1963 VFL season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1963 VFL Premiership season
Teams12
PremiersGeelong
(6th premiership)
Minor premiersHawthorn
(2nd minor premiership)
Consolation seriesFootscray
(1st Consolation series win)
Matches played112
Highest attendance101,209
Coleman MedallistJohn Peck (Hawthorn)
Brownlow MedallistBob Skilton (South Melbourne)
← 1962
1964 →

The 1963 Victorian Football League season was the 67th season of the elite Australian rules football competition.

Premiership season[]

In 1963, 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 1963 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.

Alterations to 1963 match fixtures[]

Persistent rain throughout the week and further heavy downpours on the Friday (12 July) caused the postponement of all Round 11 matches until the following Saturday (20 July). All remaining home-and-away and finals matches were played a week later than had been scheduled.

Round 1[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 16.26 (122) South Melbourne 9.9 (63) Kardinia Park 33,953 20 April 1963
St Kilda 13.5 (83) Melbourne 9.11 (65) Junction Oval 31,300 20 April 1963
North Melbourne 11.11 (77) Footscray 5.10 (40) Arden Street Oval 21,960 20 April 1963
Hawthorn 8.12 (60) Essendon 13.7 (85) Glenferrie Oval 30,000 20 April 1963
Richmond 11.14 (80) Collingwood 18.16 (124) Punt Road Oval 32,200 20 April 1963
Fitzroy 10.12 (72) Carlton 14.11 (95) Brunswick Street Oval 25,167 20 April 1963

Round 2[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
South Melbourne 12.14 (86) Richmond 17.7 (109) Lake Oval 25,700 25 April 1963
Melbourne 14.16 (100) Hawthorn 13.18 (96) MCG 55,293 25 April 1963
Essendon 16.13 (109) Geelong 6.14 (50) Windy Hill 40,000 27 April 1963
Collingwood 8.14 (62) North Melbourne 12.9 (81) Victoria Park 32,210 27 April 1963
Carlton 7.11 (53) St Kilda 6.15 (51) Princes Park 39,490 27 April 1963
Footscray 15.11 (101) Fitzroy 7.13 (55) Western Oval 21,791 27 April 1963

Round 3[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 9.13 (67) St Kilda 11.11 (77) Brunswick Street Oval 18,544 4 May 1963
Essendon 9.14 (68) Melbourne 9.9 (63) Windy Hill 27,283 4 May 1963
Collingwood 8.16 (64) Hawthorn 13.22 (100) Victoria Park 27,419 4 May 1963
Richmond 6.12 (48) North Melbourne 10.9 (69) Punt Road Oval 23,200 4 May 1963
Geelong 10.25 (85) Footscray 10.4 (64) Kardinia Park 26,523 4 May 1963
South Melbourne 10.14 (74) Carlton 16.15 (111) Lake Oval 22,850 4 May 1963

Round 4[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 21.25 (151) South Melbourne 11.14 (80) Glenferrie Oval 15,000 11 May 1963
Footscray 14.12 (96) Richmond 11.11 (77) Western Oval 21,695 11 May 1963
Carlton 9.13 (67) Essendon 8.13 (61) Princes Park 42,919 11 May 1963
North Melbourne 3.7 (25) Geelong 7.19 (61) Arden Street Oval 21,700 11 May 1963
Melbourne 14.10 (94) Fitzroy 8.7 (55) MCG 25,462 11 May 1963
St Kilda 14.13 (97) Collingwood 11.7 (73) Junction Oval 37,700 11 May 1963

Round 5[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 10.12 (72) St Kilda 3.11 (29) Kardinia Park 33,084 18 May 1963
Footscray 8.9 (57) Hawthorn 11.10 (76) Western Oval 22,251 18 May 1963
Collingwood 15.10 (100) Melbourne 7.10 (52) Victoria Park 30,121 18 May 1963
South Melbourne 17.11 (113) North Melbourne 11.9 (75) Lake Oval 14,900 18 May 1963
Fitzroy 6.15 (51) Essendon 16.16 (112) Brunswick Street Oval 15,504 18 May 1963
Richmond 11.9 (75) Carlton 11.11 (77) Punt Road Oval 25,400 18 May 1963

