1969 VFA season

Last updated

1969 VFA premiership season
Division 1
Teams10
Premiers Preston
2nd premiership
Minor premiers Preston
2nd minor premiership
Division 2
Teams10
Premiers Williamstown
1st D2 premiership
Minor premiers Sunshine
2nd D2 minor premiership
←  1968
1970  →

The 1969 Victorian Football Association season was the 88th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the ninth season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won for the second consecutive year by the Preston Football Club, after it defeated Dandenong in the Grand Final on 21 September by 12 points; it was Preston's second Division 1 premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Williamstown, in its second season since being relegated from Division 1.

Contents

Clearance disputes

There had been open conflict on clearances between the Association and the Victorian Football League since the Association introduced transfer fees on its players in April 1967. League clubs were forbidden from paying transfer fees by the League's player payment rules (the "Coulter Laws"), [1] and so the League terminated the 1949 clearance reciprocity agreement with the Association, allowing Association players to transfer directly to the League without a clearance, and vice versa, [2] and it also had a ban on approving clearances to the Association in place during much of the dispute.

Despite the opportunity to transfer without a clearance, only three players had made this move to the League between 1967 and 1969: Terry Alexander, and future Hall of Fame players Kevin Sheedy and Peter Bedford – in no case was the transfer fee paid. All were suspended from the Association for five years, and the severity of this suspension is thought to have deterred others – particularly those who were not guaranteed to win a regular senior place in the League – from risking the move. [3] The only player whose transfer fee was officially paid was 1967 Liston Trophy winner Jim Sullivan, who in 1968 attracted a $1,000 transfer fee to move to Claremont in the West Australian National Football League, a league which did not have the same payment restrictions as the VFL. [4] On the other hand, more than sixty players from the VFL, mostly reserves and fringe senior players, made the cross to the Association without a clearance in the same time. [5]

In November 1968, the Australian National Football Council intervened in an attempt to end the clearance dispute, by mandating that the two competitions were required to recognise the other's clearances; [6] the ANFC had long-standing rules requiring reciprocal recognition of clearances between interstate competitions, but a loophole meant that these rules had not applied to two competitions within the same state. [7]

In April 1969, the disagreement played out in the controversial case of Geoff Bryant. The Association approved the clearance of Bryant from Box Hill to the VFL's North Melbourne, and had set a transfer fee of $2,000 for Bryant's clearance. It was initially reported that the clearance had been approved without the transfer fee being paid, which could have occurred only if the Association had broken its own rules requiring the transfer fee. Association secretary Fred Hill responded to the press that this was not the case: that North Melbourne had indeed paid the transfer fee, and had done so secretly in defiance of the VFL's rules. [8] Box Hill president Reg Shineberg described to the press the clandestine circumstances under which he had allegedly received the fee – in $10 and $20 notes, under cover of darkness outside VFA House, from a man he did not know. [9] The VFL arbitrators investigated North Melbourne over the alleged breach of its payment rules, but the charges were dropped after the Association did not provide any written corroborating evidence to the investigation. Whether or not the illegal transfer fee was actually paid was never proven. [10]

On 11 April 1969, while the Bryant case was ongoing, the Association Board of Management agreed by a 41–2 majority to drop its transfer fee rule; but, it did not reinstate a clearance reciprocity agreement, and in Round 1, two League players were permitted to play in the Association without a clearance: John Ibrahim (from North Melbourne, fielded by Sunshine) and Alan White (from St Kilda, fielded by Caulfield). [11] The ANFC issued an ultimatum to the Association reinstate a clearance agreement with the League, but the Association refused, and yet more players crossed without a clearance (including Fred Cook, who went on to become the Association's all-time leading goalkicker); as a result, the Association was excluded from sending a team to the 1969 Interstate Carnival, which was held in Adelaide in June, [12] and was then finally expelled altogether from the ANFC in March 1970 [13] – ending its twenty-year affiliation with the national body which had started in August 1949.

Division 1

The Division 1 home-and-home season was played over 18 rounds; the top four then contested the finals under the Page–McIntyre system. The finals were held at the Punt Road Oval, in Richmond.

