1970 VFL season

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1970 VFL Premiership season
Teams12
PremiersCarlton
(10th premiership)
Minor premiersCollingwood
(15th minor premiership)
Consolation seriesFootscray
(4th Consolation series win)
Matches played136
Attendance3,321,925 (24,426 per match)
Highest attendance121,696
Coleman MedallistPeter Hudson (Hawthorn)
Brownlow MedallistPeter Bedford (South Melbourne)
← 1969
1971 →

The 1970 Victorian Football League season was the 74th season of the elite Australian rules football competition.

Premiership season[]

In 1970, 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 22 rounds; matches 12 to 22 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 11.

Once the 22 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1970 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
Carlton 21.19 (145) Essendon 14.12 (96) Princes Park 23,948 4 April 1970
St Kilda 14.16 (100) North Melbourne 7.6 (48) Moorabbin Oval 21,429 4 April 1970
South Melbourne 9.14 (68) Melbourne 14.9 (93) Lake Oval 15,242 4 April 1970
Hawthorn 19.12 (126) Geelong 21.9 (135) Glenferrie Oval 20,509 4 April 1970
Footscray 12.12 (84) Collingwood 23.10 (148) Western Oval 26,596 4 April 1970
Richmond 14.12 (96) Fitzroy 16.20 (116) MCG 38,617 5 April 1970

Round 2[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 8.11 (59) South Melbourne 8.12 (60) Arden Street Oval 10,986 11 April 1970
Fitzroy 7.9 (51) St Kilda 23.23 (161) Junction Oval 22,857 11 April 1970
Essendon 10.14 (74) Footscray 14.22 (106) Windy Hill 19,380 11 April 1970
Collingwood 19.19 (133) Richmond 13.16 (94) Victoria Park 35,318 11 April 1970
Melbourne 14.12 (96) Hawthorn 11.19 (85) MCG 25,575 11 April 1970
Geelong 12.9 (81) Carlton 16.7 (103) Kardinia Park 28,302 11 April 1970

Round 3[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 14.23 (107) St Kilda 10.14 (74) Western Oval 17,972 18 April 1970
Collingwood 14.24 (108) Hawthorn 15.11 (101) Victoria Park 24,532 18 April 1970
North Melbourne 18.13 (121) Melbourne 8.16 (64) Arden Street Oval 10,182 18 April 1970
South Melbourne 12.17 (89) Essendon 15.10 (100) Lake Oval 14,726 18 April 1970
Richmond 17.12 (114) Carlton 15.11 (101) MCG 46,373 18 April 1970
Fitzroy 7.11 (53) Geelong 17.12 (114) VFL Park 27,557 18 April 1970

Round 4[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Carlton 16.16 (112) North Melbourne 13.15 (93) Princes Park 20,540 25 April 1970
St Kilda 15.19 (109) Richmond 7.12 (54) Moorabbin Oval 32,147 25 April 1970
Melbourne 17.19 (121) Fitzroy 13.13 (91) MCG 22,909 25 April 1970
Hawthorn 10.10 (70) Essendon 16.14 (110) Glenferrie Oval 19,017 25 April 1970
Geelong 14.9 (93) Collingwood 14.17 (101) Kardinia Park 35,654 25 April 1970
South Melbourne 11.11 (77) Footscray 9.6 (60) VFL Park 24,371 25 April 1970

Round 5[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 6.13 (49) South Melbourne 10.11 (71) MCG 23,084 2 May 1970
Footscray 11.13 (79) Hawthorn 11.10 (76) Western Oval 19,610 2 May 1970
Fitzroy 5.24 (54) North Melbourne 7.7 (49) Junction Oval 7,450 2 May 1970
Essendon 9.14 (68) Geelong 14.4 (88) Windy Hill 16,077 2 May 1970
St Kilda 8.9 (57) Carlton 12.14 (86) Moorabbin Oval 22,800 2 May 1970
Collingwood 8.17 (65) Melbourne 8.9 (57) VFL Park 28,454 2 May 1970

