The 1912 VFL season was the 16th season of the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFL), the highest level senior

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

competition in Victoria. The season featured ten 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

Essendon Football Club The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed the Bombers, is a professional Australian rules football club. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the game's premier competition. The club was formed by the McCracken family in their A ...

for the fourth time and second time consecutively, after it defeated by 14 points in the 1912 VFL Grand Final.

Premiership season

In 1912, the VFL competition consisted of ten teams of 18 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves", although any of the 18 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume their place on the field at any time during the match. Each team played each other twice in a home-and-away season of 18 rounds. Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1912 VFL ''Premiers'' were determined by the specific format and conventions of the amended "''Argus'' system".

Round 1

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.14 (116) , , 6.6 (42) , EMCG , 27 April 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.16 (70) , , 4.7 (31) , Princes Park , 27 April 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.10 (46) , , 7.11 (53) ,

Junction Oval Junction Oval (also known as the St Kilda Cricket Ground, or the CitiPower Centre due to sponsorship reasons) is a historic sports ground in the suburb of St Kilda in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The oval's location near the St Kilda Junc ...

, 27 April 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.5 (47) , , 4.10 (34) ,

Lake Oval Lakeside Stadium is an Australian sports arena in the South Melbourne suburb of Albert Park. Comprising an athletics track and soccer stadium, it currently serves as the home ground and administrative base for association football club South M ...

, 27 April 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.14 (68) , , 5.9 (39) ,

MCG The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hem ...

, 27 April 1912

Round 2

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.8 (38) , , 2.23 (35) ,

Punt Road Oval Punt Road Oval, also known by naming rights sponsorship as the Swinburne Centre, is an Australian rules football ground and former cricket oval located within the Yarra Park precinct of East Melbourne, Victoria, situated a few hundred metres to ...

, 4 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.15 (93) , , 6.11 (47) ,

Corio Oval Corio Oval was an Australian rules football ground, located in Geelong, Victoria, and used by the Geelong Football Club in the VFA and the VFL from 1878 to 1915, and 1917 to 1940. Sited in Eastern Park, the oval was served by trams from 1930 wh ...

, 4 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.17 (53) , , 10.10 (70) ,

Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to: Places Australia * Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales * Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse * Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...

, 4 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.12 (60) , , 10.8 (68) ,

, 4 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.11 (41) , , 9.10 (64) ,

Brunswick Street Oval The WT Peterson Community Oval, best known as the Brunswick Street Oval and also as the Fitzroy Cricket Ground, is a cricket and Australian rules football ground located in Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North, Victoria. History Australian Rule ...

, 4 May 1912

Round 3

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.14 (56) , , 5.6 (36) ,

, 11 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.9 (63) , , 6.12 (48) ,

, 11 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.18 (54) , , 3.4 (22) ,

, 11 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.21 (93) , , 4.12 (36) ,

, 11 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.11 (59) , , 6.14 (50) , EMCG , 11 May 1912

Round 4

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.12 (78) , , 5.5 (35) ,

, 18 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.9 (45) , , 6.10 (46) , Princes Park , 18 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 3.13 (31) , , 7.14 (56) ,

, 18 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.6 (60) , , 13.8 (86) ,

, 18 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.8 (56) , , 9.8 (62) ,

, 18 May 1912

Round 5

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.5 (35) , , 7.8 (50) ,

, 25 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.11 (59) , , 4.8 (32) ,

, 25 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.7 (49) , , 7.10 (52) , EMCG , 25 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.12 (72) , , 6.4 (40) ,

, 25 May 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.2 (50) , , 5.14 (44) ,

, 25 May 1912

Round 6

Prior to this round, it was noted by the ''

Football Record The ''AFL Record'' is the official program available at Australian Football League (AFL) matches. The publication began as the ''Football Record'' in Melbourne, Australia in 1912, making it one of the oldest magazines in Australia. The public ...

'' that Melbourne had been generally strong while competing at their home ground, but had faltered while away. , - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.12 (78) , , 10.6 (66) ,

, 1 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 6.11 (47) , Princes Park , 1 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.8 (38) , , 9.16 (70) ,

, 1 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.10 (70) , , 13.14 (92) ,

, 1 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.13 (91) , , 2.15 (27) ,

, 1 June 1912

Round 7

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.13 (73) , , 4.12 (36) ,

, 3 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.15 (93) , , 8.13 (61) ,

, 3 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.10 (46) , , 8.7 (55) ,

, 3 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.6 (54) , , 16.12 (108) ,

, 3 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.8 (50) , , 17.17 (119) ,

, 3 June 1912

Round 8

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.14 (98) , , 4.9 (33) ,

, 8 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.15 (63) , , 3.8 (26) ,

, 8 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.19 (55) , , 10.6 (66) , EMCG , 8 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.10 (88) , , 11.7 (73) ,

, 8 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.16 (64) , , 6.10 (46) , Princes Park , 8 June 1912

Round 9

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 2.12 (24) , , 7.13 (55) ,

, 15 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 4.16 (40) , , 7.12 (54) ,

, 15 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 3.7 (25) , , 8.8 (56) ,

, 15 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 4.16 (40) , , 4.8 (32) ,

, 15 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.10 (58) , , 10.17 (77) ,

, 15 June 1912

Round 10

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.6 (42) , , 12.14 (86) ,

, 22 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 3.10 (28) , , 9.12 (66) ,

, 22 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.17 (53) , , 6.9 (45) ,

, 22 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 16.24 (120) ,

, 22 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.7 (79) , , 8.12 (60) ,

, 22 June 1912

Round 11

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.14 (92) , , 5.7 (37) ,

, 29 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.8 (44) , , 4.15 (39) , Princes Park , 29 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.12 (126) , , 5.7 (37) ,

