The 1975 VFL season was the 79th 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 5 April until 27 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs. The premiership was won by the North Melbourne Football Club, after it defeated by 55 points in the

VFL Grand Final The AFL Grand Final is an Australian rules football match to determine the premiers for the Australian Football League (AFL) season. From its inception until 1989, it was known as the VFL Grand Final, as the league at that time was the Victori ...

. It was North Melbourne's first premiership, making it the last of the league's twelve clubs to win a premiership.

Premiership season

In 1975, 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 22 rounds; matches 12 to 22 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 11 (except that rounds 14 and 15 were the reverse of 4 and 3 respectively). Once the 22 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1975 VFL ''Premiers'' were determined by the specific format and conventions of the "McIntyre Final Five system".

Round 1

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.15 (105) , , 11.10 (76) , Princes Park , 14,417 , 5 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.14 (98) , , 15.13 (103) ,

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 ...

, 14,442 , 5 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 21.10 (136) , , 9.13 (67) , Windy Hill , 19,165 , 5 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.19 (91) , , 8.7 (55) ,

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 ...

, 19,000 , 5 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.9 (111) , , 15.10 (100) ,

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 ...

, 23,422 , 5 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.14 (62) , , 13.16 (94) ,

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 numb ...

, 22,573 , 5 April 1975

Round 2

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 27.10 (172) , , 10.19 (79) , Princes Park , 38,000 , 12 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.13 (103) , , 16.9 (105) , Arden Street Oval , 14,235 , 12 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.15 (81) , , 17.19 (121) ,

Moorabbin Oval Moorabbin Oval (also known as RSEA Park under a naming rights agreement) is an Australian rules football ground in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia at Linton Street in the suburb of Moorabbin. The ground was most notable as the home ...

, 18,465 , 12 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.22 (112) , , 10.12 (72) ,

, 33,600 , 12 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.14 (116) , , 11.17 (83) ,

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 ...

, 17,700 , 12 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.12 (102) , , 19.17 (131) ,

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 ...

, 17,466 , 12 April 1975

Round 3

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.21 (87) , , 9.17 (71) ,

, 15,736 , 19 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.21 (117) , , 15.10 (100) , Windy Hill , 22,824 , 19 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.18 (102) , , 9.12 (66) , Princes Park , 23,824 , 19 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.12 (90) , , 14.14 (98) ,

, 17,158 , 19 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.13 (85) , , 12.15 (87) ,

, 17,626 , 19 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 17.14 (116) ,

VFL Park Waverley Park (also and originally called VFL Park) was an Australian rules football stadium in Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia. For most of its history, its purpose was as a neutral venue and used by all Victorian-based Victorian Football Le ...

, 39,496 , 19 April 1975

Round 4

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.8 (80) , , 18.25 (133) ,

, 35,328 , 25 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 16.8 (104) ,

, 77,770 , 25 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.13 (109) , , 4.19 (43) ,

, 25,388 , 26 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.10 (112) , , 14.15 (99) ,

, 24,296 , 26 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.15 (69) , , 13.21 (99) ,

, 12,666 , 26 April 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.19 (85) , , 17.13 (115) , Arden Street Oval , 12,707 , 26 April 1975

Round 5

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.23 (137) , , 12.14 (86) ,

, 25,296 , 3 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.22 (136) , , 11.15 (81) , Princes Park , 10,622 , 3 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.5 (71) , , 12.15 (87) ,

, 17,042 , 3 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.11 (125) , , 16.17 (113) ,

, 20,350 , 3 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.16 (58) , , 12.19 (91) ,

, 24,275 , 3 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.9 (81) , , 9.16 (70) ,

, 36,638 , 3 May 1975

Round 6

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 22.23 (155) , , 13.12 (90) ,

, 15,503 , 10 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.21 (93) , , 15.14 (104) , Windy Hill , 17,225 , 10 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.12 (96) , , 22.14 (146) ,

