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1951 VFL season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1951 VFL premiership season
Teams12
PremiersGeelong
4th premiership
Minor premiersGeelong
6th minor premiership
Brownlow MedallistBernie Smith (Geelong)
Leading goalkicker medallistJohn Coleman (Essendon)
Matches played112
Highest85,795
← 1950
1952 →

The 1951 VFL season was the 55th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 21 April until 29 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 Geelong Football Club for the fourth time, after it defeated Essendon by eleven points in the 1951 VFL Grand Final.

Background

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In 1951, 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 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 1951 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
Geelong 13.17 (95) South Melbourne 6.5 (41) Kardinia Park 22,000 21 April 1951
Essendon 13.8 (86) Melbourne 10.16 (76) Windy Hill 24,000 21 April 1951
Collingwood 20.21 (141) North Melbourne 7.6 (48) Victoria Park 23,000 21 April 1951
Carlton 13.9 (87) Hawthorn 7.15 (57) Princes Park 13,000 21 April 1951
Richmond 15.9 (99) Footscray 15.10 (100) Punt Road Oval 22,000 21 April 1951
St Kilda 10.18 (78) Fitzroy 16.12 (108) Junction Oval 27,000 21 April 1951

Round 2

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 8.14 (62) St Kilda 12.9 (81) Arden Street Oval 13,000 28 April 1951
Fitzroy 12.11 (83) Geelong 10.7 (67) Brunswick Street Oval 18,000 28 April 1951
South Melbourne 5.7 (37) Richmond 14.13 (97) Lake Oval 18,000 28 April 1951
Hawthorn 9.7 (61) Essendon 12.14 (86) Glenferrie Oval 12,000 28 April 1951
Melbourne 7.15 (57) Collingwood 15.16 (106) MCG 37,000 28 April 1951
Footscray 5.11 (41) Carlton 4.16 (40) Western Oval 26,000 28 April 1951

Round 3

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 12.15 (87) St Kilda 9.10 (64) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 5 May 1951
Footscray 10.9 (69) North Melbourne 5.13 (43) Western Oval 20,000 5 May 1951
Collingwood 14.18 (102) Geelong 7.8 (50) Victoria Park 24,500 5 May 1951
Carlton 12.12 (84) Richmond 16.12 (108) Princes Park 28,000 5 May 1951
Melbourne 8.12 (60) Fitzroy 12.12 (84) MCG 21,500 5 May 1951
South Melbourne 14.20 (104) Essendon 14.7 (91) Lake Oval 14,000 5 May 1951

Round 4

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 12.6 (78) South Melbourne 9.19 (73) Arden Street Oval 15,000 12 May 1951
Fitzroy 10.10 (70) Footscray 6.16 (52) Brunswick Street Oval 20,500 12 May 1951
St Kilda 15.8 (98) Melbourne 14.7 (91) Junction Oval 15,000 12 May 1951
Richmond 17.18 (120) Hawthorn 7.14 (56) Punt Road Oval 15,000 12 May 1951
Essendon 12.11 (83) Collingwood 5.14 (44) Windy Hill 35,000 12 May 1951
Geelong 14.7 (91) Carlton 9.13 (67) Kardinia Park 20,500 12 May 1951

Round 5

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 7.18 (60) North Melbourne 14.14 (98) Glenferrie Oval 9,000 19 May 1951
Footscray 11.15 (81) St Kilda 7.11 (53) Western Oval 18,000 19 May 1951
Carlton 19.15 (129) Fitzroy 10.12 (72) Princes Park 24,500 19 May 1951
South Melbourne 15.6 (96) Melbourne 11.12 (78) Lake Oval 16,000 19 May 1951
Geelong 14.12 (96) Essendon 10.8 (68) Kardinia Park 24,500 19 May 1951
Richmond 16.20 (116) Collingwood 9.11 (65) Punt Road Oval 38,000 19 May 1951

Round 6

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 13.15 (93) South Melbourne 6.10 (46) Victoria Park 19,000 2 June 1951
St Kilda 18.9 (117) Richmond 19.12 (126) Junction Oval 20,000 2 June 1951
North Melbourne 11.8 (74) Geelong 12.16 (88) Arden Street Oval 15,000 2 June 1951
Hawthorn 9.16 (70) Footscray 7.17 (59) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 2 June 1951
Fitzroy 14.7 (91) Essendon 9.14 (68) Brunswick Street Oval 24,000 2 June 1951
Melbourne 11.12 (78) Carlton 8.10 (58) MCG 30,000 2 June 1951

Round 7

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 20.13 (133) Hawthorn 8.15 (63) Kardinia Park 20,000 9 June 1951
Collingwood 13.19 (97) St Kilda 11.12 (78) Victoria Park 20,000 9 June 1951
Essendon 11.9 (75) Carlton 13.12 (90) Windy Hill 30,000 9 June 1951
Melbourne 9.13 (67) Richmond 12.9 (81) MCG 51,000 11 June 1951
Fitzroy 6.15 (51) North Melbourne 12.12 (84) Brunswick Street Oval 17,000 11 June 1951
South Melbourne 17.14 (116) Footscray 9.15 (69) Lake Oval 17,000 11 June 1951

