The 1917 VFL season was the 21st 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 competition in Victoria. Played during the latter stages

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, only six of the league's nine senior clubs competed, with and returning after being in recess the previous year. The season ran from 12 May until 22 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 Collingwood Football Club for the fourth time, after it defeated by 35 points in the

1917 VFL Grand Final The 1917 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Collingwood Football Club and Fitzroy Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 22 September 1917. It was the 20th annual Grand Final ...

Premiership season

In 1917, the VFL competition consisted of six 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 of the six teams played each other three times in a 15 match home-and-away season (Geelong, Richmond, and South Melbourne each hosting eight games, while Carlton, Collingwood, and Fitzroy each hosted seven). Once the 15 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1917 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" , , 11.11 (77) , , 4.4 (28) ,

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 ...

, 12 May 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.18 (72) , , 4.14 (38) ,

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 Sout ...

, 12 May 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.9 (45) , , 6.9 (45) ,

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 Rules ...

, 12 May 1917

Round 2

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.16 (52) , , 8.16 (64) ,

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 ...

, 19 May 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.7 (85) , , 8.6 (54) , Princes Park , 19 May 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.10 (46) , , 8.16 (64) ,

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 ...

, 19 May 1917

Round 3

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.6 (90) , , 6.16 (52) ,

, 26 May 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.14 (62) , , 11.12 (78) ,

, 26 May 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.16 (46) , , 3.13 (31) ,

, 26 May 1917

Round 4

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.18 (66) , , 6.9 (45) ,

, 2 June 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.13 (49) , , 5.8 (38) ,

, 4 June 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.12 (42) , , 6.7 (43) , Princes Park , 4 June 1917

Round 5

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.13 (97) , , 7.11 (53) , Princes Park , 9 June 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.20 (50) , , 8.7 (55) ,

, 9 June 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.7 (43) , , 8.9 (57) ,

, 9 June 1917

Round 6

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.14 (50) , , 6.11 (47) ,

, 16 June 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 4.17 (41) , , 8.9 (57) , Princes Park , 16 June 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.8 (50) , , 6.14 (50) ,

, 16 June 1917

Round 7

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.4 (52) , , 9.11 (65) ,

, 23 June 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.17 (71) , , 6.3 (39) ,

, 23 June 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.14 (92) , , 8.7 (55) ,

, 23 June 1917

Round 8

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.15 (81) , , 5.4 (34) ,

, 30 June 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.11 (77) , , 10.14 (74) ,

, 30 June 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.11 (65) , , 7.12 (54) , Princes Park , 30 June 1917

Round 9

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.9 (87) , , 5.8 (38) ,

, 7 July 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.12 (90) , , 10.13 (73) ,

, 7 July 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 3.11 (29) , , 4.10 (34) ,

, 7 July 1917

Round 10

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.10 (64) , , 8.9 (57) ,

, 14 July 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.19 (79) , , 2.11 (23) ,

, 14 July 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.10 (46) , , 7.9 (51) ,

, 14 July 1917

Round 11

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.19 (85) , , 7.7 (49) ,

, 21 July 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.14 (98) , , 6.13 (49) ,

, 21 July 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.15 (45) , , 8.11 (59) ,

, 21 July 1917

Round 12

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.11 (41) , , 7.14 (56) ,

, 28 July 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 4.13 (37) , , 3.8 (26) , Princes Park , 28 July 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.3 (63) , , 12.10 (82) ,

, 28 July 1917

Round 13

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.12 (42) , , 7.8 (50) ,

, 11 August 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.3 (45) , , 14.17 (101) ,

, 11 August 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.7 (55) , , 6.14 (50) ,

, 11 August 1917

Round 14

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.16 (52) , , 2.9 (21) ,

, 18 August 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.11 (71) , , 7.11 (53) ,

, 18 August 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.8 (38) , , 10.11 (71) ,

, 18 August 1917

Round 15

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.8 (80) , , 4.17 (41) , Princes Park , 25 August 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.13 (85) , , 7.5 (47) ,

, 25 August 1917 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.17 (65) , , 9.9 (63) ,

, 25 August 1917

Ladder

Finals

Semi finals

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Attendance , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.8 (44) , , 6.17 (53) ,

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 ...

, 15,605 , Saturday, 1 September , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.17 (95) , , 3.17 (35) ,

, 16,505 , Saturday, 8 September

Preliminary Final

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Attendance , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 8.10 (58) ,

, 22,786 , Saturday, 15 September

Grand final

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Attendance , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.20 (74) , , 5.9 (39) ,

, 28,512 , Saturday, 22 September

Awards

* The 1917 VFL Premiership team was Collingwood. * The VFL's leading goalkicker was

Dick Lee Richard Lee Peng Boon (born 24 August 1956) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, playwright and film director. Early life Lee was born to a Peranakan father, Lee Kip Lee, (who wrote for ''The Straits Times'') and his wife , Elizabeth Tan. He was th ...

of Collingwood with 50 goals (54 after finals). * Richmond 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 1917.

Notable events

* Geelong and

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 ...

, having refused to compete in 1916 on "patriotic grounds" returned to the VFL competition, having concluded that the drop in the number of recruits in 1916 indicated that the VFL competition had no effect on military recruitment. The Geelong players met their own expenses and played as amateurs, with the club donating all of its 1917 profits to war funds. * On 12 May 1917, recruiting officers visiting VFL grounds were heckled by spectators. On another occasion a Fitzroy crowd attacked a recruiting sergeant. * On 4 August, the entire thirteenth round was put back a week, at the request of the State War Council, so that recruiting meetings could be held at each VFL ground.

References

* Rogers, S. & Brown, A., ''Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition)'', Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998.

External links

1917 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 ...