Round 6[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 13.16 (94) South Melbourne 8.5 (53) Junction Oval 26,400 25 May 1963
Melbourne 20.15 (135) Richmond 7.14 (56) MCG 33,914 25 May 1963
Hawthorn 11.17 (83) North Melbourne 9.7 (61) Glenferrie Oval 14,387 25 May 1963
Essendon 13.16 (94) Footscray 6.18 (54) Windy Hill 27,455 25 May 1963
Carlton 7.16 (58) Geelong 7.22 (64) Princes Park 47,514 25 May 1963
Fitzroy 9.5 (59) Collingwood 12.14 (86) Brunswick Street Oval 23,930 25 May 1963

Round 7[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 8.10 (58) St Kilda 9.12 (66) Arden Street Oval 17,125 1 June 1963
Geelong 9.12 (66) Hawthorn 9.12 (66) Kardinia Park 29,374 1 June 1963
Collingwood 10.11 (71) Essendon 13.9 (87) Victoria Park 44,501 1 June 1963
South Melbourne 11.8 (74) Melbourne 8.22 (70) Lake Oval 17,160 1 June 1963
Richmond 17.13 (115) Fitzroy 13.8 (86) Punt Road Oval 16,500 1 June 1963
Footscray 7.7 (49) Carlton 8.9 (57) Western Oval 26,107 1 June 1963

Round 8[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 13.11 (89) Richmond 7.5 (47) Windy Hill 21,200 8 June 1963
Carlton 6.8 (44) Collingwood 6.10 (46) Princes Park 38,698 8 June 1963
St Kilda 8.13 (61) Hawthorn 9.11 (65) Junction Oval 34,900 8 June 1963
Footscray 6.16 (52) South Melbourne 5.9 (39) Western Oval 22,950 10 June 1963
Fitzroy 2.11 (23) North Melbourne 6.15 (51) Brunswick Street Oval 13,400 10 June 1963
Melbourne 11.16 (82) Geelong 4.11 (35) MCG 81,550 10 June 1963

Round 9[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 18.6 (114) North Melbourne 9.10 (64) MCG 23,971 22 June 1963
Geelong 16.13 (109) Richmond 10.11 (71) Kardinia Park 20,681 22 June 1963
Essendon 4.16 (40) St Kilda 8.8 (56) Windy Hill 24,725 22 June 1963
Collingwood 11.6 (72) Footscray 6.4 (40) Victoria Park 26,173 22 June 1963
South Melbourne 8.10 (58) Fitzroy 5.9 (39) Lake Oval 12,850 22 June 1963
Hawthorn 9.6 (60) Carlton 7.12 (54) Glenferrie Oval 25,300 22 June 1963

Round 10[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 19.11 (125) South Melbourne 11.8 (74) Victoria Park 24,820 29 June 1963
Carlton 8.8 (56) Melbourne 12.12 (84) Princes Park 32,600 29 June 1963
St Kilda 14.13 (97) Footscray 15.11 (101) Junction Oval 27,700 29 June 1963
Fitzroy 9.13 (67) Geelong 3.13 (31) Brunswick Street Oval 16,221 6 July 1963
Richmond 4.10 (34) Hawthorn 11.14 (80) Punt Road Oval 20,300 6 July 1963
North Melbourne 5.5 (35) Essendon 9.9 (63) Arden Street Oval 17,560 6 July 1963

Round 11[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 9.4 (58) St Kilda 14.16 (100) Punt Road Oval 15,000 20 July 1963
Footscray 3.6 (24) Melbourne 10.9 (69) Western Oval 18,231 20 July 1963
Hawthorn 9.17 (71) Fitzroy 6.2 (38) Glenferrie Oval 10,500 20 July 1963
South Melbourne 6.10 (46) Essendon 12.20 (92) Lake Oval 16,000 20 July 1963
Geelong 7.13 (55) Collingwood 5.13 (43) Kardinia Park 31,578 20 July 1963
North Melbourne 8.14 (62) Carlton 5.9 (39) Arden Street Oval 13,870 20 July 1963

Round 12[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 14.14 (98) St Kilda 5.9 (39) MCG 55,060 27 July 1963
Footscray 10.11 (71) North Melbourne 7.10 (52) Western Oval 15,715 27 July 1963
Essendon 11.17 (83) Hawthorn 7.10 (52) Windy Hill 25,500 27 July 1963
Collingwood 12.12 (84) Richmond 13.7 (85) Victoria Park 23,286 27 July 1963
Carlton 16.19 (115) Fitzroy 11.8 (74) Princes Park 16,909 27 July 1963
South Melbourne 8.12 (60) Geelong 14.11 (95) Lake Oval 14,500 27 July 1963

