The 1931 VFL season was the 35th 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. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 2 May until 10 October, 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 Geelong Football Club for the second time, after it defeated by 20 points in the

1931 VFL Grand Final The 1931 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Geelong Football Club and Richmond Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 10 October 1931. It was the 33rd annual Grand Final of t ...

Premiership season

In 1931, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, 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 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 1931 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 ...

. This was the first season to feature the new finals format, with the league predominantly using variations of the ''Argus'' System over the previous thirty seasons.

Round 1

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.17 (83) , , 19.21 (135) , Arden Street Oval , 10,000 , 2 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.13 (61) , , 9.6 (60) ,

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 ...

, 12,000 , 2 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.14 (92) , , 12.15 (87) ,

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 ...

, 16,000 , 2 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.8 (98) , , 14.23 (107) , Princes Park , 26,500 , 2 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.16 (106) , , 14.10 (94) ,

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 ...

, 19,330 , 2 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.14 (92) , , 11.14 (80) ,

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 Jun ...

, 19,000 , 2 May 1931

Round 2

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.6 (126) , , 7.12 (54) ,

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 ...

, 9,500 , 9 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.5 (77) , , 10.13 (73) , Windy Hill , 15,000 , 9 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 30.19.199 , , 4.7 (31) ,

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 ...

, 11,000 , 9 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.13 (91) , , 16.15 (111) ,

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 ...

, 20,000 , 9 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.17 (65) , , 11.18 (84) ,

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 ...

, 15,000 , 9 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.15 (93) , , 19.19 (133) ,

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 ...

, 35,000 , 9 May 1931

Round 3

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 13.16 (94) ,

, 30,000 , 16 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.16 (94) , , 10.13 (73) ,

, 15,000 , 16 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.18 (126) , , 5.14 (44) , Princes Park , 20,000 , 16 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.12 (72) , , 10.8 (68) ,

, 14,000 , 16 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 11.17 (83) ,

, 19,767 , 16 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.12 (48) , , 12.16 (88) , Arden Street Oval , 7,000 , 16 May 1931

Round 4

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.16 (94) , , 16.13 (109) ,

, 10,000 , 23 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.15 (75) , , 12.12 (84) ,

, 14,000 , 23 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.13 (85) , , 9.9 (63) , Windy Hill , 10,000 , 23 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.19 (127) , , 16.10 (106) ,

, 18,000 , 23 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.12 (72) , , 9.14 (68) ,

, 40,000 , 23 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.14 (80) , , 11.8 (74) ,

, 12,500 , 23 May 1931

Round 5

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.10 (76) , , 11.13 (79) ,

, 11,000 , 30 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.12 (72) , , 11.20 (86) , Windy Hill , 15,000 , 30 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.11 (107) , , 13.13 (91) , Princes Park , 35,000 , 30 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.19 (97) , , 7.10 (52) ,

, 10,000 , 30 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.9 (87) , , 10.11 (71) ,

, 20,244 , 30 May 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.22 (142) , , 12.9 (81) ,

, 9,000 , 30 May 1931

Round 6

Round 6 was a split round, but the two-halves of the round were unusually played almost three weeks apart. Three matches played on King's Birthday Monday (8 June), and the other three matches played Saturday 27 June – the Saturday between Rounds 8 and 9. This means that six teams played their Round 7 and 8 matches before their Round 6 match. , - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.10 (100) , , 10.17 (77) ,

, 16,000 , 8 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.17 (59) , , 15.8 (98) , Arden Street Oval , 7,000 , 8 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.8 (44) , , 13.15 (93) ,

, 30,000 , 8 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.15 (69) , , 8.10 (58) ,

, 19,000 , 27 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.14 (56) , , 10.10 (70) ,

, 12,000 , 27 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.8 (56) , , 8.11 (59) ,

, 24,000 , 27 June 1931

Round 7

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 8.12 (60) ,

, 18,250 , 13 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.8 (86) , , 5.13 (43) ,

, 11,000 , 13 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.14 (98) , , 16.15 (111) ,

, 12,000 , 13 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.12 (60) , , 12.8 (80) , Windy Hill , 10,000 , 13 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.12 (54) , , 10.11 (71) ,

, 26,436 , 13 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.11 (59) , , 12.18 (90) ,

, 24,000 , 13 June 1931

Round 8

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.12 (84) , , 7.15 (57) ,

, 18,000 , 20 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.13 (55) , , 13.11 (89) , Windy Hill , 10,000 , 20 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 22.22 (154) , , 9.10 (64) ,