, 27,729 , 10 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.15 (111) , , 12.13 (85) , Princes Park , 27,907 , 10 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.11 (119) , , 9.12 (66) , Arden Street Oval , 18,875 , 10 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.20 (74) , , 11.16 (82) ,

, 18,229 , 10 May 1975

Round 7

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.10 (88) , , 11.14 (80) ,

, 13,733 , 17 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.18 (132) , , 10.18 (78) ,

, 29,131 , 17 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.16 (130) , , 13.12 (90) , Princes Park , 10,389 , 17 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.12 (60) , , 14.17 (101) ,

, 26,204 , 17 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.11 (77) , , 19.14 (128) ,

, 14,142 , 17 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.18 (90) , , 12.9 (81) ,

, 29,354 , 17 May 1975

Round 8

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.8 (74) , , 9.12 (66) , Arden Street Oval , 20,257 , 24 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.13 (91) , , 11.12 (78) ,

, 12,010 , 24 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.14 (110) , , 11.15 (81) , Princes Park , 18,788 , 24 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.23 (65) , , 7.12 (54) ,

, 16,838 , 24 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.13 (55) , , 12.9 (81) , Windy Hill , 31,986 , 24 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.10 (40) , , 17.11 (113) ,

, 23,466 , 24 May 1975

Round 9

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.10 (58) , , 20.14 (134) ,

, 15,933 , 31 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.8 (98) , , 13.11 (89) ,

, 22,695 , 31 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.19 (115) , , 9.13 (67) , Princes Park , 32,576 , 31 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.26 (92) , , 7.13 (55) ,

, 9,880 , 31 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.15 (123) , , 17.10 (112) ,

, 16,244 , 31 May 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.17 (83) , , 15.8 (98) ,

, 28,936 , 31 May 1975

Round 10

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.20 (104) , , 14.14 (98) ,

, 13,328 , 7 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.9 (99) , , 17.19 (121) ,

, 17,811 , 7 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.14 (128) , , 12.9 (81) ,

, 49,469 , 7 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.24 (138) , , 13.11 (89) , Princes Park , 23,830 , 7 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.7 (97) , , 16.10 (106) ,

, 16,249 , 7 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.11 (89) , , 12.15 (87) ,

, 14,056 , 7 June 1975

Round 11

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.12 (90) , , 21.20 (146) , Windy Hill , 23,244 , 16 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.13 (127) , , 17.13 (115) , Princes Park , 25,147 , 16 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.16 (88) , , 16.12 (108) ,

, 16,037 , 16 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.19 (97) , , 14.11 (95) ,

, 19,030 , 16 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.11 (95) , , 9.19 (73) ,

, 42,803 , 16 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.18 (102) , , 13.12 (90) ,

, 33,653 , 16 June 1975

Round 12

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.11 (131) , , 14.8 (92) ,

, 14,204 , 21 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 23.19 (157) , , 12.14 (86) , Princes Park , 16,983 , 21 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.17 (95) , , 18.12 (120) , Arden Street Oval , 15,478 , 21 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.18 (96) , , 13.20 (98) ,

, 21,049 , 21 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 21.15 (141) , , 11.7 (73) ,

, 18,987 , 21 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.11 (77) , , 12.13 (85) ,

, 21,154 , 21 June 1975

Round 13

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.19 (85) , , 7.19 (61) , Princes Park , 15,464 , 28 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.13 (61) , , 13.14 (92) ,

, 14,747 , 28 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.10 (76) , , 12.17 (89) ,

, 11,832 , 28 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.18 (132) , , 17.12 (114) , Windy Hill , 6,916 , 28 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.12 (66) , , 12.10 (82) ,

, 28,234 , 28 June 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.10 (46) , , 11.14 (80) ,

, 12,631 , 28 June 1975

Round 14

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.12 (96) , , 15.15 (105) ,

, 10,034 , 5 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.11 (101) , , 6.13 (49) ,

, 14,584 , 5 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.18 (120) , , 12.10 (82) ,

