52nd season of the Victorian Football League
1948 VFL Premiership season Melbourne FC team, premiers
Teams 12 Premiers Melbourne (6th premiership)Minor premiers Essendon (9th minor premiership)Matches played 119 Highest attendance 86,198 Leading Goalkicker Medallist Lindsay White (Geelong ) Brownlow Medallist Bill Morris (Richmond )
The 1948 Victorian Football League season was the 52nd season of the elite Australian rules football competition.
Premiership season [ ]
In 1948, 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 19 rounds; matches 12 to 19 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 8.
Once the 19 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1948 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
Footscray
21.19 (145)
St Kilda
9.11 (65)
Western Oval
14,000
17 April 1948
Fitzroy
13.14 (92)
Geelong
9.16 (70)
Brunswick Street Oval
17,000
17 April 1948
South Melbourne
18.15 (123)
Richmond
17.6 (108)
Lake Oval
28,000
17 April 1948
Melbourne
12.5 (77)
Essendon
13.18 (96)
MCG
29,000
17 April 1948
North Melbourne
9.12 (66)
Collingwood
11.20 (86)
Arden Street Oval
20,000
17 April 1948
Hawthorn
11.10 (76)
Carlton
17.15 (117)
Glenferrie Oval
16,000
17 April 1948
Round 2 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Geelong
15.17 (107)
North Melbourne
10.8 (68)
Kardinia Park
17,500
24 April 1948
Carlton
8.10 (58)
Fitzroy
10.18 (78)
Princes Park
32,000
24 April 1948
St Kilda
7.6 (48)
Melbourne
11.13 (79)
Junction Oval
9,000
24 April 1948
Richmond
20.12 (132)
Footscray
8.9 (57)
Punt Road Oval
29,000
24 April 1948
Essendon
11.16 (82)
Hawthorn
8.11 (59)
Windy Hill
16,000
26 April 1948
Collingwood
18.17 (125)
South Melbourne
10.12 (72)
Victoria Park
47,000
26 April 1948
Round 3 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
North Melbourne
10.11 (71)
South Melbourne
13.16 (94)
Arden Street Oval
19,000
1 May 1948
Footscray
12.12 (84)
Hawthorn
6.9 (45)
Western Oval
13,000
1 May 1948
St Kilda
11.12 (78)
Richmond
15.16 (106)
Junction Oval
14,000
1 May 1948
Melbourne
6.12 (48)
Fitzroy
12.14 (86)
MCG
31,000
1 May 1948
Essendon
16.12 (108)
Collingwood
14.9 (93)
Windy Hill
30,000
1 May 1948
Geelong
12.15 (87)
Carlton
13.11 (89)
Kardinia Park
23,000
1 May 1948
Round 4 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Hawthorn
14.21 (105)
North Melbourne
11.15 (81)
Glenferrie Oval
9,000
8 May 1948
Fitzroy
19.14 (128)
St Kilda
6.8 (44)
Brunswick Street Oval
10,000
8 May 1948
Collingwood
18.13 (121)
Geelong
13.10 (88)
Victoria Park
18,000
8 May 1948
Carlton
12.24 (96)
Footscray
15.8 (98)
Princes Park
19,000
8 May 1948
Richmond
12.12 (84)
Melbourne
13.11 (89)
Punt Road Oval
19,000
8 May 1948
South Melbourne
11.12 (78)
Essendon
20.20 (140)
Lake Oval
20,000
8 May 1948
Round 5 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
St Kilda
12.12 (84)
South Melbourne
14.23 (107)
Junction Oval
10,000
15 May 1948
Melbourne
14.11 (95)
North Melbourne
6.14 (50)
MCG
13,000
15 May 1948
Fitzroy
15.19 (109)
Hawthorn
6.11 (47)
Brunswick Street Oval
8,500
15 May 1948
Essendon
13.17 (95)
Richmond
14.11 (95)
Windy Hill
23,000
15 May 1948
Geelong
11.13 (79)
Footscray
8.10 (58)
Kardinia Park
17,500
15 May 1948
Collingwood
8.17 (65)
Carlton
9.9 (63)
Victoria Park
31,000
15 May 1948
Round 6 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
North Melbourne
12.16 (88)
St Kilda
9.10 (64)
Arden Street Oval
7,000
22 May 1948
Carlton
14.9 (93)
Essendon
19.7 (121)
Princes Park
25,000
22 May 1948
South Melbourne
9.5 (59)
Melbourne
15.15 (105)
Lake Oval
17,500
22 May 1948
Hawthorn
17.10 (112)
Geelong
12.3 (75)
Glenferrie Oval
9,500
22 May 1948
Footscray
10.11 (71)
Fitzroy
