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1940 VFL season

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1940 VFL premiership season
Melbourne Football Club, premiers
Teams12
PremiersMelbourne
4th premiership
Minor premiersMelbourne
2nd minor premiership
Brownlow MedallistDes Fothergill (Collingwood)
Herbie Matthews (South Melbourne)
Leading goalkicker medallistJack Titus (Richmond)
Matches played112
Highest70,330
← 1939
1941 →

The 1940 VFL season was the 44th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 27 April until 28 September, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.

The premiership was won by the Melbourne Football Club for the fourth time and second time consecutively, after it defeated Richmond by 39 points in the 1940 VFL Grand Final.

Background

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In 1940, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus one substitute player, known as the 19th 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 18 rounds; matches 12 to 18 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 7.

Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1940 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.

Home-and-away season

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Round 1

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 25.11 (161) North Melbourne 13.11 (89) Glenferrie Oval 14,000 27 April 1940
Fitzroy 13.13 (91) St Kilda 10.20 (80) Brunswick Street Oval 20,000 27 April 1940
Essendon 18.17 (125) Melbourne 16.12 (108) Windy Hill 23,000 27 April 1940
Richmond 14.19 (103) Footscray 17.13 (115) Punt Road Oval 24,000 27 April 1940
South Melbourne 11.14 (80) Collingwood 13.14 (92) Lake Oval 18,000 27 April 1940
Geelong 9.18 (72) Carlton 12.27 (99) Corio Oval 12,000 27 April 1940

Round 2

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 18.14 (122) Richmond 14.15 (99) MCG 20,044 4 May 1940
Collingwood 11.13 (79) Geelong 14.10 (94) Victoria Park 11,000 4 May 1940
Carlton 15.19 (109) South Melbourne 12.5 (77) Princes Park 19,000 4 May 1940
St Kilda 12.25 (97) Hawthorn 7.13 (55) Junction Oval 17,000 4 May 1940
North Melbourne 15.16 (106) Fitzroy 7.9 (51) Arden Street Oval 11,000 4 May 1940
Footscray 17.9 (111) Essendon 9.12 (66) Western Oval 25,000 4 May 1940

Round 3

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 15.12 (102) Richmond 19.15 (129) Glenferrie Oval 16,000 11 May 1940
Essendon 12.14 (86) South Melbourne 10.15 (75) Windy Hill 16,000 11 May 1940
St Kilda 12.12 (84) North Melbourne 9.11 (65) Junction Oval 15,500 11 May 1940
Melbourne 20.21 (141) Footscray 15.12 (102) MCG 30,867 11 May 1940
Geelong 16.19 (115) Fitzroy 13.8 (86) Corio Oval 8,500 11 May 1940
Collingwood 18.19 (127) Carlton 12.18 (90) Victoria Park 23,000 11 May 1940

Round 4

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 9.16 (70) St Kilda 13.14 (92) Western Oval 16,000 18 May 1940
Carlton 13.12 (90) Melbourne 16.20 (116) Princes Park 18,000 18 May 1940
South Melbourne 22.13 (145) Hawthorn 16.10 (106) Lake Oval 9,000 18 May 1940
Richmond 17.15 (117) Geelong 11.6 (72) Punt Road Oval 13,000 18 May 1940
Fitzroy 12.15 (87) Essendon 10.16 (76) Brunswick Street Oval 13,000 18 May 1940
North Melbourne 14.15 (99) Collingwood 10.15 (75) Arden Street Oval 11,000 18 May 1940

Round 5

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 12.21 (93) South Melbourne 10.12 (72) Corio Oval 5,000 25 May 1940
Fitzroy 8.14 (62) Richmond 12.11 (83) Brunswick Street Oval 14,000 25 May 1940
Essendon 12.18 (90) Hawthorn 9.19 (73) Windy Hill 12,000 25 May 1940
North Melbourne 7.11 (53) Footscray 9.12 (66) Arden Street Oval 13,000 25 May 1940
Melbourne 17.12 (114) Collingwood 13.20 (98) MCG 20,043 25 May 1940
St Kilda 6.18 (54) Carlton 11.19 (85) Junction Oval 21,000 25 May 1940

