1979 VFL season

Last updated

1979 VFL premiership season
Teams12
Premiers Carlton
12th premiership
Minor premiers Carlton
14th minor premiership
Night series Collingwood
1st Night series win
Brownlow Medallist Peter Moore (Collingwood)
Coleman Medallist Kelvin Templeton (Footscray)
Attendance
Matches played138
Total attendance3,574,281 (25,901 per match)
Highest113,545
←  1978
1980  →

The 1979 VFL season was the 83rd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 31 March until 29 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 Carlton Football Club for the twelfth time, after it defeated Collingwood by five points in the 1979 VFL Grand Final.

The season saw the beginning of the league's expansion into the interstate and Sunday television markets, with two Sunday matches played in Sydney, New South Wales.

Night series

Collingwood defeated Hawthorn 12.8 (80) to 7.10 (52) in the final.

Home-and-away season

Round 1

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Collingwood 9.15 (69) Fitzroy 21.23 (149) Victoria Park 29,3457 April 1979
Carlton 23.13 (151) Geelong 15.11 (101) Princes Park 24,7717 April 1979
South Melbourne 15.21 (111) Richmond 19.11 (125) SMCG 18,6037 April 1979
St Kilda 19.14 (128) Hawthorn 14.19 (103) Moorabbin Oval 22,0607 April 1979
Melbourne 18.17 (125) Footscray 16.17 (113) MCG 24,1337 April 1979
North Melbourne 17.27 (129) Essendon 16.13 (109) NMCG 22,6337 April 1979

Round 2

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Footscray 13.16 (94) North Melbourne 20.13 (133) Western Oval 23,45714 April 1979
Fitzroy 12.14 (86) South Melbourne 21.13 (139) Junction Oval 19,43714 April 1979
Hawthorn 13.24 (102) Collingwood 19.18 (132) Princes Park 29,35514 April 1979
Geelong 15.16 (106) Melbourne 9.13 (67) Kardinia Park 23,85816 April 1979
Essendon 21.22 (148) St Kilda 9.10 (64) Windy Hill 26,49916 April 1979
Richmond 13.18 (96) Carlton 23.9 (147) MCG 59,94216 April 1979

Round 3

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Essendon 11.14 (80) Carlton 14.17 (101) VFL Park 41,71731 March 1979
South Melbourne 18.10 (118) Melbourne 16.15 (111) SMCG 14,43121 April 1979
Hawthorn 18.15 (123) Geelong 11.17 (83) Princes Park 14,70321 April 1979
St Kilda 15.14 (104) Footscray 16.13 (109) Moorabbin Oval 18,27521 April 1979
Richmond 20.12 (132) Fitzroy 16.16 (112) MCG 24,63521 April 1979
North Melbourne 18.19 (127) Collingwood 14.15 (99) NMCG 29,74721 April 1979

Despite being formally a part of Round 3, the Essendon vs Carlton match was played as a stand-alone match on the Saturday before Round 1, and was therefore the opening match of the season.

Round 4

Round 4
Wednesday, 25 April (2:10 pm) Hawthorn 29.15 (189)def. South Melbourne 15.5 (95) VFL Park (crowd: 37,276) Report
Wednesday, 25 April (2:10 pm) Melbourne 16.23 (119)def. Richmond 15.19 (109) MCG (crowd: 44,708) Report
Saturday, 28 April (2:10 pm) Fitzroy 11.16 (82)def. by Carlton 20.19 (139) Junction Oval (crowd: 21,577) Report
Saturday, 28 April (2:10 pm) Collingwood 31.21 (207)def. St Kilda 3.11 (29) Victoria Park (crowd: 29,380) Report
Saturday, 28 April (2:10 pm) Footscray 20.8 (128)drew with Essendon 19.14 (128) Western Oval (crowd: 26,981) Report
Saturday, 28 April (2:10 pm) Geelong 10.13 (73)def. by North Melbourne 19.9 (123) Kardinia Park (crowd: 21,353) Report
  • In the ANZAC Day clash at VFL Park, Hawthorn kicked their highest score against South Melbourne. It was also at the time the highest score in a match that South Melbourne had conceded, the previous highest being 28.17 (185) by North Melbourne in Round 12, 1974.
  • At Victoria Park, Collingwood broke several records in their win against St Kilda, kicking their highest-ever score in a match – 31.21 (207), which they would top the following year against the same team – and also broke a 60-year-old League record in terms of greatest winning margin (178 points), previously held by South Melbourne, who beat St Kilda by 171 points back in Round 12, 1919.