9.10 (64)
Western Oval
18,000
22 May 1948
Richmond
21.14 (140)
Collingwood
9.21 (75)
Punt Road Oval
33,000
22 May 1948
Round 7 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Hawthorn
9.11 (65)
Richmond
12.14 (86)
Glenferrie Oval
17,000
29 May 1948
Footscray
8.12 (60)
South Melbourne
3.10 (28)
Western Oval
17,000
29 May 1948
Fitzroy
9.20 (74)
North Melbourne
7.8 (50)
Brunswick Street Oval
12,000
29 May 1948
Essendon
12.11 (83)
Geelong
14.15 (99)
Windy Hill
13,000
29 May 1948
St Kilda
4.12 (36)
Collingwood
10.18 (78)
Junction Oval
11,000
29 May 1948
Melbourne
15.12 (102)
Carlton
7.9 (51)
MCG
35,000
29 May 1948
Round 8 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Geelong
15.16 (106)
South Melbourne
19.12 (126)
Kardinia Park
19,500
5 June 1948
Collingwood
11.17 (83)
Melbourne
11.10 (76)
Victoria Park
20,000
5 June 1948
St Kilda
7.12 (54)
Hawthorn
10.12 (72)
Junction Oval
7,000
5 June 1948
North Melbourne
11.6 (72)
Footscray
8.9 (57)
Arden Street Oval
12,000
5 June 1948
Fitzroy
12.8 (80)
Essendon
9.10 (64)
Brunswick Street Oval
25,000
5 June 1948
Richmond
13.10 (88)
Carlton
9.21 (75)
Punt Road Oval
33,000
5 June 1948
Round 9 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Essendon
12.14 (86)
North Melbourne
4.8 (32)
Windy Hill
17,000
12 June 1948
South Melbourne
9.12 (66)
Fitzroy
15.11 (101)
Lake Oval
33,000
12 June 1948
Hawthorn
8.8 (56)
Collingwood
12.27 (99)
Glenferrie Oval
18,000
12 June 1948
Footscray
11.9 (75)
Melbourne
9.14 (68)
Western Oval
20,000
14 June 1948
Carlton
12.11 (83)
St Kilda
7.18 (60)
Princes Park
11,000
14 June 1948
Richmond
15.14 (104)
Geelong
14.19 (103)
Punt Road Oval
28,000
14 June 1948
Round 10 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
North Melbourne
14.6 (90)
Richmond
9.16 (70)
Arden Street Oval
12,000
19 June 1948
Geelong
21.13 (139)
St Kilda
9.9 (63)
Kardinia Park
12,300
19 June 1948
Essendon
18.12 (120)
Footscray
4.14 (38)
Windy Hill
22,000
19 June 1948
Collingwood
15.12 (102)
Fitzroy
13.7 (85)
Victoria Park
38,000
19 June 1948
Melbourne
18.12 (120)
Hawthorn
11.13 (79)
MCG
12,200
19 June 1948
South Melbourne
13.9 (87)
Carlton
23.11 (149)
Lake Oval
24,000
19 June 1948
Round 11 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Hawthorn
9.7 (61)
South Melbourne
12.15 (87)
Glenferrie Oval
8,000
3 July 1948
Fitzroy
19.20 (134)
Richmond
14.11 (95)
Brunswick Street Oval
25,000
3 July 1948
Carlton
10.23 (83)
North Melbourne
14.10 (94)
Princes Park
13,500
3 July 1948
Melbourne
9.17 (71)
Geelong
8.9 (57)
MCG
16,000
3 July 1948
St Kilda
11.6 (72)
Essendon
17.22 (124)
Junction Oval
6,000
3 July 1948
Footscray
10.11 (71)
Collingwood
19.9 (123)
Western Oval
19,000
3 July 1948
Round 12 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Richmond
21.18 (144)
South Melbourne
9.13 (67)
Punt Road Oval
21,000
10 July 1948
Essendon
13.13 (91)
Melbourne
9.11 (65)
Windy Hill
17,000
10 July 1948
Collingwood
19.13 (127)
North Melbourne
10.11 (71)
Victoria Park
19,500
10 July 1948
Carlton
17.10 (112)
Hawthorn
10.9 (69)
Princes Park
9,000
10 July 1948
St Kilda
7.11 (53)
Footscray
13.13 (91)
Junction Oval
7,000
10 July 1948
Geelong
13.9 (87)
Fitzroy
9.17 (71)
Kardinia Park
18,500
10 July 1948
Round 13 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Melbourne
24.19 (163)
St Kilda
8.10 (58)
MCG
10,000
17 July 1948
Footscray
10.14 (74)
Richmond
12.9 (81)
Western Oval
20,000
17 July 1948
North Melbourne
10.8 (68)
Geelong
10.15 (75)
Arden Street Oval
12,000
17 July 1948
Hawthorn
9.12 (66)
Essendon
18.14 (122)
Glenferrie Oval
12,000
17 July 1948
South Melbourne
10.12 (72)
Collingwood
13.16 (94)
Lake Oval
22,000
17 July 1948
Fitzroy
12.12 (84)
