1936 VFL season

1936 VFL premiership season
Collingwood Football Club, premier team
Teams	12
Premiers	Collingwood 11th premiership
Minor premiers	South Melbourne 5th minor premiership
Brownlow Medallist	Denis Ryan (Fitzroy)
Bill Mohr (St Kilda)
Matches played	112
Highest	74,091
←  1935 1937  →

The 1936 VFL season was the 40th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 2 May until 3 October, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.

The premiership was won by the Collingwood Football Club for the eleventh time and second time consecutively, after it defeated South Melbourne by eleven points in the 1936 VFL grand final.

Background

In 1936, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, 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 18 rounds; matches 12 to 18 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 7.

Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1936 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.

Home-and-away season

Round 1

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Richmond	15.17 (107)	St Kilda	17.4 (106)	Punt Road Oval	27,000	2 May 1936
Essendon	17.15 (117)	North Melbourne	11.4 (70)	Windy Hill	15,000	2 May 1936
South Melbourne	14.24 (108)	Melbourne	13.9 (87)	Lake Oval	22,000	2 May 1936
Geelong	20.24 (144)	Footscray	10.9 (69)	Corio Oval	12,000	2 May 1936
Hawthorn	12.11 (83)	Collingwood	15.14 (104)	Glenferrie Oval	14,000	2 May 1936
Fitzroy	13.9 (87)	Carlton	24.19 (163)	Brunswick Street Oval	32,000	2 May 1936

Round 2

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
St Kilda	10.11 (71)	South Melbourne	12.17 (89)	Junction Oval	30,000	9 May 1936
Footscray	8.20 (68)	Hawthorn	11.7 (73)	Western Oval	10,000	9 May 1936
Collingwood	16.12 (108)	Richmond	10.12 (72)	Victoria Park	26,500	9 May 1936
Carlton	21.19 (145)	Essendon	5.13 (43)	Princes Park	25,000	9 May 1936
North Melbourne	9.14 (68)	Geelong	11.8 (74)	Arden Street Oval	9,000	9 May 1936
Melbourne	15.17 (107)	Fitzroy	8.11 (59)	MCG	16,245	9 May 1936

Round 3

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Geelong	14.18 (102)	Melbourne	4.8 (32)	Corio Oval	12,000	16 May 1936
Essendon	16.19 (115)	St Kilda	18.11 (119)	Windy Hill	18,000	16 May 1936
Richmond	13.14 (92)	North Melbourne	6.17 (53)	Punt Road Oval	14,000	16 May 1936
South Melbourne	15.17 (107)	Footscray	9.13 (67)	Lake Oval	18,000	16 May 1936
Fitzroy	12.12 (84)	Collingwood	25.14 (164)	Brunswick Street Oval	20,000	16 May 1936
Hawthorn	14.13 (97)	Carlton	16.11 (107)	Glenferrie Oval	18,000	16 May 1936

Round 4

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
North Melbourne	7.18 (60)	South Melbourne	18.21 (129)	Arden Street Oval	14,000	23 May 1936
Collingwood	20.17 (137)	Essendon	13.10 (88)	Victoria Park	11,000	23 May 1936
Carlton	16.19 (115)	Richmond	18.17 (125)	Princes Park	43,000	23 May 1936
Melbourne	16.20 (116)	Hawthorn	11.11 (77)	MCG	10,152	23 May 1936
St Kilda	19.11 (125)	Geelong	12.10 (82)	Junction Oval	22,500	23 May 1936
Footscray	13.11 (89)	Fitzroy	10.14 (74)	Western Oval	18,000	23 May 1936

Round 5

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Fitzroy	17.19 (121)	Geelong	17.13 (115)	Brunswick Street Oval	10,000	30 May 1936
Collingwood	16.17 (113)	St Kilda	9.14 (68)	Victoria Park	28,000	30 May 1936
North Melbourne	11.9 (75)	Melbourne	17.20 (122)	Arden Street Oval	8,000	30 May 1936
Richmond	16.21 (117)	Hawthorn	10.12 (72)	Punt Road Oval	9,000	30 May 1936
South Melbourne	15.21 (111)	Essendon	11.13 (79)	Lake Oval	15,000	30 May 1936
Footscray	7.17 (59)	Carlton	13.16 (94)	Western Oval	15,000	30 May 1936

