The 1953 VFL season was the 57th 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). I ...

(VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 18 April until 26 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

Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed the Magpies or colloquially the Pies, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The club ...

for the twelfth time, after it defeated by twelve points in the 1953 VFL Grand Final.

Premiership season

In 1953, 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 1953 VFL ''Premiers'' were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.

Round 1

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 5.8 (38) , Kardinia Park , 19,877 , 18 April 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.9 (111) , , 12.16 (88) ,

Windy Hill Windy Hill may refer to: Places * Windy Hill, Essendon, an Australian rules football ground in the Melbourne area * Windy Hill Wind Farm, a wind power station near Ravenshoe, Queensland, Australia * Windy Hill (Pennines), a hill on the Pennines w ...

, 23,100 , 18 April 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.16 (118) , , 11.11 (77) , Victoria Park , 29,678 , 18 April 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.18 (60) , , 9.11 (65) , Princes Park , 27,198 , 18 April 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.9 (57) , , 14.21 (105) ,

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 ...

, 14,000 , 18 April 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.7 (73) , , 9.13 (67) , Punt Road Oval , 18,000 , 18 April 1953

Round 2

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.9 (57) , , 13.14 (92) ,

Glenferrie Oval Glenferrie Oval is an Australian rules football stadium located in Hawthorn, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the historic home of, and is synonymous with, the Hawthorn Football Club, who played there from 1903 and as a VFL/A ...

, 12,000 , 2 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.13 (61) , , 15.12 (102) ,

Western Oval Whitten Oval (also known as Victoria University Whitten Oval under a naming rights agreement) is a stadium in the inner-western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in Barkly Street, West Footscray. It is the training and administ ...

, 28,500 , 2 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.9 (81) , , 11.14 (80) ,

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 Rul ...

, 21,000 , 2 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.21 (99) , , 13.11 (89) ,

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 Sou ...

, 29,231 , 2 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.10 (118) , , 11.9 (75) ,

Arden Street Oval Arden Street Oval (also known as North Melbourne Cricket Ground) is a sports oval in North Melbourne, Victoria. It is currently the training base of the North Melbourne Football Club, an Australian rules football club, and up to the end of the ...

, 21,377 , 2 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.11 (59) , , 13.12 (90) , MCG , 29,204 , 2 May 1953

Round 3

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.15 (111) , , 6.6 (42) ,

, 15,000 , 9 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.20 (122) , , 7.16 (58) ,

, 18,000 , 9 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.19 (73) , , 14.14 (98) , Victoria Park , 33,000 , 9 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.12 (84) , , 11.17 (83) ,

, 12,000 , 9 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.15 (75) , , 12.14 (86) ,

, 24,000 , 9 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.8 (98) , , 16.8 (104) , Punt Road Oval , 31,000 , 9 May 1953

Round 4

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.11 (53) , , 9.9 (63) ,

, 12,000 , 16 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.14 (86) , , 10.15 (75) ,

, 20,500 , 16 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.11 (95) , , 14.19 (103) , Princes Park , 37,500 , 16 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.17 (83) , , 8.17 (65) ,

, 16,500 , 16 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 4.6 (30) , , 9.21 (75) , MCG , 23,727 , 16 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.7 (79) , , 9.11 (65) , Kardinia Park , 35,000 , 16 May 1953

Round 5

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.10 (46) , , 9.3 (57) ,

, 9,500 , 23 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.18 (96) , , 3.8 (26) , Victoria Park , 9,627 , 23 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 6.7 (43) , Princes Park , 9,150 , 23 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.10 (58) , , 9.8 (62) ,

, 11,000 , 23 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.16 (52) , , 15.16 (106) , Punt Road Oval , 10,000 , 23 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.6 (66) , , 1.0 (6) ,

, 14,087 , 23 May 1953

Round 6

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.16 (100) , , 7.5 (47) , Kardinia Park , 24,832 , 30 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.8 (62) , , 5.9 (39) , Victoria Park , 23,036 , 30 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.9 (69) , , 14.9 (93) ,

, 19,000 , 30 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.11 (71) , , 12.9 (81) , MCG , 21,205 , 30 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.9 (51) , , 9.14 (68) ,

, 25,000 , 30 May 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.7 (67) , , 6.11 (47) ,

, 12,000 , 30 May 1953

Round 7

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.11 (53) , , 18.16 (124) ,

, 21,000 , 6 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.12 (60) , , 5.14 (44) ,

