1939 VFL season
The 1939 Victorian Football League season was the 43rd season of the elite Australian rules football competition.
| 1939 VFL Premiership season | |
|---|---|
 Melbourne FC, premier team | |
| Teams | 12 |
| Premiers | Melbourne (3rd premiership) |
| Minor premiers | Melbourne (1st minor premiership) |
| Matches played | 112 |
| Highest attendance | 78,110 |
| Leading Goalkicker Medallist | Ron Todd (Collingwood) |
| Brownlow Medallist | Marcus Whelan (Collingwood) |
Premiership season
In 1939, 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 1939 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page-McIntyre System.
Round 1
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 11.18 (84) | Richmond | 17.19 (121) | MCG | 21,840 | 22 April 1939 |
| Collingwood | 18.14 (122) | Geelong | 14.7 (91) | Victoria Park | 17,500 | 22 April 1939 |
| Carlton | 20.22 (142) | South Melbourne | 13.10 (88) | Princes Park | 25,000 | 22 April 1939 |
| St Kilda | 18.20 (128) | Hawthorn | 9.13 (67) | Junction Oval | 15,500 | 22 April 1939 |
| North Melbourne | 11.9 (75) | Fitzroy | 9.12 (66) | Arden Street Oval | 14,000 | 22 April 1939 |
| Footscray | 14.18 (102) | Essendon | 15.17 (107) | Western Oval | 23,000 | 22 April 1939 |
Round 2
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 17.13 (115) | North Melbourne | 11.11 (77) | Glenferrie Oval | 11,000 | 29 April 1939 |
| Fitzroy | 14.18 (102) | St Kilda | 20.14 (134) | Brunswick Street Oval | 15,000 | 29 April 1939 |
| Essendon | 19.21 (135) | Melbourne | 21.15 (141) | Windy Hill | 20,000 | 29 April 1939 |
| Richmond | 20.19 (139) | Footscray | 17.8 (110) | Punt Road Oval | 26,000 | 29 April 1939 |
| South Melbourne | 15.17 (107) | Collingwood | 21.20 (146) | Lake Oval | 17,000 | 29 April 1939 |
| Geelong | 14.8 (92) | Carlton | 11.13 (79) | Corio Oval | 15,000 | 29 April 1939 |
Round 3
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 16.16 (112) | St Kilda | 10.21 (81) | MCG | 25,703 | 6 May 1939 |
| Essendon | 16.8 (104) | Richmond | 15.16 (106) | Windy Hill | 21,000 | 6 May 1939 |
| Collingwood | 17.11 (113) | Footscray | 14.14 (98) | Victoria Park | 20,000 | 6 May 1939 |
| Carlton | 17.21 (123) | North Melbourne | 16.10 (106) | Princes Park | 18,000 | 6 May 1939 |
| Hawthorn | 17.14 (116) | Geelong | 8.18 (66) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,000 | 6 May 1939 |
| South Melbourne | 9.14 (68) | Fitzroy | 10.17 (77) | Lake Oval | 15,000 | 6 May 1939 |
Round 4
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 14.24 (108) | South Melbourne | 13.7 (85) | Punt Road Oval | 15,000 | 13 May 1939 |
| Fitzroy | 10.17 (77) | Hawthorn | 11.11 (77) | Brunswick Street Oval | 12,000 | 13 May 1939 |
| North Melbourne | 11.8 (74) | Melbourne | 15.20 (110) | Arden Street Oval | 10,500 | 13 May 1939 |
| Geelong | 19.15 (129) | Essendon | 11.15 (81) | Corio Oval | 11,000 | 13 May 1939 |
| St Kilda | 20.11 (131) | Collingwood | 13.16 (94) | Junction Oval | 28,000 | 13 May 1939 |
| Footscray | 5.12 (42) | Carlton | 14.16 (100) | Western Oval | 23,000 | 13 May 1939 |
Round 5
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 12.18 (90) | Melbourne | 15.16 (106) | Corio Oval | 12,000 | 20 May 1939 |
| Essendon | 14.21 (105) | St Kilda | 8.18 (66) | Windy Hill | 18,000 | 20 May 1939 |
| Richmond | 16.22 (118) | North Melbourne | 13.11 (89) | Punt Road Oval | 11,000 | 20 May 1939 |
| South Melbourne | 18.12 (120) | Footscray | 16.6 (102) | Lake Oval | 14,000 | 20 May 1939 |
| Fitzroy | 11.13 (79) | Collingwood | 17.14 (116) | Brunswick Street Oval | 15,000 | 20 May 1939 |
| Hawthorn | 13.8 (86) | Carlton | 11.17 (83) | Glenferrie Oval | 20,000 | 20 May 1939 |
Round 6
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 19.23 (137) | South Melbourne | 3.12 (30) | MCG | 16,523 | 27 May 1939 |
| Collingwood | 14.14 (98) | Hawthorn | 12.7 (79) | Victoria Park | 15,000 | 27 May 1939 |