Round 13[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 9.10 (64) South Melbourne 20.10 (130) Punt Road Oval 15,000 3 August 1963
Hawthorn 13.6 (84) Melbourne 8.14 (62) Glenferrie Oval 34,000 3 August 1963
Fitzroy 7.7 (49) Footscray 10.20 (80) Brunswick Street Oval 13,892 3 August 1963
Geelong 14.15 (99) Essendon 9.8 (62) Kardinia Park 40,885 3 August 1963
North Melbourne 9.17 (71) Collingwood 8.10 (58) Arden Street Oval 16,083 3 August 1963
St Kilda 14.12 (96) Carlton 7.13 (55) Junction Oval 30,100 3 August 1963

Round 14[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 11.8 (74) Richmond 10.4 (64) Arden Street Oval 9,807 10 August 1963
Footscray 5.8 (38) Geelong 8.10 (58) Western Oval 25,645 10 August 1963
Carlton 17.13 (115) South Melbourne 8.9 (57) Princes Park 17,510 10 August 1963
St Kilda 16.21 (117) Fitzroy 2.3 (15) Junction Oval 15,700 10 August 1963
Melbourne 19.8 (122) Essendon 10.11 (71) MCG 71,086 10 August 1963
Hawthorn 15.9 (99) Collingwood 8.9 (57) Glenferrie Oval 19,458 10 August 1963

Round 15[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 15.8 (98) North Melbourne 5.13 (43) Kardinia Park 21,396 17 August 1963
Fitzroy 8.9 (57) Melbourne 22.21 (153) Brunswick Street Oval 11,989 17 August 1963
Collingwood 6.6 (42) St Kilda 14.20 (104) Victoria Park 27,298 17 August 1963
South Melbourne 6.9 (45) Hawthorn 15.15 (105) Lake Oval 14,100 17 August 1963
Richmond 7.10 (52) Footscray 16.21 (117) Punt Road Oval 15,200 17 August 1963
Essendon 10.10 (70) Carlton 11.10 (76) Windy Hill 29,000 17 August 1963

Round 16[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 12.12 (84) South Melbourne 5.9 (39) Arden Street Oval 9,506 24 August 1963
Essendon 16.21 (117) Fitzroy 5.6 (36) Windy Hill 14,175 24 August 1963
Carlton 10.18 (78) Richmond 12.13 (85) Princes Park 15,170 24 August 1963
St Kilda 12.18 (90) Geelong 8.21 (69) Junction Oval 44,900 24 August 1963
Hawthorn 13.21 (99) Footscray 8.7 (55) Glenferrie Oval 17,000 24 August 1963
Melbourne 19.15 (129) Collingwood 10.8 (68) MCG 43,057 24 August 1963

Round 17[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 20.14 (134) Fitzroy 12.15 (87) Victoria Park 16,892 31 August 1963
South Melbourne 8.7 (55) St Kilda 19.14 (128) Lake Oval 22,920 31 August 1963
Richmond 7.8 (50) Melbourne 14.13 (97) Punt Road Oval 17,780 31 August 1963
North Melbourne 6.9 (45) Hawthorn 12.14 (86) Arden Street Oval 12,963 31 August 1963
Footscray 4.4 (28) Essendon 12.12 (84) Western Oval 27,231 31 August 1963
Geelong 13.17 (95) Carlton 5.4 (34) Kardinia Park 29,732 31 August 1963

Round 18[]

Going into the final home-and-away round, Hawthorn was the only team with a guaranteed finals berth. It was down to Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and Essendon to fight it out for the remaining three play-off positions.