Round 6

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 17.10 (112) St Kilda 11.10 (76) Punt Road Oval 20,000 1 June 1940
Hawthorn 12.15 (87) Melbourne 11.15 (81) Glenferrie Oval 8,000 1 June 1940
Footscray 10.6 (66) Geelong 10.14 (74) Western Oval 12,000 1 June 1940
Collingwood 12.13 (85) Essendon 11.17 (83) Victoria Park 11,000 1 June 1940
Carlton 10.16 (76) Fitzroy 8.14 (62) Princes Park 16,000 1 June 1940
South Melbourne 16.9 (105) North Melbourne 16.8 (104) Lake Oval 9,000 1 June 1940

Round 7

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 13.16 (94) South Melbourne 12.13 (85) Punt Road Oval 10,000 8 June 1940
Fitzroy 17.11 (113) Hawthorn 12.14 (86) Brunswick Street Oval 7,000 8 June 1940
North Melbourne 8.1 (49) Melbourne 12.34 (106) Arden Street Oval 5,000 8 June 1940
Geelong 9.13 (67) Essendon 10.22 (82) Corio Oval 5,000 8 June 1940
St Kilda 10.12 (72) Collingwood 13.14 (92) Junction Oval 13,000 8 June 1940
Footscray 12.18 (90) Carlton 12.8 (80) Western Oval 13,000 8 June 1940

Round 8

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 6.13 (49) Richmond 10.15 (75) Victoria Park 20,000 15 June 1940
South Melbourne 12.9 (81) St Kilda 10.16 (76) Lake Oval 12,000 15 June 1940
North Melbourne 8.15 (63) Geelong 13.20 (98) Arden Street Oval 5,000 15 June 1940
Hawthorn 8.17 (65) Footscray 15.20 (110) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 15 June 1940
Essendon 12.14 (86) Carlton 8.15 (63) Windy Hill 16,000 15 June 1940
Melbourne 12.15 (87) Fitzroy 12.13 (85) MCG 19,737 17 June 1940

Round 9

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 12.18 (90) Hawthorn 6.10 (46) Corio Oval 4,000 22 June 1940
Fitzroy 10.30 (90) South Melbourne 10.17 (77) Brunswick Street Oval 12,000 22 June 1940
Carlton 16.20 (116) North Melbourne 18.12 (120) Princes Park 13,000 22 June 1940
St Kilda 16.16 (112) Melbourne 17.21 (123) Junction Oval 13,000 22 June 1940
Richmond 12.5 (77) Essendon 12.10 (82) Punt Road Oval 19,000 22 June 1940
Footscray 15.10 (100) Collingwood 12.12 (84) Western Oval 15,000 22 June 1940

Round 10

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 13.11 (89) Richmond 17.16 (118) Arden Street Oval 11,000 29 June 1940
Footscray 15.15 (105) South Melbourne 6.10 (46) Western Oval 14,000 29 June 1940
Collingwood 12.17 (89) Fitzroy 15.13 (103) Victoria Park 14,000 29 June 1940
Carlton 13.11 (89) Hawthorn 13.18 (96) Princes Park 10,000 29 June 1940
Melbourne 22.19 (151) Geelong 24.10 (154) MCG 15,265 29 June 1940
St Kilda 14.18 (102) Essendon 15.14 (104) Junction Oval 15,000 29 June 1940

Round 11

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 12.22 (94) St Kilda 11.10 (76) Corio Oval 6,500 6 July 1940
Fitzroy 17.8 (110) Footscray 14.13 (97) Brunswick Street Oval 18,000 6 July 1940
Essendon 19.14 (128) North Melbourne 16.9 (105) Windy Hill 11,000 6 July 1940
South Melbourne 10.18 (78) Melbourne 19.16 (130) Lake Oval 10,000 6 July 1940
Hawthorn 10.17 (77) Collingwood 14.17 (101) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 6 July 1940
Richmond 9.11 (65) Carlton 9.22 (76) Punt Road Oval 18,000 6 July 1940

Round 12

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 12.10 (82) Richmond 15.10 (100) Western Oval 11,000 13 July 1940
Collingwood 19.14 (128) South Melbourne 4.18 (42) Victoria Park 6,500 13 July 1940
Carlton 11.24 (90) Geelong 12.19 (91) Princes Park 9,000 13 July 1940
North Melbourne 11.11 (77) Hawthorn 9.16 (70) Arden Street Oval 3,000 13 July 1940
St Kilda 8.11 (59) Fitzroy 6.12 (48) Junction Oval 10,000 13 July 1940
Melbourne 17.20 (122) Essendon 7.12 (54) MCG 18,640 13 July 1940

