1972 VFL season

Last updated

1972 VFL premiership season
Teams12
Premiers Carlton
11th premiership
Minor premiers Carlton
12th minor premiership
Brownlow Medallist Len Thompson (Collingwood)
Coleman Medallist Peter McKenna (Collingwood)
Attendance
Matches played139
Total attendance3,526,848 (25,373 per match)
Highest112,393
  1971
1973  

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.

Contents

The premiership was won by the Carlton Football Club for the eleventh time, after it defeated Richmond by 27 points in the 1972 VFL Grand Final.

Premiership season

In 1972, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th 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 22 rounds; matches 12 to 22 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 11.

Once the 22 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1972 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the McIntyre final five system.

Round 1

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Hawthorn 15.14 (104) Melbourne 10.15 (75) Glenferrie Oval 26,0001 April 1972
Carlton 11.15 (81) Fitzroy 10.10 (70) Princes Park 32,5001 April 1972
St Kilda 20.14 (134) North Melbourne 11.10 (76) Moorabbin Oval 24,0001 April 1972
South Melbourne 10.13 (73) Geelong 9.7 (61) Lake Oval 18,6543 April 1972
Footscray 9.13 (67) Essendon 18.20 (128) Western Oval 28,9353 April 1972
Richmond 16.9 (105) Collingwood 14.17 (101) MCG 72,7143 April 1972

Round 2

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Geelong 10.3 (63) Richmond 22.17 (149) Kardinia Park 18,4948 April 1972
Fitzroy 12.16 (88) St Kilda 12.8 (80) Junction Oval 20,0008 April 1972
Essendon 16.11 (107) South Melbourne 7.18 (60) Windy Hill 22,6118 April 1972
North Melbourne 11.10 (76) Hawthorn 19.24 (138) Arden Street Oval 10,2008 April 1972
Melbourne 11.18 (84) Footscray 15.15 (105) MCG 21,4528 April 1972
Collingwood 10.15 (75) Carlton 11.9 (75) Victoria Park 37,0708 April 1972

Round 3

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Collingwood 17.11 (113) Melbourne 6.12 (48) Victoria Park 25,17215 April 1972
St Kilda 22.7 (139) Footscray 12.9 (81) Moorabbin Oval 20,06815 April 1972
North Melbourne 12.14 (86) Fitzroy 16.13 (109) Arden Street Oval 10,38315 April 1972
Richmond 16.15 (111) Essendon 19.17 (131) MCG 55,82315 April 1972
South Melbourne 14.10 (94) Carlton 18.18 (126) Lake Oval 20,49915 April 1972
Geelong 9.11 (65) Hawthorn 15.17 (107) VFL Park 16,34715 April 1972

Round 4

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Melbourne 18.19 (127) South Melbourne 8.8 (56) MCG 18,59422 April 1972
Footscray 15.10 (100) North Melbourne 12.14 (86) Western Oval 12,82722 April 1972
Fitzroy 11.17 (83) Hawthorn 9.10 (64) Junction Oval 16,93722 April 1972
Essendon 17.27 (129) Geelong 12.14 (86) Windy Hill 15,00022 April 1972
Carlton 15.14 (104) Richmond 15.19 (109) Princes Park 28,53622 April 1972
Collingwood 9.13 (67) St Kilda 12.15 (87) VFL Park 40,20122 April 1972

Round 5

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Richmond 13.11 (89) Melbourne 12.12 (84) MCG 38,15425 April 1972
Essendon 10.13 (73) Carlton 13.10 (88) VFL Park 50,50225 April 1972
South Melbourne 5.17 (47) St Kilda 9.16 (70) Lake Oval 19,72429 April 1972
Hawthorn 14.20 (104) Footscray 11.10 (76) Glenferrie Oval 15,35529 April 1972
Geelong 11.9 (75) Fitzroy 19.13 (127) Kardinia Park 16,34329 April 1972
North Melbourne 8.14 (62) Collingwood 22.8 (140) Arden Street Oval 17,41429 April 1972

