1959 VFL season

The 1959 Victorian Football League season was the 63rd season of the elite Australian rules football competition.

1959 VFL Premiership season
Teams12
PremiersMelbourne
(10th premiership)
Minor premiersMelbourne
(7th minor premiership)
Consolation seriesFitzroy
(1st Consolation series win)
Matches played112
Attendance2,711,649 (24,211 per match)
Highest attendance103,506
Coleman MedallistRon Evans (Essendon)
Brownlow MedallistVerdun Howell (St Kilda)
Bob Skilton (South Melbourne)

Premiership season

In 1959, 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 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 1959 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
Geelong 8.15 (63) North Melbourne 12.14 (86) Kardinia Park 17,200 18 April 1959
Fitzroy 19.17 (131) Hawthorn 17.18 (120) Brunswick Street Oval 18,000 18 April 1959
Collingwood 7.18 (60) South Melbourne 14.17 (101) Victoria Park 40,125 18 April 1959
Carlton 13.20 (98) Essendon 11.18 (84) Princes Park 30,000 18 April 1959
Richmond 10.10 (70) Melbourne 16.21 (117) Punt Road Oval 21,500 18 April 1959
St Kilda 9.15 (69) Footscray 6.13 (49) Junction Oval 27,600 18 April 1959

Round 2

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 16.12 (108) Richmond 10.20 (80) Arden Street Oval 12,000 2 May 1959
Essendon 18.15 (123) St Kilda 12.15 (87) Windy Hill 19,000 2 May 1959
Hawthorn 18.15 (123) Geelong 12.12 (84) Glenferrie Oval 14,000 2 May 1959
South Melbourne 13.21 (99) Fitzroy 12.11 (83) Lake Oval 27,250 2 May 1959
Melbourne 13.14 (92) Collingwood 12.7 (79) MCG 53,342 2 May 1959
Footscray 8.7 (55) Carlton 15.14 (104) Western Oval 29,438 2 May 1959

Round 3

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 9.9 (63) St Kilda 8.10 (58) Arden Street Oval 13,600 9 May 1959
Footscray 8.10 (58) Hawthorn 15.12 (102) Western Oval 17,417 9 May 1959
Fitzroy 13.9 (87) Melbourne 11.8 (74) Brunswick Street Oval 20,000 9 May 1959
Richmond 10.11 (71) Geelong 14.12 (96) Punt Road Oval 13,500 9 May 1959
South Melbourne 9.11 (65) Essendon 7.10 (52) Lake Oval 30,200 9 May 1959
Collingwood 9.8 (62) Carlton 14.10 (94) Victoria Park 33,903 9 May 1959

Round 4

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 19.14 (128) South Melbourne 13.19 (97) Glenferrie Oval 25,000 16 May 1959
Essendon 8.14 (62) North Melbourne 11.11 (77) Windy Hill 22,500 16 May 1959
Carlton 14.17 (101) Richmond 9.7 (61) Princes Park 24,500 16 May 1959
Melbourne 19.17 (131) Footscray 9.12 (66) MCG 24,538 16 May 1959
Geelong 13.12 (90) Fitzroy 12.8 (80) Kardinia Park 16,112 16 May 1959
St Kilda 12.19 (91) Collingwood 8.16 (64) Junction Oval 35,260 16 May 1959

Round 5

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 17.11 (113) South Melbourne 13.8 (86) Western Oval 19,475 23 May 1959
Essendon 11.18 (84) Geelong 7.12 (54) Windy Hill 18,000 23 May 1959
Carlton 10.13 (73) Melbourne 9.7 (61) Princes Park 36,120 23 May 1959
St Kilda 10.21 (81) Hawthorn 11.11 (77) Junction Oval 21,500 23 May 1959
North Melbourne 11.10 (76) Fitzroy 9.19 (73) Arden Street Oval 15,000 23 May 1959
Richmond 13.20 (98) Collingwood 11.13 (79) Punt Road Oval 24,000 23 May 1959

