1944 VFA season

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1944 VFA premiership season
PremiersPremiership not contested
  1943
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.

Contents

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 [1] – but had cancelled the 1942 and 1943 seasons when it became clear that the competition would distract from the war effort. [2]

In February 1944, the Association decided not to recommence play in 1944; 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. [3] It was decided on 12 June that the Association would resume play in 1945. [4]

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. [5] Clubs were, however, limited in the number of former senior players they could field. [6] 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. [7]

Notable events

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The 1953 Victorian Football Association season was the 72nd season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Port Melbourne Football Club, after it defeated Yarraville by 60 points in the Grand Final on 3 October. It was Port Melbourne's seventh VFA premiership, and it was the only premiership that the club won during a sequence of eight consecutive Grand Finals played from 1950 until 1957, and five consecutive minor premierships won from 1951 until 1955.

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The 1976 Victorian Football Association season was the 95th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 16th season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Port Melbourne Football Club, after it defeated Dandenong in the Grand Final on 19 September by 57 points; it was Port Melbourne's 11th Division 1 premiership, taking it past Williamstown to become the club with the most Division 1 premierships in VFA history, a title it still holds outright as of 2019; and, it was the second of six premierships won by the club in nine seasons between 1974 and 1982. The Division 2 premiership was won by Williamstown; it was its second Division 2 premiership, won in its first season in after relegation.

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The 1981 Victorian Football Association season was the 100th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 21st season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Port Melbourne Football Club, after it defeated Preston in the Grand Final on 20 September by 113 points; it was Port Melbourne's 14th Division 1 premiership, the second of three premierships won in a row between 1980 and 1982, and the fifth of six premierships won in nine seasons from 1974 until 1982. The Division 2 premiership was won by Camberwell; it was the club's second Division 2 premiership, and it was the last premiership ever won by the club.

The 1983 Victorian Football Association season was the 102nd season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 23rd season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Preston Football Club, after it defeated Geelong West in the Grand Final on 18 September by seven points; it was Preston's third Division 1 premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Springvale; it was the club's first Association premiership, won in only its second season of competition.

The 1985 Victorian Football Association season was the 104th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 25th season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Sandringham Football Club, after it defeated Williamstown in the Grand Final on 22 September by six points; it was Sandringham's third Division 1 premiership, and its first since 1962. The Division 2 premiership was won by Brunswick; it was the club's third Division 2 premiership, and the last premiership in either division ever won by the club.

The 1986 Victorian Football Association season was the 105th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 26th season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Williamstown Football Club, after it defeated Coburg in the Grand Final on 21 September by 13 points; it was Williamstown's eleventh Division 1 premiership, and its first since 1959. The Division 2 premiership was won by Box Hill; it was the club's second Division 2 premiership in three years, having competed in and been relegated from Division 1 in the intervening year.

References

  1. "Association teams – Preston's haul". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 12 April 1941. p. 16.
  2. "No Association football". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 23 February 1943. p. 9.
  3. "VFA not to resume". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 15 February 1944. p. 9.
  4. "VFA to play next season". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 13 June 1944. p. 13.
  5. "VFA seconds". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 29 April 1944. p. 6.
  6. Fiddian, Marc: Devis at Play: A History of the Oakleigh Football Club, p. 37 ISBN   0959631631
  7. "VFA seconds". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 25 September 1944. p. 9.
  8. "Death of Mr J. J. Liston". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 13 April 1944. p. 3.
  9. "New Association President". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 12 February 1929. p. 14.
  10. Fiddian, Marc (2004), The VFA: a history of the Victorian Football Association, 1877–1995, p. 99
  11. "New football leader". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 9 May 1944. p. 9.