Ladder

1969 VFA Division 1 ladder
PosTeamPldWLDPFPAPPPts
1 Preston (P)18171021581407153.468
2 Dandenong 18144020851784116.956
3 Sandringham 18135018511684109.952
4 Port Melbourne 18117018081526118.544
5 Yarraville 1899018821760106.936
6 Prahran 1899017931743102.936
7 Waverley 1861201582174390.836
8 Geelong West 1851301402190773.520
9 Oakleigh 1831501395188674.012
10 Brunswick 1831501357197168.812
Source: [14]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals

Semi-finals
Sunday, 31 August Sandringham 14.20 (104)def. by Port Melbourne 16.18 (114) Punt Road Oval (crowd: 10,000) [15]
Sunday, 7 September Preston 10.18 (78)def. Dandenong 11.9 (75) Punt Road Oval (crowd: 8,000) [16]
Preliminary Final
Sunday, 14 September Dandenong 15.16 (106)def. Port Melbourne 13.15 (93) Punt Road Oval (crowd: 6,000) [17]
1969 VFA Division 1 Grand Final
Sunday, 21 September Preston def. Dandenong Punt Road Oval (crowd: 10,000) [18]
5.5 (35)
7.9 (51)
9.11 (65)
12.11 (83)		Q1
Q2
Q3
Final		3.0 (18)
5.4 (34)
7.8 (50)
10.11 (71)		Umpires: Brewer
Joyce 3, Reid 2, Clark, Dalton, Dea, Heard, Leslie, McLean, Telford Goals Miller 7, Guinane, Sheehan, Stedwell

Awards

Division 2

The Division 2 home-and-home season was played over eighteen rounds; the top four then contested the finals under the Page–McIntyre system.

Ladder

1969 VFA Division 2 ladder
PosTeamPldWLDPFPAPPPts
1 Sunshine 18171023621423166.068
2 Coburg 18162023441445162.264
3 Williamstown (P)18153020171259160.260
4 Box Hill 189901667186989.236
5 Northcote 188911438163388.134
6 Caulfield 1881001787183097.732
7 Werribee 18711017021686100.928
8 Frankston 1851301767205586.020
9 Mordialloc 1831501425201770.612
10 Camberwell 1811611178246047.96
Source: [20]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals

Semi-finals
Sunday, 24 August Williamstown 26.17 (173)def. Box Hill 7.11 (53) Toorak Park (crowd: 6,000) [21]
Sunday, 31 August Sunshine 19.17 (131)def. Coburg 18.13 (121) Toorak Park (crowd: 4,000) [22]
Preliminary Final
Sunday, 7 September Coburg 8.5 (53)def. by Williamstown 14.12 (96) Toorak Park (crowd: 4,200) [23]
1969 VFA Division 2 Grand Final
Sunday, 14 September Sunshine def. by Williamstown Toorak Park (crowd: 6,000) [24]
4.3 (27)
7.5 (47)
11.12 (78)
12.12 (84)		Q1
Q2
Q3
Final		2.2 (14)
8.8 (56)
10.9 (69)
15.14 (104)		Umpires: McMaster
Allen 4, Ibrahim 2, Bean, Dean, Goold, Kennedy, Rosser, RussellGoals Jackman 4, Papley 3, Smith 3, Hayward, Lane, Mulligan, Page, Patterson
Darul, for striking Smith in the second quarterReports

Awards

Notable events

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victorian Football League</span> Australian rules football league

The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in eastern states of Australia: Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, including reserves teams for the eastern state AFL clubs. It succeeded and continues the competition of the former Victorian Football Association (VFA) which began in 1877. The name of the competition was changed to the Victorian Football League in 1996. Under its VFL brand, the AFL also operates a women's football competition known as VFL Women's, which was established in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. J. Liston Trophy</span> Australian rules football award

The J. J. Liston Trophy is awarded annually to the best and fairest senior player in the Victorian Football League (VFL), which was formerly known as the Victorian Football Association (VFA). It is named after J.J. Liston, a businessman, civic leader and sports administrator who was fundamental in advancing sport in Australia, particularly Australian Rules Football and Soccer.