Round 5

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
North Melbourne 19.24 (138) South Melbourne 12.16 (88) NMCG 16,0155 May 1979
Essendon 10.16 (76) Fitzroy 25.22 (172) Windy Hill 19,7415 May 1979
Carlton 15.20 (110) Melbourne 13.18 (96) Princes Park 24,2485 May 1979
Richmond 11.16 (82) Hawthorn 24.17 (161) MCG 31,4485 May 1979
St Kilda 17.10 (112) Geelong 22.10 (142) Moorabbin Oval 15,4815 May 1979
Footscray 12.17 (89) Collingwood 20.17 (137) VFL Park 34,1635 May 1979

Round 6

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Collingwood 14.15 (99) Essendon 19.19 (133) Victoria Park 27,82412 May 1979
South Melbourne 26.19 (175) St Kilda 11.20 (86) SMCG 12,39412 May 1979
Geelong 9.18 (72) Footscray 7.5 (47) Kardinia Park 27,82412 May 1979
Melbourne 21.14 (140) Fitzroy 24.19 (163) MCG 21,78312 May 1979
Hawthorn 16.12 (108) Carlton 25.18 (168) Princes Park 29,93512 May 1979
North Melbourne 14.15 (99) Richmond 13.16 (94) VFL Park 22,62612 May 1979

Round 7

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Footscray 22.17 (149) South Melbourne 14.17 (101) Western Oval 15,04519 May 1979
Fitzroy 14.18 (102) Hawthorn 11.24 (90) Junction Oval 15,87019 May 1979
Essendon 23.18 (156) Melbourne 9.20 (74) Windy Hill 21,59219 May 1979
Carlton 15.14 (104) North Melbourne 16.12 (108) Princes Park 39,41119 May 1979
St Kilda 16.15 (111) Richmond 14.15 (99) Moorabbin Oval 18,08719 May 1979
Collingwood 13.14 (92) Geelong 6.15 (51) VFL Park 37,26019 May 1979

Round 8

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Hawthorn 17.18 (120) Melbourne 10.17 (77) Princes Park 10,99726 May 1979
Richmond 22.26 (158) Footscray 12.13 (85) MCG 21,67226 May 1979
North Melbourne 13.16 (94) Fitzroy 21.22 (148) NMCG 17,46926 May 1979
Geelong 12.11 (83) Essendon 12.12 (84) Kardinia Park 25,40226 May 1979
South Melbourne 6.8 (44) Collingwood 20.11 (131) SMCG 21,28226 May 1979
St Kilda 9.10 (64) Carlton 15.13 (103) VFL Park 28,81726 May 1979

Round 9

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Melbourne 17.9 (111) North Melbourne 23.18 (156) MCG 23,2612 June 1979
Fitzroy 18.15 (123) St Kilda 11.12 (78) Junction Oval 14,9632 June 1979
Collingwood 19.18 (132) Richmond 10.20 (80) Victoria Park 31,4742 June 1979
Hawthorn 16.12 (108) Essendon 17.14 (116) Princes Park 24,8752 June 1979
Footscray 11.12 (78) Carlton 18.19 (127) Western Oval 21,3622 June 1979
Geelong 18.15 (123) South Melbourne 17.8 (110) VFL Park 15,7502 June 1979

Round 10

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Essendon 16.19 (115) South Melbourne 14.15 (99) Windy Hill 18,9169 June 1979
Carlton 18.15 (123) Collingwood 16.11 (107) Princes Park 46,1069 June 1979
St Kilda 9.11 (65) Melbourne 12.13 (85) Moorabbin Oval 17,3909 June 1979
Richmond 14.17 (101) Geelong 18.19 (127) MCG 24,8249 June 1979
Footscray 11.8 (74) Fitzroy 17.17 (119) VFL Park 14,3579 June 1979
North Melbourne 16.9 (105) Hawthorn 23.18 (156) SCG 31,39110 June 1979

Round 11

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Fitzroy 19.18 (132) Geelong 9.11 (65) Junction Oval 17,52016 June 1979
Hawthorn 15.10 (100) Footscray 15.11 (101) Princes Park 12,51316 June 1979
Melbourne 11.16 (82) Collingwood 13.18 (96) MCG 53,56216 June 1979
St Kilda 15.17 (107) North Melbourne 16.14 (110) Moorabbin Oval 19,70518 June 1979
South Melbourne 18.18 (126) Carlton 20.12 (132) SMCG 26,74018 June 1979
Richmond 16.12 (108) Essendon 20.12 (132) VFL Park 53,11618 June 1979