, 6,000 , 20 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.14 (122) , , 9.4 (58) , Princes Park , 25,000 , 20 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 11.11 (77) ,

, 17,000 , 20 June 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.8 (80) , , 7.14 (56) ,

, 8,000 , 20 June 1931

Round 9

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 4.12 (36) , , 9.9 (63) ,

, 15,826 , 4 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.9 (87) , , 9.7 (61) ,

, 9,500 , 4 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.13 (61) , , 14.17 (101) ,

, 15,000 , 4 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.13 (73) , , 9.9 (63) ,

, 11,000 , 4 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 4.16 (40) , , 6.8 (44) ,

, 21,500 , 4 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.8 (50) , , 20.10 (130) , Arden Street Oval , 10,000 , 4 July 1931

Round 10

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.12 (96) , , 3.6 (24) ,

, 4,000 , 11 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.10 (58) , , 12.18 (90) ,

, 11,000 , 11 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.18 (66) , , 7.11 (53) ,

, 11,000 , 11 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 3.5 (23) ,

, 9,000 , 11 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.9 (81) , , 8.9 (57) , Windy Hill , 10,000 , 11 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.12 (72) , , 11.11 (77) ,

, 16,000 , 11 July 1931

Round 11

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 4.7 (31) , , 12.10 (82) ,

, 15,258 , 18 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.20 (104) , , 8.10 (58) ,

, 12,000 , 18 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.15 (111) , , 5.8 (38) , Princes Park , 17,000 , 18 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.12 (48) , , 11.19 (85) ,

, 24,000 , 18 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.10 (64) , , 19.17 (131) , Arden Street Oval , 4,000 , 18 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.10 (58) , , 12.13 (85) ,

, 19,000 , 18 July 1931

Round 12

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.11 (77) , , 9.12 (66) ,

, 8,000 , 25 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.14 (104) , , 9.5 (59) , Windy Hill , 15,000 , 25 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.16 (94) , , 9.12 (66) ,

, 7,500 , 25 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.5 (53) , , 6.19 (55) ,

, 8,000 , 25 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 4.19 (43) , , 4.6 (30) ,

, 15,000 , 25 July 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.17 (65) , , 6.12 (48) ,

, 36,000 , 25 July 1931

Round 13

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.15 (69) , , 16.12 (108) , Arden Street Oval , 8,000 , 1 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.14 (68) , , 5.11 (41) ,

, 18,500 , 1 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.13 (103) , , 7.16 (58) ,

, 9,000 , 1 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.13 (121) , , 13.11 (89) , Princes Park , 18,500 , 1 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 15.10 (100) ,

, 16,000 , 1 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.6 (72) , , 10.11 (71) ,

, 13,828 , 1 August 1931

Round 14

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.9 (75) , , 11.11 (77) ,

, 8,000 , 8 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.11 (77) , , 6.9 (45) ,

, 9,250 , 8 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 21.12 (138) , , 8.12 (60) ,

, 8,000 , 8 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.12 (54) , , 10.18 (78) ,

, 25,000 , 8 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.23 (59) , , 8.13 (61) ,

, 14,000 , 8 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.14 (122) , , 11.22 (88) , Windy Hill , 20,000 , 8 August 1931

Round 15

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.18 (54) , , 8.14 (62) ,

, 6,000 , 22 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.10 (46) , , 10.10 (70) ,

, 15,000 , 22 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.9 (39) , , 3.10 (28) , Princes Park , 18,000 , 22 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.15 (93) , , 2.6 (18) ,

, 3,614 , 22 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.12 (72) , , 6.6 (42) ,

, 8,000 , 22 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.7 (61) , , 11.17 (83) , Arden Street Oval , 4,000 , 22 August 1931

Round 16

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.8 (50) , , 11.15 (81) , Arden Street Oval , 4,000 , 29 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.12 (72) , , 5.8 (38) ,

, 12,000 , 29 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.8 (62) , , 9.22 (76) ,

, 8,000 , 29 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.18 (90) , , 9.5 (59) ,

, 4,500 , 29 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 23.14 (152) , , 15.11 (101) ,

, 16,000 , 29 August 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.15 (135) , , 10.14 (74) ,

, 20,000 , 29 August 1931

Round 17

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.15 (123) , , 11.13 (79) ,

, 3,944 , 5 September 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.13 (43) , , 13.21 (99) ,

, 11,000 , 5 September 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.12 (108) , , 8.11 (59) ,

, 10,500 , 5 September 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.7 (97) , , 12.8 (80) , Windy Hill , 10,000 , 5 September 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.14 (50) , , 7.12 (54) , Princes Park , 39,000 , 5 September 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 21.16 (142) , , 20.8 (128) ,