Round 8

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 9.5 (59) Geelong 11.11 (77) Western Oval 19,500 16 June 1951
Essendon 15.13 (103) St Kilda 12.7 (79) Windy Hill 15,000 16 June 1951
Carlton 7.11 (53) Collingwood 9.13 (67) Princes Park 31,000 16 June 1951
North Melbourne 14.9 (93) Melbourne 6.12 (48) Arden Street Oval 13,000 16 June 1951
South Melbourne 12.14 (86) Hawthorn 7.11 (53) Lake Oval 8,500 16 June 1951
Richmond 9.12 (66) Fitzroy 12.16 (88) Punt Road Oval 26,000 16 June 1951

Round 9

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 10.14 (74) Richmond 8.8 (56) Kardinia Park 32,000 23 June 1951
Fitzroy 12.13 (85) South Melbourne 12.13 (85) Brunswick Street Oval 18,000 23 June 1951
Melbourne 5.19 (49) Footscray 23.14 (152) MCG 18,500 23 June 1951
North Melbourne 8.11 (59) Essendon 13.13 (91) Arden Street Oval 24,000 23 June 1951
Hawthorn 8.9 (57) Collingwood 13.7 (85) Glenferrie Oval 12,000 23 June 1951
St Kilda 9.11 (65) Carlton 15.15 (105) Junction Oval 17,000 23 June 1951

Round 10

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 7.7 (49) South Melbourne 13.15 (93) Junction Oval 21,000 30 June 1951
Collingwood 10.12 (72) Footscray 12.5 (77) Victoria Park 25,000 30 June 1951
Carlton 14.20 (104) North Melbourne 5.10 (40) Princes Park 22,000 30 June 1951
Fitzroy 10.14 (74) Hawthorn 11.9 (75) Brunswick Street Oval 8,500 7 July 1951
Essendon 10.14 (74) Richmond 10.10 (70) Windy Hill 30,000 7 July 1951
Melbourne 7.7 (49) Geelong 12.12 (84) MCG 22,500 7 July 1951

Round 11

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 18.12 (120) Melbourne 13.8 (86) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 14 July 1951
Geelong 12.23 (95) St Kilda 10.7 (67) Kardinia Park 13,500 14 July 1951
Collingwood 15.13 (103) Fitzroy 21.9 (135) Victoria Park 22,000 14 July 1951
Richmond 11.13 (79) North Melbourne 11.16 (82) Punt Road Oval 15,000 14 July 1951
Footscray 7.14 (56) Essendon 9.10 (64) Western Oval 27,000 14 July 1951
South Melbourne 7.9 (51) Carlton 7.14 (56) Lake Oval 25,000 14 July 1951

Round 12

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 9.17 (71) Richmond 6.9 (45) Western Oval 20,000 21 July 1951
Fitzroy 11.10 (76) St Kilda 4.16 (40) Brunswick Street Oval 8,000 21 July 1951
South Melbourne 9.8 (62) Geelong 18.11 (119) Lake Oval 18,000 21 July 1951
Melbourne 8.6 (54) Essendon 10.14 (74) MCG 16,000 21 July 1951
North Melbourne 6.12 (48) Collingwood 8.8 (56) Arden Street Oval 14,000 21 July 1951
Hawthorn 5.8 (38) Carlton 7.13 (55) Glenferrie Oval 14,000 21 July 1951

Round 13

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 8.8 (56) South Melbourne 13.17 (95) Punt Road Oval 19,000 28 July 1951
Essendon 16.18 (114) Hawthorn 8.11 (59) Windy Hill 13,000 28 July 1951
Collingwood 18.21 (129) Melbourne 12.10 (82) Victoria Park 14,000 28 July 1951
Carlton 8.14 (62) Footscray 9.11 (65) Princes Park 34,000 28 July 1951
St Kilda 13.20 (98) North Melbourne 10.10 (70) Junction Oval 10,000 28 July 1951
Geelong 11.10 (76) Fitzroy 4.5 (29) Kardinia Park 25,500 28 July 1951

Round 14

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 8.21 (69) Melbourne 6.9 (45) Brunswick Street Oval 9,000 4 August 1951
Essendon 16.10 (106) South Melbourne 8.12 (60) Windy Hill 20,000 4 August 1951
St Kilda 11.8 (74) Hawthorn 9.14 (68) Junction Oval 6,000 4 August 1951
North Melbourne 10.10 (70) Footscray 11.15 (81) Arden Street Oval 14,000 4 August 1951
Geelong 3.11 (29) Collingwood 4.7 (31) Kardinia Park 26,500 4 August 1951
Richmond 9.12 (66) Carlton 4.9 (33) Punt Road Oval 17,000 4 August 1951

Round 15

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 6.12 (48) St Kilda 9.6 (60) MCG 10,000 11 August 1951
Hawthorn 6.15 (51) Richmond 10.13 (73) Glenferrie Oval 11,000 11 August 1951
Collingwood 12.9 (81) Essendon 5.7 (37) Victoria Park 30,500 11 August 1951
Carlton 7.19 (61) Geelong 12.11 (83) Princes Park 17,500 11 August 1951
South Melbourne 14.16 (100) North Melbourne 15.9 (99) Lake Oval 10,000 11 August 1951
Footscray 4.6 (30) Fitzroy 8.9 (57) Western Oval 22,000 11 August 1951

