1956 Night Series Cup

The 1956 VFL Night Premiership Cup was the Victorian Football League end of season cup competition played between the eight teams that didn't make the finals of that season. It was held between August 23 to September 17 with games being played at the Lake Oval, home ground of South Melbourne as it was the only ground equipped to host night games.

1956 Night Series Cup
VFL Night Series Cup
Season1956
Teams8
WinnersSouth Melbourne (1st title)
Runner upCarlton
Matches played7
Attendance143,150 (average 20,450 per match)

Eight teams played in the first competition with the final seing an attendance of 32,450 as South Melbourne defeated Carlton in the final by 6 points (13.16.94 to 13.10.88).

Games

Quarter Finals

The opening match of the 1956 edition saw South Melbourne record the first victory of the new competition by 20 points over St Kilda. But the match was remembered for the brawl that happened in the third quarter which featured all of the players, umpires and some spectators in scenes not since the 1945 VFL Grand Final between Carlton and South Melbourne.[1] The following match which was played five days later saw an surprised victory by North Melbourne who defeated Essendon by two points with North Melbourne leading at every change to get the win.[2] Richmond and Carlton also recorded narrow wins over Hawthorn and Fitzroy in the remaining two quarter-finals which was plyed on 30 August and the 4 September.[3][4]

Quarter Finals
Thursday 23 August South Melbourne 13.15 (93) def. St Kilda 10.13 (73) Lake Oval (crowd: 14,000)
Tuesday 28 August North Melbourne 8.13 (61) def. Essendon 8.11 (59) Lake Oval (crowd: 13,000)
Thursday 30 August Richmond 12.10 (82) def. Hawthorn 9.19 (73) Lake Oval (crowd: 15,200)
Tuesday 4 September Carlton 13.18 (96) def. Fitzroy 12.10 (82) Lake Oval (crowd: 25,000)

Semi Finals

The semi-finals began on the 6 September with South Melbourne taking on North Melbourne. In another tight tustle between the teams, it wasn't until late on in the final quarter with the useage of the wind that South Melbourne would take the win with a goal from Monks sealing the five point victory.[5] In the second semi-final, an attendance of 25,500 saw Carlton win the match by 12 points in what the The Age called fast, rugged and exciting football with Carlton leading at each break to record the victory.[6]

Semi Finals
Thursday 6 September South Melbourne 9.13 (67) def. North Melbourne 8.14 (62) Lake Oval (crowd: 17,500)
Wednesday 12 September Richmond 9.15 (69) def. by Carlton 11.15 (81) Lake Oval (crowd: 25,500)

Final

The final of the 1956 edition was played on the 17 September between South Melbourne and Carlton. With an attendance of 32,450 watching the match, South Melbourne win was credited in the second quarter when they outscored Carlton 4.2 to 0.3 to open up a thirty-one point lead. Carlton tried to come back into the match throghout the final quarter and had a chance to take the lead but a dropped pass from Hands would give South Melbourne the win by six points and become the first winners of the Night Series Cup.[7]

Final
Monday 17 September South Melbourne 13.16 (94) def. Carlton 13.10 (88) Lake Oval (crowd: 32,450)

References
  1. "Wild Brawl Mars Night Football". The Age. 24 August 1956. p. 3. Retrieved 30 June 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  2. "North in Narrow Win Over Dons". The Age. 29 August 1956. p. 16. Retrieved 30 June 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  3. "Richmond in Narrow Win". The Age. 31 August 1956. p. 18. Retrieved 30 June 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  4. "Big Crowd Sees Blues' Night Win". The Age. 5 September 1956. p. 16.
  5. "South's Narrow Semi-final win". The Age. 7 September 1956. Retrieved 30 June 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  6. "Carlton Wins Rugged Semi-Final". The Age. 13 September 1956. Retrieved 30 June 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  7. Beames, Perry (18 September 1956). "South Melbourne in title win". The Age. p. 18.

See also
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