, 29,501 , 5 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.12 (96) , , 9.11 (65) ,

, 16,579 , 5 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.5 (95) , , 27.13 (175) , Windy Hill , 22,632 , 5 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.10 (64) , , 5.9 (39) ,

, 14,008 , 5 July 1975

Round 15

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.10 (94) , , 2.20 (32) , Princes Park , 17,115 , 12 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.15 (93) , , 7.7 (49) ,

, 12,449 , 12 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.19 (115) , , 11.7 (73) ,

, 17,127 , 12 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.10 (70) , , 19.16 (130) ,

, 11,170 , 12 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.20 (134) , , 16.13 (109) ,

, 16,040 , 12 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.11 (65) , , 5.14 (44) ,

, 26,389 , 12 July 1975

Round 16

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.14 (110) , , 16.7 (103) ,

, 21,746 , 19 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.22 (88) , , 8.27 (75) , Princes Park , 21,827 , 19 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.12 (60) , , 26.11 (167) ,

, 13,411 , 19 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.17 (107) , , 17.17 (119) ,

, 18,829 , 19 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.25 (109) , , 6.19 (55) , Arden Street Oval , 11,002 , 19 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.11 (77) , , 16.19 (115) ,

, 13,582 , 19 July 1975

Round 17

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.14 (68) , , 17.15 (117) ,

, 19,639 , 26 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 7.14 (56) ,

, 15,259 , 26 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.16 (94) , , 16.13 (109) ,

, 14,922 , 26 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.19 (115) , , 10.9 (69) ,

, 56,846 , 26 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.15 (105) , , 15.11 (101) , Princes Park , 31,104 , 26 July 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.9 (75) , , 13.13 (91) ,

, 11,427 , 26 July 1975

Round 18

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.13 (127) , , 12.18 (90) ,

, 25,211 , 2 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.23 (113) , , 10.19 (79) ,

, 9,139 , 2 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.17 (83) , , 19.13 (127) , Windy Hill , 15,227 , 2 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.17 (131) , , 15.13 (103) , Princes Park , 14,039 , 2 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.20 (110) , , 8.10 (58) , Arden Street Oval , 21,559 , 2 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.18 (84) , , 11.14 (80) ,

, 16,706 , 2 August 1975

Round 19

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 5.16 (46) , , 16.18 (114) ,

, 18,107 , 9 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.18 (138) , , 15.9 (99) ,

, 18,664 , 9 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.18 (96) , , 13.23 (101) ,

, 39,664 , 9 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 25.23 (173) , , 8.7 (55) , Princes Park , 8,123 , 9 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.20 (98) , , 16.19 (115) ,

, 9,032 , 9 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.23 (89) , , 7.9 (51) ,

, 30,328 , 9 August 1975

Round 20

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.16 (88) , , 15.15 (105) ,

, 10,973 , 16 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.22 (100) , , 13.11 (89) ,

, 13,181 , 16 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.15 (105) , , 13.13 (91) , Windy Hill , 16,545 , 16 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.17 (137) , , 24.12 (156) ,

, 28,359 , 16 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.20 (98) , , 14.11 (95) ,

, 49,756 , 16 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.13 (91) , , 14.9 (93) ,

, 15,601 , 16 August 1975

Round 21

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.15 (111) , , 6.5 (41) , Arden Street Oval , 14,917 , 23 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.15 (57) , , 3.9 (27) ,

, 26,303 , 23 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.14 (74) , , 11.13 (79) , Princes Park , 14,779 , 23 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.16 (64) , , 10.10 (70) ,

, 11,022 , 23 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.15 (75) , , 18.7 (115) ,

, 8,659 , 23 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.15 (117) , , 20.16 (136) ,

, 23,601 , 23 August 1975

Round 22

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.14 (116) , , 8.20 (68) ,

, 39,275 , 30 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.19 (109) , , 12.15 (87) , Arden Street Oval , 17,031 , 30 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.14 (98) , , 15.7 (97) ,

