1897 VFL season

1897 VFL premiership season
Essendon 1897 VFL premiership team
Date	8 May—4 September 1897
Teams	8
Premiers	Essendon 1st premiership
Minor premiers	Geelong 1st minor premiership
Leading goalkicker medallist	Eddy James (Geelong) Jack Leith (Melbourne) 22 goals
Matches played	62
1898  →

The 1897 VFL season was the inaugural season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season ran from 8 May to 4 September, comprising a 14-round home-and-away season followed by a three-week finals series featuring the top four clubs. Eight Victorian Football Association (VFA) clubs – Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, South Melbourne and St Kilda – featured in the inaugural season after seceding from the VFA in 1896.

Essendon won the inaugural premiership after winning all three of its finals matches. Geelong won the minor premiership by finishing atop the home-and-away ladder with an 11–3 win–loss record. Geelong's Eddy James and Melbourne's Jack Leith tied for the leading goalkicker medal as the league's leading goalkickers.

Background

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. A round-robin finals series has only been used once since, in 1924.

Home-and-away season

Round 1

	Round 1
Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 6.13 (49)	def.	Carlton 2.4 (16)	Brunswick Street Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 5.11 (41)	def.	St Kilda 2.4 (16)	Victoria Park	Statistics
Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm)	Geelong 3.6 (24)	def. by	Essendon 7.5 (47)	Corio Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 8 May (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 3.9 (27)	def. by	Melbourne 6.8 (44)	Lake Oval	Statistics

Round 2

	Round 2
Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 6.4 (40)	def.	Carlton 5.6 (36)	Lake Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm)	Essendon 4.6 (30)	def. by	Collingwood 8.2 (50)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 3.8 (26)	def. by	Fitzroy 10.6 (66)	Junction Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 15 May (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 9.10 (64)	def.	Geelong 3.1 (19)	Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics

Round 3

	Round 3
Saturday, 22 May (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 6.5 (41)	def.	Geelong 5.7 (37)	Victoria Park	Statistics
Saturday, 22 May (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 5.9 (39)	def. by	Melbourne 7.8 (50)	Brunswick Street Oval	Statistics
Monday, 24 May (3:00 pm)	Essendon 12.6 (78)	def.	Carlton 6.5 (41)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Monday, 24 May (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 8.11 (59)	def.	St Kilda 0.2 (2)	Lake Oval	Statistics

Round 4

	Round 4
Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm)	Geelong 5.14 (44)	def.	Carlton 3.4 (22)	Corio Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 5.11 (41)	def.	Collingwood 5.3 (33)	Lake Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 2.8 (20)	def. by	Essendon 6.6 (42)	Brunswick Street Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 29 May (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 11.10 (76)	def.	St Kilda 7.4 (46)	Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics

Round 5

	Round 5
Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 15.17 (107)	def.	Carlton 3.8 (26)	Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 5.7 (37)	def.	Fitzroy 2.9 (21)	Victoria Park	Statistics
Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 3.8 (26)	def. by	Essendon 9.9 (63)	Junction Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 5 June (3:00 pm)	Geelong 10.12 (72)	def.	South Melbourne 3.6 (24)	Corio Oval	Statistics

Round 6

	Round 6
Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 3.6 (24)	def. by	Carlton 5.5 (35)	Junction Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 5.3 (33)	def.	Collingwood 3.8 (26)	Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 2.4 (16)	def. by	Essendon 1.13 (19)	Lake Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 19 June (3:00 pm)	Geelong 3.13 (31)	def.	Fitzroy 2.3 (15)	Corio Oval	Statistics

Round 7

	Round 7
Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm)	Carlton 5.5 (35)	def. by	Collingwood 6.5 (41)	Princes Park	Statistics
Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm)	Essendon 8.15 (63)	def.	Melbourne 3.9 (27)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 5.13 (43)	drew with	South Melbourne 5.13 (43)	Brunswick Street Oval	Statistics
Tuesday, 22 June (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 4.7 (31)	def. by	Geelong 16.18 (114)	Junction Oval	Statistics

Round 8

	Round 8
Saturday, 26 June (3:00 pm)	Carlton 1.3 (9)	def. by	Fitzroy 5.17 (47)	Princes Park	Statistics
Saturday, 26 June (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 4.5 (29)	def. by	Collingwood 7.11 (53)	Junction Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 26 June (3;00 pm)	Essendon 5.2 (32)	def. by	Geelong 8.9 (57)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Saturday, 26 June (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 3.2 (20)	def. by	South Melbourne 11.7 (73)	Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics

