1978 VFL season

Last updated

1978 VFL premiership season
Teams12
Premiers Hawthorn
4th premiership
Minor premiers North Melbourne
2nd minor premiership
Night series Fitzroy
1st Night series win
Brownlow Medallist Malcolm Blight (North Melbourne)
Coleman Medallist Kelvin Templeton (Footscray)
Attendance
Matches played138
Total attendance3,478,015 (25,203 per match)
Highest101,704
←  1977
1979  →

The 1978 VFL season was the 82nd 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 30 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.

Contents

The premiership was won by the Hawthorn Football Club for the fourth time, after it defeated North Melbourne by 18 points in the 1978 VFL Grand Final.

Rule changes

Night series

Fitzroy defeated North Melbourne 13.18 (96) to 2.8 (20) in the final.

Home-and-away season

Round 1

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Hawthorn 22.15 (147) Melbourne 9.14 (68) Princes Park 10,6321 April 1978
Footscray 11.14 (80) North Melbourne 23.11 (149) Western Oval 20,4201 April 1978
Fitzroy 15.11 (101) St Kilda 16.13 (109) Junction Oval 17,0301 April 1978
Essendon 19.9 (123) South Melbourne 14.18 (102) Windy Hill 23,5621 April 1978
Geelong 11.10 (76) Collingwood 17.16 (118) Kardinia Park 27,4631 April 1978
Richmond 25.24 (174) Carlton 14.13 (97) MCG 49,0311 April 1978

Round 2

Round 2
Saturday, 8 April (2:10 pm) Carlton 13.17 (95)def. by Geelong 15.19 (109) Princes Park (crowd: 18,932) Report
Saturday, 8 April (2:10 pm) Collingwood 22.23 (155)def. Essendon 12.16 (88) Victoria Park (crowd: 34,665) Report
Saturday, 8 April (2:10 pm) Melbourne 24.23 (167)def. Fitzroy 23.19 (157) MCG (crowd: 15,613) Report
Saturday, 8 April (2:10 pm) St Kilda 20.17 (137)def. Footscray 19.16 (130) Moorabbin Oval (crowd: 18,540) Report
Saturday, 8 April (2:10 pm) South Melbourne 16.8 (104)def. by Hawthorn 18.24 (132) Lake Oval (crowd: 15,072) Report
Saturday, 8 April (2:10 pm) North Melbourne 25.16 (166)def. Richmond 14.9 (93) Arden Street Oval (crowd: 22,505) Report
  • Fitzroy broke South Melbourne's 1976 record for the highest losing score against Melbourne by four points. This record would last until the 1989 VFL season.

Round 3

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Richmond 16.14 (110) St Kilda 15.20 (110) MCG 35,60215 April 1978
Footscray 10.16 (76) Geelong 21.14 (140) Western Oval 16,94915 April 1978
Essendon 15.15 (105) Fitzroy 14.17 (101) Windy Hill 16,30015 April 1978
Carlton 13.20 (98) Melbourne 11.19 (85) Princes Park 17,76515 April 1978
South Melbourne 18.11 (119) Collingwood 14.18 (102) Lake Oval 20,73315 April 1978
North Melbourne 16.15 (111) Hawthorn 12.14 (86) VFL Park 39,09715 April 1978

Round 4

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Geelong 18.17 (125) Richmond 15.8 (98) Kardinia Park 20,56622 April 1978
Fitzroy 21.17 (143) South Melbourne 18.16 (124) Junction Oval 13,66022 April 1978
Collingwood 14.19 (103) Hawthorn 15.15 (105) Victoria Park 28,71422 April 1978
St Kilda 14.16 (100) North Melbourne 17.17 (119) Moorabbin Oval 29,11722 April 1978
Melbourne 18.19 (127) Footscray 18.12 (120) MCG 14,86522 April 1978
Carlton 16.8 (104) Essendon 19.17 (131) VFL Park 34,51622 April 1978

Round 5

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Richmond 19.16 (130) Melbourne 8.11 (59) MCG 34,21225 April 1978
St Kilda 14.14 (98) Geelong 9.11 (65) VFL Park 43,38825 April 1978
Hawthorn 14.17 (101) Fitzroy 15.12 (102) Princes Park 13,52829 April 1978
Footscray 15.20 (110) Essendon 13.15 (93) Western Oval 20,32829 April 1978
North Melbourne 19.10 (124) Collingwood 17.13 (115) Arden Street Oval 31,42429 April 1978
South Melbourne 18.9 (117) Carlton 17.14 (116) Lake Oval 20,18329 April 1978