Round 6

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Collingwood 14.12 (96) Hawthorn 15.11 (101) Victoria Park 29,8856 May 1972
Carlton 22.15 (147) Geelong 14.14 (98) Princes Park 19,0736 May 1972
St Kilda 24.21 (165) Richmond 10.16 (76) Moorabbin Oval 34,0556 May 1972
Footscray 16.16 (112) Fitzroy 13.12 (90) Western Oval 18,4666 May 1972
Melbourne 16.13 (109) Essendon 12.13 (85) MCG 41,5376 May 1972
South Melbourne 14.22 (106) North Melbourne 13.13 (91) VFL Park 9,0996 May 1972

Round 7

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Hawthorn 13.14 (92) South Melbourne 9.20 (74) Glenferrie Oval 13,74213 May 1972
Essendon 18.15 (123) St Kilda 10.22 (82) Windy Hill 27,87513 May 1972
Richmond 17.19 (121) North Melbourne 13.16 (94) MCG 17,33113 May 1972
Geelong 15.18 (108) Footscray 16.15 (111) Kardinia Park 16,83613 May 1972
Fitzroy 10.15 (75) Collingwood 15.10 (100) Junction Oval 26,76613 May 1972
Carlton 10.15 (75) Melbourne 5.8 (38) VFL Park 30,24913 May 1972

Round 8

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Collingwood 7.14 (56) Footscray 11.14 (80) Victoria Park 25,98620 May 1972
Melbourne 20.14 (134) Geelong 14.17 (101) MCG 19,02320 May 1972
South Melbourne 9.7 (61) Fitzroy 18.11 (119) Lake Oval 12,42120 May 1972
North Melbourne 8.13 (61) Essendon 14.12 (96) Arden Street Oval 14,09120 May 1972
St Kilda 10.12 (72) Carlton 14.15 (99) Moorabbin Oval 31,54720 May 1972
Richmond 11.25 (91) Hawthorn 13.6 (84) VFL Park 25,84520 May 1972

Round 9

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Footscray 12.9 (81) South Melbourne 9.10 (64) Western Oval 15,89127 May 1972
Fitzroy 12.25 (97) Richmond 16.9 (105) Junction Oval 21,75327 May 1972
Essendon 15.17 (107) Hawthorn 14.21 (105) Windy Hill 28,18727 May 1972
Collingwood 28.16 (184) Geelong 16.13 (109) Victoria Park 20,77127 May 1972
Carlton 16.13 (109) North Melbourne 6.11 (47) Princes Park 15,66427 May 1972
Melbourne 5.6 (36) St Kilda 9.19 (73) VFL Park 23,50727 May 1972

Round 10

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Geelong 9.11 (65) St Kilda 11.15 (81) Kardinia Park 15,8353 June 1972
North Melbourne 6.11 (47) Melbourne 23.17 (155) Arden Street Oval 8,0633 June 1972
Richmond 15.14 (104) Footscray 12.14 (86) MCG 36,9853 June 1972
South Melbourne 8.11 (59) Collingwood 19.14 (128) Lake Oval 18,0853 June 1972
Hawthorn 11.22 (88) Carlton 13.7 (85) Glenferrie Oval 26,6653 June 1972
Essendon 14.17 (101) Fitzroy 15.9 (99) VFL Park 26,7903 June 1972

Round 11

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Richmond 14.11 (95) South Melbourne 2.19 (31) MCG 18,69210 June 1972
St Kilda 17.8 (110) Hawthorn 7.14 (56) Moorabbin Oval 24,00010 June 1972
Footscray 7.9 (51) Carlton 7.15 (57) Western Oval 23,94810 June 1972
Fitzroy 12.17 (89) Melbourne 13.10 (88) Junction Oval 23,10312 June 1972
Collingwood 23.10 (148) Essendon 13.15 (93) Victoria Park 42,20612 June 1972
North Melbourne 14.11 (95) Geelong 14.20 (104) VFL Park 13,94512 June 1972

Round 12

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
North Melbourne 7.8 (50) St Kilda 12.19 (91) Arden Street Oval 10,68117 June 1972
Collingwood 11.24 (90) Richmond 12.13 (85) Victoria Park 28,18817 June 1972
Melbourne 11.10 (76) Hawthorn 11.9 (75) MCG 31,31417 June 1972
Geelong 15.14 (104) South Melbourne 10.13 (73) Kardinia Park 14,42624 June 1972
Essendon 14.15 (99) Footscray 19.19 (133) Windy Hill 23,90324 June 1972
Fitzroy 8.7 (55) Carlton 13.13 (91) VFL Park 29,38024 June 1972