Round 13

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 17.17 (119) St Kilda 8.15 (63) Glenferrie Oval 8,000 20 July 1940
Fitzroy 16.17 (113) North Melbourne 9.13 (67) Brunswick Street Oval 10,000 20 July 1940
Essendon 13.17 (95) Footscray 13.13 (91) Windy Hill 17,000 20 July 1940
Richmond 13.9 (87) Melbourne 13.16 (94) Punt Road Oval 21,000 20 July 1940
Geelong 23.18 (156) Collingwood 12.19 (91) Corio Oval 8,500 20 July 1940
South Melbourne 17.11 (113) Carlton 14.14 (98) Lake Oval 8,000 20 July 1940

Round 14

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 6.11 (47) St Kilda 13.6 (84) Arden Street Oval 4,500 27 July 1940
Footscray 12.19 (91) Melbourne 15.20 (110) Western Oval 12,000 27 July 1940
Fitzroy 10.27 (87) Geelong 8.12 (60) Brunswick Street Oval 17,000 27 July 1940
Carlton 14.18 (102) Collingwood 13.9 (87) Princes Park 9,000 27 July 1940
Richmond 11.13 (79) Hawthorn 12.15 (87) Punt Road Oval 9,000 27 July 1940
South Melbourne 9.6 (60) Essendon 7.16 (58) Lake Oval 10,000 27 July 1940

Round 15

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 10.19 (79) South Melbourne 10.13 (73) Glenferrie Oval 8,000 10 August 1940
Geelong 12.15 (87) Richmond 16.11 (107) Corio Oval 10,000 10 August 1940
Essendon 10.12 (72) Fitzroy 10.15 (75) Windy Hill 18,000 10 August 1940
Collingwood 12.21 (93) North Melbourne 6.17 (53) Victoria Park 6,500 10 August 1940
St Kilda 13.9 (87) Footscray 15.22 (112) Junction Oval 13,000 10 August 1940
Melbourne 14.12 (96) Carlton 20.13 (133) MCG 16,500 10 August 1940

Round 16

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 17.22 (124) North Melbourne 8.13 (61) Western Oval 8,000 17 August 1940
Collingwood 12.18 (90) Melbourne 16.8 (104) Victoria Park 8,000 17 August 1940
Carlton 13.14 (92) St Kilda 6.16 (52) Princes Park 6,000 17 August 1940
South Melbourne 12.19 (91) Geelong 13.9 (87) Lake Oval 7,000 17 August 1940
Richmond 14.15 (99) Fitzroy 10.11 (71) Punt Road Oval 22,000 17 August 1940
Hawthorn 11.18 (84) Essendon 18.12 (120) Glenferrie Oval 9,000 17 August 1940

Round 17

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 8.5 (53) South Melbourne 16.23 (119) Arden Street Oval 5,000 24 August 1940
St Kilda 10.17 (77) Richmond 20.15 (135) Junction Oval 14,000 24 August 1940
Melbourne 26.20 (176) Hawthorn 8.14 (62) MCG 8,722 24 August 1940
Geelong 12.17 (89) Footscray 11.18 (84) Corio Oval 10,000 24 August 1940
Essendon 12.20 (92) Collingwood 6.16 (52) Windy Hill 13,000 24 August 1940
Fitzroy 10.11 (71) Carlton 21.14 (140) Brunswick Street Oval 20,000 24 August 1940

Round 18

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 18.21 (129) North Melbourne 11.15 (81) MCG 5,500 31 August 1940
Essendon 16.16 (112) Geelong 7.10 (52) Windy Hill 13,000 31 August 1940
Collingwood 15.19 (109) St Kilda 10.15 (75) Victoria Park 6,000 31 August 1940
Carlton 15.12 (102) Footscray 11.14 (80) Princes Park 9,000 31 August 1940
South Melbourne 8.13 (61) Richmond 16.12 (108) Lake Oval 17,000 31 August 1940
Hawthorn 13.16 (94) Fitzroy 5.8 (38) Glenferrie Oval 5,500 31 August 1940