Round 6

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 11.17 (83) St Kilda 16.10 (106) Punt Road Oval 23,000 30 May 1959
Geelong 11.10 (76) Melbourne 19.15 (129) Kardinia Park 16,736 30 May 1959
Collingwood 16.16 (112) Footscray 10.11 (71) Victoria Park 24,740 30 May 1959
South Melbourne 8.18 (66) North Melbourne 13.18 (96) Lake Oval 20,700 30 May 1959
Fitzroy 11.9 (75) Essendon 12.22 (94) Brunswick Street Oval 22,000 30 May 1959
Hawthorn 11.9 (75) Carlton 12.11 (83) Glenferrie Oval 28,000 30 May 1959

Round 7

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 14.17 (101) South Melbourne 8.8 (56) MCG 27,829 6 June 1959
Hawthorn 14.9 (93) Richmond 8.15 (63) Glenferrie Oval 14,500 6 June 1959
Essendon 15.11 (101) Footscray 12.13 (85) Windy Hill 23,000 6 June 1959
Collingwood 12.22 (94) Geelong 9.7 (61) Victoria Park 20,427 6 June 1959
Carlton 14.15 (99) North Melbourne 10.11 (71) Princes Park 41,985 6 June 1959
St Kilda 13.9 (87) Fitzroy 9.26 (80) Junction Oval 20,200 6 June 1959

Round 8

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 4.13 (37) Richmond 9.9 (63) Western Oval 11,533 13 June 1959
North Melbourne 12.12 (84) Hawthorn 8.6 (54) Arden Street Oval 12,500 13 June 1959
Fitzroy 5.10 (40) Collingwood 3.12 (30) Brunswick Street Oval 17,632 13 June 1959
South Melbourne 16.13 (109) St Kilda 7.11 (53) Lake Oval 29,500 15 June 1959
Melbourne 19.15 (129) Essendon 8.8 (56) MCG 52,880 15 June 1959
Geelong 11.13 (79) Carlton 12.16 (88) Kardinia Park 11,533 15 June 1959

Round 9

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 6.16 (52) Melbourne 11.11 (77) Glenferrie Oval 17,000 27 June 1959
Carlton 14.11 (95) South Melbourne 14.21 (105) Princes Park 33,150 27 June 1959
St Kilda 14.11 (95) Geelong 6.22 (58) Junction Oval 15,650 27 June 1959
North Melbourne 13.18 (96) Footscray 9.14 (68) Arden Street Oval 13,000 27 June 1959
Richmond 13.8 (86) Fitzroy 10.21 (81) Punt Road Oval 13,000 27 June 1959
Essendon 8.11 (59) Collingwood 14.12 (96) Windy Hill 23,000 27 June 1959

Round 10

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 10.13 (73) South Melbourne 15.16 (106) Punt Road Oval 21,000 4 July 1959
Collingwood 11.18 (84) North Melbourne 9.9 (63) Victoria Park 25,149 4 July 1959
St Kilda 11.10 (76) Melbourne 9.23 (77) Junction Oval 23,800 4 July 1959
Geelong 13.15 (93) Footscray 10.15 (75) Kardinia Park 14,150 4 July 1959
Hawthorn 14.13 (97) Essendon 12.20 (92) Glenferrie Oval 15,500 4 July 1959
Fitzroy 21.13 (139) Carlton 10.13 (73) Brunswick Street Oval 26,000 4 July 1959

Round 11

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 20.8 (128) North Melbourne 6.10 (46) MCG 31,263 11 July 1959
Essendon 19.20 (134) Richmond 10.9 (69) Windy Hill 17,000 11 July 1959
Collingwood 10.15 (75) Hawthorn 10.14 (74) Victoria Park 24,502 11 July 1959
Carlton 15.21 (111) St Kilda 8.18 (66) Princes Park 27,668 11 July 1959
South Melbourne 17.16 (118) Geelong 12.12 (84) Lake Oval 16,600 11 July 1959
Footscray 6.17 (53) Fitzroy 10.13 (73) Western Oval 15,801 11 July 1959

Round 12

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 13.10 (88) Richmond 7.9 (51) MCG 21,979 18 July 1959
Footscray 10.15 (75) St Kilda 12.14 (86) Western Oval 16,189 18 July 1959
North Melbourne 11.10 (76) Geelong 8.15 (63) Arden Street Oval 10,000 18 July 1959
Hawthorn 8.13 (61) Fitzroy 8.19 (67) Glenferrie Oval 15,500 18 July 1959
South Melbourne 6.9 (45) Collingwood 12.13 (85) Lake Oval 40,000 18 July 1959
Essendon 15.10 (100) Carlton 7.18 (60) Windy Hill 28,000 18 July 1959