Round 13

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Hawthorn 21.14 (140) North Melbourne 10.16 (76) Glenferrie Oval 8,2011 July 1972
Carlton 10.10 (70) Collingwood 9.8 (62) Princes Park 36,1331 July 1972
Richmond 14.8 (92) Geelong 25.18 (168) MCG 22,5951 July 1972
St Kilda 13.10 (88) Fitzroy 6.17 (53) Moorabbin Oval 18,3551 July 1972
South Melbourne 12.12 (84) Essendon 13.9 (87) Lake Oval 12,9841 July 1972
Footscray 11.8 (74) Melbourne 16.15 (111) VFL Park 14,1801 July 1972

Round 14

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
South Melbourne 10.9 (69) Melbourne 14.9 (93) Lake Oval 10,4058 July 1972
North Melbourne 8.15 (63) Footscray 14.15 (99) Arden Street Oval 9,3028 July 1972
Geelong 10.10 (70) Essendon 9.6 (60) Kardinia Park 23,8738 July 1972
St Kilda 4.13 (37) Collingwood 9.13 (67) Moorabbin Oval 30,4518 July 1972
Richmond 17.17 (119) Carlton 13.10 (88) MCG 46,4718 July 1972
Hawthorn 19.19 (133) Fitzroy 12.8 (80) VFL Park 12,4258 July 1972

Round 15

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Footscray 14.7 (91) St Kilda 9.11 (65) Western Oval 18,65515 July 1972
Fitzroy 16.14 (110) North Melbourne 9.12 (66) Junction Oval 7,00715 July 1972
Essendon 13.12 (90) Richmond 17.9 (111) Windy Hill 22,25115 July 1972
Carlton 20.8 (128) South Melbourne 8.15 (63) Princes Park 14,46515 July 1972
Hawthorn 19.14 (128) Geelong 15.8 (98) Glenferrie Oval 12,42515 July 1972
Melbourne 8.10 (58) Collingwood 10.13 (73) VFL Park 30,88315 July 1972

Round 16

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Melbourne 11.18 (84) Richmond 19.9 (123) MCG 32,41622 July 1972
Footscray 13.11 (89) Hawthorn 19.16 (130) Western Oval 18,40022 July 1972
Fitzroy 10.9 (69) Geelong 12.13 (85) Junction Oval 11,04622 July 1972
Collingwood 17.6 (108) North Melbourne 11.14 (80) Victoria Park 18,04922 July 1972
Carlton 20.13 (133) Essendon 17.15 (117) Princes Park 26,20622 July 1972
St Kilda 14.11 (95) South Melbourne 9.5 (59) VFL Park 13,18422 July 1972

Round 17

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Richmond 23.15 (153) St Kilda 11.15 (81) MCG 44,34829 July 1972
North Melbourne 12.15 (87) South Melbourne 11.12 (78) Arden Street Oval 6,19129 July 1972
Essendon 21.14 (140) Melbourne 14.11 (95) Windy Hill 16,31829 July 1972
Hawthorn 11.16 (82) Collingwood 19.13 (127) Glenferrie Oval 24,13529 July 1972
Geelong 9.13 (67) Carlton 17.17 (119) Kardinia Park 24,79729 July 1972
Fitzroy 15.12 (102) Footscray 11.15 (81) VFL Park 9,75029 July 1972

Round 18

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Footscray 9.19 (73) Geelong 10.9 (69) Western Oval 14,6995 August 1972
Collingwood 19.15 (129) Fitzroy 12.13 (85) Victoria Park 25,0075 August 1972
South Melbourne 13.11 (89) Hawthorn 23.10 (148) Lake Oval 9,2075 August 1972
St Kilda 12.9 (81) Essendon 12.16 (88) Moorabbin Oval 29,0625 August 1972
Melbourne 8.18 (66) Carlton 11.11 (77) MCG 33,3645 August 1972
North Melbourne 6.14 (50) Richmond 13.20 (98) VFL Park 11,3935 August 1972

