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1943 VFL season

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1943 VFL premiership season
Richmond Football Club, premier team
Teams11
PremiersRichmond
5th premiership
Minor premiersRichmond
4th minor premiership
Brownlow MedallistNot awarded
Leading goalkicker medallistFred Fanning (Melbourne)
Matches played84
Highest42,100
← 1942
1944 →

The 1943 VFL season was the 47th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria.

As in 1942, only eleven of the league's twelve clubs competed, with Geelong remaining in recess due to travel restrictions during World War II. The season ran from 8 May until 25 September, and comprised a 15-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.

The premiership was won by the Richmond Football Club for the fifth time, after it defeated Essendon by five points in the 1943 VFL Grand Final.

Background

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In 1942, the VFL competition consisted of eleven teams of 18 on-the-field players each (Geelong did not field a team due to wartime rail and road transport restrictions), 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 16 rounds. During the first 11 rounds each team played each other once and had one bye. At round 11, the eleventh team on the ladder dropped out of the competition. In the remaining rounds (12 to 16), the other ten teams played 5 matches each. This more even fixture was seen as an improvement on 1942's season, in which teams played an unequal number of matches (14 or 15).

During the 1943 season, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Lake Oval, and the Junction Oval were all appropriated for military use. Melbourne shared the Punt Road Oval with Richmond as their home ground, South Melbourne now shared Princes Park with Carlton as their home ground, and St. Kilda now played their home games at Toorak Park (this was possible because there was no VFA competition in 1943). Footscray, however, were able to return to the Western Oval as it was vacated by the defence authorities after a year.

Once the 16 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1943 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
Essendon 18.9 (117) South Melbourne 13.14 (92) Windy Hill 16,000 8 May 1943
Collingwood 6.22 (58) North Melbourne 7.12 (54) Victoria Park 8,000 8 May 1943
Carlton 17.13 (115) Richmond 8.23 (71) Princes Park 17,000 8 May 1943
St Kilda 14.9 (93) Hawthorn 13.17 (95) Toorak Park 6,000 8 May 1943
Melbourne 14.12 (96) Fitzroy 15.9 (99) Punt Road Oval 9,000 8 May 1943

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 8.14 (62) Arden Street Oval 5,000 15 May 1943
South Melbourne 12.14 (86) Melbourne 15.19 (109) Princes Park 6,000 15 May 1943
Hawthorn 7.8 (50) Essendon 11.15 (81) Glenferrie Oval 7,000 15 May 1943
Richmond 13.7 (85) Collingwood 9.12 (66) Punt Road Oval 16,000 15 May 1943
Footscray 6.10 (46) Carlton 8.18 (66) Western Oval 11,000 15 May 1943

Round 3

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 16.17 (113) South Melbourne 16.16 (112) Brunswick Street Oval 15,500 22 May 1943
Essendon 11.12 (78) North Melbourne 9.11 (65) Windy Hill 9,000 22 May 1943
Collingwood 11.14 (80) Footscray 12.16 (88) Victoria Park 10,000 22 May 1943
St Kilda 8.15 (63) Richmond 17.12 (114) Toorak Park 11,000 22 May 1943
Melbourne 10.12 (72) Hawthorn 17.15 (117) Punt Road Oval 5,000 22 May 1943

Round 4

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 13.11 (89) St Kilda 6.12 (48) Western Oval 7,000 29 May 1943
Carlton 12.5 (77) Collingwood 15.14 (104) Princes Park 15,000 29 May 1943
North Melbourne 15.14 (104) Melbourne 10.11 (71) Arden Street Oval 5,000 29 May 1943
Hawthorn 13.8 (86) Fitzroy 9.21 (75) Glenferrie Oval 9,000 29 May 1943
Richmond 11.18 (84) Essendon 14.13 (97) Punt Road Oval 23,000 29 May 1943

Round 5

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 17.11 (113) Richmond 21.15 (141) Punt Road Oval 13,000 5 June 1943
Fitzroy 23.12 (150) North Melbourne 10.13 (73) Brunswick Street Oval 12,000 5 June 1943
Essendon 16.10 (106) Footscray 16.18 (114) Windy Hill 18,000 5 June 1943
South Melbourne 10.15 (75) Hawthorn 12.13 (85) Princes Park 14,000 5 June 1943
St Kilda 13.14 (92) Carlton 12.8 (80) Toorak Park 9,000 5 June 1943

Round 6

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 14.7 (91) South Melbourne 12.18 (90) Arden Street Oval 7,000 12 June 1943
Footscray 21.17 (143) Melbourne 8.15 (63) Western Oval 8,000 12 June 1943
Collingwood 11.21 (87) St Kilda 5.12 (42) Victoria Park 7,000 12 June 1943
Carlton 9.22 (76) Essendon 11.16 (82) Princes Park 17,000 12 June 1943
Richmond 12.17 (89) Fitzroy 14.11 (95) Punt Road Oval 19,000 12 June 1943

