1924 VFL season

The 1924 Victorian Football League season was the 28th season of the elite Australian rules football competition.

1924 VFL Premiership season
Essendon FC, Premiers
Teams9
PremiersEssendon
(6th premiership)
Minor premiersEssendon
(4th minor premiership)
Matches played78
Highest attendance42,522
Leading Goalkicker MedallistJack Moriarty (Fitzroy)
Brownlow MedallistEdward Greeves (Geelong)

Premiership season

In 1924, the VFL competition consisted of nine teams of 18 on-the-field players each, with no reserves, although any of the 18 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume their place on the field at any time during the match.

Each team played each other twice in a home-and-away season of 18 rounds (i.e., 16 matches and 2 byes).

Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1924 VFL premiership was determined by an experimental 1924 finals system, which the VFL used in this season only. The format was similar to the round-robin format used in 1897 Finals System, but included the minor premier's right to challenge, which existed under the amended Argus System.

Round 1
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 10.7 (67) South Melbourne 13.16 (94) Punt Road Oval 20,000 26 April 1924
St Kilda 12.12 (84) Melbourne 11.16 (82) Junction Oval 15,000 26 April 1924
Essendon 8.15 (63) Collingwood 12.7 (79) Windy Hill 25,000 26 April 1924
Fitzroy 16.9 (105) Carlton 15.13 (103) Brunswick Street Oval 30,000 26 April 1924

Round 2
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 10.15 (75) Richmond 7.11 (53) Corio Oval 13,000 3 May 1924
Collingwood 10.17 (77) St Kilda 7.15 (57) Victoria Park 19,000 3 May 1924
Carlton 7.14 (56) Essendon 7.14 (56) Princes Park 40,000 3 May 1924
South Melbourne 7.15 (57) Fitzroy 12.14 (86) Lake Oval 28,000 3 May 1924

Round 3
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 14.13 (97) Geelong 10.14 (74) Brunswick Street Oval 20,000 10 May 1924
Essendon 12.13 (85) South Melbourne 8.11 (59) Windy Hill 25,000 10 May 1924
Melbourne 8.13 (61) Collingwood 8.14 (62) MCG 18,211 10 May 1924
St Kilda 9.22 (76) Carlton 13.12 (90) Junction Oval 26,000 10 May 1924

Round 4
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Carlton 11.10 (76) Melbourne 14.25 (109) Princes Park 23,000 17 May 1924
South Melbourne 12.9 (81) St Kilda 7.11 (53) Lake Oval 22,000 17 May 1924
Richmond 5.18 (48) Fitzroy 10.14 (74) Punt Road Oval 22,000 17 May 1924
Geelong 8.12 (60) Essendon 12.8 (80) Corio Oval 12,000 17 May 1924

Round 5
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 10.16 (76) South Melbourne 10.9 (69) MCG 22,072 24 May 1924
Essendon 13.16 (94) Richmond 3.13 (31) Windy Hill 22,000 24 May 1924
St Kilda 13.24 (102) Geelong 11.10 (76) Junction Oval 16,000 24 May 1924
Collingwood 19.17 (131) Carlton 16.11 (107) Victoria Park 25,000 24 May 1924

Round 6
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 9.19 (73) St Kilda 8.6 (54) Punt Road Oval 20,000 31 May 1924
Geelong 9.19 (73) Melbourne 9.9 (63) Corio Oval 12,000 31 May 1924
Fitzroy 10.8 (68) Essendon 8.13 (61) Brunswick Street Oval 35,000 31 May 1924
South Melbourne 9.15 (69) Collingwood 8.8 (56) Lake Oval 25,000 31 May 1924

Round 7
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 10.16 (76) Geelong 11.16 (82) Victoria Park 14,000 7 June 1924
Carlton 10.12 (72) South Melbourne 11.12 (78) Princes Park 29,000 7 June 1924
Melbourne 11.17 (83) Richmond 13.9 (87) MCG 27,533 9 June 1924
St Kilda 12.13 (85) Fitzroy 14.9 (93) Junction Oval 30,000 9 June 1924

Round 8
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 12.15 (87) Melbourne 5.11 (41) Brunswick Street Oval 15,000 14 June 1924
Essendon 16.17 (113) St Kilda 3.13 (31) Windy Hill 20,000 14 June 1924
Richmond 12.23 (95) Collingwood 10.10 (70) Punt Road Oval 21,000 14 June 1924
Geelong 9.12 (66) Carlton 6.15 (51) Corio Oval 12,000 14 June 1924

Round 9
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 7.9 (51) Fitzroy 9.14 (68) Victoria Park 22,000 21 June 1924
Carlton 3.10 (28) Richmond 5.8 (38) Princes Park 21,000 21 June 1924
South Melbourne 7.6 (48) Geelong 7.3 (45) Lake Oval 20,000 21 June 1924
Melbourne 5.12 (42) Essendon 10.11 (71) MCG 18,769 21 June 1924

