Carlton and South Melbourne finished in the top two during the minor round of the 1909 season, each finishing with a 14–4 record. South Melbourne was the minor premier, with a higher percentage than Carlton. Carlton won the clubs' two meetings during the minor rounds: in Round 2 by 17 points; and in Round 11 by 24 points, after trailing 0.11 (11) to 4.4 (28) at half-time, then scoring nine goals to none in the third quarter.
During the season, the Carlton Football Club had been split by infighting within the committee, resulting in the resignation of coach Jack Worrall Round 13. Captain Fred "Pompey" Elliott took over the coaching duties in Round 14, and Carlton won its last four matches.
As premiers in 1906, 1907, and 1908, Carlton was attempting to win its fourth consecutive premiership. On the other hand, South Melbourne was attempting to win its first premiership.
The finals were played under the amended Argus system. Both teams won their semi-finals, but Carlton defeated South Melbourne in the final 10.9 (69) to 7.5 (47): South Melbourne, as minor premiers, was therefore entitled to a Grand Final challenge match, and the winner of this match would win the premiership.
The Grand Final
Still image taken from footage of the 1909 VFL Grand Final. South Melbourne players enter the field before the game
The South Melbourne side was missing full-back Bill Dolphin, who was injured, winger Jim Caldwell, who had been suspended for nine matches for striking Carlton's George Bruce in the Final and top forward Dick Casey also missing out, injured, from the previous week's Final. Had Casey been fit, he would have taken pressure off South Melbourne's leading Goalkicker that season Len Mortimer, who, despite kicking a goal, played indifferently throughout. South's replacements were Bob Deas, Horrie Drane, and Ted Wade. Norm Clark was available for Carlton; he replacing Les Beck from the Blues' winning Final side of the previous week.
The match, played in a rather unsettling wind, was very closely contested, with the teams tied at both quarter- and half-time. In the first quarter, South Melbourne's back-flanker Tom Grimshaw was felled, but eventually recovered consciousness, and finished the match standing in the goal-square. In the second quarter, Carlton's Jack Baquie badly injured his ankle and left the field, but eventually returned in the third quarter to stand in the forward-pocket. In the third quarter, Carlton rover Martin Gotz was knocked out and was carried from the ground on a stretcher, but he returned to the ground in the last quarter and stood in the forward line.
In a powerful third quarter, in which Belcher, Ricketts, Cameron, Mortimer, and Gough in sequence brought the ball from the deep back-line to the forward-line untouched by a single Carlton player, eventuating in Gough's goal, South Melbourne drew ahead of Carlton, 4.12 (36) to 3.11 (29).
In the last quarter, Carlton had several chances to win, scoring 1.1 to South Melbourne's two behinds. With five minutes to go, "Mallee" Johnson and Charlie Hammond got the ball to centre half-forward Harvey Kelly, who kicked a goal, bringing Carlton to two points behind. Carlton lost the ensuing centre-bounce at the restart of play. The ball got to South Melbourne's forward Len Mortimer, but his kick did not make the distance. Carlton moved forward, kicking the ball towards the goals, but William Thomas took what turned out to be a match-saving mark for South Melbourne, as the ball was not near either goal for the remainder of the match.
South Melbourne 4.14 (38) defeated Carlton 4.12 (36).
Known as the Victorian Football League from 1897–1989; no grand finals were held in 1897 and 1924
Related Research Articles
The 1907 VFL season was the eleventh season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured eight clubs, ran from 27 April until 21 September, and comprised a 17-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The AFL Grand Final is an Australian rules football match to determine the premiers for the Australian Football League (AFL) season. From its inception until 1989, it was known as the VFL Grand Final, as the league at that time was the Victorian Football League. Played at the end of the finals series, the game has been held annually since 1898, except in 1924. It is traditionally staged on the afternoon of the last Saturday in September, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The 1945 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the South Melbourne Football Club and Carlton Football Club, held at Princes Park in Melbourne on 29 September 1945. It was the 47th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1945 VFL season. The match, attended by 62,986 spectators, was won by Carlton by a margin of 28 points, marking that club's seventh premiership victory.
The 1921 VFL season was the 25th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured nine clubs, ran from 7 May until 15 October, and comprised a 16-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The 1960 VFL season was the 64th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 16 April until 24 September, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The 1962 VFL season was the 66th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 21 April until 29 September, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The 1934 VFL season was the 38th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 5 May until 13 October, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The 1968 VFL season was the 72nd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 15 April until 28 September, and comprised a 20-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The 1969 VFL season was the 73rd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 5 April until 27 September, and comprised a 20-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The 1971 VFL season was the 75th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 3 April until 25 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The 1972 VFL season was the 76th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 1 April until 7 October, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs – an increase from the four clubs which had contested the finals in previous years.
The 1975 VFL season was the 79th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 5 April until 27 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.
The 1947 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football match contested between the Carlton Football Club and Essendon Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 27 September 1947. It was the 49th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1947 VFL season. The match, attended by 85,793 spectators, was won by Carlton by one point, marking that club's eighth VFL premiership. The winning goal was kicked by Fred Stafford in the dying seconds of the match to give Carlton the win.
The 1979 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 29 September 1979. It was the 83rd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1979 VFL season. The match, attended by 113,545 spectators, was won by Carlton by a margin of 5 points, marking that club's 12th premiership victory.
The 1978 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 30 September 1978. It was the 82nd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1978 VFL season. The match, attended by 101,704 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 18 points, marking that club's fourth premiership victory.
The 1988 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and the Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 24 September 1988. It was the 92nd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1988 VFL season. The match, attended by 93,754 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 96 points, marking that club's seventh premiership victory.
The 1931 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Geelong Football Club and Richmond Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 10 October 1931. It was the 33rd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1931 VFL season. The match, attended by 60,712 spectators, was won by Geelong by a margin of 20 points, making it the club's second VFL premiership victory. The triumph has become legendary because it was the first, and only, season that Geelong was coached by Charlie Clymo.
The 1907 VFL grand final, originally known as the 1907 VFL final, was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and South Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 21 September 1907. It was the 10th Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, and determined the premiers for the 1907 VFL season.
The 1972 Carlton Football Club season was the Carlton Football Club's 109th season of competition, and 76th as a member of the Australian Football League. Carlton fielded teams in the senior, reserves and under-19s grades of the 1982 VFL season.
The 1982 Carlton Football Club season was the Carlton Football Club's 119th season of competition, and 86th as a member of the Australian Football League. Carlton fielded teams in the senior, reserves and under-19s grades of the 1982 VFL season, and its senior team also contested the 1982 Escort Championships.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
