1920 VFA season

The home-and-home season was played over eighteen rounds, with each club playing the others twice; then, the top four clubs contested a finals series under the amended Argus system to determine the premiers for the season.

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=Q

|title=1920 VFA ladder

|loss_before_draw=true|for_against_style=points|use_against_percentage=y

|winpoints=4|drawpoints=2

|status_text_P=Premiers

|team1=FOO|name_FOO={{AFL Foo}}

|team2=BRU|name_BRU=Brunswick

|team3=NOR|name_NOR={{AFL NM}}

|team4=PMB|name_PMB=Port Melbourne

|team5=NCT|name_NCT=Northcote

|team6=WIL|name_WIL=Williamstown

|team7=PRA|name_PRA=Prahran

|team8=HAW|name_HAW={{AFL Haw}}

|team9=ESS|name_ESS=Essendon

|team10=BRI|name_BRI=Brighton

|win_FOO=16|loss_FOO=2|draw_FOO=0|pf_FOO=1384|pa_FOO=913|status_FOO=P

|win_BRU=13|loss_BRU=5|draw_BRU=0|pf_BRU=1209|pa_BRU=903

|win_NOR=13|loss_NOR=5|draw_NOR=0|pf_NOR=1072|pa_NOR=864

|win_PMB=12|loss_PMB=6|draw_PMB=0|pf_PMB=1311|pa_PMB=1021

|win_NCT=9|loss_NCT=9|draw_NCT=0|pf_NCT=1139|pa_NCT=1045

|win_WIL=8|loss_WIL=10|draw_WIL=0|pf_WIL=1040|pa_WIL=1179

|win_PRA=7|loss_PRA=11|draw_PRA=0|pf_PRA=1079|pa_PRA=1175

|win_HAW=6|loss_HAW=12|draw_HAW=0|pf_HAW=1027|pa_HAW=1375

|win_ESS=5|loss_ESS=13|draw_ESS=0|pf_ESS=994|pa_ESS=1228

|win_BRI=1|loss_BRI=17|draw_BRI=0|pf_BRI=872|pa_BRI=1423

|col_A=#CCFFCC|text_A=

|result1=A|result2=A|result3=A|result4=A

|class_rules=1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.

|update=complete

|source={{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|date=6 September 1920|title=The Association Clubs – Footscray leads|page=5|publication-place=Melbourne|author=Old Boy}}

}}

{{AFLGameHeader|title=Semifinals}}

{{AFLGame|Saturday, 11 September|Brunswick|5.15 (45)|H|Port Melbourne|2.9 (21)|East Melbourne Cricket Ground|7,000|{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|date=13 September 1920|title=The Association – an unpleasant game|page=5|publication-place=Melbourne|author=Old Boy}}}}

{{AFLGame|Saturday, 18 September (postponed)|{{AFL Foo}}| |V|{{AFL NM}}| |East Melbourne Cricket Ground||{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|date=20 September 1920|title=The Association – semi-final postponed|page=12|publication-place=Melbourne|author=Old Boy}}}}

{{AFLGame|Saturday, 25 September|{{AFL Foo}}|8.8 (56)|V|{{AFL NM}}|6.15 (51)|East Melbourne Cricket Ground|10,000|{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|date=27 September 1920|title=The Association – abortive semi-final|page=10|publication-place=Melbourne|author=Old Boy}}{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|date=27 September 1920|title=Football incident – when is time up?|page=6|publication-place=Melbourne}}}}

{{AFLGame|Saturday, 2 October|{{AFL Foo}}|10.9 (69)|H|{{AFL NM}}|9.11 (65)|East Melbourne Cricket Ground|20,000|{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|date=4 October 1920|title=Association Football – Footscray too good|page=4|publication-place=Melbourne|author=Old Boy}}}}

{{AFLGameFooter}}

{{AFLGameDetailed

|title = 1920 VFA Final

|date = Saturday, 9 October

|home team = {{AFL Foo}}

|home Q1 = 3.3 (21)

|home Q2 = 5.4 (34)

|home Q3 = 6.7 (43)

|home final = 10.9 (69)

|home goals= Park 5, Craddock 3, Howell, Martin

|home best =

|home injuries =

|home reports =

|winner = H

||away team = Brunswick

|away Q1 = 1.5 (11)

|away Q2 = 3.12 (30)

|away Q3 = 6.15 (51)

|away final = 8.18 (66)

|away goals= Christie 3, Kieley 2, Alessio, Cahill, Moore

|away best=

|away injuries =

|away reports =

|venue = East Melbourne Cricket Ground

|crowd = 18,000

|report = {{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne|title=Footscray premiers – success of the unbeatable|date=11 October 1920|page=11|author=Old Boy}}

|umpires = Hurley

|BOG award =

|BOG winner =

|broadcast =

|anthem =

|notes=

• Had Brunswick won, minor premiers Footscray would have been entitled to a rematch the following Saturday to decide the premiership.}}

The semi-final played on 25 September between Footscray and North Melbourne ended with no result, due to the circumstances of its conclusion. Footscray was leading by five points, and North Melbourne forward Considine took a mark 30 yards out from goal directly in front, at almost the exact moment that the final bell rang. Umpire Hurley paid the mark to Considine, but much of the crowd which believed the game to be over flooded onto the field, preventing Considine from taking his kick for goal after the bell. After the crowd refused to subside, the players left the field.

As Considine had been prevented from taking a potentially match-winning kick for goal, the match was declared unfinished for no result. At a meeting on Monday 27 September, the Association agreed by a 10–5 majority that the match remained undecided, and that a full replay be played the following Saturday.{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne|title=Association Football – Semi-final game to be replayed|date=28 September 1920|page=6}}

The circumstances surrounding the conclusion to this semi-final were practically identical to those which surrounded the infamous 1967 Tasmanian State Premiership Final, in which North Hobart's David Collins was prevented by the crowd from taking a potential match-winning kick (a much easier kick than Considine's) after the final siren.

• The Victorian Football League announced in October 1919 that it was seeking applications for a tenth team to join it for the 1920 season. It received applications from Brunswick, {{AFL Foo}}, {{AFL Haw}}, {{AFL NM}} and Prahran, but ultimately decided to remain at nine clubs for the season.{{cite news|newspaper=The Australasian|date=4 October 1919|title=Association – the final|page=718|publication-place=Melbourne|author=J.W.|volume=CVII|issue=2792}}
• The semi-final between {{AFL Foo}} and {{AFL NM}} was postponed from 18 to 25 September due to heavy rain leading up to and on the day of the match.

• List of VFA/VFL Premiers

{{reflist}}

{{VFA/VFL seasons}}

{{VFL}}

{{Aussie Rules in Victoria}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1920 Vfa Season}}

Category:Victorian Football League seasons

VFL