Ladder

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(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 Melbourne (P) 18 14 4 0 2110 1677 125.8 56
2 Richmond 18 12 6 0 1787 1489 120.0 48
3 Essendon 18 12 6 0 1611 1489 108.2 48
4 Geelong 18 11 7 0 1645 1599 102.9 44
5 Carlton 18 10 8 0 1730 1555 111.3 40
6 Footscray 18 9 9 0 1696 1558 108.9 36
7 Fitzroy 18 9 9 0 1443 1563 92.3 36
8 Collingwood 18 8 10 0 1621 1611 100.6 32
9 Hawthorn 18 7 11 0 1549 1760 88.0 28
10 South Melbourne 18 7 11 0 1480 1696 87.3 28
11 St Kilda 18 5 13 0 1418 1634 86.8 20
12 North Melbourne 18 4 14 0 1381 1840 75.1 16

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 90.1
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

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Semi-finals

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Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 13.14 (92) Geelong 10.14 (74) MCG 44,187 7 September
Melbourne 14.17 (101) Richmond 16.11 (107) MCG 54,763 14 September

Preliminary final

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Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 12.18 (90) Essendon 12.13 (85) MCG 47,348 21 September

Grand final

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Season notes

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  • In April 1940, Essendon adopted the nickname The Bombers.[1]
  • In Round 7, Melbourne set a new record for most behinds in a match, kicking 34 behinds in a score of 12.34 (106). This record stood until 1977.[2]
  • The Round 10 match between Melbourne and Geelong produced an aggregate score of 46.29 (305). It was the first VFL match ever to see an aggregate of more than 300 points scored.
  • The VFL suspended its round 15 matches and conducted a one-day lightning carnival, known as the Patriotic Premiership, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday 3 August 1940 to raise money for the war effort. Each match was played over a single twenty-minute period without time-on.[3] St Kilda 4.2 (26) defeated Richmond 0.2 (2) in the final. The carnival raised almost £3,000 for the war effort.
  • The ANFC decided to cancel the 1940 Interstate Carnival, which was scheduled to have been held in Hobart, because of the war.
  • In one of the most rugged seasons ever, 47 players were reported to the VFL Tribunal.[4]
  • In the last quarter of the Grand Final, Jack Titus scored a goal with his last kick, bringing his season's total to 100 goals.

Awards

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  • The 1940 VFL Premiership team was Melbourne.
  • The VFL's leading goalkicker was Jack "Skinny" Titus of Richmond with 92 goals (100 after finals).
  • The joint winners of the 1940 Brownlow Medal were Herbie Matthews of South Melbourne and Des Fothergill of Collingwood with 32 votes each.
    • The rules of the award stated that there was only one medal to be awarded in any one season. A count-back revealed that each had the same number of 3, 2, and 1 votes; and, although the controversy associated with such a criterion being applied in the case of Stan Judkins in 1930 meant that it was never used again, having played the whole 18 home-and-away matches each, they could not have been separated on the basis of the number of matches played anyway.
    • The VFL announced the tied result and neither player received a medallion, but as a consequence of its 1981 decision to change its rules relating to tied Brownlow Medal contests, the AFL awarded retrospective medals to Matthews and Fothergill in 1989.
  • North Melbourne took the "wooden spoon" in 1940.
  • The seconds premiership was won by Collingwood. Collingwood 6.16 (52) defeated Carlton 3.12 (30) in the Grand Final, played as a curtain-raiser to the seniors Grand Final on Saturday 28 September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Bombing to Victory, The Argus, (Wednesday, 10 April 1940), p. 17.
  2. ^ Australian Football League: Most Behinds
  3. ^ Taylor, Percy (2 August 1940), "Unique competition", The Argus, Melbourne, p. 14
  4. ^ VFL Tribunal 1940, Boyles Football Photos
  5. ^ "Collingwood Wins League Seconds' Final". The Argus. Melbourne. 30 September 1940. p. 9.
  • Hogan, P., The Tigers of Old, The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 1996. ISBN 0-646-18748-1
  • Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-9591740-2-8
  • Rogers, S. & Brown, A., Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition), Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998. ISBN 0-670-90809-6
  • Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN 0-670-86814-0
  • 1940 Patriotic Cup – BoylesFootballPhotos

Sources

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