1899 VFL season

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1899 VFL Premiership season
Fitzroy fc 1899.jpg
Fitzroy FC team, premiers
Teams8
PremiersFitzroy
(2nd premiership)
Minor premiersFitzroy
(1st minor premiership)
Matches played69
Highest attendance4,823
Leading Goalkicker MedallistEddy James (Geelong)
← 1898
1900 →

The 1899 Victorian Football League season was the third season of the elite Australian rules football competition.

Premiership season[]

In 1899, the VFL competition consisted of eight 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 14 rounds.

Once the 14 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1899 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the 1898 VFL Premiership System.

Round 1[]

Round 1
Saturday, 13 May (3:00 pm) South Melbourne 10.13 (73) def. Carlton 2.6 (18) Lake Oval
Saturday, 13 May (3:00 pm) Geelong 8.6 (54) def. Collingwood 3.9 (27) Corio Oval
Saturday, 13 May (3:00 pm) Fitzroy 6.11 (47) def. Essendon 0.9 (9) Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 13 May (3:00 pm) Melbourne 16.20 (116) def. St Kilda 3.5 (23) Melbourne Cricket Ground

Round 2[]

Round 2
Saturday, 20 May (3:00 pm) Carlton 1.5 (11) def. by Geelong 5.6 (36) Princes Park
Saturday, 20 May (3:00 pm) Collingwood 4.3 (27) def. by Melbourne 7.12 (54) Victoria Park
Saturday, 20 May (3:00 pm) St Kilda 3.2 (20) def. by Essendon 8.18 (66) Junction Oval
Saturday, 20 May (3:00 pm) South Melbourne 5.8 (38) def. by Fitzroy 6.6 (42) Lake Oval

Round 3[]

Round 3
Wednesday, 24 May (11:00 am) Collingwood 13.9 (87) def. St Kilda 2.6 (18) Victoria Park
Wednesday, 24 May (3:00 pm) Carlton 3.1 (19) def. by Melbourne 6.9 (45) Princes Park
Wednesday, 24 May (3:00 pm) Essendon 1.9 (15) def. South Melbourne 0.9 (9) East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Wednesday, 24 May (3:00 pm) Geelong 0.8 (8) def. by Fitzroy 4.8 (32) Corio Oval

Round 4[]

Round 4
Saturday, 27 May (3:00 pm) Essendon 6.12 (48) def. Carlton 1.3 (9) East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 27 May (3:00 pm) South Melbourne 3.4 (22) def. by Collingwood 3.11 (29) Lake Oval
Saturday, 27 May (3:00 pm) Fitzroy 7.14 (56) def. St Kilda 5.3 (33) Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 27 May (3:00 pm) Melbourne 4.8 (32) def. Geelong 4.3 (27) Melbourne Cricket Ground

Round 5[]

Round 5
Saturday, 3 June (3:00 pm) Carlton 3.3 (21) def. by Collingwood 7.10 (52) Princes Park
Saturday, 3 June (3:00 pm) Geelong 3.10 (28) def. Essendon 3.6 (24) Corio Oval
Saturday, 3 June (3:00 pm) Melbourne 4.11 (35) def. Fitzroy 3.6 (24) Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 3 June (3:00 pm) St Kilda 4.9 (33) def. by South Melbourne 10.10 (70) Junction Oval

Round 6[]

Round 6
Saturday, 10 June (3:00 pm) St Kilda 4.5 (29) def. by Carlton 4.7 (31) Junction Oval
Saturday, 10 June (3:00 pm) Collingwood 1.7 (13) def. by Fitzroy 5.5 (35) Victoria Park
Saturday, 10 June (3:00 pm) Essendon 4.6 (30) def. Melbourne 1.10 (16) East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 10 June (3:00 pm) South Melbourne 5.5 (35) def. Geelong 3.1 (19) Lake Oval

Round 7[]

Round 7
Saturday, 17 June (3:00 pm) Fitzroy 5.15 (45) def. Carlton 1.7 (13) Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 17 June (3:00 pm) Collingwood 6.12 (48) def. Essendon 4.4 (28) Victoria Park
Saturday, 17 June (3:00 pm) St Kilda 3.13 (31) def. by Geelong 12.6 (78) Junction Oval
Saturday, 17 June (3:00 pm) Melbourne 7.8 (50) def. South Melbourne 6.7 (43) Melbourne Cricket Ground