| Carlton | 8.13 (61) | Richmond | 9.14 (68) | Princes Park | 34,000 | 27 May 1939 |
| St Kilda | 16.18 (114) | Geelong | 10.16 (76) | Junction Oval | 17,000 | 27 May 1939 |
| Footscray | 11.13 (79) | Fitzroy | 15.10 (100) | Western Oval | 13,000 | 27 May 1939 |
| North Melbourne | 15.11 (101) | Essendon | 13.10 (88) | Arden Street Oval | 14,500 | 27 May 1939 |
Round 7
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 17.13 (115) | North Melbourne | 14.13 (97) | Corio Oval | 8,000 | 3 June 1939 |
| Fitzroy | 14.15 (99) | Melbourne | 18.14 (122) | Brunswick Street Oval | 11,000 | 3 June 1939 |
| South Melbourne | 8.14 (62) | St Kilda | 13.17 (95) | Lake Oval | 15,000 | 3 June 1939 |
| Hawthorn | 12.15 (87) | Footscray | 7.23 (65) | Glenferrie Oval | 12,500 | 3 June 1939 |
| Richmond | 6.17 (53) | Collingwood | 12.17 (89) | Punt Road Oval | 40,000 | 3 June 1939 |
| Essendon | 10.12 (72) | Carlton | 10.18 (78) | Windy Hill | 20,000 | 3 June 1939 |
Round 8
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 7.13 (55) | Richmond | 12.21 (93) | Glenferrie Oval | 21,000 | 10 June 1939 |
| St Kilda | 18.12 (120) | North Melbourne | 16.10 (106) | Junction Oval | 17,000 | 10 June 1939 |
| Collingwood | 18.15 (123) | Carlton | 12.12 (84) | Victoria Park | 36,000 | 10 June 1939 |
| Essendon | 9.16 (70) | South Melbourne | 13.13 (91) | Windy Hill | 18,000 | 12 June 1939 |
| Melbourne | 18.14 (122) | Footscray | 15.13 (103) | MCG | 22,016 | 12 June 1939 |
| Geelong | 21.17 (143) | Fitzroy | 14.12 (96) | Corio Oval | 9,000 | 12 June 1939 |
Round 9
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 12.14 (86) | St Kilda | 19.16 (130) | Western Oval | 13,500 | 17 June 1939 |
| Carlton | 19.19 (133) | Melbourne | 15.13 (103) | Princes Park | 20,000 | 17 June 1939 |
| South Melbourne | 15.18 (108) | Hawthorn | 12.14 (86) | Lake Oval | 9,000 | 17 June 1939 |
| Richmond | 12.22 (94) | Geelong | 9.15 (69) | Punt Road Oval | 17,000 | 17 June 1939 |
| Fitzroy | 11.15 (81) | Essendon | 13.12 (90) | Brunswick Street Oval | 10,000 | 17 June 1939 |
| North Melbourne | 10.18 (78) | Collingwood | 14.21 (105) | Arden Street Oval | 14,000 | 17 June 1939 |
Round 10
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 16.15 (111) | South Melbourne | 7.14 (56) | Corio Oval | 6,500 | 24 June 1939 |
| Fitzroy | 17.13 (115) | Richmond | 10.13 (73) | Brunswick Street Oval | 11,000 | 24 June 1939 |
| Essendon | 19.11 (125) | Hawthorn | 16.19 (115) | Windy Hill | 11,000 | 24 June 1939 |
| North Melbourne | 15.12 (102) | Footscray | 11.10 (76) | Arden Street Oval | 11,000 | 24 June 1939 |
| Melbourne | 22.22 (154) | Collingwood | 8.12 (60) | MCG | 26,063 | 24 June 1939 |
| St Kilda | 14.14 (98) | Carlton | 9.16 (70) | Junction Oval | 28,000 | 24 June 1939 |
Round 11
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 7.9 (51) | St Kilda | 9.12 (66) | Punt Road Oval | 17,000 | 1 July 1939 |
| Hawthorn | 8.4 (52) | Melbourne | 7.12 (54) | Glenferrie Oval | 8,000 | 1 July 1939 |
| Footscray | 5.10 (40) | Geelong | 3.7 (25) | Western Oval | 6,000 | 1 July 1939 |
| Collingwood | 18.9 (117) | Essendon | 7.18 (60) | Victoria Park | 10,500 | 1 July 1939 |
| Carlton | 15.13 (103) | Fitzroy | 7.18 (60) | Princes Park | 11,000 | 1 July 1939 |
| South Melbourne | 7.6 (48) | North Melbourne | 14.12 (96) | Lake Oval | 6,000 | 1 July 1939 |
Round 12
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 11.18 (84) | St Kilda | 15.17 (107) | Glenferrie Oval | 18,000 | 8 July 1939 |
| Fitzroy | 10.20 (80) | North Melbourne | 9.16 (70) | Brunswick Street Oval | 12,000 | 8 July 1939 |
| Essendon | 17.20 (122) | Footscray | 18.15 (123) | Windy Hill | 13,000 | 8 July 1939 |
| Richmond | 13.21 (99) | Melbourne | 15.16 (106) | Punt Road Oval | 22,000 | 8 July 1939 |
| Geelong | 18.12 (120) | Collingwood | 16.13 (109) | Corio Oval | 10,500 | 8 July 1939 |
