The 1957 VFL season was the 61st 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 twelve clubs, ran from 20 April until 21 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

Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. It is based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, ...

for the ninth time and third time consecutively, after it defeated by 61 points in the

1957 VFL Grand Final The 1957 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Melbourne Football Club and Essendon Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 21 September 1957. It was the 60th annual Grand Final of the Victor ...

Premiership season

In 1957, 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 1957 VFL ''Premiers'' were determined by the specific format and conventions of the

Page–McIntyre system The McIntyre System, or systems as there have been five of them, is a playoff system that gives an advantage to teams or competitors qualifying higher. The systems were developed by Ken McIntyre, an Australian lawyer, historian and English lect ...

Round 1

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.16 (88) , , 7.17 (59) ,

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 ...

, 37,000 , 20 April 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.10 (58) , , 13.15 (93) ,

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 ...

, 30,000 , 20 April 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.6 (66) , , 15.12 (102) , Princes Park , 24,321 , 20 April 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.11 (53) , , 6.14 (50) ,

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 ...

, 24,000 , 22 April 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.14 (128) , , 15.15 (105) ,

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 ...

, 23,000 , 22 April 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.11 (77) , , 10.17 (77) ,

Kardinia Park Kardinia Park is a major public park located in South Geelong, Victoria. A number of public and sporting facilities are located in the park: a major AFL stadium, a secondary football oval, a cricket field, an open air swimming pool, a number of ...

, 34,844 , 22 April 1957

Round 2

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.22 (76) , , 8.9 (57) ,

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/AFL ...

, 21,000 , 27 April 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.13 (85) , , 7.11 (53) ,

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 administra ...

, 29,497 , 27 April 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.8 (74) , , 8.15 (63) , Windy Hill , 21,500 , 27 April 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.13 (67) , , 10.13 (73) ,

Arden Street Oval Arden Street Oval (also known as North Melbourne Cricket Ground) is a sports oval in North Melbourne, Victoria, North Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria. It is currently the training base of the North Melbourne Football Club, an Australia ...

, 12,000 , 27 April 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.20 (80) , , 10.12 (72) ,

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 ...

, 45,571 , 27 April 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.16 (52) , , 10.16 (76) ,

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 ...

, 22,385 , 27 April 1957

Round 3

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.16 (88) , , 9.11 (65) ,

, 17,000 , 4 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.16 (130) , , 13.9 (87) ,

, 19,275 , 4 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.9 (87) , , 11.12 (78) ,

, 11,000 , 4 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.20 (86) , , 5.11 (41) ,

, 42,920 , 4 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.5 (77) , , 12.15 (87) ,

, 24,292 , 4 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.10 (64) , , 7.9 (51) ,

, 34,878 , 4 May 1957

Round 4

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.15 (51) , , 4.9 (33) ,

, 20,000 , 11 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.14 (80) , , 4.14 (38) , Windy Hill , 30,000 , 11 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.9 (93) , , 11.17 (83) ,

, 32,500 , 11 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.12 (102) , , 13.11 (89) , Princes Park , 28,888 , 11 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.5 (101) , , 12.12 (84) ,

, 20,000 , 11 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.10 (106) , , 10.31 (91) ,

, 16,500 , 11 May 1957

Round 5

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.17 (119) , , 13.12 (90) ,

, 35,682 , 18 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.10 (64) , , 3.19 (37) ,

, 18,000 , 18 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.12 (84) , , 13.4 (82) ,

, 29,783 , 18 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.22 (118) , , 13.16 (94) , Princes Park , 28,936 , 18 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.16 (70) , , 9.14 (68) ,

, 19,000 , 18 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.16 (58) , , 14.16 (100) ,

, 27,500 , 18 May 1957

Round 6

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.12 (114) , , 6.15 (51) ,

, 28,250 , 25 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.14 (98) , , 10.19 (79) ,

, 24,902 , 25 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.12 (66) , , 11.8 (74) , Windy Hill , 22,000 , 25 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.13 (73) , , 13.5 (83) ,

, 24,000 , 25 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.13 (91) , , 10.16 (76) ,

, 20,000 , 25 May 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.10 (82) , , 14.12 (96) ,

, 24,500 , 25 May 1957

Round 7

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.16 (88) , , 8.9 (57) ,

, 23,458 , 1 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.9 (87) , , 7.20 (62) , Princes Park , 34,740 , 1 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.9 (75) , , 11.13 (79) ,

, 15,000 , 1 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 6.14 (50) ,

, 16,000 , 1 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.11 (77) , , 7.8 (50) ,