, 26,940 , 30 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.19 (103) , , 17.8 (110) , Princes Park , 11,945 , 30 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.15 (75) , , 18.11 (119) ,

, 21,060 , 30 August 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.9 (93) , , 18.11 (119) ,

, 11,075 , 30 August 1975

Ladder

Finals

Elimination Final

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.11 (77) , , 10.13 (73) ,

, 65,512 , 6 September

Qualifying Final

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.12 (96) , , 12.4 (76) ,

, 74,015 , 6 September , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

Semi Finals

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.8 (62) , , 9.17 (71) ,

, 76,967 , 13 September , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.10 (82) , , 10.11 (71) ,

, 52,076 , 13 September

Preliminary Final

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.16 (76) , , 8.11 (59) ,

, 71,130 , 20 September

Grand final

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 ...

defeated

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 ...

19.8 (122) to 9.13 (67), in front of a crowd of 110,551 people. (For an explanation of scoring see Australian rules football). , - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Score , Away team , Score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.13 (67) , , 19.8 (122) ,

, 110,551 , 27 September 1975 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

Awards

* The 1975 VFL premiership team was

. * The VFL's leading goalkicker was

Leigh Matthews Leigh Raymond Matthews (born 1 March 1952) is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and coached and the . Squat, short-legged and barrel-chested, Matthews earned the ic ...

who kicked 68 goals (including one goal in the finals). * The winner of the 1975

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 Gary Dempsey of Footscray with 20 votes. *

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 ...

took the "wooden spoon" in 1975. * The reserves premiership was won by . Geelong 16.18 (114) defeated 11.17 (83) in the Grand Final, held as a curtain-raiser to the seniors Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 27 September.

Notable events

* Football matches were telecast in colour, following the official launch of colour television in Australia on 1 March 1975. In response to this, many clubs adopted brighter playing colours: changed its colours from maroon, blue and white to red, blue and gold; changed the primary colour of its guernsey from navy blue to royal blue; and other clubs adopted coloured home shorts to replace the black they had previously worn. * The centre square replaced the centre diamond (which had been used throughout the 1973 and 1974 VFL seasons). * There was a wild brawl in the Round 1 match between

and

involving 34 of the 36 players. Hawthorn's Don Scott and North Melbourne's

Brad Smith Brad or Bradley Smith may refer to: Sportspeople * Bradley Smith (cricketer) (born 1969), English former cricketer * Brad Smith (footballer, born 1948), Australian rules footballer and premiership coach of East Fremantle * Brad Smith (ice hockey) ...

did not participate. There were no reports from this match. * Footscray had three new, highly talented recruits from interstate in 1975: 183 cm centreman

Peter Featherby Peter Featherby (born 12 December 1951) is a former Australian rules footballer. He began his senior career with Subiaco Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), but he also played with two Victorian Football League (VFL) ...

from Subiaco Football Club in the

West Australian National Football League The West Australian Football League (WAFL) is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season usually lasting from March to September, ...

(WANFL), 183 cm forward

Ian Low Ian Low (born 17 March 1954) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Footscray and Collingwood in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Low started his career in the Canberra Australian National Football League and participa ...

from

Manuka Football Club Manuka Football Club is a defunct Australian rules football club that played in the AFL Canberra from 1928–1991. The club played at Manuka Oval in the inner-south suburbs of Canberra. It merged with Eastlake Football Club in 1991. Notable ...

in the Canberra Australian National Football League (CANFL), and 190.5 cm forward-flanker

Neil Sachse Neil Frederick Sachse (3 January 1951 – 25 August 2020) was a South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and Victorian Football League (VFL) Australian rules footballer, who was left a quadriplegic after an on-field accident in a 1975 ...

from

North Adelaide Football Club North Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Roosters, is an Australian rules football club affiliated with the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and SANFL Women's League (SANFLW). The club plays its home games at Prospect Oval, ...

in the

South Australian National Football League The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL ( or ''S-A-N-F-L''), is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the state's governing body for the sport. Originally formed as t ...