Carlton
16.17 (113)
Brunswick Street Oval
27,000
17 July 1948
Round 14 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Richmond
21.20 (146)
St Kilda
5.9 (39)
Punt Road Oval
11,000
24 July 1948
Fitzroy
11.11 (77)
Melbourne
17.11 (113)
Brunswick Street Oval
17,500
24 July 1948
Collingwood
12.13 (85)
Essendon
16.11 (107)
Victoria Park
35,000
24 July 1948
Carlton
24.9 (153)
Geelong
9.8 (62)
Princes Park
17,500
24 July 1948
South Melbourne
14.18 (102)
North Melbourne
15.14 (104)
Lake Oval
12,000
24 July 1948
Hawthorn
11.7 (73)
Footscray
11.12 (78)
Glenferrie Oval
8,000
24 July 1948
Round 15 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
North Melbourne
11.18 (84)
Hawthorn
8.9 (57)
Arden Street Oval
9,000
31 July 1948
St Kilda
11.6 (72)
Fitzroy
9.10 (64)
Junction Oval
12,000
31 July 1948
Geelong
10.18 (78)
Collingwood
10.13 (73)
Kardinia Park
19,000
31 July 1948
Melbourne
6.8 (44)
Richmond
15.16 (106)
MCG
41,000
7 August 1948
Essendon
11.21 (87)
South Melbourne
8.11 (59)
Windy Hill
14,000
7 August 1948
Footscray
4.17 (41)
Carlton
15.19 (109)
Western Oval
17,500
7 August 1948
Round 16 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Footscray
11.25 (91)
Geelong
7.15 (57)
Western Oval
8,000
14 August 1948
Carlton
10.20 (80)
Collingwood
10.10 (70)
Princes Park
31,000
14 August 1948
South Melbourne
5.11 (41)
St Kilda
5.9 (39)
Lake Oval
5,500
14 August 1948
North Melbourne
5.12 (42)
Melbourne
10.14 (74)
Arden Street Oval
6,000
14 August 1948
Hawthorn
6.7 (43)
Fitzroy
4.16 (40)
Glenferrie Oval
8,500
14 August 1948
Richmond
8.7 (55)
Essendon
8.10 (58)
Punt Road Oval
29,000
14 August 1948
Round 17 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Melbourne
15.13 (103)
South Melbourne
7.12 (54)
MCG
13,500
21 August 1948
Geelong
11.14 (80)
Hawthorn
11.15 (81)
Kardinia Park
10,000
21 August 1948
Fitzroy
9.9 (63)
Footscray
11.15 (81)
Brunswick Street Oval
12,000
21 August 1948
Collingwood
15.18 (108)
Richmond
10.12 (72)
Victoria Park
28,000
21 August 1948
St Kilda
8.10 (58)
North Melbourne
7.19 (61)
Junction Oval
5,000
21 August 1948
Essendon
16.15 (111)
Carlton
11.11 (77)
Windy Hill
28,000
21 August 1948
Round 18 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Collingwood
15.19 (109)
St Kilda
11.4 (70)
Victoria Park
11,000
28 August 1948
Carlton
13.14 (92)
Melbourne
15.11 (101)
Princes Park
27,000
28 August 1948
Richmond
17.11 (113)
Hawthorn
9.6 (60)
Punt Road Oval
16,000
28 August 1948
South Melbourne
7.7 (49)
Footscray
14.16 (100)
Lake Oval
10,500
28 August 1948
North Melbourne
8.12 (60)
Fitzroy
6.10 (46)
Arden Street Oval
8,000
28 August 1948
Geelong
9.10 (64)
Essendon
10.12 (72)
Kardinia Park
18,500
28 August 1948
Round 19 [ ]
Home team
Home team score
Away team
Away team score
Venue
Crowd
Date
Hawthorn
7.12 (54)
St Kilda
9.13 (67)
Glenferrie Oval
5,000
4 September 1948
Footscray
18.21 (129)
North Melbourne
11.10 (76)
Western Oval
12,000
4 September 1948
Essendon
10.11 (71)
Fitzroy
7.11 (53)
Windy Hill
14,000
4 September 1948
Carlton
9.21 (75)
Richmond
9.16 (70)
Princes Park
24,000
4 September 1948
South Melbourne
21.15 (141)
Geelong
6.9 (45)
Lake Oval
8,000
4 September 1948
Melbourne
13.11 (89)
Collingwood
8.11 (59)
MCG
42,500
4 September 1948
Ladder [ ]
1948 VFL ladder
Pos
Team
Pld
W
L
D
PF
PA
PP
Pts
1
Essendon
19
16
2
1
1838
1340
137.2
66
Finals
2
Melbourne (P)
19
13
6
0
1682
1347
124.9
52
3
Collingwood
19
13
6
0
1775
1500
118.3
52
4
Footscray
19
12
7
0
1499
1453
103.2
48
5
Richmond
19
11
7
1
1895
1509
125.6
46
6
Carlton
19
10
9
0
1768
1564
113.0
40
7
Fitzroy
19
9
10
0
1529
1355
112.8
36
8
North Melbourne
19
8
11
0
1328
1589
83.6
32
9
Geelong
19
7
12
0
1558
1737