Round 6

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Hawthorn	9.11 (65)	South Melbourne	18.20 (128)	Glenferrie Oval	12,000	6 June 1936
Geelong	6.14 (50)	Richmond	13.12 (90)	Corio Oval	9,000	6 June 1936
Essendon	18.19 (127)	Fitzroy	12.14 (86)	Windy Hill	14,000	6 June 1936
Carlton	11.16 (82)	Collingwood	12.16 (88)	Princes Park	46,000	6 June 1936
St Kilda	22.15 (147)	North Melbourne	14.24 (108)	Junction Oval	10,000	6 June 1936
Melbourne	13.18 (96)	Footscray	11.14 (80)	MCG	10,595	6 June 1936

Round 7

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Collingwood	14.5 (89)	Melbourne	9.13 (67)	Victoria Park	11,250	13 June 1936
Carlton	19.14 (128)	St Kilda	11.9 (75)	Princes Park	22,000	13 June 1936
Hawthorn	12.19 (91)	Geelong	7.6 (48)	Glenferrie Oval	6,000	13 June 1936
North Melbourne	12.19 (91)	Footscray	13.7 (85)	Arden Street Oval	10,000	13 June 1936
South Melbourne	13.15 (93)	Fitzroy	7.11 (53)	Lake Oval	14,000	13 June 1936
Richmond	10.18 (78)	Essendon	10.11 (71)	Punt Road Oval	12,000	13 June 1936

Round 8

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Melbourne	20.11 (131)	St Kilda	15.11 (101)	MCG	21,230	20 June 1936
Fitzroy	12.16 (88)	Richmond	20.12 (132)	Brunswick Street Oval	12,000	20 June 1936
Essendon	12.19 (91)	Hawthorn	8.18 (66)	Windy Hill	11,000	20 June 1936
South Melbourne	16.21 (117)	Geelong	15.14 (104)	Lake Oval	12,000	20 June 1936
Footscray	11.13 (79)	Collingwood	16.10 (106)	Western Oval	11,500	20 June 1936
North Melbourne	13.8 (86)	Carlton	9.13 (67)	Arden Street Oval	15,000	20 June 1936

Round 9

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Richmond	14.14 (98)	South Melbourne	11.11 (77)	Punt Road Oval	29,500	27 June 1936
Collingwood	17.19 (121)	North Melbourne	8.7 (55)	Victoria Park	11,500	27 June 1936
Carlton	9.14 (68)	Melbourne	11.17 (83)	Princes Park	18,000	27 June 1936
St Kilda	20.17 (137)	Footscray	16.13 (109)	Junction Oval	10,000	27 June 1936
Hawthorn	11.9 (75)	Fitzroy	9.9 (63)	Glenferrie Oval	8,000	27 June 1936
Geelong	26.18 (174)	Essendon	14.13 (97)	Corio Oval	8,000	27 June 1936

Round 10

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Footscray	10.8 (68)	Richmond	15.13 (103)	Western Oval	10,500	11 July 1936
Collingwood	12.19 (91)	South Melbourne	14.18 (102)	Victoria Park	25,800	11 July 1936
Carlton	14.21 (105)	Geelong	12.17 (89)	Princes Park	18,000	11 July 1936
St Kilda	16.9 (105)	Hawthorn	12.16 (88)	Junction Oval	9,000	11 July 1936
North Melbourne	9.11 (65)	Fitzroy	3.12 (30)	Arden Street Oval	9,000	11 July 1936
Melbourne	16.15 (111)	Essendon	9.13 (67)	MCG	12,357	11 July 1936

Round 11

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Hawthorn	8.19 (67)	North Melbourne	7.11 (53)	Glenferrie Oval	6,000	18 July 1936
Fitzroy	16.9 (105)	St Kilda	19.15 (129)	Brunswick Street Oval	7,000	18 July 1936
Essendon	12.15 (87)	Footscray	16.18 (114)	Windy Hill	10,000	18 July 1936
Richmond	15.13 (103)	Melbourne	17.10 (112)	Punt Road Oval	18,500	18 July 1936
Geelong	13.15 (93)	Collingwood	11.9 (75)	Corio Oval	10,000	18 July 1936
South Melbourne	16.11 (107)	Carlton	14.16 (100)	Lake Oval	26,000	18 July 1936