Round 9

	Round 9
Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm)	Carlton 4.4 (28)	def. by	South Melbourne 11.8 (74)	Princes Park	Statistics
Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 5.7 (37)	def. by	Essendon 6.10 (46)	Victoria Park	Statistics
Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 9.21 (75)	def.	St Kilda 2.6 (18)	Brunswick Street Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 3 July (3:00 pm)	Geelong 1.9 (15)	def.	Melbourne 0.10 (10)	Corio Oval	Statistics

Round 10

	Round 10
Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm)	Carlton 2.1 (13)	def. by	Essendon 5.12 (42)	Princes Park	Statistics
Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm)	Geelong 7.10 (52)	def.	Collingwood 1.4 (10)	Corio Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 8.5 (53)	def.	Fitzroy 3.8 (26)	Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Saturday, 10 July (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 0.3 (3)	def. by	South Melbourne 8.16 (64)	Junction Oval	Statistics

Round 11

	Round 11
Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm)	Carlton 2.4 (16)	def. by	Geelong 9.12 (66)	Princes Park	Statistics
Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 0.8 (8)	def. by	South Melbourne 2.15 (27)	Victoria Park	Statistics
Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm)	Essendon 9.8 (62)	def.	Fitzroy 4.6 (30)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Saturday, 17 July (3:00 pm)	St Kilda 1.7 (13)	def. by	Melbourne 10.11 (71)	Junction Oval	Statistics

Round 12

	Round 12
Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm)	Carlton 2.6 (18)	def. by	Melbourne 5.16 (46)	Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 4.4 (28)	def. by	Collingwood 3.17 (35)	Brunswick Street Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm)	Essendon 13.16 (94)	def.	St Kilda 0.3 (3)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Saturday, 24 July (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 5.2 (32)	def. by	Geelong 6.8 (44)	Lake Oval	Statistics

Round 13

	Round 13
Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm)	Carlton 8.11 (59)	def.	St Kilda 3.7 (25)	Princes Park	Statistics
Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 5.13 (43)	def.	Melbourne 3.10 (28)	Victoria Park	Statistics
Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm)	Essendon 8.1 (49)	def.	South Melbourne 6.9 (45)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Saturday, 31 July (3:00 pm)	Fitzroy 2.9 (21)	def. by	Geelong 5.3 (33)	Brunswick Street Oval	Statistics

Round 14

	Round 14
Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm)	Collingwood 7.12 (54)	def.	Carlton 3.4 (22)	Victoria Park	Statistics
Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm)	Melbourne 8.8 (56)	def.	Essendon 6.3 (39)	Melbourne Cricket Ground	Statistics
Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm)	South Melbourne 3.12 (30)	def.	Fitzroy 4.5 (29)	Lake Oval	Statistics
Saturday, 7 August (3:00 pm)	Geelong 14.12 (96)	def.	St Kilda 3.0 (18)	Corio Oval	Statistics

Ladder

(P)	Premiers
	Qualified for finals

#	Team	P	W	L	D	PF	PA	%	Pts
1	Geelong	14	11	3	0	704	383	183.8	44
2	Essendon (P)	14	11	3	0	706	445	158.7	44
3	Melbourne	14	10	4	0	685	473	144.8	40
4	Collingwood	14	9	5	0	509	445	114.4	36
5	South Melbourne	14	8	5	1	595	430	138.4	34
6	Fitzroy	14	4	9	1	509	485	104.9	18
7	Carlton	14	2	12	0	376	737	51.0	8
8	St Kilda	14	0	14	0	280	966	29.0	0

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 39.0
Source: AFL Tables

Progression by round

4	Finished the round in first place	0	Finished the round in last place
4	Won the minor premiership	0	Won the wooden spoon
4	Finished the round inside the top four
41	Subscript indicates the ladder position at the end of the round