89.7
28
10
South Melbourne
19
7
12
0
1512
1826
82.8
28
11
Hawthorn
19
5
14
0
1280
1690
75.7
20
12
St Kilda
19
2
17
0
1124
1878
59.9
8
Source:
VFL ladder Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers
Finals [ ]
First Semi-Final [ ]
Team
1 Qtr
2 Qtr
3 Qtr
Final
Collingwood
3.8
6.11
12.14
17.17 (119)
Footscray
4.3
8.9
9.9
12.12 (84)
Attendance: 71,514
Second Semi-Final [ ]
Team
1 Qtr
2 Qtr
3 Qtr
Final
Essendon
3.2
8.9
12.12
13.16 (94)
Melbourne
3.2
4.3
8.8
8.10 (58)
Attendance: 72,394
Preliminary Final [ ]
Team
1 Qtr
2 Qtr
3 Qtr
Final
Melbourne
4.6
11.13
19.15
25.16 (166)
Collingwood
6.2
8.5
11.8
15.11 (101)
Attendance: 63,500
Grand final [ ]
The 1948 Grand Final between Melbourne and Essendon , held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 2 October 1948, was a drawn match: Melbourne 10.9 (69) to Essendon 7.27 (69). The crowd was 85,815. The two teams played again a week later. (For an explanation of scoring see Australian rules football ).
Team
1 Qtr
2 Qtr
3 Qtr
Final
Essendon
0.6
2.15
6.21
7.27 (69)
Melbourne
3.0
4.5
6.8
10.9 (69)
Attendance: 86,198
Grand Final Replay [ ]
Melbourne defeated Essendon 13.11 (89) to Essendon 7.8 (50), in the Grand Final Replay that was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 9 October 1948, in front of 52,226 people. (For an explanation of scoring see Australian rules football ).
Team
1 Qtr
2 Qtr
3 Qtr
Final
Essendon
0.3
5.5
6.6
7.8 (50)
Melbourne
6.2
9.3
11.6
13.11 (89)
Attendance:52,226
Awards [ ]
The 1948 VFL Premiership team was Melbourne .
The VFL's leading goalkicker was Lindsay White of Geelong 86 goals.
The winner of the 1948 Brownlow Medal was Bill Morris of Richmond with 24 votes.
St Kilda took the "wooden spoon " in 1948.
The seconds premiership was won by Geelong . Geelong 17.12 (114) defeated Richmond 12.9 (81) in the Grand Final, played as a curtain-raiser to the drawn senior Grand Final on Saturday 2 October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground .[1]
Notable events [ ]
All VFL matches were now scheduled to start at 2:15pm; previously it had been 2:30pm.
In round 7, Melbourne champion Norm Smith played his two hundredth game. He was reported for abusing the umpire; despite his claim that he had only said "don't be silly", he was suspended for four weeks.
After Carlton's round 11 loss at home to North Melbourne , police drew their batons to protect the umpires from Carlton fans.
In the round 16 match between Footscray and Geelong at the Western Oval the north wind was so fierce that when the Geelong full-back Bruce Morrison kicked the ball off after Footscray had scored a behind, the ball floated back over his head and went through the goal; the Goal umpire signalled a "forced behind". Only 1.1 (7) of the game's combined score of 18.40 (148) was scored against the wind.
The 1948 Grand Final was the first drawn Grand Final in VFL history. The second was the 1977 VFL Grand Final , and the third was the 2010 AFL Grand Final .
See also [ ]
References [ ]
^ "Geelong wins VFL seconds title". The Argus . Melbourne. 4 October 1948. p. 15.
Hogan, P., The Tigers of Old , The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 1996. ISBN 0-646-18748-1
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 [ ]
Clubs
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Seasons Grand finals Venues
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Awards Major recurring events Second-tier and junior competitions
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Former clubs Related articles Known as the Victorian Football League from 1897–1989; no grand finals were held in 1897 and 1924