1924 VFL season
The 1924 Victorian Football League season was the 28th season of the elite Australian rules football competition.
Premiership season
In 1924, the VFL competition consisted of nine 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 18 rounds.
Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1924 VFL premiership was determined by an experimental 1924 finals system, which the VFL used in this season only. The format was similar to the round-robin format used in 1897 Finals System, but included the minor premier's right to challenge, which existed under the amended Argus System.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Round 18
Ladder
1924 finals series
In 1924, the VFL experimented with a round-robin finals series to determine the premiership. The format did not live up to expectations, and the VFL reverted to the "amended Argus system" format for the 1925 season.Essendon finished on top of the finals ladder at the conclusion of the round-robin final series on the basis of its greater percentage. As Essendon had won the minor premiership, Essendon was awarded the 1924 premiership immediately. Had a different team finished atop the finals ladder, Essendon would have had the right to challenge that team to a grand final, consistent with the minor premier's right to challenge under the amended Argus system.
Round robin finals matches
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Round robin premiership competition ladder
Round robin premiership competition team squads
As there was no designated grand final, this also meant that there were no grand final teams in 1924;) instead there was an Essendon finals squad, a Fitzroy finals squad", a Richmond finals squad", and a "South Melbourne finals squad".Listed in alphabetical order the four squads were:
- Essendon squad: Fred Baring, Syd Barker, Sr., Norm Beckton, Clyde Donaldson, Charlie Farrell, Tom Fitzmaurice, Jack Garden, Harry Gregory, Charlie Hardy, Harry Hunter, Tommy Jenkins, Roy Laing, Frank Maher, Charlie May, Justin McCarthy, George Rawle, George Shorten, Greg Stockdale, Jimmy Sullivan, and Rowley Watt.
- Fitzroy squad: Bill Adams, Jim Atkinson, Arthur Batchelor, Les Bryant, Charlie Chapman, Goldie Collins, Tommy Corrigan, Arch Dickens, Steve Donnellan, Ern Elliott, Clive Fergie, Jimmy Freake, Len Gale, Tom Hickey, Horrie Jenkin, Gordon McCracken, Stan Molan, Jack Moriarty, Gordon Rattray, Jim Tarbotton, Len Wigraft, and Fred Williams.
- Richmond squad: Jack Barnett, Ted Bourke, Ralph Empey, Clarrie Hall, Joe Harrison, Doug Hayes, Gordon Hislop, Max Hislop, Jim Karthaus, Bob McCaskill, Norm McIntosh, Angus MacIsaac, Keith Millar, Dan Minogue, Mel Morris, Reuben Reid, George Rudolph, James Smith, Jim Spain, Ernie Taylor, Vic Thorp, and George Valentine.
- South Melbourne squad: Harry Alexander, Bobby Allison, Phil Brooks, Martin Brown, Roy Cazaly, Bill Condon, Fred Fleiter, Arthur Hando, Jacky Harris, Ted Johnson, Tom Joyce, Frank Laird, Harold Mahony, Herb Matthews, Bob McDonald, Charles McDonald, Gil Miller, Charlie Nicholls, Jack O'Connell, Ted O'Meara, Frank Ross, Joe Scanlan, Paddy Scanlan, Mark Tandy, and Les Woodfield.
Awards
- The 1924 VFL premiership team was Essendon.
- The VFL's leading goalkicker was Jack Moriarty of Fitzroy with 82 goals, a VFL record..
- The winner of the 1924 Brownlow Medal was Edward "Carji" Greeves of Geelong with 7 votes.
- St Kilda took the wooden spoon in 1924.
- The seconds grand final was scratched and the premiership was awarded to after minor premiers refused to travel to Geelong for the grand final.
Notable events
- Administrator Charles Brownlow died on 23 January 1924; the Charles Brownlow Trophy, more commonly known as the Brownlow Medal, was instituted in his memory. The trophy is to be awarded to "the fairest and best player" in the VFL as determined by the votes of the field umpire at the end of each home-and-away match. From 1924 to 1930, there was a single vote cast per match.
- The VFL started fixing the schedule from 1924 to ensure that neither and nor and played home matches on the same day due to the heavy transport and labour burden associated with running the two nearby venues at the same time. This arrangement continued as long as the clubs played at nearby locations.
- Bill Twomey, Sr. who played for Collingwood and would play for Hawthorn, the father of Collingwood's Bill Twomey, Jr., Pat Twomey, and Mick Twomey, and the grandfather of Collingwood's David Twomey wins the 1924, 130-yard Stawell Gift in 12.1 seconds, off a handicap of 8½ yards.
- The Fitzroy versus Carlton match in the opening round was the first VFL match in which both teams scored 100 points.
- The VFL adopts the convention of home teams wearing black shorts and away teams wearing white shorts.
- Because the 1924 premiership was determined by a round-robin system, Essendon won the premiership despite being beaten by runners-up Richmond 9.13 to 6.11 in the last round-robin match; this is the only time in VFL/AFL history that the premiers lost their last match of the season. Richmond would have needed to win by at least 43 points to challenge Essendon to a grand final.
- Many of the Essendon players were unhappy at the poor performances of some of their teammates in the final round robin match against Richmond, and there were heated arguments and fist-fights in the rooms after the match and after a post-match function later that evening, related to accusations of match fixing and receiving bribes.
- On the Saturday after the VFL grand final, Essendon was challenged by 1924 VFA premiers, Footscray, to a match in aid of Dame Nellie Melba's Limbless Soldiers' Appeal, purportedly for the championship of Victoria. Footscray unexpectedly defeated Essendon 9.10 to 4.12. Again there were accusations of match fixing, and champion centre half-back Tom Fitzmaurice was so disgusted with many of his teammates having, in his view, deliberately lost the match, he never played again for Essendon.
- The Seconds grand final, to have been staged between and minor premiers on 4 October, was originally scheduled to be played at Geelong's home ground, Corio Oval, but after Essendon raised its objections, the Seconds League rescheduled the match for Kardinia Park, which was a neutral venue, but still located in Geelong. Essendon again objected, and after the league dismissed their complaint, refused to travel to Geelong. Consequently, the match was scratched and the Seconds premiership was awarded to Geelong.