Round 12

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Melbourne	22.16 (148)	South Melbourne	14.12 (96)	MCG	26,510	25 July 1936
Footscray	14.9 (93)	Geelong	10.22 (82)	Western Oval	6,000	25 July 1936
Collingwood	14.18 (102)	Hawthorn	6.12 (48)	Victoria Park	7,000	25 July 1936
Carlton	18.15 (123)	Fitzroy	14.11 (95)	Princes Park	9,000	25 July 1936
St Kilda	14.12 (96)	Richmond	18.6 (114)	Junction Oval	12,000	25 July 1936
North Melbourne	6.14 (50)	Essendon	10.10 (70)	Arden Street Oval	7,000	25 July 1936

Round 13

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Geelong	17.20 (122)	North Melbourne	12.8 (80)	Corio Oval	8,000	1 August 1936
Fitzroy	13.13 (91)	Melbourne	12.13 (85)	Brunswick Street Oval	11,000	1 August 1936
South Melbourne	14.19 (103)	St Kilda	13.11 (89)	Lake Oval	16,000	1 August 1936
Hawthorn	13.13 (91)	Footscray	8.21 (69)	Glenferrie Oval	10,000	1 August 1936
Richmond	11.14 (80)	Collingwood	14.12 (96)	Punt Road Oval	26,000	1 August 1936
Essendon	8.11 (59)	Carlton	17.16 (118)	Windy Hill	13,000	1 August 1936

Round 14

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
North Melbourne	11.7 (73)	Richmond	9.11 (65)	Arden Street Oval	7,000	8 August 1936
Footscray	11.15 (81)	South Melbourne	12.21 (93)	Western Oval	12,000	8 August 1936
Collingwood	13.12 (90)	Fitzroy	11.8 (74)	Victoria Park	16,400	8 August 1936
Carlton	11.17 (83)	Hawthorn	8.16 (64)	Princes Park	9,000	8 August 1936
Melbourne	14.16 (100)	Geelong	15.15 (105)	MCG	12,229	8 August 1936
St Kilda	16.23 (119)	Essendon	14.14 (98)	Junction Oval	7,500	8 August 1936

Round 15

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Hawthorn	9.8 (62)	Melbourne	17.10 (112)	Glenferrie Oval	10,000	15 August 1936
Geelong	18.22 (130)	St Kilda	10.7 (67)	Corio Oval	8,000	15 August 1936
Fitzroy	9.10 (64)	Footscray	12.17 (89)	Brunswick Street Oval	10,000	15 August 1936
South Melbourne	8.16 (64)	North Melbourne	9.9 (63)	Lake Oval	11,000	15 August 1936
Essendon	8.10 (58)	Collingwood	14.16 (100)	Windy Hill	9,000	15 August 1936
Richmond	9.12 (66)	Carlton	14.6 (90)	Punt Road Oval	25,000	15 August 1936

Round 16

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Melbourne	14.23 (107)	North Melbourne	5.15 (45)	MCG	16,103	22 August 1936
Hawthorn	15.12 (102)	Richmond	14.16 (100)	Glenferrie Oval	9,000	22 August 1936
Essendon	12.16 (88)	South Melbourne	11.30 (96)	Windy Hill	9,000	22 August 1936
Carlton	12.22 (94)	Footscray	12.14 (86)	Princes Park	15,000	22 August 1936
Geelong	20.21 (141)	Fitzroy	6.8 (44)	Corio Oval	7,000	22 August 1936
St Kilda	11.11 (77)	Collingwood	14.13 (97)	Junction Oval	14,300	22 August 1936

Round 17

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
North Melbourne	15.7 (97)	St Kilda	15.18 (108)	Arden Street Oval	8,000	29 August 1936
Footscray	8.17 (65)	Melbourne	9.18 (72)	Western Oval	13,000	29 August 1936
South Melbourne	16.10 (106)	Hawthorn	15.11 (101)	Lake Oval	12,000	29 August 1936
Richmond	8.7 (55)	Geelong	12.9 (81)	Punt Road Oval	14,000	29 August 1936
Fitzroy	9.16 (70)	Essendon	17.16 (118)	Brunswick Street Oval	9,000	29 August 1936
Collingwood	13.11 (89)	Carlton	13.12 (90)	Victoria Park	30,100	29 August 1936