Round 6[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Carlton 23.9 (147) Fitzroy 15.20 (110) Princes Park 20,022 9 May 1970
South Melbourne 9.25 (79) St Kilda 9.8 (62) Lake Oval 20,312 9 May 1970
Geelong 18.15 (123) Footscray 11.11 (77) Kardinia Park 21,139 9 May 1970
Melbourne 10.12 (72) Essendon 7.15 (57) MCG 34,219 9 May 1970
North Melbourne 10.6 (66) Collingwood 17.30 (132) Arden Street Oval 20,091 9 May 1970
Hawthorn 20.10 (130) Richmond 21.11 (137) VFL Park 26,133 9 May 1970

Round 7[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 9.14 (68) Melbourne 7.4 (46) Western Oval 16,346 16 May 1970
Collingwood 15.15 (105) Fitzroy 9.18 (72) Victoria Park 22,774 16 May 1970
St Kilda 10.21 (81) Hawthorn 8.8 (56) Moorabbin Oval 17,618 16 May 1970
Richmond 16.20 (116) Geelong 15.2 (92) MCG 43,435 16 May 1970
South Melbourne 23.12 (150) Carlton 10.13 (73) Lake Oval 28,395 16 May 1970
Essendon 8.12 (60) North Melbourne 9.22 (76) VFL Park 13,339 16 May 1970

Round 8[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 15.10 (100) Richmond 18.19 (127) MCG 36,064 23 May 1970
Hawthorn 21.20 (146) South Melbourne 12.12 (84) Glenferrie Oval 17,063 23 May 1970
Geelong 14.5 (89) St Kilda 12.9 (81) Kardinia Park 20,942 23 May 1970
North Melbourne 9.13 (67) Footscray 13.18 (96) Arden Street Oval 13,475 23 May 1970
Fitzroy 9.14 (68) Essendon 11.5 (71) Junction Oval 12,264 23 May 1970
Carlton 12.13 (85) Collingwood 16.12 (108) VFL Park 55,332 23 May 1970

Round 9[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Carlton 10.14 (74) Hawthorn 15.16 (106) Princes Park 19,298 30 May 1970
Richmond 10.17 (77) North Melbourne 15.7 (97) MCG 22,284 30 May 1970
St Kilda 14.12 (96) Melbourne 7.11 (53) Moorabbin Oval 19,393 30 May 1970
South Melbourne 19.14 (128) Geelong 10.18 (78) Lake Oval 19,794 30 May 1970
Essendon 13.15 (93) Collingwood 11.21 (87) Windy Hill 24,936 30 May 1970
Footscray 11.13 (79) Fitzroy 12.9 (81) VFL Park 10,292 30 May 1970

Round 10[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 14.9 (93) South Melbourne 12.19 (91) Junction Oval 16,971 6 June 1970
Essendon 14.13 (97) Richmond 15.14 (104) Windy Hill 20,650 6 June 1970
Collingwood 14.23 (107) St Kilda 15.10 (100) Victoria Park 30,858 6 June 1970
Melbourne 10.14 (74) Geelong 13.13 (91) MCG 27,665 6 June 1970
Footscray 15.14 (104) Carlton 14.10 (94) Western Oval 22,262 6 June 1970
North Melbourne 9.8 (62) Hawthorn 11.9 (75) VFL Park 14,214 6 June 1970

Round 11[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 11.17 (83) North Melbourne 9.10 (64) Kardinia Park 19,133 15 June 1970
Carlton 22.15 (147) Melbourne 9.8 (62) Princes Park 18,760 15 June 1970
Richmond 22.15 (147) Footscray 13.12 (90) MCG 41,866 15 June 1970
Hawthorn 18.12 (120) Fitzroy 12.8 (80) Glenferrie Oval 14,489 15 June 1970
South Melbourne 16.15 (111) Collingwood 16.14 (110) Lake Oval 35,567 15 June 1970
St Kilda 8.21 (69) Essendon 8.9 (57) VFL Park 21,105 15 June 1970

Round 12[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 5.10 (40) St Kilda 11.5 (71) Arden Street Oval 10,007 20 June 1970
Geelong 14.15 (99) Hawthorn 10.11 (71) Kardinia Park 12,698 20 June 1970
Fitzroy 12.11 (83) Richmond 8.9 (57) Junction Oval 14,541 20 June 1970
Collingwood 8.16 (64) Footscray 7.9 (51) Victoria Park 23,008 20 June 1970
Essendon 10.16 (76) Carlton 12.9 (81) Windy Hill 20,270 20 June 1970
Melbourne 12.6 (78) South Melbourne 12.10 (82) VFL Park 13,962 20 June 1970

