11 (65)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 7.11 (53)
| EMCG
| 10 May 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 3=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL StK}}
| 4.7 (31)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 9.13 (67)
| 17 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 7.7 (49)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 11.14 (80)
| MCG
| 17 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 18.10 (118)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 5.12 (42)
| 17 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 5.2 (32)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 5.19 (49)
| 17 May 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 4=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 4.9 (33)
| {{AFL StK}}
| 7.6 (48)
| EMCG
| 24 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 13.21 (99)
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 3.4 (22)
| 24 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 4.15 (39)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 4.12 (36)
| 24 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 8.6 (54)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 11.8 (74)
| 24 May 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 5=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 0.18 (18)
| {{AFL StK}}
| 6.10 (46)
| 31 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 10.14 (74)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 7.6 (48)
| 31 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 7.8 (50)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 9.16 (70)
| EMCG
| 31 May 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 18.15 (123)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 5.4 (34)
| 31 May 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 6=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 7.20 (62)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 11.16 (82)
| 7 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 16.20 (116)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 8.7 (55)
| 7 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 7.18 (60)
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 4.4 (28)
| 9 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL StK}}
| 7.11 (53)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 11.9 (75)
| 9 June 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 7=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 9.16 (70)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 8.11 (59)
| 14 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL StK}}
| 5.12 (42)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 7.9 (51)
| 14 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 6.6 (42)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 11.12 (78)
| MCG
| 14 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 6.8 (44)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 8.8 (56)
| 14 June 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 8=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 13.14 (92)
| {{AFL StK}}
| 7.5 (47)
| 21 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 7.10 (52)
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 10.12 (72)
| MCG
| 21 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 6.8 (44)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 10.10 (70)
| EMCG
| 21 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 6.13 (49)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 6.8 (44)
| 21 June 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 9=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 16.17 (113)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 6.8 (44)
| EMCG
| 28 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 9.14 (68)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 10.11 (71)
| 28 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 9.15 (69)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 14.11 (95)
| 28 June 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 5.22 (52)
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 5.4 (34)
| 28 June 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 10=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 5.7 (37)
| {{AFL StK}}
| 6.11 (47)
| MCG
| 12 July 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 6.10 (46)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 6.15 (51)
| EMCG
| 12 July 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 8.11 (59)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 3.18 (36)
| 12 July 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 5.11 (41)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 5.9 (39)
| 12 July 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 11=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 7.8 (50)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 9.11 (65)
| 19 July 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 13.16 (94)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 2.15 (27)
| 19 July 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 16.15 (111)
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 7.14 (56)
| 19 July 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL StK}}
| 5.9 (39)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 13.13 (91)
| 19 July 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 12=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 9.13 (67)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 8.8 (56)
| EMCG
| 26 July 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 12.11 (83)
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 4.7 (31)
| 26 July 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 29.15 (189)
| {{AFL StK}}
| 2.6 (18)
| 26 July 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 9.18 (72)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 7.6 (48)
| 26 July 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 13=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 7.5 (47)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 14.10 (94)
| 9 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 11.12 (78)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 9.11 (65)
| 9 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL StK}}
| 6.10 (46)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 4.10 (34)
| 9 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 8.11 (59)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 12.22 (94)
| 9 August 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 14=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL StK}}
| 12.18 (90)
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 10.17 (77)
| 16 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 6.21 (57)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 3.13 (31)
| 16 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 12.15 (87)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 8.7 (55)
| 16 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 5.6 (36)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 13.18 (96)
| MCG
| 16 August 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 15=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 10.14 (74)
| {{AFL StK}}
| 9.4 (58)
| 23 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 6.7 (43)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 4.14 (38)
| 23 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 11.9 (75)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 11.9 (75)
| 23 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 5.6 (36)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 20.25 (145)
| MCG
| 23 August 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 16=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 14.16 (100)
| {{AFL StK}}
| 5.11 (41)
| 30 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 21.16 (142)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 2.5 (17)
| 30 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 9.18 (72)
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 6.13 (49)
| EMCG
| 30 August 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 17.11 (113)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 5.16 (46)
| 30 August 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 17=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 14.12 (96)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 6.15 (51)
| 6 September 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 9.13 (67)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 5.14 (44)
| 6 September 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 8.11 (59)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 8.7 (55)
| 6 September 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL StK}}
| 3.14 (32)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 7.10 (52)
| 6 September 1919
{{s-end}}
=Round 18=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Gee}}
| 6.14 (50)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 3.8 (26)
| 13 September 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 4.9 (33)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 10.7 (67)
| MCG
| 13 September 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 6.10 (46)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 9.10 (64)
| 13 September 1919
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 5.12 (42)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 7.19 (61)
| 13 September 1919
{{s-end}}
Ladder
class=wikitable
| (P) | Premiers |
bgcolor=FFFFBB | | Qualified for finals |
{{Australian rules football ladder start}}
|- style=background:#FFFFBB
| 1 || align=left | {{AFL Col}} (P) || 16 || 13 || 3 || 0 || 1243 || 766 || 162.3 || 52
|- style=background:#FFFFBB
| 2 || align=left | {{AFL SM}} || 16 || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1111 || 700 || 158.7 || 48
|- style=background:#FFFFBB
| 3 || align=left | {{AFL Car}} || 16 || 10 || 6 || 0 || 1150 || 901 || 127.6 || 40
|- style=background:#FFFFBB
| 4 || align=left | {{AFL Ric}} || 16 || 10 || 6 || 0 || 1083 || 916 || 118.2 || 40
|-
| 5 || align=left | {{AFL Fit}} || 16 || 9 || 6 || 1 || 1074 || 857 || 125.3 || 38
|-
| 6 || align=left | {{AFL Ess}} || 16 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 924 || 977 || 94.6 || 28
|-
| 7 || align=left | {{AFL StK}} || 16 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 772 || 1093 || 70.6 || 28
|-
| 8 || align=left | {{AFL Gee}} || 16 || 3 || 12 || 1 || 794 || 1082 || 73.4 || 14
|-
| 9 || align=left | {{AFL Mel}} || 16 || 0 || 16 || 0 || 647 || 1506 || 43.0 || 0
|}
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 61.1
Source: [https://afltables.com/afl/seas/1919.html#lad AFL Tables]
Finals series
All of the 1919 finals were played at the MCG so the home team in the semi-finals and Preliminary Final is purely the higher ranked team from the ladder but in the Grand Final the home team was the team that won the Preliminary Final.
