1943 VFL season
{{Short description|47th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox Australian rules football season
| competition = vfl_premiership
| year = 1943
| image = Richmond fc 1943.jpg
| imagesize = 250px
| caption = Richmond Football Club, premier team
| teams = 11
| premiers ={{AFL Ric}}
| count = 5
| minor premiers ={{AFL Ric}}
| mpcount = 4
| pre-season name =
| pre-season cup =
| pscount =
| matches = 84
| attendance =
| highattend = 42,100
| leading goal medal =Fred Fanning ({{AFL Mel}})
| brownlow medal = Not awarded
| prevseason = 1942
| nextseason = 1944
}}
The 1943 VFL season was the 47th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria.
As in 1942, only eleven of the league's twelve clubs competed, with {{AFL Gee}} remaining in recess due to travel restrictions during World War II. The season ran from 8 May until 25 September, and comprised a 15-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The premiership was won by the Richmond Football Club for the fifth time, after it defeated {{AFL Ess}} by five points in the 1943 VFL Grand Final.
Background
In 1942, the VFL competition consisted of eleven teams of 18 on-the-field players each (Geelong did not field a team due to wartime rail and road transport restrictions), plus one substitute player, known as the 19th man. A player could be substituted for any reason; however, once substituted, a player could not return to the field of play under any circumstances.
Teams played each other in a home-and-away season of 16 rounds. During the first eleven rounds, each team played each other once, and had one bye which was worth four premiership points; after round 11, the team in last position on the ladder was eliminated from the competition, and the remaining ten teams played five matches each in rounds 12 to 16, with fixtures determined by the league using a pre-arranged and unequal formula under which the higher placed teams would face a more difficult draw.{{cite news|last=Millard|first=P. J.|title=Essendon is only safe "four" team|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/246273367|newspaper=The Herald|location=Melbourne|page=6|date=19 July 1943|access-date=24 November 2024}} At the end of the home-and-away season, the top four teams based on the full sixteen rounds progressed to a finals series using the Page–McIntyre system to determine the season's premiers.
During the 1943 season, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Lake Oval and Junction Oval were all appropriated for military use. {{AFL|Mel}} shared the Punt Road Oval with {{AFL|Ric}} as their home ground, {{AFL|SM}} shared Princes Park with {{AFL|Car}} as their home ground and St Kilda played their home games at Toorak Park (this was possible because there was no VFA competition in 1943); {{AFL|Foo}}, however, was able to return to Western Oval, as it was vacated by the defence authorities after a year.
Home-and-away season
=Round 1=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 18.9 (117)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 13.14 (92)
| 16,000
| 8 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 6.22 (58)
| {{AFL NM}}
| 7.12 (54)
| 8,000
| 8 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 17.13 (115)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 8.23 (71)
| 17,000
| 8 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL|StK}}
| 14.9 (93)
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 13.17 (95)
| 6,000
| 8 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 14.12 (96)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 15.9 (99)
| 9,000
| 8 May 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 2=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL NM}}
| 8.14 (62)
| {{AFL|StK}}
| 8.14 (62)
| 5,000
| 15 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 12.14 (86)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 15.19 (109)
| 6,000
| 15 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 7.8 (50)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 11.15 (81)
| 7,000
| 15 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 13.7 (85)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 9.12 (66)
| 16,000
| 15 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 6.10 (46)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 8.18 (66)
| 11,000
| 15 May 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 3=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 16.17 (113)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 16.16 (112)
| 15,500
| 22 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 11.12 (78)
| {{AFL NM}}
| 9.11 (65)
| 9,000
| 22 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 11.14 (80)
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 12.16 (88)
| 10,000
| 22 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL|StK}}
| 8.15 (63)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 17.12 (114)
| 11,000
| 22 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 10.12 (72)
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 17.15 (117)