Round 6

Round 6
Saturday, 6 May (2:10 pm) Carlton 19.12 (126)def. by Hawthorn 24.13 (157) Princes Park (crowd: 19,649) Report
Saturday, 6 May (2:10 pm) Fitzroy 14.12 (96)def. by Collingwood 22.16 (148) Junction Oval (crowd: 25232) Report
Saturday, 6 May (2:10 pm) Essendon 22.18 (150)def. Richmond 19.15 (129) Windy Hill (crowd: 21946) Report
Saturday, 6 May (2:10 pm) Footscray 16.9 (105)def. by South Melbourne 18.15 (123) VFL Park (crowd: 19263) Report
Saturday, 6 May (2:10 pm) Geelong 12.16 (88)def. by North Melbourne 16.14 (110) Kardinia Park (crowd: 23,074) Report
Saturday, 6 May (2:10 pm) Melbourne 21.15 (141)def. by St Kilda 31.18 (204) MCG (crowd: 24852) Report
  • Melbourne and St Kilda set the current record for the highest aggregate score in a game, the two teams amassing 52.33 (345). This broke the record set in the 1972 VFL Grand Final. The Saints also kicked their highest score in a match.

Round 7

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Richmond 14.14 (98) South Melbourne 19.11 (125) MCG 25,90413 May 1978
Hawthorn 27.15 (177) Footscray 13.13 (91) Princes Park 9,09913 May 1978
North Melbourne 14.14 (98) Fitzroy 14.11 (95) Arden Street Oval 14,15013 May 1978
St Kilda 17.11 (113) Essendon 16.11 (107) Moorabbin Oval 30,76013 May 1978
Collingwood 9.14 (68) Carlton 12.13 (85) Victoria Park 26,78213 May 1978
Geelong 18.18 (126) Melbourne 21.13 (139) VFL Park 13,07213 May 1978

Round 8

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Melbourne 8.13 (61) North Melbourne 20.17 (137) MCG 21,26820 May 1978
Essendon 11.10 (76) Geelong 7.18 (60) Windy Hill 21,21220 May 1978
Carlton 8.15 (63) Fitzroy 9.7 (61) Princes Park 21,52020 May 1978
South Melbourne 20.16 (136) St Kilda 4.13 (37) Lake Oval 21,49420 May 1978
Footscray 14.5 (89) Collingwood 14.9 (93) Western Oval 19,09620 May 1978
Richmond 9.16 (70) Hawthorn 14.15 (99) VFL Park 27,22420 May 1978

Round 9

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Geelong 16.13 (109) South Melbourne 14.11 (95) Kardinia Park 21,60327 May 1978
Fitzroy 13.14 (92) Footscray 18.9 (117) Junction Oval 11,90327 May 1978
Collingwood 12.20 (92) Richmond 10.16 (76) Victoria Park 28,65127 May 1978
Carlton 18.9 (117) North Melbourne 8.11 (59) Princes Park 30,97627 May 1978
St Kilda 8.9 (57) Hawthorn 13.19 (97) Moorabbin Oval 25,29327 May 1978
Melbourne 8.12 (60) Essendon 15.12 (102) VFL Park 28,23127 May 1978

Round 10

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Hawthorn 12.24 (96) Geelong 8.13 (61) Princes Park 11,0663 June 1978
Richmond 12.14 (86) Fitzroy 11.14 (80) MCG 21,1223 June 1978
North Melbourne 13.7 (85) Essendon 12.10 (82) Arden Street Oval 28,8283 June 1978
South Melbourne 24.18 (162) Melbourne 14.8 (92) Lake Oval 15,7385 June 1978
Footscray 19.11 (125) Carlton 15.14 (104) Western Oval 30,1975 June 1978
St Kilda 14.13 (97) Collingwood 18.23 (131) VFL Park 72,6695 June 1978

Round 11

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Fitzroy 16.15 (111) Geelong 16.18 (114) Junction Oval 10,30017 June 1978
Essendon 16.8 (104) Hawthorn 19.19 (133) Windy Hill 23,30217 June 1978
Collingwood 17.25 (127) Melbourne 10.7 (67) Victoria Park 19,93117 June 1978
Carlton 23.27 (165) St Kilda 8.17 (65) Princes Park 25,38817 June 1978
Richmond 23.17 (155) Footscray 14.13 (97) MCG 22,76417 June 1978
South Melbourne 15.7 (97) North Melbourne 17.15 (117) VFL Park 31,03717 June 1978