(SANFL). In an accidental collision in the Round 2 match against

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 ...

at the Western Oval, Neil Sachse was badly injured and became a

quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or ...

. * On 17 June,

announced that it had given full-forward

Peter Hudson Peter John Hudson AM (born 19 February 1946) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and for the New Norfolk Football Club and Glenorchy Football Club in the ...

who had only played three and a half games for Hawthorn in three years, a clearance to Glenorchy. * The second quarter of the round 14 match between Carlton and

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 Ki ...

at Windy Hill lasted almost 40 minutes, with Carlton scoring 14.1 (85) to Essendon's 4.1 (25) for a record quarter aggregate score of 18.2 (110). It is the first quarter to beat South Melbourne's 1919 team record of 17.4 (106). **Near the end of the quarter, a massive brawl involving all 36 players erupted when Essendon centreman

Neville Fields Neville Fields (born 21 November 1951) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon and South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Fields was a left footed centreman and won Essendon's most improved player awa ...

ran past Carlton forward Craig Davis and king-hit him in retaliation for some supposed earlier act of aggression against an Essendon player. Noticing the unconscious Davis, both

Rod Ashman Rodney Ashman (born 3 December 1954) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Playing primarily in the forward pocket, Ashman was a member of Carlton's famous "Mosquito Fleet" which was ...

and Rod Austin ran to remonstrate with Fields, followed by their Carlton team-mates, and the fight was on. Carlton's Phillip Pinnell knocked out Essendon's Dean Hartigan.
It took a long time for the match to resume. Field umpire

Ian Robinson Ian Robinson may refer to: *Ian Robinson (Australian football umpire) (born 1946), Australian Football League umpire active in the 1970s and 1980s *Ian Robinson (Australian politician) (1925–2017), Australian MP *Ian Robinson (author) (1937–202 ...

was showered with cans by spectators. Eight players were reported. Many more players would have been reported had the umpires been able to turn their attention elsewhere (the VFL responded to this problem by introducing two field umpires in the following season).
The tribunal decisions were:Carter, Ron, Knox, Ken, and Sheahan, Mike, "Windy Hill War—5 Players Outed", ''The Age'', (Tuesday, 8 July 1975), p
2826
an
26
**

of Carlton was suspended for 4 weeks, for striking

. ** Rod Austin of Carlton was suspended for 4 weeks, for striking

. ** Phillip Pinnell of Carlton was suspended for 2 weeks, for striking

Robin Close Robin Close (born 3 November 1949) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon Football Club, Essendon in the Australian Football League, VFL during the late 1960s and 1970s. A forward, Close could play the key positions b ...

. ** David McKay of Carlton was found guilty of striking

Laurie Moloney Laurie Moloney (born 28 April 1949) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Used initially as a wingman, Moloney played his best football for Essendon as a back pocket. He we ...

, and severely reprimanded. ** Ron Andrews of Essendon was found not guilty of striking David McKay. **

of Essendon was suspended for 2 weeks, for striking Phillip Pinnell. **

of Essendon was suspended for 2 weeks, for charging Phillip Pinnell. **

of Essendon was found not guilty of striking Rod Austin. * At the end of the season, greatly dissatisfied with the approach of coach

Des Tuddenham Desmond Vincent Tuddenham (born 29 January 1943) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1960s and 1970s. Early years and football career Tuddenham was born and raised in Ro ...

(especially his emphasis on "vigour" with players who were renowned for their skill), and disturbed by the fact that, under Tuddenham,

had been involved in two massive brawls in two consecutive years, the committee of the Essendon Football Club sacked Tuddenham and paid out his contract. **Also, given the example of an injured John Nicholls in the 1973 Grand Final, and that of Tuddenham having his leg broken in the round 10 match against Richmond, Essendon now recognized the dangers of having its coach on the playing field and liable to injury.

References

Bibliography

* Hogan, P., ''The Tigers of Old'', The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 1996. * 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

1975 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 ...