| 5,000
| 22 May 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 4=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 13.11 (89)
| {{AFL|StK}}
| 6.12 (48)
| 7,000
| 29 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 12.5 (77)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 15.14 (104)
| 15,000
| 29 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL NM}}
| 15.14 (104)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 10.11 (71)
| 5,000
| 29 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 13.8 (86)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 9.21 (75)
| 9,000
| 29 May 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 11.18 (84)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 14.13 (97)
| 23,000
| 29 May 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 5=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 17.11 (113)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 21.15 (141)
| 13,000
| 5 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 23.12 (150)
| {{AFL NM}}
| 10.13 (73)
| 12,000
| 5 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 16.10 (106)
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 16.18 (114)
| 18,000
| 5 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 10.15 (75)
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 12.13 (85)
| 14,000
| 5 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL|StK}}
| 13.14 (92)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 12.8 (80)
| 9,000
| 5 June 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 6=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL NM}}
| 14.7 (91)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 12.18 (90)
| 7,000
| 12 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 21.17 (143)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 8.15 (63)
| 8,000
| 12 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 11.21 (87)
| {{AFL|StK}}
| 5.12 (42)
| 7,000
| 12 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 9.22 (76)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 11.16 (82)
| 17,000
| 12 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 12.17 (89)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 14.11 (95)
| 19,000
| 12 June 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 7=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 20.16 (136)
| {{AFL NM}}
| 13.17 (95)
| 8,000
| 19 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 16.11 (107)
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 11.7 (73)
| 18,000
| 19 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 12.12 (84)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 17.12 (114)
| 11,000
| 19 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 15.13 (103)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 8.14 (62)
| 11,000
| 19 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 13.14 (92)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 11.21 (87)
| 8,000
| 19 June 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 8=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 10.11 (71)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 6.14 (50)
| 7,500
| 26 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 10.21 (81)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 13.9 (87)
| 5,000
| 26 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 15.16 (106)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 9.13 (67)
| 12,000
| 26 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 15.16 (106)
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 8.14 (62)
| 16,000
| 26 June 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL|StK}}
| 15.8 (98)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 20.19 (139)
| 6,000
| 26 June 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 9=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL NM}}
| 9.2 (56)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 13.7 (85)
| 10,000
| 3 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 16.14 (110)
| {{AFL|StK}}
| 12.10 (82)
| 8,000
| 3 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 13.11 (89)
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 11.13 (79)
| 16,000
| 3 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 15.18 (108)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 9.11 (65)
| 14,000
| 3 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 10.13 (73)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 15.13 (103)
| 13,000
| 3 July 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 10=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 9.23 (77)
| {{AFL NM}}
| 12.14 (86)
| 8,000
| 10 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 9.16 (70)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 13.7 (85)
| 8,000
| 10 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 9.6 (60)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 16.14 (110)
| 8,000
| 10 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 16.9 (105)
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 11.14 (80)
| 12,000