, 17,000 , 5 September 1931

Round 18

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.19 (127) , , 8.9 (57) ,

, 14,000 , 12 September 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.6 (66) , , 6.12 (48) , Princes Park , 25,000 , 12 September 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.8 (56) , , 11.17 (83) ,

, 15,000 , 12 September 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 3.16 (34) , , 5.13 (43) , Arden Street Oval , 9,000 , 12 September 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.14 (44) , , 10.14 (74) ,

, 4,500 , 12 September 1931 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.15 (63) , , 9.12 (66) ,

, 5,000 , 12 September 1931

Ladder

Finals

All of the 1931 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 , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.10 (130) , Collingwood , 5.12 (42) ,

, 51,140 , 19 September , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.6 (66) , , 15.9 (99) ,

, 48,353 , 26 September

Preliminary final

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.17 (83) , , 11.11 (77) ,

, 36,653 , 3 October

Grand final

Grand Final

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.6 (48) , , 9.14 (68) ,

, 60,712 , 10 October

Awards

* The 1931 VFL Premiership team was Geelong. * The VFL's leading goalkicker was Harry "Soapy" Vallence of Carlton with 86 goals. * In his first VFL season, and only 20 years old, the winner of the 1931

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 t ...

was Haydn Bunton, Sr of

Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...

with 26 votes. *

North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at ...

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 1931. * The seconds premiership was won by . Melbourne 8.13 (61) defeated 8.5 (53) in the Grand Final, played as a curtain-raiser to the firsts Grand Final on 10 October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Notable events

* The VFL changed its

voting procedure. The field umpire now voted for the three "fairest and best" on the ground in each match, casting 3, 2, and 1 votes. If there was a tie, the player with the most "3" votes would be declared the winner, then the most "2" votes. A player who had been suspended during the year should now be considered ineligible for the medal. * The VFL altered the manner in which it determined its premiership team. Abandoning the " amended ''Argus'' systems" that had operated from 1902 to 1930 (except in

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China holds ...

), the VFL instituted the

which, amongst other innovations, guaranteed that there would be a "Grand Final" at the end of every season (this system continued to operate until 1972). *Prior to the season, the VFL and the Grounds Management Association (which represented the operators of most of the VFL grounds) entered a dispute over the use of the grounds for football matches. The dispute covered financial arrangements and the demarcation between the football and cricket seasons. After arbitration from the Minister for Lands, it was agreed that cricket clubs would be required to pay the league £20 per 100 members, ending the long-standing practice of cricket club members receiving admission to football games without compensation to the football clubs; but that the grounds management would still retain all receipts for admission to reserve areas, with the league receiving none of these takings. During the stand-off, the VFL arranged for the Motordrome and the Exhibition Oval to be available to serve as alternative venues during the year, and drew up a fixture which saw each of those grounds holding twelve games – with Fitzroy, Carlton, North Melbourne, St Kilda, Collingwood and Essendon each to have played four of their nine home games at one of the replacement grounds. * In round 2,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

set the record for highest score in a game, scoring 30.19 (199) against . This beat

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 ...

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the ...

record by ten points, and remained unbeaten until

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

. * In round 12, Carlton rover

Tommy Downs Tommy Downs (22 May 1901 – 11 August 1981) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Downs was a Woodham Cup winner at Northcote in 1925, having previously played with Preston. One o ...

was reported for kicking

captain

Maurie Hunter Maurice Harold Hunter (5 March 1904 – 31 October 1987) was an Australian rules football player who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1929 and 1933 for the Richmond Football Club. Football Prior to joining Richmond he p ...

; despite the efforts of future Australian Prime Minister R. G. Menzies, KC, Downs was suspended for the remainder of the 1931 season and the whole of the 1932 season. * In the first semi-final, Carlton thrashed Collingwood 20.10 (130) to 5.12 (42). Harry "Soapy" Vallence, at full-forward for Carlton kicked a (Finals) record 11 goals, including six in the last quarter. Vallance would have had 12 goals if his last shot (the last kick in the match) had not hit the goal-post, and only counted as a "behind". * The round 17 match between St Kilda and Collingwood was the first in which ''both'' sides scored twenty goals. Both Bill Mohr and Gordon Coventry kicked eleven goals. Coventry was the first to kick ten for a losing side.

Footnotes

References

* Hogan, P., ''The Tigers of Old'', The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 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

1931 Season – AFL Tables

1931 VFL v VFA Match
– BoylesFootballPhotos {{DEFAULTSORT:1931 Vfl Season 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 ...