| South Melbourne | 12.16 (88) | Carlton | 16.17 (113) | Lake Oval | 14,000 | 8 July 1939 |
Round 13
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 7.7 (49) | Richmond | 13.25 (103) | Western Oval | 15,000 | 15 July 1939 |
| Collingwood | 19.11 (125) | South Melbourne | 8.13 (61) | Victoria Park | 10,500 | 15 July 1939 |
| Carlton | 14.14 (98) | Geelong | 12.5 (77) | Princes Park | 19,000 | 15 July 1939 |
| North Melbourne | 18.11 (119) | Hawthorn | 11.16 (82) | Arden Street Oval | 8,000 | 15 July 1939 |
| St Kilda | 16.19 (115) | Fitzroy | 13.6 (84) | Junction Oval | 16,500 | 15 July 1939 |
| Melbourne | 7.18 (60) | Essendon | 10.17 (77) | MCG | 16,247 | 15 July 1939 |
Round 14
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 15.22 (112) | Hawthorn | 13.12 (90) | Corio Oval | 5,000 | 22 July 1939 |
| Fitzroy | 15.19 (109) | South Melbourne | 9.9 (63) | Brunswick Street Oval | 10,000 | 22 July 1939 |
| St Kilda | 10.18 (78) | Melbourne | 15.12 (102) | Junction Oval | 28,000 | 22 July 1939 |
| Richmond | 18.14 (122) | Essendon | 10.8 (68) | Punt Road Oval | 17,000 | 22 July 1939 |
| Footscray | 9.14 (68) | Collingwood | 13.7 (85) | Western Oval | 11,000 | 22 July 1939 |
| North Melbourne | 10.13 (73) | Carlton | 11.13 (79) | Arden Street Oval | 16,500 | 22 July 1939 |
Round 15
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 14.18 (102) | North Melbourne | 9.6 (60) | MCG | 12,882 | 5 August 1939 |
| Essendon | 15.17 (107) | Geelong | 6.11 (47) | Windy Hill | 8,000 | 5 August 1939 |
| Collingwood | 18.8 (116) | St Kilda | 13.11 (89) | Victoria Park | 19,000 | 5 August 1939 |
| Carlton | 24.15 (159) | Footscray | 9.17 (71) | Princes Park | 12,000 | 5 August 1939 |
| South Melbourne | 12.6 (78) | Richmond | 18.15 (123) | Lake Oval | 10,000 | 5 August 1939 |
| Hawthorn | 10.20 (80) | Fitzroy | 12.7 (79) | Glenferrie Oval | 6,000 | 5 August 1939 |
Round 16
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 15.11 (101) | Richmond | 18.8 (116) | Arden Street Oval | 14,000 | 12 August 1939 |
| Footscray | 19.15 (129) | South Melbourne | 12.10 (82) | Western Oval | 7,500 | 12 August 1939 |
| Collingwood | 16.8 (104) | Fitzroy | 10.13 (73) | Victoria Park | 14,000 | 12 August 1939 |
| Carlton | 18.16 (124) | Hawthorn | 7.20 (62) | Princes Park | 11,000 | 12 August 1939 |
| Melbourne | 22.16 (148) | Geelong | 13.17 (95) | MCG | 9,413 | 12 August 1939 |
| St Kilda | 13.13 (91) | Essendon | 18.14 (122) | Junction Oval | 17,000 | 12 August 1939 |
Round 17
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 7.17 (59) | St Kilda | 12.12 (84) | Corio Oval | 6,500 | 19 August 1939 |
| Fitzroy | 10.10 (70) | Footscray | 10.8 (68) | Brunswick Street Oval | 9,000 | 19 August 1939 |
| Essendon | 14.17 (101) | North Melbourne | 9.7 (61) | Windy Hill | 10,000 | 19 August 1939 |
| South Melbourne | 11.14 (80) | Melbourne | 12.12 (84) | Lake Oval | 5,000 | 19 August 1939 |
| Hawthorn | 6.15 (51) | Collingwood | 7.17 (59) | Glenferrie Oval | 7,500 | 19 August 1939 |
| Richmond | 13.10 (88) | Carlton | 6.13 (49) | Punt Road Oval | 40,000 | 19 August 1939 |
Round 18
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| St Kilda | 11.13 (79) | South Melbourne | 6.16 (52) | Junction Oval | 12,000 | 2 September 1939 |
| Footscray | 11.17 (83) | Hawthorn | 6.7 (43) | Western Oval | 3,500 | 2 September 1939 |
| Collingwood | 13.13 (91) | Richmond | 8.11 (59) | Victoria Park | 28,000 | 2 September 1939 |
| Carlton | 16.22 (118) | Essendon | 8.14 (62) | Princes Park | 10,000 | 2 September 1939 |
| North Melbourne | 11.10 (76) | Geelong | 9.11 (65) | Arden Street Oval | 3,500 | 2 September 1939 |
| Melbourne | 11.15 (81) | Fitzroy | 4.11 (35) | MCG | 9,043 | 2 September 1939 |
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne (P) | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1928 | 1502 | 128.4 | 60 | Finals |