Round 7

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 20.16 (136) North Melbourne 13.17 (95) Glenferrie Oval 8,000 19 June 1943
Fitzroy 16.11 (107) Footscray 11.7 (73) Brunswick Street Oval 18,000 19 June 1943
South Melbourne 12.12 (84) Richmond 17.12 (114) Princes Park 11,000 19 June 1943
Essendon 15.13 (103) Collingwood 8.14 (62) Windy Hill 11,000 19 June 1943
Melbourne 13.14 (92) Carlton 11.21 (87) Punt Road Oval 8,000 19 June 1943

Round 8

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 10.11 (71) South Melbourne 6.14 (50) Western Oval 7,500 26 June 1943
Collingwood 10.21 (81) Melbourne 13.9 (87) Victoria Park 5,000 26 June 1943
Carlton 15.16 (106) Fitzroy 9.13 (67) Princes Park 12,000 26 June 1943
Richmond 15.16 (106) Hawthorn 8.14 (62) Punt Road Oval 16,000 26 June 1943
St Kilda 15.8 (98) Essendon 20.19 (139) Toorak Park 6,000 26 June 1943

Round 9

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 9.2 (56) Richmond 13.7 (85) Arden Street Oval 10,000 3 July 1943
Melbourne 16.14 (110) St Kilda 12.10 (82) Punt Road Oval 8,000 3 July 1943
Hawthorn 13.11 (89) Footscray 11.13 (79) Glenferrie Oval 16,000 3 July 1943
Fitzroy 15.18 (108) Collingwood 9.11 (65) Brunswick Street Oval 14,000 3 July 1943
South Melbourne 10.13 (73) Carlton 15.13 (103) Princes Park 13,000 3 July 1943

Round 10

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 9.23 (77) North Melbourne 12.14 (86) Western Oval 8,000 10 July 1943
Essendon 9.16 (70) Melbourne 13.7 (85) Windy Hill 8,000 10 July 1943
Collingwood 9.6 (60) South Melbourne 16.14 (110) Victoria Park 8,000 10 July 1943
Carlton 16.9 (105) Hawthorn 11.14 (80) Princes Park 12,000 10 July 1943
St Kilda 10.11 (71) Fitzroy 14.14 (98) Toorak Park 6,000 10 July 1943

Round 11

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
South Melbourne 16.19 (115) St Kilda 11.14 (80) Princes Park 6,000 17 July 1943
Richmond 10.19 (79) Footscray 8.9 (57) Punt Road Oval 13,000 17 July 1943
Fitzroy 7.14 (56) Essendon 9.24 (78) Brunswick Street Oval 14,000 17 July 1943
Hawthorn 16.14 (110) Collingwood 12.13 (85) Glenferrie Oval 8,000 17 July 1943
North Melbourne 12.10 (82) Carlton 11.12 (78) Arden Street Oval 7,000 17 July 1943

Round 12

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 10.10 (70) Richmond 7.17 (59) Brunswick Street Oval 12,000 31 July 1943
South Melbourne 14.11 (95) North Melbourne 6.6 (42) Princes Park 8,000 31 July 1943
Melbourne 23.16 (154) Footscray 11.8 (74) Punt Road Oval 8,000 31 July 1943
Hawthorn 7.13 (55) Essendon 9.12 (66) Glenferrie Oval 12,000 31 July 1943
Collingwood 11.8 (74) Carlton 28.10 (178) Victoria Park 8,500 31 July 1943

Round 13

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 9.6 (60) South Melbourne 21.13 (139) Punt Road Oval 14,000 7 August 1943
Footscray 7.17 (59) Richmond 19.19 (133) Western Oval 9,000 7 August 1943
Essendon 11.24 (90) Fitzroy 8.8 (56) Windy Hill 14,000 7 August 1943
Collingwood 14.24 (108) North Melbourne 7.8 (50) Victoria Park 5,250 7 August 1943
Carlton 13.19 (97) Hawthorn 10.15 (75) Princes Park 15,000 7 August 1943

Round 14

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 15.14 (104) Melbourne 7.12 (54) Brunswick Street Oval 8,000 14 August 1943
Richmond 9.14 (68) Hawthorn 11.7 (73) Punt Road Oval 15,000 14 August 1943
North Melbourne 7.11 (53) Footscray 9.10 (64) Arden Street Oval 4,000 14 August 1943
South Melbourne 12.18 (90) Collingwood 11.7 (73) Princes Park 6,000 14 August 1943
Essendon 9.13 (67) Carlton 10.10 (70) Windy Hill 19,000 14 August 1943