Round 12

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Carlton 20.17 (137) Richmond 13.16 (94) Princes Park 28,26624 June 1978
Melbourne 15.18 (108) Hawthorn 18.20 (128) MCG 14,65224 June 1978
North Melbourne 8.12 (60) Footscray 13.12 (90) Arden Street Oval 14,26924 June 1978
St Kilda 17.9 (111) Fitzroy 20.14 (134) Moorabbin Oval 15,82224 June 1978
South Melbourne 13.19 (97) Essendon 17.18 (120) Lake Oval 18,57424 June 1978
Collingwood 7.14 (56) Geelong 13.18 (96) VFL Park 31,63624 June 1978

Round 13

Round 13
Saturday, 1 July (2:10 pm) Geelong 8.9 (57)def. by Carlton 9.13 (67) Kardinia Park (crowd: 25,185) Report
Saturday, 1 July (2:10 pm) Essendon 12.26 (98)def. by Collingwood 14.21 (105) Windy Hill (crowd: 29,768) Report
Saturday, 1 July (2:10 pm) Fitzroy 19.27 (141)def. Melbourne 8.13 (61) VFL Park (crowd: 13,933) Report
Saturday, 1 July (2:10 pm) Footscray 33.15 (213)def. St Kilda 16.10 (106) Western Oval (crowd: 16,300) Report
Saturday, 1 July (2:10 pm) Hawthorn 21.14 (140)def. South Melbourne 18.11 (119) Princes Park (crowd: 13,853) Report
Saturday, 1 July (2:10 pm) Richmond 21.16 (142)def. North Melbourne 17.15 (117) MCG (crowd: 27,156) Report
  • Footscray kicked their highest-ever score of 33.15 (213) and Kelvin Templeton also set a club record for most goals in a game by an individual player, kicking 15 goals 9 behinds. It also set the record for the most scoring shots in a game by an individual player. The last Bulldog to kick 10 goals in a game was Ron Grove against Melbourne in Round 5, 1946. The score also broke the VFL record previously held by Carlton who kicked 30.30 (210) against Hawthorn in Round 2, 1969.

Round 14

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
North Melbourne 19.7 (121) St Kilda 18.16 (124) Arden Street Oval 12,5998 July 1978
Footscray 20.7 (127) Melbourne 8.11 (59) Western Oval 13,3258 July 1978
Richmond 17.20 (122) Geelong 18.9 (117) MCG 24,4178 July 1978
South Melbourne 22.11 (143) Fitzroy 13.15 (93) Lake Oval 16,6428 July 1978
Essendon 13.24 (102) Carlton 14.11 (95) Windy Hill 29,8318 July 1978
Hawthorn 10.14 (74) Collingwood 13.6 (84) VFL Park 46,0668 July 1978

Round 15

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Hawthorn 10.14 (74) North Melbourne 7.13 (55) Princes Park 16,21415 July 1978
Collingwood 17.12 (114) South Melbourne 12.22 (94) Victoria Park 23,72915 July 1978
St Kilda 10.11 (71) Richmond 19.11 (125) Moorabbin Oval 18,95415 July 1978
Geelong 12.12 (84) Footscray 10.12 (72) Kardinia Park 15,70015 July 1978
Fitzroy 15.11 (101) Essendon 11.17 (83) Junction Oval 13,55015 July 1978
Melbourne 2.14 (26) Carlton 17.13 (115) VFL Park 16,87015 July 1978

Round 16

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Melbourne 14.9 (93) Richmond 17.19 (121) MCG 18,41622 July 1978
Geelong 16.8 (104) St Kilda 12.20 (92) Kardinia Park 16,21922 July 1978
Fitzroy 18.14 (122) Hawthorn 17.19 (121) Junction Oval 12,24022 July 1978
Collingwood 7.17 (59) North Melbourne 15.11 (101) Victoria Park 32,28622 July 1978
Carlton 16.16 (112) South Melbourne 9.17 (71) Princes Park 24,27722 July 1978
Essendon 13.8 (86) Footscray 15.17 (107) VFL Park 30,20022 July 1978

Round 17

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
St Kilda 20.21 (141) Melbourne 13.11 (89) Moorabbin Oval 13,11829 July 1978
North Melbourne 18.14 (122) Geelong 10.16 (76) Arden Street Oval 15,77529 July 1978
South Melbourne 15.15 (105) Footscray 13.13 (91) Lake Oval 14,11229 July 1978
Richmond 20.16 (136) Essendon 13.18 (96) MCG 41,87829 July 1978
Hawthorn 13.17 (95) Carlton 18.11 (119) Princes Park 28,13229 July 1978
Collingwood 16.11 (107) Fitzroy 11.11 (77) VFL Park 32,24629 July 1978