, 26,000 , 1 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.15 (99) , , 17.11 (113) ,

, 17,240 , 1 June 1957

Round 8

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.15 (81) , , 10.19 (79) ,

, 21,000 , 8 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.11 (71) , , 10.17 (77) ,

, 15,000 , 8 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 21.12 (138) , , 15.12 (102) , Windy Hill , 22,000 , 8 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.11 (71) , , 14.15 (99) , Princes Park , 31,096 , 8 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.14 (68) , , 13.11 (89) ,

, 18,200 , 8 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.17 (89) , , 6.4 (40) ,

, 34,742 , 8 June 1957

Round 9

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.13 (85) , , 13.14 (92) ,

, 32,280 , 15 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 3.12 (30) , , 9.21 (75) ,

, 33,500 , 15 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.14 (56) , , 8.15 (63) ,

, 28,000 , 15 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 8.12 (60) ,

, 28,450 , 17 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 23.16 (154) , , 14.10 (94) ,

, 48,001 , 17 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.14 (104) , , 7.14 (56) ,

, 23,000 , 17 June 1957

Round 10

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.8 (68) , , 10.10 (70) ,

, 12,456 , 22 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.14 (68) , , 14.14 (98) ,

, 17,500 , 22 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.12 (78) , , 16.13 (109) ,

, 14,000 , 22 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.15 (75) , , 8.11 (59) ,

, 21,000 , 22 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.10 (88) , , 7.19 (61) ,

, 25,000 , 22 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.16 (100) , , 9.9 (63) ,

, 33,345 , 22 June 1957

Round 11

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.9 (69) , , 14.8 (92) ,

, 18,177 , 29 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.14 (80) , , 13.11 (89) , Windy Hill , 18,500 , 29 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.14 (92) , , 7.13 (55) , Princes Park , 21,454 , 29 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 7.9 (51) ,

, 49,512 , 29 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.19 (109) , , 14.12 (96) ,

, 16,200 , 29 June 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.14 (74) , , 13.15 (93) ,

, 27,000 , 29 June 1957

Round 12

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.15 (117) , , 10.13 (73) ,

, 21,000 , 6 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.11 (65) , , 9.10 (64) ,

, 23,578 , 6 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.15 (81) , , 9.17 (71) ,

, 18,000 , 6 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 24.14 (158) , , 10.14 (74) ,

, 21,370 , 6 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.16 (88) , , 10.13 (73) , Windy Hill , 26,500 , 6 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 8.13 (61) ,

, 26,000 , 6 July 1957

Round 13

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 8.13 (61) ,

, 14,806 , 13 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.7 (49) , , 6.13 (49) ,

, 24,216 , 13 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.15 (81) , , 10.5 (65) , Princes Park , 20,572 , 13 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.12 (78) , , 10.15 (75) ,

, 22,000 , 13 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.16 (100) , , 14.8 (92) ,

, 24,400 , 13 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 9.18 (72) ,

, 12,500 , 13 July 1957

Round 14

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.13 (73) , , 11.12 (78) ,

, 21,000 , 27 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.13 (55) , , 5.4 (34) ,

, 10,000 , 27 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.18 (72) , , 11.7 (73) , Windy Hill , 22,500 , 27 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.14 (92) , , 6.8 (44) ,

, 21,316 , 27 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.13 (79) , , 7.10 (52) , Princes Park , 31,810 , 27 July 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.18 (108) , , 8.8 (56) ,

, 14,500 , 27 July 1957

Round 15

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.11 (89) , , 14.9 (93) ,

, 10,000 , 3 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.13 (103) , , 13.13 (91) ,

, 12,000 , 3 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.18 (66) , , 10.13 (73) ,

, 32,163 , 3 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.8 (50) , , 12.11 (83) ,

, 24,942 , 3 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.13 (67) , , 12.19 (91) ,

, 25,300 , 3 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.19 (85) , , 6.7 (43) ,

, 16,808 , 3 August 1957

Round 16

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.6 (42) , , 8.13 (61) ,

, 13,325 , 10 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.15 (75) , , 7.13 (55) , Windy Hill , 16,000 , 10 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 1.5 (11) , , 6.13 (49) ,

, 17,100 , 10 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.19 (103) , , 8.7 (55) ,

, 12,000 , 10 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.14 (62) , , 8.13 (61) ,

, 22,000 , 10 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.9 (75) , , 7.9 (51) ,

, 22,000 , 10 August 1957

Round 17

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.10 (58) , , 10.13 (73) ,

, 12,759 , 17 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.14 (92) , , 11.13 (79) ,