Round 15

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 13.10 (88) South Melbourne 7.14 (56) Glenferrie Oval 15,000 21 August 1943
Collingwood 16.17 (113) Fitzroy 9.9 (63) Victoria Park 6,500 21 August 1943
Carlton 15.23 (113) North Melbourne 7.5 (47) Princes Park 8,000 21 August 1943
Richmond 15.19 (109) Melbourne 12.13 (85) Punt Road Oval 9,000 21 August 1943
Footscray 9.10 (64) Essendon 6.15 (51) Western Oval 6,000 21 August 1943

Round 16

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Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 10.11 (71) Richmond 14.14 (98) Windy Hill 16,000 28 August 1943
North Melbourne 8.11 (59) Hawthorn 7.16 (58) Arden Street Oval 4,500 28 August 1943
South Melbourne 10.19 (79) Footscray 10.6 (66) Princes Park 4,000 28 August 1943
Melbourne 16.17 (113) Collingwood 14.17 (101) Punt Road Oval 5,000 28 August 1943
Fitzroy 12.12 (84) Carlton 10.9 (69) Brunswick Street Oval 18,000 28 August 1943

Ladder

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(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 Richmond (P) 15 10 5 0 1435 1166 123.1 44
2 Essendon 15 10 5 0 1296 1125 115.2 44
3 Fitzroy 15 10 5 0 1345 1234 109.0 44
4 Carlton 15 9 6 0 1420 1136 125.0 40
5 Hawthorn 15 9 6 0 1259 1212 103.9 40
6 Footscray 15 7 8 0 1164 1244 93.6 32
7 Melbourne 15 7 8 0 1364 1537 88.7 32
8 South Melbourne 15 6 9 0 1346 1272 105.8 28
9 North Melbourne 15 5 9 1 1019 1323 77.0 26
10 Collingwood 15 5 10 0 1217 1358 89.6 24
11 St Kilda 10 1 8 1 731 989 73.9 10

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 85.0
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

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Semi-finals

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Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 13.16 (94) Carlton 5.13 (43) Princes Park 39,874 4 September
Richmond 9.17 (71) Essendon 13.16 (94) Princes Park 24,100 11 September

Preliminary final

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Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 12.14 (86) Fitzroy 8.13 (61) Princes Park 27,335 18 September

Grand final

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Season notes

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  • Hawthorn's coach Roy Cazaly renamed the club "The Hawks" from "The Mayblooms". This season was the closest Hawthorn came to a finals appearance in its first 32 seasons (1925–56) in the VFL, finishing one spot outside the final four only by an inferior percentage to Carlton.
  • In the spiteful Round 1 match between Essendon and South Melbourne, a vicious brawl broke out in the last quarter when South Melbourne's Jack "Basher" Williams felled Ted Leehane (apparently in a square-off retribution for Leehane's similar action against Williams in the 1942 preliminary final) which involved a dozen players, team officials, trainers, fans, and police. Three players were reported: Williams received an eight-week suspension for striking Leehane, Dick Reynolds, Gordon Lane, and Perc Bushby, 1940 Brownlow Medal winner Herbie Matthews was suspended for four weeks for striking Allan Hird, and Bushby was suspended for two weeks for striking Williams in retaliation.
  • Entering Round 11, St Kilda and South Melbourne were tenth and eleventh on the ladder with two premiership points separating them; as such, the match between those two clubs in Round 11 directly decided which club was eliminated after the first set of home-and-away matches. South Melbourne won the game by 35 points.[1]
  • The VFL suspended its Round 12 matches and conducted a one-day lightning carnival amongst the top four teams; the Victorian Football League Patriotic Match Cup was won by Essendon.
  • Munitions worker Bob Chitty played for Carlton in Round 15 despite losing the top of his finger during the week in a workplace accident.
  • Richmond's centre half-forward Jack Broadstock went Absent Without Leave (AWL) from his Army duties in order to play in the 1943 grand final. He was arrested by the Military Police upon his arrival at Princes Park, and it was only after some very persuasive talking by Richmond captain Jack Dyer, who was himself a policeman with the Victorian Police Force, that Broadstock's commanding officer dropped the matter and allowed him to play in the match. Broadstock went on to kick a goal and be one of Richmond's best players.
  • For the first time, no score of four or fewer goals was kicked in a VFL season.

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Rodgers, Stephen (1992), Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results, 1897–1991 (3rd ed.), Ringwood, VIC: Viking O'Neil, p. 304
  2. ^ "Two pennants to St Kilda". The Argus. Melbourne. 20 September 1943. p. 9.
  3. ^ "Seconds Grand Final". The Argus. Melbourne. 17 September 1943. 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

Sources

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