Maxwell William Papley is a former Australian rules footballer who represented South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and Moorabbin and Williamstown in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) during the 1950s and 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunshine Football Club (VFA)</span> Australian rules football club

The Sunshine Football Club, nicknamed the Crows, was an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1959 until 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1949 VFA season</span> Australian rules football season

The 1949 Victorian Football Association season was the 68th season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Williamstown Football Club, which defeated Oakleigh by three points in the Grand Final on 1 October. It was the fifth premiership won by the club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1953 VFA season</span> Australian rules football season

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.

The 1956 Victorian Football Association season was the 75th season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Williamstown Football Club, after it defeated Port Melbourne in the Grand Final on 29 September by twenty-four points. It was Williamstown's eighth premiership, its third in a row, and the third of five premierships won in six seasons from 1954 until 1959.

The 1957 Victorian Football Association season was the 76th season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Moorabbin Football Club, after it defeated Port Melbourne in the Grand Final on 5 October by forty points. It was Moorabbin's first VFA premiership, won in its seventh season of competition. For Port Melbourne, it was the last of eight consecutive Grand Final appearances between 1950 and 1957, of which only the 1953 premiership was won. Minor premiers Williamstown went through the home-and-home season undefeated, but lost both finals to finish third; it was the only premiership which the club did not win between 1954 and 1959.

The 1958 VFA season was the 77th season of the Victorian Football Association, an Australian rules football competition played in the state of Victoria.

The 1964 Victorian Football Association season was the 83rd season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the fourth season of its second division. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Port Melbourne Football Club, after it defeated Williamstown in the Grand Final on 26 September by 36 points; it was Port Melbourne's 8th VFA premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Geelong West, in only its second season in the VFA.

The 1965 Victorian Football Association season was the 84th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the fifth season of its second division. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Waverley Football Club, after it defeated Port Melbourne in the Grand Final on 26 September by twelve points; it was the first and only premiership ever won by Waverley in either division in its time in the Association, and it came in only its second season in Division 1. The Division 2 premiership was won by Preston; 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.

The 1966 Victorian Football Association season was the 85th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the sixth season of its second division. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Port Melbourne Football Club, after it defeated Waverley in the Grand Final on 25 September by 43 points; it was Port Melbourne's ninth premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Prahran.

The 1967 Victorian Football Association season was the 86th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the seventh season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Dandenong Football Club, after it defeated Port Melbourne in a controversial Grand Final on 24 September by 25 points; it was Dandenong's first Division 1 premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Oakleigh, in its first season after relegation from Division 1.

The 1968 Victorian Football Association season was the 87th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the eighth season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Preston Football Club, after it defeated Prahran in the Grand Final on 22 September by 14 points; it was Preston's first Division 1 premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Geelong West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 VFA season</span> Australian rules football season

The 1970 Victorian Football Association season was the 89th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the tenth season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Prahran Football Club, marking the club's third Division 1 premiership; it defeated Williamstown, which qualified for the Grand Final in its first season after promotion to Division 1, on 20 September by 50 points. The Division 2 premiership was won by Coburg, in its second season since being relegated from Division 1.

The 1987 Victorian Football Association season was the 106th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 27th season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Springvale Football Club, after it defeated Port Melbourne in the Grand Final on 20 September by 38 points; it was Springvale's first Division 1 premiership, won in just its fourth season in the first division. The Division 2 premiership was won by Prahran; it was the club's second Division 2 premiership, and the last premiership ever won by the club in either division.

The 1988 Victorian Football Association season was the 107th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 28th and final season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Coburg Football Club, after it defeated Williamstown in the Grand Final on 18 September by 27 points; it was Coburg's fifth Division 1 premiership. The final Division 2 premiership was won by Oakleigh; it was the club's second Division 2 premiership, and the last premiership ever won by the club in either division.

