1944 VFA season
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox Australian rules football season
| competition = VFA Premiership season
| year = 1944 VFA
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| premiers = Premiership not contested
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| prevseason = 1943
| nextseason = 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 season{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=Association teams – Preston's haul|date=12 April 1941|page=16}} – but had cancelled the 1942 and 1943 seasons when it became clear that the competition would distract from the war effort.{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=No Association football|date=23 February 1943|page=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.{{cite web |title=VFA not to resume |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11805241 |publisher=The Argus |access-date=10 June 2025 |page=9 |date=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.{{cite web |title=VFA SECONDS |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11819145 |publisher=The Argus |access-date=10 June 2025 |page=6 |date=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 {{ISBN|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.{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=VFA seconds|date=25 September 1944|page=9}}
Notable events
- On 12 April, Association president J. J. Liston died at age 70 after a short illness.{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=Death of Mr J. J. Liston|date=13 April 1944|page=3}} Liston had been president of the Association since 1929.{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=New Association President|date=12 February 1929|page=14}} Long-time Preston president{{citation|first=Marc|last=Fiddian|year=2004|title=The VFA: a history of the Victorian Football Association, 1877–1995|page=99}} Mr Henry Zwar, MLA replaced Liston as Association president.{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=New football leader|date=9 May 1944|page=9}}
References
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{{VFA/VFL seasons}}
{{VFL}}
{{Aussie Rules in Victoria}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1944 Vfa Season}}