Round 16

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 15.16 (106) South Melbourne 18.17 (125) MCG 12,000 18 August 1951
Essendon 18.15 (123) Geelong 8.17 (65) Windy Hill 26,000 18 August 1951
Collingwood 9.12 (66) Richmond 6.8 (44) Victoria Park 25,500 18 August 1951
North Melbourne 10.11 (71) Hawthorn 8.11 (59) Arden Street Oval 6,000 18 August 1951
St Kilda 9.12 (66) Footscray 11.15 (81) Junction Oval 14,000 18 August 1951
Fitzroy 13.9 (87) Carlton 13.9 (87) Brunswick Street Oval 17,500 18 August 1951

Round 17

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 18.17 (125) St Kilda 10.12 (72) Punt Road Oval 14,000 25 August 1951
Geelong 13.15 (93) North Melbourne 3.6 (24) Kardinia Park 18,000 25 August 1951
Footscray 11.14 (80) Hawthorn 9.10 (64) Western Oval 14,000 25 August 1951
Essendon 11.13 (79) Fitzroy 7.11 (53) Windy Hill 30,000 25 August 1951
Carlton 15.16 (106) Melbourne 8.13 (61) Princes Park 11,000 25 August 1951
South Melbourne 12.9 (81) Collingwood 12.10 (82) Lake Oval 21,000 25 August 1951

Round 18

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 13.15 (93) South Melbourne 6.12 (48) Western Oval 24,500 1 September 1951
Carlton 9.10 (64) Essendon 16.12 (108) Princes Park 27,000 1 September 1951
Richmond 18.16 (124) Melbourne 14.11 (95) Punt Road Oval 10,000 1 September 1951
Hawthorn 5.8 (38) Geelong 10.10 (70) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 1 September 1951
North Melbourne 11.15 (81) Fitzroy 8.13 (61) Arden Street Oval 12,000 1 September 1951
St Kilda 9.18 (72) Collingwood 10.19 (79) Junction Oval 16,500 1 September 1951

Ladder

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(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 Geelong (P) 18 14 4 0 1485 1097 135.4 56
2 Collingwood 18 14 4 0 1499 1193 125.6 56
3 Essendon 18 13 5 0 1530 1262 121.2 52
4 Footscray 18 12 6 0 1316 1165 113.0 48
5 Fitzroy 18 10 6 2 1373 1305 105.2 44
6 Richmond 18 10 8 0 1551 1327 116.9 40
7 Carlton 18 8 9 1 1341 1253 107.0 34
8 South Melbourne 18 8 9 1 1399 1505 93.0 34
9 North Melbourne 18 7 11 0 1224 1433 85.4 28
10 St Kilda 18 5 13 0 1311 1595 82.2 20
11 Hawthorn 18 4 14 0 1136 1515 75.0 16
12 Melbourne 18 1 17 0 1230 1745 70.5 4

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 75.9
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

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Semi-finals

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Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Essendon 3.2 4.4 6.7 8.13 (61)
Footscray 6.1 7.1 7.5 8.5 (53)
Attendance: 66,135
Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Geelong 2.3 10.6 13.14 22.20 (152)
Collingwood 6.3 7.5 9.7 10.10 (70)
Attendance: 74,085

Preliminary final

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Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Collingwood 1.2 7.4 9.7 10.8 (68)
Essendon 1.2 3.3 5.7 10.10 (70)
Attendance: 73,539

Grand final

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Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Geelong 3.8 4.10 9.13 11.15 (81)
Essendon 1.0 6.2 6.4 10.10 (70)
Attendance: 85,795

Season notes

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  • The maximum match payment to players permissible under the league's "Coulter Law" was increased from £4-0-0 to £5-0-0 per match.
  • The VFL established the Dr. W. C. McClelland Club Trophy, which was awarded on the basis of an aggregate of the performances of all three club teams, week by week, over the entire season. A First Eighteen win was worth 10 points, a Second Eighteen win was worth 4 points, and a Third Eighteen win was worth 2 points. In the case of a drawn match the relevant points are halved.
  • In the best performance by a centre half-back since "Duncan's match" in 1927, South Melbourne's centre half-back Ron Clegg took 32 marks in the drawn match against Fitzroy.
  • Essendon's full-forward John Coleman was reported for striking Carlton's back-pocket Harry Caspar in the last home and away match of the season. Coleman had scored seven goals during the match. Coleman was suspended for four matches and, as a consequence, he missed the entire final series (see Harry Caspar: "the man who cost Essendon the flag").
  • In a desperate effort to cover for the loss of players through suspension, illness and injury, Essendon's coach Dick Reynolds came out of retirement and played in the Grand Final as 20th man. Reynolds came on in the last quarter. He did not score any goals and, when he accidentally bumped into Keith McDonald, he prevented McDonald taking a critical mark.

Awards

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References

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  • 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

Sources

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