Round 8[]

Round 8
Saturday, 24 June (3:00 pm) Carlton 3.6 (24) def. South Melbourne 0.5 (5) Princes Park
Saturday, 24 June (3:00 pm) Collingwood 2.8 (20) def. by Geelong 9.7 (61) Victoria Park
Saturday, 24 June (3:00 pm) Essendon 6.15 (51) def. by Fitzroy 10.3 (63) East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 24 June (3:00 pm) St Kilda 2.8 (20) def. by Melbourne 5.7 (37) Junction Oval

Round 9[]

Round 9
Saturday, 8 July (3:00 pm) Geelong 9.9 (63) def. Carlton 5.3 (33) Corio Oval
Saturday, 8 July (3:00 pm) Melbourne 1.7 (13) def. by Collingwood 3.3 (21) Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 8 July (3:00 pm) Essendon 11.19 (85) def. St Kilda 1.0 (6) East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 8 July (3:00 pm) Fitzroy 9.8 (62) def. South Melbourne 4.5 (29) Brunswick Street Oval

Round 10[]

Round 10
Saturday, 15 July (3:00 pm) Melbourne 7.12 (54) def. Carlton 3.4 (22) Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 15 July (3:00 pm) St Kilda 1.5 (11) def. by Collingwood 13.16 (94) Junction Oval
Saturday, 15 July (3:00 pm) South Melbourne 5.5 (35) def. by Essendon 7.9 (51) Lake Oval
Saturday, 15 July (3:00 pm) Fitzroy 3.5 (23) def. by Geelong 8.10 (58) Brunswick Street Oval

Round 11[]

Round 11
Saturday, 22 July (3:00 pm) Carlton 3.8 (26) def. by Essendon 8.9 (57) Princes Park
Saturday, 22 July (3:00 pm) Collingwood 5.9 (39) def. South Melbourne 5.6 (36) Victoria Park
Saturday, 22 July (3:00 pm) St Kilda 4.6 (30) def. by Fitzroy 12.12 (84) Junction Oval
Saturday, 22 July (3:00 pm) Geelong 5.6 (36) def. Melbourne 2.10 (22) Corio Oval

Round 12[]

Round 12
Saturday, 29 July (3:00 pm) Collingwood 5.13 (43) def. Carlton 4.3 (27) Victoria Park
Saturday, 29 July (3:00 pm) Essendon 10.7 (67) def. Geelong 6.7 (43) East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 29 July (3:00 pm) Fitzroy 6.5 (41) def. Melbourne 4.9 (33) Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 29 July (3:00 pm) South Melbourne 8.9 (57) def. St Kilda 3.6 (24) Lake Oval

Round 13[]

Round 13
Saturday, 5 August (3:00 pm) Carlton 6.11 (47) def. St Kilda 1.2 (8) Princes Park
Saturday, 5 August (3:00 pm) Fitzroy 3.7 (25) def. by Collingwood 5.7 (37) Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 5 August (3:00 pm) Melbourne 3.7 (25) def. by Essendon 5.8 (38) Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 5 August (3:00 pm) Geelong 7.12 (54) def. South Melbourne 3.9 (27) Corio Oval

Round 14[]

Round 14
Saturday, 12 August (3:00 pm) Carlton 2.4 (16) def. by Fitzroy 5.9 (39) Princes Park
Saturday, 12 August (3:00 pm) Essendon 4.7 (31) def. by Collingwood 8.5 (53) East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 12 August (3:00 pm) Geelong 16.23 (119) def. St Kilda 0.2 (2) Corio Oval
Saturday, 12 August (3:00 pm) South Melbourne 6.13 (49) def. Melbourne 6.6 (42) Lake Oval

Win/Loss table[]