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 12.19 (91) South Melbourne 8.8 (56) MCG 24,871 7 September 1963
Fitzroy 8.8 (56) Richmond 16.13 (109) Brunswick Street Oval 9,951 7 September 1963
Carlton 13.13 (91) Footscray 8.11 (59) Princes Park 15,319 7 September 1963
St Kilda 17.14 (116) North Melbourne 4.8 (32) Junction Oval 22,800 7 September 1963
Hawthorn 6.16 (52) Geelong 13.12 (90) Glenferrie Oval 35,000 7 September 1963
Essendon 12.11 (83) Collingwood 8.8 (56) Windy Hill 29,700 7 September 1963

Ladder[]

1963 VFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Hawthorn 18 13 4 1 1485 1137 130.6 54 Finals
2 Geelong (P) 18 13 4 1 1354 1056 128.2 54
3 Melbourne 18 13 5 0 1680 1136 147.9 52
4 St Kilda 18 13 5 0 1501 1071 140.1 52
5 Essendon 18 13 5 0 1470 1069 137.5 52
6 Carlton 18 10 8 0 1275 1234 103.3 40
7 North Melbourne 18 8 10 0 1059 1244 85.1 32
8 Collingwood 18 7 11 0 1365 1427 95.7 28
9 Footscray 18 7 11 0 1126 1283 87.8 28
10 Richmond 18 5 13 0 1279 1687 75.8 20
11 South Melbourne 18 4 14 0 1202 1722 69.8 16
12 Fitzroy 18 1 17 0 986 1716 57.5 4
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: Footscray 10.9 (69) defeated Richmond 9.9 (63)

Finals series[]

Week one[]

First Semi-final
Saturday, 14 September (2:30 pm) Melbourne 9.17 (71) def. St Kilda 8.16 (64) MCG (crowd: 88,914) Report
  • This match set new records for crowd attendance at a VFL First Semi-final and gate takings (£29,420)[1]

Week two[]

Second Semi-final
Saturday, 21 September (2:30 pm) Hawthorn 11.16 (82) def. by Geelong 14.17 (101) MCG (crowd: 91,471) Report

Week three[]

Preliminary final
Saturday, 28 September (2:30 pm) Hawthorn 11.11 (77) def. Melbourne 10.8 (68) MCG (crowd: 86,586) Report

Week four[]

Grand final
Saturday, 5 October (2:50 pm) Hawthorn 8.12 (60) def. by Geelong 15.19 (109) MCG (crowd: 101,209) Report

Awards[]

  • The 1963 VFL Premiership team was Geelong.
  • The VFL's leading goalkicker was John Peck of Hawthorn who kicked 75 goals (including 6 goals in the final series).
  • The winner of the 1963 Brownlow Medal was Bob Skilton of South Melbourne with 20 votes.
  • Fitzroy took the "wooden spoon" in 1963.
  • The reserves premiership was won by Geelong. Geelong 13.12 (90) defeated St Kilda 7.11 (53) in the Grand Final, held as a curtain-raiser to the seniors Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 5 October.[2]

Notable events[]

  • In Round 5, Collingwood was the first team to score at least 100 points against Melbourne since Footscray in the 1954 Grand Final; Terry Waters kicked 7 goals in Collingwood's 15.10 (100) to 7.10 (52) victory.
  • On Saturday 15 June, South Australia beat Victoria 12.8 (80) to 10.13 (73) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of 59,260 spectators. In a brutal return match, in Adelaide, a straighter-kicking Victoria beat South Australia 8.6 (54) to 5.12 (42), a match notorious for a powerful king-hit delivered by Victorian John Peck, who had been included in the team for the return match in order to provide more "grunt" and physical menace, to the jaw of an unsuspecting . Sawley went some distance in the air before collapsing unconscious in the mud, and had to be carried from the field on a stretcher. Peck was reported, and at the VFL tribunal, Peck testified that the king-hit was in retaliation for Sawley having kicked him in the stomach; Peck was suspended for two weeks.
  • Fitzroy's only win during the year was against eventual premiers Geelong, and was achieved without captain-coach Kevin Murray, who was in Adelaide playing for Victoria. Reserves captain Wally Clark took over, and Geelong's weakness in terrible conditions proved their undoing.
  • Owing to extremely cold and wet weather, Round 11 was postponed from 13 to 20 July. As of 2019, this is the last time that a complete round of football has been postponed due to weather.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Atkinson & Atkinson (2009), p.261
  2. ^ Rex Pullen (7 October 1963). "Cats too fast in Reserves". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 28.

Bibliography[]

  • Atkinson, Graeme; Atkinson, Brant (2009). The Complete Book of AFL Finals (4th ed.). Scoresby, Victoria: The Five Mile Press. ISBN 9781742112756.
  • 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, John, ed. (1996). 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. Ringwood, Victoria: Viking. ISBN 0-670-86814-0.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""