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
Geelong	06	08	07	46	86	124	164	204	242	282	322	362	402	441
Essendon	43	44	85	122	162	202	241	241	281	321	361	401	441	442
Melbourne	44	82	121	161	201	241	242	243	243	283	323	363	363	403
Collingwood	42	83	122	124	163	163	203	242	244	245	245	285	324	364
South Melbourne	05	45	84	123	124	125	145	185	225	264	304	304	305	345
Fitzroy	41	81	83	85	85	86	106	146	186	186	186	186	186	186
Carlton	08	06	06	07	07	47	47	47	47	47	47	47	87	87
St Kilda	07	07	08	08	08	08	08	08	08	08	08	08	08	08

Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

Main article: 1897 VFL finals series

Finals week 1

	Finals week 1
Saturday, 21 August (2:30 pm)	Geelong 3.11 (29)	def. by	Essendon 5.5 (35)	Corio Oval (crowd: 5,000)	Report Stats
Saturday, 21 August (2:30 pm)	Melbourne 7.5 (47)	def. by	Collingwood 7.9 (51)	Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 7,000)	Report Stats

Finals week 2

	Finals week 2
Saturday, 28 August (2:30 pm)	Essendon 9.16 (70)	def.	Collingwood 4.6 (30)	Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 8,000)	Report Stats
Saturday, 28 August (2:30 pm)	Geelong 5.16 (46)	def.	Melbourne 5.7 (37)	Brunswick Street Oval (crowd: 4,000)	Report Stats

Finals week 3

	Finals week 3
Saturday, 4 September (2:30 pm)	Essendon 1.8 (14)	def.	Melbourne 0.8 (8)	Lake Oval (crowd: 3,800)	Report Stats
Saturday, 4 September (2:30 pm)	Geelong 8.4 (52)	def.	Collingwood 6.12 (48)	East Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 3,000)	Report Stats

Finals ladder

Won the premiership

#	Team	P	W	L	D	PF	PA	%	Pts
1	Essendon	3	3	0	0	119	67	177.6	12
2	Geelong	3	2	1	0	127	120	105.8	8
3	Collingwood	3	1	2	0	129	169	76.3	4
4	Melbourne	3	0	3	0	92	111	82.9	0

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Source: AFL Tables

Win–loss table

The following table can be sorted from biggest winning margin to biggest losing margin for each round. If two or more matches in a round are decided by the same margin, these margins are sorted by percentage (i.e. the lowest-scoring winning team is ranked highest and the lowest-scoring losing team is ranked lowest). Opponents are listed above the margins and home matches are in bold.

+	Win		Qualified for finals
-	Loss	X	Bye
	Draw		Eliminated

Team	Home-and-away season														Ladder	Finals series			Finals ladder
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14		F1	F2	F3
Carlton	FIT -33	SM -4	ESS -37	GEE -22	MEL -81	STK +11	COL -6	FIT -38	SM -46	ESS -29	GEE -50	MEL -28	STK +34	COL -32	7 (2–12–0)
Collingwood	STK +25	ESS +20	GEE +4	SM -8	FIT +16	MEL -7	CAR +6	STK +24	ESS -9	GEE -42	SM -19	FIT +7	MEL +15	CAR +32	4 (9–5–0)	MEL +4	ESS -40	GEE -4	3 (1–2–0)
Essendon	GEE +23	COL -20	CAR +37	FIT +22	STK +37	SM +3	MEL +36	GEE -25	COL +9	CAR +29	FIT +32	STK +91	SM +4	MEL -17	2 (11–3–0)	GEE +6	COL +40	MEL +6	1 (3–0–0)
Fitzroy	CAR +33	STK +40	MEL -11	ESS -22	COL -16	GEE -16	SM 0	CAR +38	STK +57	MEL -27	ESS -32	COL -7	GEE -12	SM -1	6 (4–9–1)
Geelong	ESS -23	MEL -45	COL -4	CAR +22	SM +48	FIT +16	STK +83	ESS +25	MEL +5	COL +42	CAR +50	SM +12	FIT +12	STK +78	1 (11–3–0)	ESS -6	MEL +9	COL +4	2 (2–1–0)
Melbourne	SM +17	GEE +45	FIT +11	STK +30	CAR +81	COL +7	ESS -36	SM -53	GEE -5	FIT +27	STK +58	CAR +28	COL -15	ESS +17	3 (10–4–0)	COL -4	GEE -9	ESS -6	4 (0–3–0)
South Melbourne	MEL -17	CAR +4	STK +57	COL +8	GEE -48	ESS -3	FIT 0	MEL +53	CAR +46	STK +61	COL +19	GEE -12	ESS -4	FIT +1	5 (8–5–1)
St Kilda	COL -25	FIT -40	SM -57	MEL -30	ESS -37	CAR -11	GEE -83	COL -24	FIT -57	SM -61	MEL -58	ESS -91	CAR -34	GEE -78	8 (0–8–0)