| 2 | Collingwood | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1872 | 1535 | 122.0 | 60 | |
| 3 | Richmond | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1734 | 1469 | 118.0 | 52 | |
| 4 | St Kilda | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1806 | 1550 | 116.5 | 52 | |
| 5 | Carlton | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1796 | 1459 | 123.1 | 48 | |
| 6 | Essendon | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1696 | 1749 | 97.0 | 32 | |
| 7 | Geelong | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1582 | 1713 | 92.4 | 28 | |
| 8 | Fitzroy | 18 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 1482 | 1661 | 89.2 | 26 | |
| 9 | North Melbourne | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 1561 | 1709 | 91.3 | 24 | |
| 10 | Hawthorn | 18 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 1427 | 1657 | 86.1 | 22 | |
| 11 | Footscray | 18 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 1494 | 1809 | 82.6 | 16 | |
| 12 | South Melbourne | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1367 | 1932 | 70.8 | 12 |
Source: VFL Ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers.
Finals
Semi finals
| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 6.6 (42) | St Kilda | 10.12 (72) | MCG | 51,411 | 9 September |
| Melbourne | 15.14 (104) | Collingwood | 12.18 (90) | MCG | 54,776 | 16 September |
Preliminary Final
| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Collingwood | 20.14 (134) | St Kilda | 15.15 (105) | MCG | 66,848 | 23 September |
Grand final
Melbourne defeated Collingwood 21.22 (148) to 14.11 (95), in front of a crowd of 78,110 people. (For an explanation of scoring see Australian rules football).
Awards
- The 1939 VFL Premiership team was Melbourne.
- The VFL's leading goalkicker was Ron Todd of Collingwood with 98 goals (121 after finals).
- The Argus newspaper's "Player of the Year", was shared between Jack Dyer of Richmond and Dick Reynolds of Essendon.
- The winner of the 1939 Brownlow Medal was Marcus Whelan of Collingwood with 23 votes.
- South Melbourne took the "wooden spoon" in 1939.
- The seconds premiership was won by Melbourne. Melbourne 22.12 (144) defeated Richmond 17.13 (115) in the Grand Final, played as a stand-alone game on Thursday 28 September (Show Day holiday) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, before a crowd of 4,100.[1]
Notable events
- Two key rule changes were made nationally in 1939.
- The holding the ball rule was altered to eliminate the provision for a player to drop the ball when tackled, meaning that a player was forced to either kick or handpass the ball when tackled to avoid conceding a free kick.
- The boundary throw-in was reintroduced whenever the ball went out of bounds, except when put out deliberately, instead of a free kick being awarded against the last player to touch the ball, as had been the case since 1925.[2]
- A record 91 scores of more than one hundred points were kicked during the year; this was a record until 1969.
- Hawthorn's win over Carlton in Round 5 was its first as a member of the VFL. Carlton had won the first 25 meetings.
- All round 18 matches were postponed for a week because all grounds were under water from constant rain.
- North Melbourne's win over Geelong in Round 18 was the club's first since their initial meeting in Round 1 of the 1925 VFL season, North Melbourne's first match as a member of the VFL, breaking a streak of 23 consecutive wins by Geelong.
Footnotes
- "Melbourne wins". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. 29 September 1939. p. 15.
- "Throw-pass attacked". Camperdown Chronicle. Camperdown, VIC. 5 November 1938. p. 4.
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References
- 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
External links
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