Round 19

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Hawthorn 15.12 (102) Richmond 17.11 (113) Glenferrie Oval 18,10312 August 1972
Geelong 11.19 (85) Melbourne 21.16 (142) Kardinia Park 12,71612 August 1972
Fitzroy 14.14 (98) South Melbourne 6.17 (53) Junction Oval 7,45112 August 1972
Essendon 21.14 (140) North Melbourne 14.11 (95) Windy Hill 14,45412 August 1972
Carlton 13.16 (94) St Kilda 10.11 (71) Princes Park 22,10912 August 1972
Footscray 7.13 (55) Collingwood 15.12 (102) VFL Park 21,54012 August 1972

Round 20

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
St Kilda 13.12 (90) Melbourne 13.11 (89) Moorabbin Oval 18,83619 August 1972
South Melbourne 9.12 (66) Footscray 11.13 (79) Lake Oval 9,15419 August 1972
Richmond 20.17 (137) Fitzroy 13.22 (100) MCG 27,65119 August 1972
Geelong 17.10 (112) Collingwood 17.9 (111) Kardinia Park 23,10819 August 1972
North Melbourne 8.12 (60) Carlton 23.11 (149) Arden Street Oval 11,27119 August 1972
Hawthorn 15.16 (106) Essendon 12.15 (87) VFL Park 36,74919 August 1972

Round 21

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Melbourne 17.22 (124) North Melbourne 14.7 (91) MCG 11,24126 August 1972
Footscray 17.21 (123) Richmond 18.17 (125) Western Oval 18,11726 August 1972
Collingwood 22.17 (149) South Melbourne 11.6 (72) Victoria Park 19,93426 August 1972
Carlton 24.12 (156) Hawthorn 11.22 (88) Princes Park 32,04826 August 1972
Fitzroy 14.20 (104) Essendon 18.11 (119) Junction Oval 17,25226 August 1972
St Kilda 11.10 (76) Geelong 8.13 (61) VFL Park 25,66326 August 1972

Round 22

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Hawthorn 15.12 (102) St Kilda 18.13 (121) Glenferrie Oval 22,8552 September 1972
Geelong 20.20 (140) North Melbourne 13.11 (89) Kardinia Park 12,2672 September 1972
Carlton 13.8 (86) Footscray 11.17 (83) Princes Park 24,6192 September 1972
Melbourne 18.19 (127) Fitzroy 14.11 (95) MCG 21,6532 September 1972
Essendon 17.15 (117) Collingwood 17.10 (112) Windy Hill 35,0302 September 1972
South Melbourne 12.10 (82) Richmond 23.20 (158) VFL Park 16,5412 September 1972

Ladder

1972 VFL ladder
PosTeamPldWLDPFPAPPPts
1 Carlton (P)22183122371666134.374 Finals
2 Richmond 22184024692098117.772
3 Collingwood 22147123381747133.858
4 St Kilda 22148019891721115.656
5 Essendon 22148023172140108.356
6 Hawthorn 22139022772050111.152
7 Footscray 22111101930203894.744
8 Melbourne 221012020431929105.940
9 Fitzroy 2291301997206296.836
10 Geelong 2271501994236984.228
11 South Melbourne 2222001513232365.18
12 North Melbourne 2212101628258962.94
Source: VFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals

Elimination final

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueCrowdDate
St Kilda 18.16 (124) Essendon 10.11 (71) VFL Park 52,4999 September

Qualifying final

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueCrowdDate
Richmond 25.14 (164) Collingwood 18.12 (120) MCG 91,9009 September

Semi-finals

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueCrowdDate
Collingwood 8.17 (65) St Kilda 11.17 (83) MCG 91,85716 September
Carlton 8.13 (61) Richmond 8.13 (61) VFL Park 54,33816 September
Carlton 9.15 (69) Richmond 15.20 (110) MCG 92,67023 September

Preliminary final

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueCrowdDate
Carlton 16.13 (109) St Kilda 13.15 (93) MCG 96,27230 September

Grand final

Carlton defeated Richmond 28.9 (177) to 22.18 (150) in front of a crowd of 112,393 people. (For an explanation of scoring, see here.)

Awards

Notable events

Footnotes

  1. Jim Robb (9 October 1972). "Flag No. 2 to Hawks". The Age. Melbourne. p. 27.

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References