Round 13

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 14.16 (100) Hawthorn 13.13 (91) Kardinia Park 10,072 25 July 1959
Fitzroy 13.19 (97) South Melbourne 10.7 (67) Brunswick Street Oval 17,024 25 July 1959
Collingwood 14.10 (94) Melbourne 14.7 (91) Victoria Park 30,343 25 July 1959
Carlton 9.9 (63) Footscray 6.11 (47) Princes Park 13,271 25 July 1959
Richmond 16.8 (104) North Melbourne 10.16 (76) Punt Road Oval 8,000 25 July 1959
St Kilda 12.13 (85) Essendon 11.5 (71) Junction Oval 18,100 25 July 1959

Round 14

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 12.15 (87) Richmond 6.7 (43) Kardinia Park 12,140 1 August 1959
Essendon 10.19 (79) South Melbourne 8.14 (62) Windy Hill 20,000 1 August 1959
Carlton 8.9 (57) Collingwood 9.14 (68) Princes Park 41,581 1 August 1959
St Kilda 10.15 (75) North Melbourne 13.7 (85) Junction Oval 17,500 1 August 1959
Hawthorn 14.15 (99) Footscray 7.10 (52) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 1 August 1959
Melbourne 11.11 (77) Fitzroy 11.11 (77) MCG 29,320 1 August 1959

Round 15

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 12.8 (80) Melbourne 10.11 (71) Western Oval 12,549 8 August 1959
Fitzroy 11.15 (81) Geelong 6.11 (47) Brunswick Street Oval 14,488 8 August 1959
Collingwood 12.18 (90) St Kilda 9.11 (65) Victoria Park 29,178 8 August 1959
South Melbourne 8.14 (62) Hawthorn 10.3 (63) Lake Oval 13,000 8 August 1959
North Melbourne 11.8 (74) Essendon 16.14 (110) Arden Street Oval 18,500 8 August 1959
Richmond 13.6 (84) Carlton 14.20 (104) Punt Road Oval 16,000 8 August 1959

Round 16

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 10.11 (71) St Kilda 5.5 (35) Glenferrie Oval 12,000 15 August 1959
Fitzroy 10.23 (83) North Melbourne 7.11 (53) Brunswick Street Oval 14,774 15 August 1959
Collingwood 17.17 (119) Richmond 5.10 (40) Victoria Park 23,856 15 August 1959
South Melbourne 11.10 (76) Footscray 12.13 (85) Lake Oval 14,100 15 August 1959
Geelong 12.9 (81) Essendon 15.16 (106) Kardinia Park 15,076 15 August 1959
Melbourne 13.14 (92) Carlton 7.5 (47) MCG 53,479 15 August 1959

Round 17

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 6.6 (42) South Melbourne 19.20 (134) Arden Street Oval 12,500 22 August 1959
Essendon 11.8 (74) Fitzroy 7.12 (54) Windy Hill 30,000 22 August 1959
Carlton 13.20 (98) Hawthorn 14.12 (96) Princes Park 18,720 22 August 1959
St Kilda 18.15 (123) Richmond 13.19 (97) Junction Oval 14,500 22 August 1959
Melbourne 17.18 (120) Geelong 9.12 (66) MCG 21,646 22 August 1959
Footscray 5.5 (35) Collingwood 8.17 (65) Western Oval 33,960 22 August 1959

Round 18

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 20.12 (132) St Kilda 13.12 (90) Brunswick Street Oval 18,253 29 August 1959
South Melbourne 8.13 (61) Melbourne 10.16 (76) Lake Oval 22,500 29 August 1959
Richmond 10.13 (73) Hawthorn 17.14 (116) Punt Road Oval 10,000 29 August 1959
Footscray 10.14 (74) Essendon 17.15 (117) Western Oval 29,629 29 August 1959
Geelong 5.8 (38) Collingwood 17.19 (121) Kardinia Park 21,822 29 August 1959
North Melbourne 8.11 (59) Carlton 12.14 (86) Arden Street Oval 23,200 29 August 1959