| 10 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL|StK}}
| 10.11 (71)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 14.14 (98)
| 6,000
| 10 July 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 11=
{{AFLGameHeader|title=Round 11}}
{{AFLGame|Saturday, 17 July (2:30 pm)|{{AFL|NM}}|12.10 (82)|H|{{AFL|Car}}|11.12 (78)|Arden Street Oval|7,000|{{align|right|[https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1943/031219430717.html Statistics]}}}}
{{AFLGame|Saturday, 17 July (2:30 pm)|{{AFL|Haw}}|16.14 (110)|H|{{AFL|Col}}|12.13 (85)|Glenferrie Oval|8,000|{{align|right|[https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1943/041019430717.html Statistics]}}}}
{{AFLGame|Saturday, 17 July (2:30 pm)|{{AFL|Fit}}|7.14 (56)|A|{{AFL|Ess}}|9.24 (78)|Brunswick Street Oval|14,000|{{align|right|[https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1943/050619430717.html Statistics]}}}}
{{AFLGame|Saturday, 17 July (2:30 pm)|{{AFL|Ric}}|10.19 (79)|H|{{AFL|Foo}}|8.9 (57)|Punt Road Oval|13,000|{{align|right|[https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1943/071419430717.html Statistics]}}}}
{{AFLGame|Saturday, 17 July (2:30 pm)|{{AFL|SM}}|16.19 (115)|H|{{AFL|StK}}|11.14 (80)|Princes Park|6,000|{{align|right|[https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1943/151619430717.html Statistics]}}}}
{{AFLGameBye|{{AFL|Mel}}}}
{{AFLGameFooter|notes=
}}
=Midseason ladder=
|title=1943 VFL midseason ladder
|section=Ladder
|loss_before_draw=true|for_against_style=points|use_goal_percentage=y
|winpoints=4|drawpoints=2
|team1=Ess|team2=Ric|team3=Fit|team4=Haw|team5=Car
|team6=Foo|team7=Mel|team8=Nor|team9=Col|team10=SM
|team11=StK
|win_Ess=8|loss_Ess=2|draw_Ess=0|pf_Ess=951|pa_Ess=782|adjust_points_Ess=4
|win_Ric=7|loss_Ric=3|draw_Ric=0|pf_Ric=968|pa_Ric=808|adjust_points_Ric=4
|win_Fit=7|loss_Fit=3|draw_Fit=0|pf_Fit=968|pa_Fit=849|adjust_points_Fit=4
|win_Haw=7|loss_Haw=3|draw_Haw=0|pf_Haw=910|pa_Haw=866|adjust_points_Haw=4
|win_Car=5|loss_Car=5|draw_Car=0|pf_Car=893|pa_Car=789|adjust_points_Car=4
|win_Foo=5|loss_Foo=5|draw_Foo=0|pf_Foo=837|pa_Foo=774|adjust_points_Foo=4
|win_Mel=5|loss_Mel=5|draw_Mel=0|pf_Mel=898|pa_Mel=1010|adjust_points_Mel=4
|win_Nor=4|loss_Nor=5|draw_Nor=1|pf_Nor=768|pa_Nor=885|adjust_points_Nor=4
|win_Col=3|loss_Col=7|draw_Col=0|pf_Col=748|pa_Col=864|adjust_points_Col=4
|win_SM=2|loss_SM=8|draw_SM=0|pf_SM=887|pa_SM=943|adjust_points_SM=4
|win_StK=1|loss_StK=8|draw_StK=1|pf_StK=731|pa_StK=989|adjust_points_StK=4
|name_Haw=Hawthorn
|name_SM=South Melbourne
|name_Ric=Richmond
|name_Col=Collingwood
|name_Car=Carlton
|name_Ess=Essendon
|name_Nor=North Melbourne
|name_Foo=Footscray
|name_StK=St Kilda
|name_Mel=Melbourne
|name_Fit=Fitzroy
|text_P1=Plays 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th{{cite news|newspaper=The Football Record|title=Fixtures|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|page=11|date=17 July 1943|volume=30|issue=12|url=https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE8461050&file=FL17742397&mode=browse}}
|result1=P1
|text_P2=Plays 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th
|result2=P2
|text_P3=Plays 1st, 2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th
|result3=P3
|text_P4=Plays 1st, 2nd, 5th, 8th, 10th
|result4=P4
|text_P5=Plays 1st, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 9th
|result5=P5
|text_P6=Plays 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th, 10th
|result6=P6
|text_P7=Plays 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 10th
|result7=P7
|text_P8=Plays 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th
|result8=P8
|text_P9=Plays 3rd, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th
|result9=P9
|text_P10=Plays 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th
|result10=P10
|col_E=#FCC|text_E=Eliminated
|result11=E
|class_rules = 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
|update=complete
|source={{cite news|newspaper=The Football Record|title=How the clubs stand|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|page=10|date=31 July 1943|volume=30|issue=14|url=https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE8461050&file=FL17742397&mode=browse}}
}}
=Round 12=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 10.10 (70)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 7.17 (59)
| 12,000
| 31 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 14.11 (95)
| {{AFL NM}}
| 6.6 (42)
| 8,000
| 31 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 23.16 (154)
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 11.8 (74)
| 8,000
| 31 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 7.13 (55)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 9.12 (66)
| 12,000
| 31 July 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 11.8 (74)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 28.10 (178)
| 8,500
| 31 July 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 13=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 9.6 (60)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 21.13 (139)