Round 13[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 16.17 (113) Melbourne 11.8 (74) Glenferrie Oval 13,196 27 June 1970
Carlton 12.21 (93) Geelong 11.14 (80) Princes Park 25,519 27 June 1970
South Melbourne 16.9 (105) North Melbourne 14.12 (96) Lake Oval 12,407 27 June 1970
St Kilda 11.14 (80) Fitzroy 8.11 (59) Moorabbin Oval 17,073 27 June 1970
Footscray 11.12 (78) Essendon 9.8 (62) Western Oval 18,817 27 June 1970
Richmond 11.13 (79) Collingwood 9.13 (67) VFL Park 23,939 27 June 1970

Round 14[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 11.19 (85) North Melbourne 11.11 (77) MCG 13,975 4 July 1970
Carlton 11.12 (78) Richmond 7.7 (49) Princes Park 26,895 4 July 1970
St Kilda 6.16 (52) Footscray 6.10 (46) Moorabbin Oval 15,415 4 July 1970
Geelong 20.8 (128) Fitzroy 13.16 (94) Kardinia Park 15,304 4 July 1970
Hawthorn 18.7 (115) Collingwood 13.13 (91) Glenferrie Oval 19,587 4 July 1970
Essendon 5.10 (40) South Melbourne 11.5 (71) VFL Park 13,238 4 July 1970

Round 15[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 11.15 (81) St Kilda 7.21 (63) MCG 38,037 11 July 1970
Footscray 6.4 (40) South Melbourne 13.10 (88) Western Oval 21,921 11 July 1970
Fitzroy 12.18 (90) Melbourne 8.14 (62) Junction Oval 9,467 11 July 1970
Essendon 9.8 (62) Hawthorn 21.4 (130) Windy Hill 13,174 11 July 1970
Collingwood 13.15 (93) Geelong 8.16 (64) Victoria Park 28,847 11 July 1970
North Melbourne 4.7 (31) Carlton 13.21 (99) VFL Park 12,572 11 July 1970

Round 16[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Carlton 16.14 (110) St Kilda 10.11 (71) Princes Park 22,988 18 July 1970
South Melbourne 11.9 (75) Richmond 12.17 (89) Lake Oval 25,651 18 July 1970
North Melbourne 13.17 (95) Fitzroy 18.14 (122) Arden Street Oval 8,443 18 July 1970
Geelong 15.16 (106) Essendon 8.17 (65) Kardinia Park 17,220 18 July 1970
Melbourne 7.19 (61) Collingwood 10.16 (76) MCG 36,044 18 July 1970
Hawthorn 23.9 (147) Footscray 6.12 (48) VFL Park 14,151 18 July 1970

Round 17[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 13.14 (92) South Melbourne 11.6 (72) Moorabbin Oval 20,851 25 July 1970
Footscray 12.15 (87) Geelong 7.14 (56) Western Oval 14,660 25 July 1970
Essendon 18.17 (125) Melbourne 12.17 (89) Windy Hill 9,755 25 July 1970
Collingwood 14.21 (105) North Melbourne 8.8 (56) Victoria Park 15,678 25 July 1970
Richmond 15.15 (105) Hawthorn 11.17 (83) MCG 55,740 25 July 1970
Fitzroy 9.7 (61) Carlton 10.11 (71) VFL Park 13,828 25 July 1970

Round 18[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 11.11 (77) St Kilda 14.18 (102) Glenferrie Oval 16,698 1 August 1970
Carlton 11.17 (83) South Melbourne 10.19 (79) Princes Park 27,271 1 August 1970
Melbourne 8.13 (61) Footscray 10.15 (75) MCG 16,591 1 August 1970
North Melbourne 13.13 (91) Essendon 16.22 (118) Arden Street Oval 8,952 1 August 1970
Fitzroy 11.9 (75) Collingwood 17.15 (117) Junction Oval 18,760 1 August 1970
Geelong 13.10 (88) Richmond 8.13 (61) VFL Park 26,378 1 August 1970