Round 18

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Geelong	21.22 (148)	Hawthorn	9.15 (69)	Corio Oval	6,000	5 September 1936
Footscray	14.8 (92)	North Melbourne	12.10 (82)	Western Oval	11,000	5 September 1936
Fitzroy	11.13 (79)	South Melbourne	11.14 (80)	Brunswick Street Oval	11,000	5 September 1936
Essendon	14.8 (92)	Richmond	11.10 (76)	Windy Hill	8,000	5 September 1936
Melbourne	9.13 (67)	Collingwood	11.18 (84)	MCG	21,648	5 September 1936
St Kilda	16.10 (106)	Carlton	15.15 (105)	Junction Oval	18,000	5 September 1936

Ladder

(P)	Premiers
	Qualified for finals

#	Team	P	W	L	D	PF	PA	%	Pts
1	South Melbourne	18	16	2	0	1806	1524	118.5	64
2	Collingwood (P)	18	15	3	0	1854	1367	135.6	60
3	Carlton	18	12	6	0	1877	1504	124.8	48
4	Melbourne	18	12	6	0	1755	1477	118.8	48
5	Geelong	18	11	7	0	1884	1498	125.8	44
6	Richmond	18	10	8	0	1673	1550	107.9	40
7	St Kilda	18	9	9	0	1845	1919	96.1	36
8	Essendon	18	6	12	0	1565	1840	85.1	24
9	Hawthorn	18	6	12	0	1391	1720	80.9	24
10	Footscray	18	5	13	0	1462	1690	86.5	20
11	North Melbourne	18	4	14	0	1274	1679	75.9	16
12	Fitzroy	18	2	16	0	1367	1985	68.9	8

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 91.4
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

Semi-finals

Home team	Score	Away team	Score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Carlton	11.22 (88)	Melbourne	14.13 (97)	MCG	55,094	12 September
South Melbourne	10.17 (77)	Collingwood	12.18 (90)	MCG	55,573	19 September

Preliminary final

Home team	Score	Away team	Score	Venue	Crowd	Date
South Melbourne	13.11 (89)	Melbourne	8.15 (63)	MCG	50,738	26 September

Grand final

Main article: 1936 VFL Grand Final

Season notes

• Prior to the season, the Richmond Football Club formally announced its intentions to move its home base from the Punt Road Oval to the nearby Olympic Park, owing mostly to an ongoing dispute with the Richmond Cricket Club. Such a move required the approval of the League's Board of Management; the vote was tied 6–6, then voted down by the casting vote of League president William McClelland (a casting vote for the status quo was customary in the event of a tie). As such, Richmond was forced to remain at the Punt Road Oval. ^[1]
• In Round 1, the first goal kicked by South Melbourne's Bob Pratt against Melbourne was his 500th career goal.
• In Round 7, Collingwood full-forward Gordon Coventry scored his 1,200th VFL goal.
• All Round 10 matches were postponed because all VFL grounds were under water following an extended period of torrential rain. All subsequent rounds were also pushed back by one week.
• After Round 13, Gordon Coventry was suspended for eight weeks for striking Richmond's Joe Murdoch, and missed the finals series.
• After Round 14, Essendon's forward-pocket Ted Bryce was suspended for eighteen weeks for kicking Carlton rover Norm Cashin.
• In Round 17, field-umpire Jack McMurray umpired his 300th senior VFL match.
• In Round 18, needing seven goals to reach 100, St Kilda's full-forward Bill Mohr kicked eight goals, finishing his season with 101 goals. In a 13-season (1929–1941), 735 goal career, this was his highest ever total.
• North Melbourne and Hawthorn both recorded their first wins against Richmond since entering the VFL in 1925. North Melbourne's win in Round 14 ended an 18-game losing streak against Richmond, and Hawthorn's win in Round 16 ended a 21-game losing streak.

Awards

• The 1936 VFL Premiership team was Collingwood.
• The VFL's leading goalkicker was Bill Mohr of St Kilda with 101 goals.
• The Argus newspaper's "Player of the Year" was Bill Mohr of St Kilda.
• The winner of the 1936 Brownlow Medal was Denis Ryan of Fitzroy with 26 votes.
• Fitzroy took the "wooden spoon" in 1936.
• The seconds premiership was won by Footscray. Footscray 15.11 (101) defeated Melbourne 6.14 (50) in the Grand Final, played as a curtain-raiser to the firsts Grand Final on 3 October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. ^[2]

References

1. "Richmond to remain – Football League decides". The Argus. Melbourne. 24 February 1936. p. 7.
2. "Seconds final – Footscray brilliant". The Argus. Melbourne. 5 October 1936. p. 14.

• 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

• 1936 VFL season at AFL Tables
• 1936 VFL season at Australian Football