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 SR1 SR2 SR3 GF Ladder
Carlton SM
-55 		Geel
-25 		Melb
-26 		Ess
-39 		Coll
-31 		StK
+2 		Fit
-32 		SM
+19 		Geel
-30 		Melb
-32 		Ess
-31 		Coll
-16 		StK
+39 		Fit
-23 		Fit
-1 		Coll
-21 		Melb
+25 		X
7
Collingwood Geel
-27 		Melb
-27 		StK
+69 		SM
+7 		Carl
+31 		Fit
-22 		Ess
+20 		Geel
-41 		Melb
+8 		StK
+83 		SM
+3 		Carl
+16 		Fit
+12 		Ess
+22 		Melb
+20 		Carl
+21 		Fit
-14 		X
4
Essendon Fit
-38 		StK
+46 		SM
+6 		Carl
+39 		Geel
-4 		Melb
+14 		Coll
-20 		Fit
-12 		StK
+79 		SM
+16 		Carl
+31 		Geel
+24 		Melb
+13 		Coll
-22 		StK
+98 		Geel
-8 		SM
-15 		X
5
Fitzroy Ess
+38 		SM
+4 		Geel
+24 		StK
+23 		Melb
-11 		Coll
+22 		Carl
+32 		Ess
+12 		SM
+33 		Geel
-35 		StK
+54 		Melb
+8 		Coll
-12 		Carl
+23 		Carl
+1 		Melb
+38 		Coll
+14 		SM
+1 		1
Geelong Coll
+27 		Carl
+25 		Fit
-24 		Melb
-5 		Ess
+4 		SM
-16 		StK
+47 		Coll
+41 		Carl
+30 		Fit
+35 		Melb
+14 		Ess
-24 		SM
+27 		StK
+117 		SM
-3 		Ess
+8 		StK
+161 		X
3
Melbourne StK
+93 		Coll
+27 		Carl
+26 		Geel
+5 		Fit
+11 		Ess
-14 		SM
+7 		StK
+17 		Coll
-8 		Carl
+32 		Geel
-14 		Fit
-8 		Ess
-13 		SM
-7 		Coll
-20 		Fit
-38 		Carl
-25 		X
6
South Melbourne Carl
+55 		Fit
-4 		Ess
-6 		Coll
-7 		StK
+37 		Geel
+16 		Melb
-7 		Carl
-19 		Fit
-33 		Ess
-16 		Coll
-3 		StK
+33 		Gee
-27 		Melb
+7 		Geel
+3 		StK
+70 		Ess
+15 		Fit
-1 		2
St Kilda Melb
-93 		Ess
-46 		Coll
-69 		Fit
-23 		SM
-37 		Carl
-2 		Geel
-47 		Melb
-17 		Ess
-79 		Coll
-83 		Fit
-54 		SM
-33 		Carl
-39 		Geel
-117 		Ess
-98 		SM
-70 		Geel
-161 		X
8
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 SR1 SR2 SR3 GF Ladder
Colour Symbol Result
Green + Win
Red - Loss
Blue N/A Draw

Bold – Home game
X – Bye
Opponent for round listed above margin

Ladder[]

1899 VFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Fitzroy (P) 14 11 3 0 618 403 153.3 44
2 Geelong 14 10 4 0 684 386 177.2 40
3 Collingwood 14 10 4 0 590 436 135.3 40
4 Essendon 14 9 5 0 600 428 140.2 36
5 Melbourne 14 8 6 0 574 420 136.7 32
6 South Melbourne 14 5 9 0 528 502 105.2 20
7 Carlton 14 3 11 0 317 597 53.1 12
8 St Kilda 14 0 14 0 288 1027 28.0 0
Source: VFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Ladder progression[]

  • No ladder for finals in 1899.
Points by round
Team ╲ Round1234567891011121314
Fitzroy48121616202428323236404044
Geelong488812121620242832323640
Collingwood004812121616202428323640
Essendon0481212161616202428323636
Melbourne48121620202428283232323232
South Melbourne44448121212121212161620
Carlton0000044888881212
St Kilda00000000000000
Source:[citation needed]

Finals[]

Sectional Round 1[]

Sectional Round 1
Saturday, 26 August (2:30 pm) Fitzroy 5.11 (41) def. Carlton 6.4 (40) Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 26 August (2:30 pm) Melbourne 3.7 (25) def. by Collingwood 6.9 (45) Lake Oval
Saturday, 26 August (2:30 pm) Essendon 16.24 (120) def. St Kilda 3.4 (22) East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 26 August (2:30 pm) Geelong 5.8 (38) def. by South Melbourne 6.5 (41) Corio Oval

Sectional Round 2[]

Sectional Round 2
Saturday, 2 September (2:30 pm) Collingwood 5.8 (38) def. Carlton 2.5 (17) Victoria Park
Saturday, 2 September (2:30 pm) Essendon 4.15 (39) def. by Geelong 6.11 (47) East Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 2 September (2:30 pm) Fitzroy 5.10 (40) def. Melbourne 0.2 (2) Brunswick Street Oval
Saturday, 2 September (2:30 pm) St Kilda 1.6 (12) def. by South Melbourne 12.10 (82) Junction Oval