| 14,000
| 7 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 7.17 (59)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 19.19 (133)
| 9,000
| 7 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 11.24 (90)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 8.8 (56)
| 14,000
| 7 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 14.24 (108)
| {{AFL NM}}
| 7.8 (50)
| 5,250
| 7 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 13.19 (97)
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 10.15 (75)
| 15,000
| 7 August 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 14=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 15.14 (104)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 7.12 (54)
| 8,000
| 14 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 9.14 (68)
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 11.7 (73)
| 15,000
| 14 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL NM}}
| 7.11 (53)
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 9.10 (64)
| 4,000
| 14 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 12.18 (90)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 11.7 (73)
| 6,000
| 14 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 9.13 (67)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 10.10 (70)
| 19,000
| 14 August 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 15=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 13.10 (88)
| {{AFL SM}}
| 7.14 (56)
| 15,000
| 21 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Col}}
| 16.17 (113)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 9.9 (63)
| 6,500
| 21 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Car}}
| 15.23 (113)
| {{AFL NM}}
| 7.5 (47)
| 8,000
| 21 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 15.19 (109)
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 12.13 (85)
| 9,000
| 21 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 9.10 (64)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 6.15 (51)
| 6,000
| 21 August 1943
{{s-end}}
=Round 16=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Home team score
| Away team
| Away team score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 10.11 (71)
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 14.14 (98)
| 16,000
| 28 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL NM}}
| 8.11 (59)
| {{AFL Haw}}
| 7.16 (58)
| 4,500
| 28 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL SM}}
| 10.19 (79)
| {{AFL Foo}}
| 10.6 (66)
| 4,000
| 28 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Mel}}
| 16.17 (113)
| {{AFL Col}}
| 14.17 (101)
| 5,000
| 28 August 1943
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 12.12 (84)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 10.9 (69)
| 18,000
| 28 August 1943
{{s-end}}
Ladder
| class=wikitable
| (P) | Premiers |
| bgcolor=FFFFBB | | Qualified for finals |
{{Australian rules football ladder start}}
|- style=background:#FFFFBB
| 1 || align=left | {{AFL Ric}} (P) || 15 || 10 || 5 || 0 || 1435 || 1166 || 123.1 || 44
|- style=background:#FFFFBB
| 2 || align=left | {{AFL Ess}} || 15 || 10 || 5 || 0 || 1296 || 1125 || 115.2 || 44
|- style=background:#FFFFBB
| 3 || align=left | {{AFL Fit}} || 15 || 10 || 5 || 0 || 1345 || 1234 || 109.0 || 44
|- style=background:#FFFFBB
| 4 || align=left | {{AFL Car}} || 15 || 9 || 6 || 0 || 1420 || 1136 || 125.0 || 40
|-
| 5 || align=left | {{AFL Haw}} || 15 || 9 || 6 || 0 || 1259 || 1212 || 103.9 || 40
|-
| 6 || align=left | {{AFL Foo}} || 15 || 7 || 8 || 0 || 1164 || 1244 || 93.6 || 32
|-
| 7 || align=left | {{AFL Mel}} || 15 || 7 || 8 || 0 || 1364 || 1537 || 88.7 || 32
|-
| 8 || align=left | {{AFL SM}} || 15 || 6 || 9 || 0 || 1346 || 1272 || 105.8 || 28
|-
| 9 || align=left | {{AFL NM}} || 15 || 5 || 9 || 1 || 1019 || 1323 || 77.0 || 26
|-
| 10 || align=left | {{AFL Col}} || 15 || 5 || 10 || 0 || 1217 || 1358 || 89.6 || 24
|-
| 11 || align=left | {{AFL|StK}} || 10 || 1 || 8 || 1 || 731 || 989 || 73.9 || 10
|}
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 85.0
Source: [https://afltables.com/afl/seas/1943.html#lad AFL Tables]
Finals series
=Semi-finals=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Score
| Away team
| Score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 13.16 (94)
| {{AFL Car}}
| 5.13 (43)
| 39,874
| 4 September
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 9.17 (71)
| {{AFL Ess}}
| 13.16 (94)
| 24,100
| 11 September
{{s-end}}
=Preliminary final=
{{s-start}}
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
| Home team
| Score
| Away team
| Score
| Venue
| Crowd
| Date
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| {{AFL Ric}}
| 12.14 (86)
| {{AFL Fit}}
| 8.13 (61)
| 27,335
| 18 September
{{s-end}}
=Grand final=
{{Main|1943 VFL Grand Final}}
Season notes
- Hawthorn's coach Roy Cazaly renamed the club "The Hawks" from "The Mayblooms". This season was the closest Hawthorn came to a finals appearance in its first 32 seasons (1925–56) in the VFL, finishing one spot outside the final four only by an inferior percentage to Carlton.