, 9,500 , 6 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.18 (84) , , 7.6 (48) ,

, 21,000 , 6 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.16 (100) , , 7.6 (48) , Princes Park , 22,219 , 6 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.10 (58) , , 11.16 (82) , MCG , 26,254 , 6 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.9 (51) , , 7.10 (52) ,

, 32,114 , 6 June 1953

Round 8

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.14 (62) , , 12.8 (80) ,

, 7,000 , 13 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.17 (131) , , 8.8 (56) , Victoria Park , 16,200 , 13 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.11 (77) , , 9.17 (71) ,

, 22,565 , 13 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.11 (59) , , 9.14 (68) , Punt Road Oval , 16,000 , 13 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 21.10 (136) , , 7.8 (50) , Kardinia Park , 21,489 , 13 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.14 (98) , , 7.11 (53) ,

, 30,300 , 13 June 1953

Round 9

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.9 (45) , , 5.12 (42) ,

, 9,000 , 20 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.13 (43) , , 11.6 (72) ,

, 21,105 , 20 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.8 (44) , , 9.6 (60) ,

, 9,500 , 20 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.10 (64) , , 12.15 (87) ,

, 8,000 , 20 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.6 (48) , , 9.9 (63) , MCG , 27,175 , 20 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.12 (54) , , 7.18 (60) ,

, 15,000 , 20 June 1953

Round 10

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.9 (75) , , 7.10 (52) ,

, 9,500 , 27 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.15 (63) , , 10.14 (74) , Princes Park , 32,526 , 27 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.7 (79) , , 6.14 (50) ,

, 17,000 , 27 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.14 (74) , , 16.6 (102) , MCG , 11,993 , 27 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 3.7 (25) , , 5.12 (42) ,

, 15,000 , 27 June 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.14 (80) , , 6.16 (52) ,

, 31,900 , 27 June 1953

Round 11

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.14 (86) , , 13.7 (85) , Kardinia Park , 21,130 , 4 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.19 (61) , , 9.8 (62) , Victoria Park , 25,078 , 4 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.13 (97) , , 10.13 (73) , Princes Park , 29,688 , 4 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.7 (73) , , 8.21 (69) ,

, 12,000 , 4 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.10 (82) , , 7.6 (48) , Punt Road Oval , 11,000 , 4 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.15 (69) , , 7.11 (53) ,

, 34,884 , 4 July 1953

Round 12

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.9 (75) , , 11.9 (75) , MCG , 19,402 , 11 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.8 (62) , , 12.14 (86) ,

, 14,000 , 11 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.12 (90) , , 8.18 (66) ,

, 31,668 , 11 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.11 (131) , , 5.16 (46) ,

, 10,500 , 18 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.20 (62) , , 14.13 (97) ,

, 25,500 , 18 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.9 (81) , , 17.17 (119) ,

, 30,000 , 18 July 1953

Round 13

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.11 (83) , , 8.14 (62) ,

, 23,000 , 25 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.16 (94) , , 8.17 (65) , Victoria Park , 23,868 , 25 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.24 (96) , , 10.10 (70) , Princes Park , 16,367 , 25 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.13 (67) , , 4.14 (38) ,

, 7,500 , 25 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.12 (78) , , 8.10 (58) , Kardinia Park , 32,093 , 25 July 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.7 (85) , , 13.12 (90) , Punt Road Oval , 15,000 , 25 July 1953

Round 14

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.13 (67) , , 8.16 (64) , MCG , 13,768 , 1 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.18 (90) , , 7.19 (61) ,

, 16,000 , 1 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.16 (106) , , 10.19 (79) , Princes Park , 21,508 , 1 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 3.10 (28) , , 11.10 (76) ,

, 10,000 , 1 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.10 (64) , , 14.15 (99) ,

, 19,500 , 1 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.13 (55) , , 10.15 (75) , Kardinia Park , 31,635 , 1 August 1953

Round 15

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.16 (94) , , 11.14 (80) , Punt Road Oval , 9,500 , 8 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.14 (98) , , 9.7 (61) ,

, 18,075 , 8 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.13 (61) , , 7.8 (50) ,

, 41,000 , 8 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.12 (54) , , 9.8 (62) ,

, 8,500 , 8 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.19 (121) , , 7.9 (51) ,

, 12,000 , 8 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 9.16 (70) , Victoria Park , 31,277 , 8 August 1953