Round 12

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Richmond 25.16 (166) South Melbourne 16.14 (110) MCG 21,21623 June 1979
Hawthorn 19.18 (132) St Kilda 13.15 (93) Princes Park 13,17623 June 1979
Footscray 18.12 (120) Melbourne 11.15 (81) Western Oval 14,30823 June 1979
Essendon 15.11 (101) North Melbourne 6.18 (54) Windy Hill 30,79523 June 1979
Geelong 15.17 (107) Carlton 14.17 (101) Kardinia Park 29,94123 June 1979
Fitzroy 17.20 (122) Collingwood 11.14 (80) VFL Park 56,97523 June 1979

Round 13

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Collingwood 25.19 (169) Hawthorn 8.16 (64) Victoria Park 22,90330 June 1979
Carlton 21.12 (138) Richmond 12.10 (82) Princes Park 21,79230 June 1979
North Melbourne 8.21 (69) Footscray 12.9 (81) NMCG 13,92530 June 1979
South Melbourne 15.20 (110) Fitzroy 20.16 (136) SMCG 13,85030 June 1979
St Kilda 9.12 (66) Essendon 15.15 (105) Moorabbin Oval 18,80230 June 1979
Melbourne 9.3 (57) Geelong 16.12 (108) VFL Park 13,27230 June 1979

Round 14

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Essendon 10.11 (71) Footscray 6.14 (50) Windy Hill 25,2407 July 1979
Richmond 17.18 (120) Melbourne 10.16 (76) MCG 19,8797 July 1979
South Melbourne 13.11 (89) Hawthorn 10.14 (74) SMCG 10,6267 July 1979
North Melbourne 17.16 (118) Geelong 14.16 (100) NMCG 14,9717 July 1979
St Kilda 6.16 (52) Collingwood 15.11 (101) Moorabbin Oval 21,5887 July 1979
Carlton 17.14 (116) Fitzroy 9.11 (65) VFL Park 58,7367 July 1979

Round 15

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Melbourne 24.23 (167) South Melbourne 24.10 (154) MCG 15,03914 July 1979
Footscray 24.16 (160) St Kilda 11.15 (81) Western Oval 13,38614 July 1979
Collingwood 10.16 (76) North Melbourne 20.13 (133) Victoria Park 30,41514 July 1979
Carlton 18.18 (126) Essendon 12.11 (83) Princes Park 44,66114 July 1979
Geelong 11.12 (78) Hawthorn 11.13 (79) VFL Park 20,77714 July 1979
Fitzroy 20.15 (135) Richmond 22.20 (152) SCG 17,14015 July 1979

Round 16

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Hawthorn 14.20 (104) Richmond 18.11 (119) Princes Park 13,55721 July 1979
Geelong 20.9 (129) St Kilda 14.20 (104) Kardinia Park 14,61321 July 1979
Collingwood 23.17 (155) Footscray 3.15 (33) Victoria Park 21,04121 July 1979
Fitzroy 16.16 (112) Essendon 15.9 (99) Junction Oval 19,68421 July 1979
Melbourne 9.7 (61) Carlton 19.26 (140) MCG 26,38821 July 1979
South Melbourne 8.18 (66) North Melbourne 12.16 (88) VFL Park 14,72521 July 1979

Round 17

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
St Kilda 19.14 (128) South Melbourne 16.12 (108) Moorabbin Oval 12,96928 July 1979
Footscray 12.10 (82) Geelong 18.14 (122) Western Oval 14,28428 July 1979
Carlton 15.21 (111) Hawthorn 12.11 (83) Princes Park 22,15928 July 1979
Richmond 16.15 (111) North Melbourne 19.10 (124) MCG 38,11128 July 1979
Essendon 9.17 (71) Collingwood 14.8 (92) Windy Hill 31,96828 July 1979
Fitzroy 36.22 (238) Melbourne 6.12 (48) VFL Park 12,14928 July 1979

Fitzroy's 190 point winning margin is the biggest in AFL/VFL history

Round 18

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
South Melbourne 31.9 (195) Footscray 15.16 (106) SMCG 9,8154 August 1979
Hawthorn 15.14 (104) Fitzroy 15.25 (115) Princes Park 15,1044 August 1979
Melbourne 21.8 (134) Essendon 16.9 (105) MCG 25,3674 August 1979
Geelong 18.16 (124) Collingwood 9.9 (63) Kardinia Park 30,4954 August 1979
North Melbourne 18.11 (119) Carlton 21.15 (141) NMCG 28,9024 August 1979
Richmond 28.22 (190) St Kilda 18.11 (119) VFL Park 24,6514 August 1979