, 29 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.11 (83) , , 9.14 (68) ,

, 29 June 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.18 (54) , , 6.10 (46) , EMCG , 29 June 1912

Round 12

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.19 (85) , , 4.4 (28) ,

, 13 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 0.8 (8) , , 13.8 (86) ,

, 13 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.15 (63) , , 6.4 (40) ,

, 13 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.16 (76) , , 4.9 (33) , Princes Park , 13 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.13 (73) , , 5.10 (40) ,

, 13 July 1912

Round 13

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.12 (102) , , 6.14 (50) ,

, 20 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.10 (70) , , 3.11 (29) ,

, 20 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 9.11 (65) , EMCG , 20 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.12 (54) , , 5.13 (43) ,

, 20 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 3.14 (32) , , 8.7 (55) ,

, 20 July 1912

Round 14

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 4.18 (42) , , 5.7 (37) , Princes Park , 27 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.7 (91) , , 7.18 (60) ,

, 27 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.8 (50) , , 12.14 (86) ,

, 27 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.14 (92) , , 5.10 (40) ,

, 27 July 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.4 (40) , , 10.15 (75) ,

, 27 July 1912

Round 15

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.13 (85) , , 7.5 (47) ,

, 3 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.12 (72) , , 5.13 (43) , EMCG , 3 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.15 (57) , , 6.8 (44) ,

, 3 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.6 (42) , , 6.7 (43) ,

, 3 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.15 (51) , , 7.12 (54) ,

, 3 August 1912

Round 16

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 4.8 (32) , , 6.15 (51) ,

, 17 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.17 (89) , , 8.7 (55) ,

, 17 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.8 (62) , , 7.8 (50) , EMCG , 17 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.20 (68) , , 8.11 (59) , Princes Park , 17 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.7 (43) , , 6.20 (56) ,

, 17 August 1912

Round 17

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.9 (63) , , 11.7 (73) ,

, 24 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.8 (50) , , 12.22 (94) ,

, 24 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.18 (108) , , 7.8 (50) ,

, 24 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.11 (65) , , 4.3 (27) ,

, 24 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.10 (46) , , 7.10 (52) ,

, 24 August 1912

Round 18

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.14 (68) , , 7.7 (49) ,

, 31 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.16 (70) , , 4.9 (33) ,

, 31 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.13 (55) , , 6.13 (49) , EMCG , 31 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.7 (37) , , 7.11 (53) ,

, 31 August 1912 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.14 (74) , , 10.9 (69) , Princes Park , 31 August 1912

Ladder

Finals

All of the 1912 finals were played at the

so the home team in the semi-finals and Preliminary Final is purely the higher ranked team from the ladder but in the Grand Final the home team was the team that won the Preliminary Final.

Semi-finals

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ,

Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...

, 10.11 (71) ,

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...

, 4.19 (43) ,

, 7 September , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ,

Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United King ...

, 7.12 (54) ,

South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at t ...

, 6.6 (42) ,

, 14 September

Preliminary final

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ,

, 7.10 (52) ,

, 6.12 (48) ,

, 21 September

Grand final

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ,

, 5.17 (47) ,

, 4.9 (33) ,

, 28 September

defeated

5.17 (47) to 4.9 (33), in front of a crowd of 54,436 people. (For an explanation of scoring see

Awards

* The 1912 VFL Premiership team was

. * The VFL's leading goalkicker was

Harry Brereton Henry Evan Brereton (13 June 1887 – 31 December 1950) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne and South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Football Originally recruited from Port Melbourne, Brereton made ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

with 56 goals. *

University A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

took the "

wooden spoon Wooden Spoon may refer to: * Wooden spoon, implement * Wooden spoon (award) A wooden spoon is an award that is given to an individual or team that has come last in a competition. Examples range from the academic to sporting and more frivolous e ...

" in 1912.

Notable events

* On 27 April 1912, the first issue of the VFL's ''Football Record'' was published. * For the first time, all VFL players wore a number on the back of their guernseys. The number designated the player himself, rather than his position and, in most cases, he played his entire career with the same number on his back (however, if he changed clubs, his number would also alter). * University's Round 3 victory over Richmond was ultimately to be the last win in the VFL club's history. University would go on to lose its next 51 matches (including two winless seasons in 1913 and 1914), a VFL/AFL record, before they dropped out of the competition. * South Australia defeated Victoria 9.8 (62) to 6.7 (43) in Adelaide on 10 August 1912. * In a match against Collingwood, Essendon's Dan Hanley was impeded from taking part in a contest for the ball along one of the boundary lines, when a boundary umpire grasped him by the hand. There were no "official" witnesses to this incredible incident, and the boundary umpire went unpunished. * The captains of the two 1912 second semi-final teams,

Allan Belcher Allan Belcher (2 December 1884 – 2 July 1921) was an Australian rules footballer who played with and coached Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was the brother of South Melbourne player Vic Belcher. Belcher started his care ...

and

Vic Belcher Victor George Belcher (24 August 1888 – 3 January 1977) was an Australian rules footballer, coach and umpire in the (then) Victorian Football League. Early life and family Belcher was born at Hall's Track (now known as Lebrina) north ...

, were brothers. This is a VFL/AFL record. * VFL decided to appoint two stewards to each match. They had the power to report players. They wear an all-white uniform, with the word "Steward" in red on their breast.

References

Sources

* Maplestone, M., ''Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996'', Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. * Rogers, S. & Brown, A., ''Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition)'', Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998.

External links

1912 Season – AFL Tables
{{Australian Football League Australian Football League seasons

VFL season The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...