Round 16

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.8 (56) , , 11.21 (87) ,

, 8,000 , 15 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.18 (102) , , 4.9 (33) , Kardinia Park , 10,000 , 15 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.11 (53) , , 14.14 (98) ,

, 17,500 , 15 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.9 (57) , , 12.10 (82) , MCG , 25,543 , 15 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.6 (72) , , 12.16 (88) ,

, 7,000 , 15 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.15 (63) , , 7.16 (58) ,

, 9,700 , 15 August 1953

Round 17

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.18 (90) , , 4.5 (29) ,

, 15,158 , 22 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.13 (49) , , 9.10 (64) ,

, 7,500 , 22 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.6 (78) , , 12.7 (79) ,

, 18,000 , 22 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 6.9 (45) , Princes Park , 8,500 , 22 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.14 (98) , , 8.7 (55) ,

, 21,000 , 22 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.9 (81) , , 13.17 (95) , Punt Road Oval , 18,000 , 22 August 1953

Round 18

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.14 (110) , , 8.8 (56) , Kardinia Park , 18,124 , 29 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.14 (74) , , 8.7 (55) , Victoria Park , 33,867 , 29 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.20 (98) , , 4.12 (36) ,

, 13,000 , 29 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.10 (64) , , 13.6 (84) ,

, 5,000 , 29 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.7 (85) , , 19.12 (126) , Punt Road Oval , 19,000 , 29 August 1953 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.10 (94) , , 15.15 (105) ,

, 14,000 , 29 August 1953

Ladder

Finals

First Semi-Final

Second Semi-Final

Preliminary Final

Grand final

Awards

* The 1953 VFL Premiership team was

Collingwood Collingwood, meaning "wood of disputed ownership", may refer to: Educational institutions * Collingwood College, Victoria, an Australian state Prep to Year 12 school * Collingwood College, Durham, college of Durham University, England * Collingw ...

. * The VFL's leading goalkicker was John Coleman of Essendon who kicked 97 goals (including one goal in the finals). * The winner of the 1953

Brownlow Medal The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as "Charlie"), is awarded to the "best and fairest" player in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by ...

was

Bill Hutchison William Henry Hutchison (28 April 1923 – 18 June 1982), often referred to as "Hutchy", was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League (VFL) with the Essendon Football Club, who played 290 VFL games, from 1942 to 1957, a ...

of Essendon with 26 votes. * Hawthorn took the "wooden spoon" in 1953.

Notable events

* Because Anzac Day fell on a Saturday, there was a fortnight between Rounds 1 and 2. On the evening of Friday 24 April a night-time exhibition match was held between

and Fitzroy, under lights, at the

Royal Melbourne Showgrounds Melbourne Showgrounds is located in the inner north-western suburb of Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia, next door to Flemington Racecourse. The largest and most flexible indoor/outdoor venue space in Melbourne the Showgrounds is the home of the ...

for the benefit of St Vincent's Hospital. Collingwood 9.13 (67) defeated Fitzroy 4.19 (43) before a crowd of 22,000. * Footscray won its first final since joining the league in 1925, their twenty-ninth season. This came after making the finals six times previously and being eliminated each time (1938, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1948 and 1951). * In Round 2, John Coleman kicked 11 of Essendon's 13 goals. * In Round 5, Fitzroy came close to becoming the first (and only) VFL/AFL team to be held scoreless in their match against Footscray at the Western Oval, which was played amidst heavy rain and a burst water main. Allan Ruthven managed their only scoring shot, a goal, with about six minutes remaining in the match. To date, it remains the longest amount of time a team has been kept scoreless in a match. * In a streak spanning from 1952 until 1953, won 23 consecutive matches and played 26 consecutive matches without defeat; both of these remain VFL/AFL records as of 2021. The winning streak ended in Round 14, when

defeated Geelong by 20 points. At the time, Geelong had a 13–0 record and a four game lead over second-place, but won only three of its eight remaining games for the season. * Overall it was a low-scoring season: Footscray's 959 points against remains the lowest average points conceded per game since 1919; the season's highest score of 21.10 (136) was the lowest since 1924; and, for the first time since 1927, there was no match where both teams scored more than 100 points. * The

Grand Final team contained three sets of brothers: Lou Richards and Ron Richards; Bob Rose and Bill Rose; Bill Twomey Jr., Pat Twomey, and Mick Twomey. *Collingwood supporter and businessman John Wren suffered a heart attack at the 1953 Grand Final and died one month later.

References

* 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. * 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.

External links

1953 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 ...