Ladder

1959 VFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Melbourne (P) 18 13 4 1 1731 1213 142.7 54 Finals
2 Carlton 18 13 5 0 1534 1404 109.3 52
3 Collingwood 18 12 6 0 1477 1215 121.6 48
4 Essendon 18 11 7 0 1598 1422 112.4 44
5 Fitzroy 18 10 7 1 1533 1351 113.5 42
6 North Melbourne 18 10 8 0 1331 1490 89.3 40
7 Hawthorn 18 9 9 0 1592 1412 112.7 36
8 St Kilda 18 9 9 0 1428 1515 94.3 36
9 South Melbourne 18 8 10 0 1515 1465 103.4 32
10 Geelong 18 5 13 0 1320 1681 78.5 20
11 Richmond 18 4 14 0 1309 1771 73.9 16
12 Footscray 18 3 15 0 1178 1607 73.3 12
Source: VFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers.

Consolation Night Series Competition

The night series were held under the floodlights at Lake Oval, South Melbourne, for the teams (5th to 12th on ladder) out of the finals at the end of the season.

Final: Fitzroy 10.10 (70) defeated Hawthorn 4.16 (40)

Premiership Finals

First Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Collingwood 1.4 4.8 5.11 8.14 (62)
Essendon 2.5 4.9 10.11 14.16 (100)
Attendance: 86,198

Second Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Melbourne 2.6 6.8 9.12 11.15 (81)
Carlton 0.0 1.4 2.9 4.13 (37)
Attendance: 72,822

Preliminary Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Carlton 0.1 3.7 5.8 7.8 (50)
Essendon 1.4 4.5 6.8 8.9 (57)
Attendance: 65,896

Grand final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Melbourne 1.4 8.5 11.10 17.13 (115)
Essendon 3.5 7.8 10.10 11.12 (78)
Attendance: 103,506

Awards

Notable events

  • The VFL threatened to move matches away from Windy Hill and the St Kilda Cricket Ground at the start of the season owing to a dispute with the Essendon and St Kilda Cricket Clubs. Cricket club members were entitled to purchase football club season tickets for one third of face value, but 1957/58 cricket club members had paid for their 1958 football tickets at 1957 prices instead of 1958 prices. Following a ruling by the state Minister for Lands, the cricket clubs paid the balance in mid-April, and no matches were moved.[1]
  • The committee of the Essendon, fifth on the ladder at the end of 1958, took the innovative step of employing Bert Willee, the chief lecturer in physical education at the University of Melbourne, to design and supervise the delivery of a carefully planned programme of physical training for each player, taking into account the special requirements of each playing position, as well as concentrating on the special needs of each individual player. Essendon played in the 1959 Grand Final, having finished the season in fourth place.
  • From 1959, VFL Second Eighteens' matches and were played as curtain-raisers to seniors matches, having previously been played at the same time as the seniors at a different venue. The Third Eighteens' matches were now played at a different venue to the seniors, having been played as the main curtain-raiser until 1958.[2]
  • The VFL introduced the premiership cup, to be awarded to the Premiership team immediately after the Grand Final Match.
  • As Carlton team was running down the players race at the Brunswick Street Oval before the start of its round 10 match against Fitzroy, Carlton centre half-back Bob Crowe stumbled and fell, badly injuring his knee (before he had reached the playing field). A short time after the match began, it was obvious that Crowe was in great pain and was totally unable to keep up with the play. Carlton appealed to the field umpire, and they were allowed to substitute one of their reserves for Crowe, even though he had taken the field.
  • The Collingwood Secretary, Gordon Carlyon and four Collingwood footballers received death threats before the Round 14 match against Carlton that are thought to have been connected with a potential betting plunge.[3]
  • Despite losing its first five matches, the 1958 premiers Collingwood reached the final four.
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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
Notes
  1. Kevin Hogan (14 April 1959). ""Clubs must pay" – minister". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 48.
  2. Rex Pullen (28 October 1958). "Keep others off our grounds". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 47.
  3. 100 years of Australian Football. Penguin Books. 1997. p. 213. ISBN 0-14-026969-X.
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