Round 10
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 8.15 (63) St Kilda 6.15 (51) MCG 14,286 28 June 1924
Collingwood 4.10 (34) Essendon 8.12 (60) Victoria Park 20,000 28 June 1924
Carlton 15.14 (104) Fitzroy 8.8 (56) Princes Park 27,770 28 June 1924
South Melbourne 9.7 (61) Richmond 5.13 (43) Lake Oval 30,000 28 June 1924

Round 11
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 4.17 (41) South Melbourne 9.10 (64) Brunswick Street Oval 20,000 5 July 1924
Richmond 10.20 (80) Geelong 9.8 (62) Punt Road Oval 18,000 5 July 1924
St Kilda 16.16 (112) Collingwood 6.16 (52) Junction Oval 13,000 5 July 1924
Essendon 10.19 (79) Carlton 8.14 (62) Windy Hill 28,000 5 July 1924

Round 12
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 11.10 (76) Melbourne 7.11 (53) Victoria Park 8,000 12 July 1924
Carlton 14.15 (99) St Kilda 8.8 (56) Princes Park 17,000 12 July 1924
Geelong 9.14 (68) Fitzroy 9.11 (65) Corio Oval 15,000 12 July 1924
South Melbourne 9.8 (62) Essendon 6.13 (49) Lake Oval 33,000 12 July 1924

Round 13
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 13.14 (92) South Melbourne 12.16 (88) Junction Oval 25,000 19 July 1924
Fitzroy 7.12 (54) Richmond 8.16 (64) Brunswick Street Oval 26,000 19 July 1924
Essendon 10.14 (74) Geelong 8.14 (62) Windy Hill 20,000 19 July 1924
Melbourne 7.13 (55) Carlton 9.8 (62) MCG 17,931 19 July 1924

Round 14
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 18.15 (123) St Kilda 7.6 (48) Corio Oval 12,000 26 July 1924
Carlton 10.12 (72) Collingwood 12.12 (84) Princes Park 30,000 26 July 1924
South Melbourne 12.13 (85) Melbourne 5.8 (38) Lake Oval 16,000 26 July 1924
Richmond 7.14 (56) Essendon 12.13 (85) Punt Road Oval 38,000 26 July 1924

Round 15
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 9.19 (73) Fitzroy 9.7 (61) Windy Hill 26,000 2 August 1924
Collingwood 9.16 (70) South Melbourne 6.15 (51) Victoria Park 18,000 2 August 1924
St Kilda 5.9 (39) Richmond 11.12 (78) Junction Oval 10,000 2 August 1924
Melbourne 5.9 (39) Geelong 8.8 (56) MCG 7,382 2 August 1924

Round 16
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 16.13 (109) St Kilda 6.10 (46) Brunswick Street Oval 10,000 23 August 1924
Richmond 17.19 (121) Melbourne 9.21 (75) Punt Road Oval 14,000 23 August 1924
Geelong 9.19 (73) Collingwood 5.6 (36) Corio Oval 15,600 23 August 1924
South Melbourne 13.19 (97) Carlton 4.7 (31) Lake Oval 22,000 23 August 1924

Round 17
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 6.13 (49) Richmond 8.13 (61) Victoria Park 21,000 30 August 1924
Carlton 9.7 (61) Geelong 6.18 (54) Princes Park 15,000 30 August 1924
Melbourne 9.13 (67) Fitzroy 16.14 (110) MCG 12,487 30 August 1924
St Kilda 9.5 (59) Essendon 11.17 (83) Junction Oval 20,000 30 August 1924

Round 18
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 9.13 (67) South Melbourne 9.14 (68) Corio Oval 16,500 6 September 1924
Essendon 12.10 (82) Melbourne 14.12 (96) Windy Hill 10,000 6 September 1924
Fitzroy 6.14 (50) Collingwood 11.20 (86) Brunswick Street Oval 13,000 6 September 1924
Richmond 12.16 (88) Carlton 8.12 (60) Punt Road Oval 30,000 6 September 1924

Ladder
1924 VFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Essendon (P) 16 11 4 1 1208 918 131.6 46 Finals
2 South Melbourne 16 11 5 0 1131 971 116.5 44
3 Fitzroy 16 10 6 0 1224 1092 112.1 40
4 Richmond 16 10 6 0 1083 1057 102.5 40
5 Geelong 16 8 8 0 1116 1041 107.2 32
6 Collingwood 16 8 8 0 1089 1134 96.0 32
7 Carlton 16 5 10 1 1134 1228 92.3 22
8 Melbourne 16 4 12 0 1043 1252 83.3 16
9 St Kilda 16 4 12 0 1045 1380 75.7 16
Source: VFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers.

1924 finals series

In 1924, the VFL experimented with a round-robin finals series to determine the premiership. The format did not live up to expectations, and the VFL reverted to the "amended Argus system" format for the 1925 season.

