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 )
The 1939 Victorian Football League season was the 43rd season of the elite Australian rules football competition.
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 [ ]
1939 VFL 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
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.[citation needed ]
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.
[ ]
^ "Melbourne wins". The Argus . Melbourne. 29 September 1939. p. 15.
^ "Throw-pass attacked". Camperdown Chronicle . Camperdown, VIC. 5 November 1938. p. 4.
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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