Round 19[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 10.23 (83) North Melbourne 11.15 (81) Western Oval 13,118 8 August 1970
Essendon 12.16 (88) Fitzroy 14.10 (94) Windy Hill 13,572 8 August 1970
Richmond 9.10 (64) Melbourne 18.10 (118) MCG 25,158 8 August 1970
South Melbourne 16.7 (103) Hawthorn 13.8 (86) Lake Oval 17,437 8 August 1970
Collingwood 13.23 (101) Carlton 2.12 (24) Victoria Park 39,959 8 August 1970
St Kilda 12.16 (88) Geelong 5.7 (37) VFL Park 29,667 8 August 1970

Round 20[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 7.6 (48) Richmond 16.10 (106) Arden Street Oval 8,837 15 August 1970
Geelong 10.14 (74) South Melbourne 11.15 (81) Kardinia Park 29,918 15 August 1970
Fitzroy 12.10 (82) Footscray 11.14 (80) Junction Oval 11,398 15 August 1970
Collingwood 24.16 (160) Essendon 11.13 (79) Victoria Park 24,785 15 August 1970
Hawthorn 13.9 (87) Carlton 18.9 (117) Glenferrie Oval 20,841 15 August 1970
Melbourne 7.14 (56) St Kilda 17.14 (116) VFL Park 22,570 15 August 1970

Round 21[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 21.14 (140) North Melbourne 9.20 (74) Glenferrie Oval 8,061 22 August 1970
Geelong 16.12 (108) Melbourne 13.18 (96) Kardinia Park 13,670 22 August 1970
Carlton 18.14 (122) Footscray 17.6 (108) Princes Park 21,568 22 August 1970
South Melbourne 14.15 (99) Fitzroy 10.20 (80) Lake Oval 20,071 22 August 1970
Richmond 23.13 (151) Essendon 11.11 (77) MCG 25,862 22 August 1970
St Kilda 14.14 (98) Collingwood 16.12 (108) Moorabbin Oval 38,222 22 August 1970

Round 22[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 12.10 (82) Richmond 10.12 (72) Western Oval 16,672 29 August 1970
Fitzroy 9.11 (65) Hawthorn 18.16 (124) Junction Oval 11,626 29 August 1970
Essendon 8.11 (59) St Kilda 14.19 (103) Windy Hill 14,310 29 August 1970
Collingwood 22.15 (147) South Melbourne 7.9 (51) Victoria Park 41,451 29 August 1970
North Melbourne 12.11 (83) Geelong 6.6 (42) Arden Street Oval 6,435 29 August 1970
Melbourne 12.15 (87) Carlton 14.17 (101) MCG 40,973 29 August 1970

Ladder[]

1970 VFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Collingwood 22 18 4 0 2333 1709 136.5 72 Finals
2 Carlton (P) 22 16 6 0 2146 1911 112.3 64
3 St Kilda 22 14 8 0 1926 1532 125.7 56
4 South Melbourne 22 14 8 0 1914 1828 104.7 56
5 Geelong 22 12 10 0 1949 1903 102.4 48
6 Richmond 22 12 10 0 2029 1998 101.6 48
7 Footscray 22 11 11 0 1728 1894 91.2 44
8 Hawthorn 22 10 12 0 2264 1986 114.0 40
9 Fitzroy 22 9 13 0 1774 2155 82.3 36
10 Melbourne 22 6 16 0 1705 2043 83.5 24
11 Essendon 22 6 16 0 1734 2128 81.5 24
12 North Melbourne 22 4 18 0 1574 1989 79.1 16
Source: VFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Consolation Night Series Competition[]

The consolation 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 home and away rounds.

Final: Footscray 13.17 (95) defeated Melbourne 13.15 (93).