Round 18

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Footscray 17.10 (112) Hawthorn 17.16 (118) Western Oval 17,2855 August 1978
Fitzroy 11.16 (82) North Melbourne 19.10 (124) Junction Oval 13,0225 August 1978
Essendon 11.16 (82) St Kilda 18.13 (121) Windy Hill 18,4105 August 1978
Carlton 14.19 (103) Collingwood 8.14 (62) Princes Park 43,3135 August 1978
Melbourne 13.17 (95) Geelong 14.17 (101) MCG 12,3635 August 1978
South Melbourne 14.9 (93) Richmond 9.16 (70) VFL Park 31,7175 August 1978

Round 19

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
St Kilda 13.7 (85) South Melbourne 3.19 (37) Moorabbin Oval 20,93312 August 1978
Hawthorn 18.19 (127) Richmond 10.10 (70) Princes Park 15,98012 August 1978
Collingwood 11.16 (82) Footscray 10.6 (66) Victoria Park 24,06912 August 1978
North Melbourne 26.18 (174) Melbourne 8.13 (61) Arden Street Oval 9,18312 August 1978
Geelong 14.8 (92) Essendon 13.7 (85) Kardinia Park 15,08012 August 1978
Fitzroy 8.10 (58) Carlton 9.15 (69) VFL Park 21,41012 August 1978

Round 20

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Essendon 19.16 (130) Melbourne 21.10 (136) Windy Hill 11,98419 August 1978
South Melbourne 24.11 (155) Geelong 26.11 (167) Lake Oval 15,25919 August 1978
Footscray 9.17 (71) Fitzroy 21.13 (139) Western Oval 12,52519 August 1978
Richmond 16.13 (109) Collingwood 19.9 (123) MCG 59,58019 August 1978
North Melbourne 9.16 (70) Carlton 19.17 (131) Arden Street Oval 28,96519 August 1978
Hawthorn 12.11 (83) St Kilda 21.13 (139) VFL Park 31,67719 August 1978

Round 21

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Melbourne 15.16 (106) South Melbourne 11.19 (85) MCG 13,48826 August 1978
Geelong 13.8 (86) Hawthorn 13.10 (88) Kardinia Park 21,66326 August 1978
Fitzroy 20.14 (134) Richmond 17.15 (117) Junction Oval 11,20026 August 1978
Collingwood 22.15 (147) St Kilda 15.17 (107) Victoria Park 31,53726 August 1978
Carlton 23.7 (145) Footscray 15.12 (102) Princes Park 22,39726 August 1978
Essendon 7.9 (51) North Melbourne 11.11 (77) VFL Park 22,33726 August 1978

Round 22

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
North Melbourne 16.15 (111) South Melbourne 12.15 (87) Arden Street Oval 15,6072 September 1978
Geelong 13.22 (100) Fitzroy 5.8 (38) Kardinia Park 22,8422 September 1978
Hawthorn 17.16 (118) Essendon 16.13 (109) Princes Park 14,5342 September 1978
Melbourne 19.11 (125) Collingwood 24.12 (156) MCG 40,2672 September 1978
St Kilda 16.10 (106) Carlton 9.12 (66) Moorabbin Oval 35,8502 September 1978
Footscray 11.15 (81) Richmond 19.20 (134) VFL Park 17,7682 September 1978

Ladder

(P)Premiers
Qualified for finals
#TeamPWLDPFPA %Pts
1 North Melbourne 22166024071991120.964
2 Hawthorn (P)22166024962120117.764
3 Collingwood 22157023472072113.360
4 Carlton 22148023291994116.856
5 Geelong 221210021532104102.348
6 St Kilda 22111012330250393.146
7 Richmond 221011124592389102.942
8 South Melbourne 22913023902383100.336
9 Fitzroy 2281402258233996.532
10 Essendon 2281402203233794.332
11 Footscray 2271502272250890.628
12 Melbourne 2251702025292969.120

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 104.8
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

Finals week 1

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueCrowdDate
Carlton 15.15 (105) Geelong 9.18 (72) VFL Park 57,5059 September
Collingwood 14.14 (98) Hawthorn 23.16 (154) MCG 79,9319 September

Finals week 2

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueCrowdDate
Collingwood 15.18 (108) Carlton 13.15 (93) MCG 91,93316 September
North Melbourne 10.13 (73) Hawthorn 12.15 (87) VFL Park 48,71616 September

Preliminary final

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueCrowdDate
North Melbourne 14.12 (96) Collingwood 12.12 (84) VFL Park 73,35423 September

Grand final

GameHome teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Grand final Hawthorn 18.13 (121) North Melbourne 15.13 (103) MCG 101,70430 September 1978

Notable events

Awards

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References

  1. ↑ "History of Rule Changes". AFL Media. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  2. ↑ Lovett (2019), p. 1088
  3. ↑ "All the scores". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. 2 October 1978. p. 32.

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