Source: AFL Tables

Season notes

• The game between Essendon and Melbourne in the third round of the finals holds the record for the lowest combined score in a match in VFL/AFL history: 1.16 (22).
• 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 due to complaints from fans, players and officials.
• On 12 June, a League representative team played against a Ballarat Football League representative team at the Brunswick Street Oval. Ballarat 13.11 (89) defeated the League 8.6 (54). ^[2]
• 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. ^[3]
• Fred Waugh was unable to play in South Melbourne's team for the Round 11 game with St Kilda after attempting suicide. He had been spurned by his lover, and had become disconsolate. His mother found him in his room covered in blood, having cut his throat with a blunt knife. Luckily, he missed severing his windpipe and blood vessels, and a doctor was able to repair the wounds. ^[4]
• Carlton's first six matches were all away games due to renovations at Princes Park, with the first game at Princes Park being a 5.6 (36) loss to Collingwood 6.4 (40) on 22 June, the Diamond Jubilee Holiday. ^[5]
• The first-round finals match between Geelong and Essendon at the Corio Oval was the only finals match to be played in Geelong until 2013. ^[5]

Leading goalkickers

1	Led the goalkicking at the end of the round
1	Led the goalkicking at the end of the home-and-away season
11	Subscript indicates the player's goal tally to that point of the season
–	Did not play during that round

#	Player	Club	Home-and-away season (leading goalkicker medal)														Finals series			Total	Games	Average
			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	F1	F2	F3
1	Eddy James	Geelong	22	13	03	36	39	110	313	013	114	–14	–14	115	419	322	123	225	227	27	15	1.80
2	Jack Leith	Melbourne	22	46	17	07	411	314	216	016	016	117	219	221	122	022	426	026	026	26	17	1.53
3	Norman Waugh	Essendon	22	02	13	25	–5	–5	16	28	19	110	212	214	418	119	019	423	023	23	15	1.53
4	Charlie Coles	Geelong	–0	–0	11	12	35	16	28	311	011	213	114	115	116	117	017	–17	–17	17	13	1.31
5	Wally O'Cock	Carlton	11	12	13	14	26	06	39	–9	–9	–9	–9	211	213	215				15	10	1.50
	Archie Smith	Collingwood	00	22	24	15	27	18	08	210	111	112	012	012	214	014	014	014	115	15	17	0.88
7	Hugh Gavin	Essendon	–0	00	00	11	23	03	25	05	27	07	310	–10	010	212	012	214	014	14	15	0.93
	Dinny McKay	South Melbourne	11	34	26	06	06	06	28	19	312	012	012	113	114	014				14	14	1.00
	Jack Quinn	Geelong	00	00	11	01	12	13	36	–6	06	28	19	110	010	111	112	012	214	14	16	0.88
	Fred White	Geelong	–0	–0	–0	–0	–0	00	00	22	–2	02	35	27	07	310	111	112	214	14	11	1.27
	Charlie Young	Melbourne	22	02	35	16	–6	17	07	07	07	29	211	011	011	112	113	114	014	14	16	0.88

Source: AFL Tables

References

1. "THE FOOTBALL SEASON". The Argus. Melbourne. 8 May 1897. p. 11.
2. 'Markwell', "Football Notes: Ballarat Defeat the League, The Australasian, (Saturday, 19 June 1897), p.1229.
3. 'Markwell', "Football Notes: Hollow Defeat", The Australasian, (Saturday, 10 July 1897), p. 77.
4. A Footballer's Romance: Rejected by his Sweetheart: He Attempts Suicide, The Argus, (Monday, 12 July 1897), p. 5.
5. Ross, John (1996). 100 Years of Australian Football. Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin Books. p. 39. ISBN   978-0670868148.

• 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

• 1897 VFL season at AFL Tables
• 1897 VFL season at Australian Football