Premiership Finals[]

First Semi-Final[]

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
St Kilda 6.1 9.3 14.8 22.11 (143)
South Melbourne 2.5 9.8 10.10 13.12 (90)
Attendance: 104,239

Second Semi-Final[]

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Collingwood 5.2 9.7 12.11 17.16 (118)
Carlton 5.0 9.2 14.3 17.6 (108)
Attendance: 112,838

Preliminary Final[]

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Carlton 2.6 6.12 13.16 17.21 (123)
St Kilda 1.4 4.12 6.16 7.19 (61)
Attendance: 108,215

Grand final[]

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Carlton 0.3 4.5 12.5 17.9 (111)
Collingwood 4.8 10.13 13.16 14.17 (101)
Attendance: 121,696

Crowd figures[]

Attendances 1970 Total Average
Home & Away 2,860,423 21,670
Finals 446,988 111,747
Season 3,307,411 24,319

Awards[]

  • The 1970 VFL Premiership team was Carlton.
  • The VFL's leading goalkicker was Peter Hudson of Hawthorn who kicked 146 goals.
  • The winner of the 1970 Brownlow Medal was Peter Bedford of South Melbourne with 25 votes.
  • North Melbourne took the "wooden spoon" in 1970.
  • The reserves premiership was won by Melbourne for the second consecutive year. Melbourne 16.10 (106) defeated Richmond 16.8 (104) in the Grand Final, held as a curtain-raiser to the seniors Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 26 September.[1]

Leading Goalkickers[]

  • Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the player led the goalkicking at the end of that round.
  • DNP = did not play in that round.

Notable events[]

  • Unhappy with their treatment over the three seasons they spent at Princes Park, Fitzroy moved their home ground to the Junction Oval in St Kilda.
  • On Monday 9 March, the Victoria representative team played a match under Gaelic football rules against the 1969 All-Ireland Senior football champions, Kerry, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Kerry 4-11 defeated Victoria 2–10.[2]
  • Essendon's Don McKenzie, Geoff Gosper, Darryl Gerlach, Geoff Pryor, and Barry Davis, and Collingwood's Len Thompson and Des Tuddenham did not play in Round 1 due to separate disputes over player payments with their respective clubs (see Dispute over player payments).
  • Essendon missed the finals in consecutive years, the first time this had occurred since 1939.
  • In Round 1, Richmond and Fitzroy played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, 5 April 1970, the first ever VFL match played on a Sunday. Before the start of the third quarter, the Richmond and Fitzroy players lined up in front of the Members' Stand and were introduced to The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and Princess Anne, who then watched the last half of the match.
  • In Round 10, Collingwood trailed St Kilda by over ten goals late in the second quarter but came back to win by seven points. Their 52-point deficit remains, as of 2019, the greatest at half-time deficit by a winning side.
  • The 1970 VFL season was the first in which three full-forwards (Alex Jesaulenko, Peter McKenna, and Peter Hudson) kicked at least 100 goals in a home-and-away season.
  • South Melbourne ended the second-longest finals drought in league history (twenty-four seasons) by finishing fourth, making the finals for the first time since 1945.
  • In Round 5, Ted Whitten played his 321st senior VFL game, breaking the record set by Dick Reynolds. Whitten retired after this match.
  • On Monday 31 August HSV-7 broadcast the first live Brownlow Medal count.
  • In the 1970 Second Semi-Final, Carlton's Syd Jackson was reported for striking Collingwood defender Lee Adamson. Carlton president George Harris, eager to have Jackson in his Grand Final team, devised the strategy of having the club's advocate to assert to the tribunal (on Jackson's behalf) that Jackson had been provoked by an extended series of racial taunts from Adamson, including repeatedly calling him "Sambo" and, furthermore, stating that Jackson would respond in the same way to any future vilification. The tribunal took the stance that the VFL had to be seen to protect its only top-level Aboriginal footballer at the time, and they immediately exonerated him, without hearing Adamson's side of the story, stating that Jackson had no case to answer.[3] Jackson revealed much later that it had all been a set-up by George Harris. [1]
  • The 1970 Grand Final between Collingwood and Carlton was considered to be the most memorable Grand Final in VFL/AFL history. Collingwood had a great lead over Carlton during most of the game, however Carlton managed to come back and win the Grand Final by 10 points.

See also[]

  • 1970 VFL Grand Final

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ "Demons in on error". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. 28 September 1970. p. 57.
  2. ^ Tom Prior (10 March 1970). "=Those Irish aces strike". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. p. 69.
  3. ^ Carter, R., "Adamson Denies Jackson's Claim", The Age, (Thursday, 30 September, 1970), p. 30.

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. & Browne, 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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