Sectional Round 3[]

Sectional Round 3
Saturday, 9 September (2:30 pm) Carlton 6.5 (41) def. Melbourne 2.4 (16) Princes Park
Saturday, 9 September (2:30 pm) Collingwood 4.7 (31) def. by Fitzroy 6.9 (45) Victoria Park
Saturday, 9 September (2:30 pm) South Melbourne 3.10 (28) def. Essendon 2.1 (13) Lake Oval
Saturday, 9 September (2:30 pm) Geelong 23.24 (162) def. St Kilda 0.1 (1) Corio Oval
  • St Kilda's 1 point was the lowest score by a team in a game in AFL/VFL history.


Section A Ladder[]

Section A Ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Fitzroy 3 3 0 0 126 73 172.6 12
2 Collingwood 3 2 1 0 114 87 131.0 8
3 Carlton 3 1 2 0 98 95 103.2 4
4 Melbourne 3 0 3 0 43 126 34.1 0
Source:[citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.

Section B Ladder[]

Section B Ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 South Melbourne 3 3 0 0 151 63 239.7 12
2 Geelong 3 2 1 0 247 81 304.9 8
3 Essendon 3 1 2 0 172 97 177.3 4
4 St Kilda 3 0 3 0 35 364 9.6 0
Source:[citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.

Grand final[]

Main article: 1899 VFL Grand Final


Grand Final
16 September (2:50 pm) Fitzroy def. South Melbourne Junction Oval (crowd: 4,823)
0.1 (1)
2.4 (16)
2.6 (18)
 3.9 (27) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final 		2.3 (15)
2.3 (15)
3.7 (25)
 3.8 (26)
Fontaine 1, Grace 1, McSpeerin 1 Goals Lampe 2, Colgan 1
Nil Reports Nil

Awards[]

  • The 1899 VFL Premiership team was Fitzroy.
  • The VFL's leading goalkicker was Eddy James of Geelong with 31 goals.
  • The Argus newspaper's "Player of the Year" was Fitzroy's Pat Hickey.

Notable events[]

  • The VFL reduced the size of its teams from 20 to 18 on-the-field players, with no "reserves". In doing this, the number of followers was reduced from five (four rucks and a rover) to three (two rucks and a rover).[1]
  • The third round, Queen's Birthday holiday match, between Collingwood and St Kilda at Victoria Park was held in the morning of Wednesday 24 May 1899.
  • Norman "Hackenschmidt" Clark, a footballer with the North Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian Football Association, won the 1899, 130-yard Stawell Gift in eleven and four-fifths seconds, off a handicap of 14 and a half yards. Clark would later play 125 senior games for Carlton (1905–1912), captain-coach VFA team Brighton (1913), and coach Carlton (1914–1918; 1920–1922), Richmond (1919), North Melbourne (1924 and 1931) and St Kilda (1925–1926).
  • At half-time of the Round 13 game between Fitzroy and Collingwood, Fitzroy captain Alec Sloan offers Collingwood captain Dick Condon the use of a fresh football, due to the old ball being greasy. Condon declines, and Colingwood win the game 5.7 (37) to 3.7 (25).
  • The first seven kicks of the Round 14 game between Carlton and Fitzroy are free kicks awarded by the umpire.
  • In the third sectional round, Geelong set records for the highest score in a game, scoring 23.24 (162), and the highest winning margin of 161 points, against St Kilda. These records would both stand for twelve years and twenty years respectively.
  • St Kilda's score of 0.1 (1) in the same match set the record for the lowest score in a VFL/AFL game, which has neither been matched nor broken since. Notably, the solitary behind was actually the first score of the match.
  • Geelong's Jim McShane kicked 11 goals in the same match against St Kilda, a VFL record that was not equalled until Collingwood's Dick Lee's 11 goals in 1914 and not broken until 1922; this is more impressive considering that McShane was usually a ruckman.
  • Warwick Armstrong (6'3", 190 cm), later captain of the Australian Test Cricket team, played in the ruck for the South Melbourne team that lost the 1899 "Grand Final".

References[]

  1. ^ "Football Reform – seventeen a-side". The Argus. Melbourne. 18 April 1908. p. 12.
  • 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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