Round 19

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Footscray 13.19 (97) Richmond 6.5 (41) Western Oval 12,53711 August 1979
Fitzroy 7.12 (54) North Melbourne 17.19 (121) Junction Oval 16,65911 August 1979
Essendon 14.12 (96) Geelong 8.8 (56) Windy Hill 23,33611 August 1979
Collingwood 14.11 (95) South Melbourne 13.9 (87) Victoria Park 18,04111 August 1979
Carlton 22.17 (149) St Kilda 6.9 (45) Princes Park 17,12711 August 1979
Melbourne 8.25 (73) Hawthorn 14.11 (95) VFL Park 12,89711 August 1979

Round 20

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Essendon 9.16 (70) Hawthorn 10.14 (74) Windy Hill 19,03418 August 1979
North Melbourne 15.27 (117) Melbourne 6.9 (45) NMCG 10,68018 August 1979
South Melbourne 16.6 (102) Geelong 10.12 (72) SMCG 11,29818 August 1979
St Kilda 9.6 (60) Fitzroy 10.16 (76) Moorabbin Oval 12,33018 August 1979
Richmond 10.15 (75) Collingwood 13.17 (95) MCG 61,62418 August 1979
Carlton 12.18 (90) Footscray 8.6 (54) VFL Park 25,07518 August 1979

Round 21

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Melbourne 24.17 (161) St Kilda 12.24 (96) MCG 18,43525 August 1979
Hawthorn 7.18 (60) North Melbourne 24.21 (165) Princes Park 18,50125 August 1979
Geelong 17.13 (115) Richmond 12.17 (89) Kardinia Park 18,03925 August 1979
Fitzroy 22.19 (151) Footscray 14.16 (100) Junction Oval 12,07625 August 1979
Collingwood 18.12 (120) Carlton 14.17 (101) Victoria Park 36,50925 August 1979
South Melbourne 10.16 (76) Essendon 13.17 (95) VFL Park 32,12725 August 1979

Round 22

Home teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Footscray 9.11 (65) Hawthorn 14.19 (103) Western Oval 12,8391 September 1979
Essendon 8.15 (63) Richmond 18.14 (122) Windy Hill 22,5891 September 1979
Collingwood 23.16 (154) Melbourne 15.13 (103) Victoria Park 27,2061 September 1979
Carlton 23.16 (154) South Melbourne 17.19 (121) Princes Park 24,4791 September 1979
Geelong 16.16 (112) Fitzroy 15.17 (107) Kardinia Park 21,8011 September 1979
North Melbourne 21.18 (144) St Kilda 9.11 (65) VFL Park 20,5711 September 1979

Ladder

(P)Premiers
Qualified for finals
#TeamPWLDPFPA %Pts
1 Carlton (P)22193027721986139.676
2 North Melbourne 22175025742083123.668
3 Collingwood 22157025011974126.760
4 Fitzroy 22157026992198122.860
5 Essendon 22129122362127105.150
6 Geelong 221210021492140100.448
7 Hawthorn 22101202332233699.840
8 Richmond 2291302451251297.636
9 Footscray 2271412015246381.830
10 South Melbourne 2261602424266690.924
11 Melbourne 2261602093275975.924
12 St Kilda 2231901857285965.012

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 106.5
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

Finals week 1

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueCrowdDate
Fitzroy 17.22 (124) Essendon 5.13 (43) VFL Park 49,4708 September
Collingwood 9.28 (82) North Melbourne 18.13 (121) MCG 84,6608 September

Finals week 2

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueCrowdDate
Collingwood 16.20 (116) Fitzroy 12.22 (94) MCG 87,13913 September
Carlton 15.21 (111) North Melbourne 11.7 (73) VFL Park 69,14215 September

Preliminary final

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueCrowdDate
North Melbourne 13.17 (95) Collingwood 18.14 (122) VFL Park 73,38022 September

Grand final

GameHome teamHome team scoreAway teamAway team scoreVenueCrowdDate
Grand final Carlton 11.16 (82) Collingwood 11.11 (77) MCG 113,54529 September 1979

Season notes

Awards

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Murphy shines in Roos' win". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. 29 September 1979. p. 40.

Sources

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