Essendon finished on top of the finals ladder at the conclusion of the round-robin final series on the basis of its greater percentage. As Essendon had won the minor premiership, Essendon was awarded the 1924 premiership immediately. Had a different team finished atop the finals ladder, Essendon would have had the right to challenge that team to a grand final, consistent with the minor premier's right to challenge under the amended Argus system.[1]

Round robin finals matches

Week 1
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 8.10 (58) Fitzroy 2.6 (18) MCG 42,522 13 September 1924
Richmond 13.7 (85) South Melbourne 9.3 (57) Windy Hill 22,300 13 September 1924

Week 2
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 11.10 (76) Richmond 8.8 (56) Princes Park 26,000 20 September 1924
Essendon 10.12 (72) South Melbourne 4.15 (39) MCG 35,407 20 September 1924

Week 3
Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 9.13 (67) Essendon 6.11 (47) Lake Oval 25,000 27 September 1924
South Melbourne 13.8 (86) Fitzroy 10.13 (73) MCG 17,503 27 September 1924

Round robin premiership competition ladder
1924 Round-robin competition ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Essendon[lower-alpha 1] 3 2 1 0 177 124 142.7 8
2 Richmond 3 2 1 0 208 180 115.6 8
3 Fitzroy 3 1 2 0 167 200 83.5 4
4 South Melbourne 3 1 2 0 182 230 79.1 4
Source:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
Notes:
  1. Because Essendon had won the minor premiership and the round-robin competition, it was awarded the premiership without the need for a grand final.

Round robin premiership competition team squads

As there was no designated grand final, this also meant that there were no grand final teams in 1924;[2]) instead there was an Essendon finals squad, a Fitzroy finals squad", a Richmond finals squad", and a "South Melbourne finals squad". Listed in alphabetical order the four squads were:

Awards

Notable events
  • Administrator Charles Brownlow died on 23 January 1924; the Charles Brownlow Trophy, more commonly known as the Brownlow Medal, was instituted in his memory. The trophy is to be awarded to "the fairest and best player" in the VFL as determined by the votes of the field umpire at the end of each home-and-away match. From 1924 to 1930, there was a single vote cast per match.
  • The VFL started fixing the schedule from 1924 to ensure that neither South Melbourne and St Kilda nor Melbourne and Richmond played home matches on the same day due to the heavy transport and labour burden associated with running the two nearby venues at the same time. This arrangement continued as long as the clubs played at nearby locations.[5]
  • Bill Twomey, Sr. who played for Collingwood (1918–1922) and would play for Hawthorn (1933–1934), the father of Collingwood's Bill Twomey, Jr. (1945–1958), Pat Twomey (1947–1949; 1952–1953), and Mick Twomey (1951–1961), and the grandfather of Collingwood's David Twomey (1979–1985) wins the 1924, 130-yard Stawell Gift in 12.1 seconds, off a handicap of 8½ yards.
  • The Fitzroy versus Carlton match in the opening round was the first VFL match in which both teams scored 100 points.
  • The VFL adopts the convention of home teams wearing black shorts and away teams wearing white shorts.
  • Because the 1924 premiership was determined by a round-robin system, Essendon won the premiership despite being beaten by runners-up Richmond 9.13 (67) to 6.11 (47) in the last round-robin match; this is the only time in VFL/AFL history that the premiers lost their last match of the season. Richmond would have needed to win by at least 43 points to challenge Essendon to a grand final.
  • Many of the Essendon players were unhappy at the poor performances of some of their teammates in the final round robin match against Richmond, and there were heated arguments and fist-fights in the rooms after the match and after a post-match function later that evening, related to accusations of match fixing and receiving bribes.
  • On the Saturday after the VFL grand final, Essendon (in its role as 1924 VFL premiers) was challenged by 1924 VFA premiers, Footscray, to a match in aid of Dame Nellie Melba's Limbless Soldiers' Appeal, purportedly (but not officially) for the championship of Victoria. Footscray unexpectedly defeated Essendon 9.10 (64) to 4.12 (36). Again there were accusations of match fixing, and champion centre half-back Tom Fitzmaurice was so disgusted with many of his teammates having, in his view, deliberately lost the match, he never played again for Essendon.
  • The Seconds grand final, to have been staged between Geelong and minor premiers Essendon on 4 October, was originally scheduled to be played at Geelong's home ground, Corio Oval, but after Essendon raised its objections, the Seconds League rescheduled the match for Kardinia Park, which was a neutral venue, but still located in Geelong. Essendon again objected, and after the league dismissed their complaint, refused to travel to Geelong.[3] Consequently, the match was scratched and the Seconds premiership was awarded to Geelong.[4]
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References
  1. Rodgers, Stephen, Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL results, 1897–1991, Ringwood, VIC: Viking O'Neil, p. 158
  2. Since the final round-robin match between Richmond and Essendon was played between the premiers and runners-up, it is sometimes mistakenly (and anachronistically) spoken of as being a "grand final".
  3. "League Seconds Final". The Argus. Melbourne. 4 October 1924. p. 32.
  4. "Football – second eighteens". The Argus. Melbourne. 15 October 1924. p. 14.
  5. Stephen Rodgers (1992), Every Game Ever Played (3rd ed.), Lloyd O'Neil Pty Ltd, p. 158
  • Hogan P: The Tigers Of Old, Richmond FC, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-646-18748-1
  • Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-9591740-2-8
  • Rogers, S. & Brown, A., Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition), Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998. ISBN 0-670-90809-6
  • 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. ISBN 0-670-86814-0
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