=Semi-finals=
=Preliminary final=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Score
| Away team
| Score
| Venue
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 10.14 (74)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 6.9 (45)
| MCG
| 4 October
{{s-end}}
=Grand final=
{{Main|1919 VFL Grand Final}}
class="wikitable"
!Team !1 Qtr !2 Qtr !3 Qtr !Final |
Collingwood
|align=center|1.5 |align=center|5.5 |align=center|8.8 |align=center|11.12 (78) |
Richmond
|align=center|1.2 |align=center|4.7 |align=center|5.10 |align=center|7.11 (53) |
Season notes
- Melbourne returned to the VFL competition, and also changed its constitution so that direct payments (i.e., other than reimbursement of expenses) could be made to players, thus making the team professional, eight years after the VFL had officially done so.
- Since the nine-team competition required one bye each week, the VFL sought expressions of interest from clubs wishing to join the VFL. Whilst there was talk of an Ex-Servicemen's Club and a Public Servants' Club, an application was actually lodged on behalf of a combined Ballarat Football League team, as well as on behalf of the VFA clubs Brunswick, Footscray, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Port Melbourne, and Prahran.{{cite book|last1=Ross|first1=John|title=100 Years of Australian Football|date=1996|publisher=Viking Books|location=Ringwood, Australia|isbn=9781854714343|pages=382}}
- The VFL introduced a Second Eighteen competition between its constituent clubs, known as the Victorian Junior Football League.
- At the start of the 1919 season, the VFL had already donated £9,436-0-0 to the Patriotic Fund since the start of the war.
- In its Round 12 match against St Kilda, South Melbourne set the record for highest score in a quarter, kicking 17.4 (106) in the last quarter of the match. This remains the record, and is a full two goals better than any other team has managed, as of 2023. South's record score was helped by St Kilda only having 15 fit players at the start of the quarter, followed up by several Saints players walking off in the course of the last quarter.
- Other records which have since been broken were set in that same match: South Melbourne full-forward Harold Robertson kicked 14 goals in the match (a record until 1929); South Melbourne kicked a match score of 29.15 (189) (a record until 1931), and a winning margin of 171 points (a record until 1979).
- In Round 16, Collingwood defeated Carlton 17.11 (113) to 5.16 (46). No team had scored 100 points against Carlton since round 1, 1904, a streak of 292 consecutive matches, which remains a VFL/AFL record as of 2023.{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/teams/allteams/streaks.html#19|title=Streaks|access-date=28 April 2024|publisher=AFL Tables}}
- St Kilda's win at Collingwood in Round 2 was its first ever win over Collingwood on the road after a winless streak of 24 matches at Victoria Park (20 in the VFL and four in the VFA).
Awards
- The 1919 VFL Premiership team was Collingwood.
- The VFL's leading goalkicker was Dick Lee of Collingwood with 56 goals.
- Melbourne took the "wooden spoon" in 1919.
- The Victorian Junior League premiership, which is today recognised as the inaugural VFL reserves premiership, was won by Collingwood's team, Collingwood District. Collingwood District 6.11 (47) defeated University A 4.8 (32) in a challenge Grand Final, played as a curtain-raiser to the senior Grand Final on 11 October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne|title=Junior League Final|page=8|date=13 October 1919}}
References
{{Reflist}}
- 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}}
Sources
- [https://afltables.com/afl/seas/1919.html 1919 VFL season] at AFL Tables
- [https://www.australianfootball.com/seasons/season/afl/138/premiership%2Bseason/1/1/1919 1919 VFL season] at Australian Football
{{Australian Football League}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1919 VFL season}}