, 20,310 , 17 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.13 (79) , , 5.11 (41) , Princes Park , 25,945 , 17 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.9 (75) , , 9.17 (71) ,

, 18,100 , 17 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.11 (89) , , 14.14 (98) ,

, 19,000 , 17 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.7 (85) , , 9.10 (64) ,

, 31,000 , 17 August 1957

Round 18

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.20 (80) , , 17.11 (113) ,

, 10,000 , 24 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.12 (120) , , 10.11 (71) ,

, 35,751 , 24 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.11 (59) , , 7.15 (57) ,

, 25,436 , 24 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.14 (104) , , 10.20 (80) ,

, 10,000 , 24 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.12 (96) , , 7.14 (56) ,

, 29,300 , 24 August 1957 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.21 (123) , , 9.8 (62) , Windy Hill , 35,000 , 24 August 1957

Ladder

Night Series Competition

The night series were held under the floodlights at Lake Oval,

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 ...

. In all other years of the night competition (i.e., 1956–1971), only teams that had finished 5th to 12th on ladder at the end of the home-and-away season competed; i.e., teams which were not playing in any of the end of season finals matches. In 1957, due to the perceived popularity of the competition's initial year (1956), all twelve VFL clubs played in the 1957 Night Series. The series was marred by bad weather, with two matches having to be abandoned. Only an average of 16,000 spectators attending each of the 11 matches that were played. In 1958, the competition reverted to the 1956 structure, where only teams finishing 5th to 12th on the ladder competed. Final:

15.13 (103) defeated

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, ...

8.4 (52)

Premiership Finals

This season was the first

Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

season ever in the finals after entering the league for the 33rd season.

First Semi-Final

Second Semi-Final

Preliminary Final

Grand final

Awards

* The 1957 VFL Premiership team was

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 ...

. * The VFL's leading goalkicker was Jack Collins of Footscray who kicked 74 goals. * The winner of the 1957

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 Brian Gleeson of St Kilda with 24 votes. * The

McClelland Trophy The McClelland Trophy is an Australian rules football trophy which has been awarded each year since 1951 by the Australian Football League (known prior to 1990 as the Victorian Football League) to the best-performing club in the home-and-away sea ...

was won by , with 173 points. Minor premiers finished second with 164. *

took the "wooden spoon" in 1957. * The seconds premiership was won by . North Melbourne 14.13 (97) defeated 13.15 (93) in the Grand Final, held as a curtain raiser to the firsts Grand Final on 21 September.

Notable events

* Following the successful introduction of televised sport in 1956, the VFL decides to allow the live broadcast of the last quarter of three VFL matches each Saturday afternoon. Experiments conducted in 1956 involving three "closed circuit" telecasts of three of the finals matches, and the live broadcast of the Olympic Games' demonstration match had shown that it was possible to from "wide-shots" to "close-ups" quickly enough to provide effective viewing. Each station's telecast had a principal commentator:

Tony Charlton Antony Erling Charlton, Member of the Order of Australia, AM (28 March 1929 – 17 December 2012) was an Australian Sports commentator, sports broadcaster. Early life Charlton's parents were both from New Zealand. His father, Conrad Charlton, ...

(

HSV-7 HSV is a television station in Melbourne, Australia. It is part of the Seven Network, one of the three main commercial television networks in Australia, its first and oldest station. It launched in time for the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melb ...

), Ken Dakin (

ABV-2 ABV is the name of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television station in Melbourne, Victoria. History The station began broadcasting on 19 November 1956 and is transmitted throughout the state via a network of relay transmitters. ABV ...

), and Ian Johnson (

GTV-9 GTV is a commercial television station in Melbourne, Australia, owned by the Nine Network. The station is currently based at studios at 717 Bourke Street, Docklands. History GTV-9 was amongst the first television stations to begin regular ...

). * In Round 4, Richmond defeated Fitzroy by 15 points despite having fifteen fewer scoring shots. This remains the greatest deficit in scoring shots by a winning side, though equalled by Geelong against Collingwood in 1977. * In August, learning from the success of the Olympic Games, and in an attempt to counter the problems of overnight queues outside the

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

prior to each final, the VFL sold reserved tickets through the mail for the finals series. It was also anticipated that this would greatly assist country people, who could now book seats and accommodation well in advance. *

made the final four for the first time since their VFL debut in

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

, ending the longest finals drought in VFL/AFL history (thirty-two years and 595 matches). * Allan Nash becomes the last umpire to officiate in all games of a finals series..

Sources

* 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.

References

External links

1957 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 ...