- In the spiteful Round 1 match between Essendon and South Melbourne, a vicious brawl broke out in the last quarter when South Melbourne's Jack "Basher" Williams felled Ted Leehane (apparently in a square-off retribution for Leehane's similar action against Williams in the 1942 preliminary final) which involved a dozen players, team officials, trainers, fans, and police. Three players were reported: Williams received an eight-week suspension for striking Leehane, Dick Reynolds, Gordon Lane, and Perc Bushby, 1940 Brownlow Medal winner Herbie Matthews was suspended for four weeks for striking Allan Hird, and Bushby was suspended for two weeks for striking Williams in retaliation.
- Entering Round 11, St Kilda and South Melbourne were tenth and eleventh on the ladder with two premiership points separating them; as such, the match between those two clubs in Round 11 directly decided which club was eliminated after the first set of home-and-away matches. South Melbourne won the game by 35 points.{{citation|first=Stephen|last=Rodgers|title=Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results, 1897–1991|publisher=Viking O'Neil|publication-place=Ringwood, VIC|edition=3rd|date=1992|page=304}}
- The VFL suspended its Round 12 matches and conducted a one-day lightning carnival amongst the top four teams; the Victorian Football League Patriotic Match Cup was won by Essendon.
- Munitions worker Bob Chitty played for Carlton in Round 15 despite losing the top of his finger during the week in a workplace accident.
- Richmond's centre half-forward Jack Broadstock went Absent Without Leave (AWL) from his Army duties in order to play in the 1943 grand final. He was arrested by the Military Police upon his arrival at Princes Park, and it was only after some very persuasive talking by Richmond captain Jack Dyer, who was himself a policeman with the Victorian Police Force, that Broadstock's commanding officer dropped the matter and allowed him to play in the match. Broadstock went on to kick a goal and be one of Richmond's best players.
- For the first time, no score of four or fewer goals was kicked in a VFL season.
Awards
- The 1943 VFL Premiership team was Richmond.
- The VFL's leading goalkicker was Fred Fanning of Melbourne with 62 goals.
- No Brownlow Medal was awarded in 1943.
- St Kilda took the "wooden spoon" in 1943.
- The seconds premiership was won by {{AFL|StK}} for the second consecutive season. St Kilda 11.14 (80) defeated {{AFL Fit}} 8.6 (54) in the Grand Final, played as a stand-alone match on 18 September at Victoria Park.{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|page=9|title=Two pennants to St Kilda|publication-place=Melbourne|date=20 September 1943}}{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|page=9|title=Seconds Grand Final|publication-place=Melbourne|date=17 September 1943}}
References
{{Reflist}}
- Hogan, P., The Tigers of Old, The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 1996. {{ISBN|0-646-18748-1}}
- 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}}
Sources
- [https://afltables.com/afl/seas/1943.html 1943 VFL season] at AFL Tables
- [https://www.australianfootball.com/seasons/season/afl/138/premiership%2Bseason/1/1/1943 1943 VFL season] at Australian Football
{{Australian Football League}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1943 VFL season}}