The 1989 Victorian Football Association season was the 108th season of the Australian rules football competition. It was the first season since 1960 in which the Association operated as a single-division competition after having operated as a two-division competition with promotion and relegation between them for the previous 28 years. The premiership was won by the Coburg Football Club, after it defeated Williamstown in the grand final on 24 September by 20 points; it was Coburg's second premiership in a row, and its sixth and, as of 2019, last top division premiership overall.

The 1990 Victorian Football Association season was the 109th season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the Williamstown Football Club, after it defeated Springvale in the grand final on 30 September by two points; it was Williamstown's twelfth top-division premiership.

The Australian rules football schism (1938–1949) was a period of division in the rules and governance of Australian rules football, primarily in the sport's traditional heartland of Melbourne, and to lesser extents in North West Tasmania and parts of regional Victoria. The schism existed primarily between Melbourne's pre-eminent league, the Victorian Football League (VFL), and its secondary league, the Victorian Football Association (VFA). In the context of VFA history, this period is often referred to as the throw-pass era.

References

  1. ↑ Ron Barassi (17 April 1968). "'Laughable' price fixing". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. pp. 67–68.
  2. ↑ "'Open go' now on transfers". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. April 1967. p. 64.
  3. ↑ Rex Pullen (9 April 1969). "$2000 paid for North star". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. pp. 67–68.
  4. ↑ Noel Pascoe (19 April 1968). "His price: $1000". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 46.
  5. ↑ Noel Pascoe (11 May 1968). "No problems for VFA teams". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 53.
  6. ↑ Scot Palmer (7 May 1969). "ANFC president hits back". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 63.
  7. ↑ Kevin Hogan (18 June 1966). "Transfer rule averts "war"". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 55.
  8. ↑ Rex Pullen (9 April 1969). "$2000 paid for North star". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. pp. 67–68.
  9. ↑ Kevin Hogan (19 April 1969). "North, secretary to face charges". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 52.
  10. ↑ Bob Crimeen (29 April 1969). "Joseph, club get all clear". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. pp. 55–56.
  11. ↑ Noel Pascoe (12 April 1969). "Transfer fee rule dropped". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 56.
  12. ↑ "VFA takes out a writ". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. 4 June 1969. p. 66.
  13. ↑ Scot Palmer (17 March 1970). "Permits: VFA is expelled". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 62.
  14. 1 2 Noel Pascoe (25 August 1969). "Preston scores, but only just". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 53.
  15. ↑ Mike Smith (1 September 1969). "Tenacious Port earns 10-point VFA semi win". The Age. Melbourne. p. 23.
  16. ↑ Mike Smith (8 September 1969). "Preston gets in by 3 points". The Age. Melbourne. p. 21.
  17. 1 2 Mike Smith (15 September 1969). "Dandenong wins after great game by Morrow". The Age. Melbourne. p. 21.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Mike Smith (22 September 1969). "Preston wins final for second year". The Age. Melbourne. p. 29.
  19. ↑ Noel Pascoe (28 August 1969). "Hill takes Liston in a photo-finish". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 64.
  20. 1 2 Noel Pascoe (18 August 1969). "See-saw game goes to Sandy". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 48.
  21. ↑ Mike Smith (25 August 1969). "Record score in VFA". The Age. Melbourne. p. 21.
  22. ↑ Mike Smith (1 September 1969). "Sunshine has third win over Coburg". The Age. Melbourne. p. 23.
  23. ↑ Mike Smith (8 September 1969). "Seagulls too good". The Age. Melbourne. p. 21.
  24. 1 2 Mike Smith (15 September 1969). "Seagulls back in top Div". The Age. Melbourne. p. 21.
  25. ↑ Noel Pascoe (21 August 1969). "Sullivan top in three divisions". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 59.
  26. ↑ Fiddian, Marc (2004); The VFA; A History of the Victorian Football Association 1877–1995; pp. 300-302
  27. ↑ Fiddian, Marc (2003), Seagulls over Williamstown, Williamstown, VIC: Williamstown Football Club, pp. 121–122
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.