1956 Night Series Cup


The 1956 VFL Night Premiership Cup was the Victorian Football League end of season cup competition played between the eight teams that didn't make the finals of that season. It was held between August 23 to September 17 with games being played at the Lake Oval, home ground of South Melbourne as it was the only ground equipped to host night games.
Eight teams played in the first competition with the final seing an attendance of 32,450 as defeated in the final by 6 points.

Games

Quarter Finals

The opening match of the 1956 edition saw record the first victory of the new competition by 20 points over. But the match was remembered for the brawl that happened in the third quarter which featured all of the players, umpires and some spectators in scenes not since the 1945 VFL Grand Final between and South Melbourne. The following match which was played five days later saw an surprised victory by who defeated by two points with North Melbourne leading at every change to get the win. and Carlton also recorded narrow wins over and in the remaining two quarter-finals which was plyed on 30 August and the 4 September.

Semi Finals

The semi-finals began on the 6 September with South Melbourne taking on North Melbourne. In another tight tustle between the teams, it wasn't until late on in the final quarter with the useage of the wind that South Melbourne would take the win with a goal from Monks sealing the five point victory. In the second semi-final, an attendance of 25,500 saw Carlton win the match by 12 points in what the The Age called fast, rugged and exciting football with Carlton leading at each break to record the victory.

Final

The final of the 1956 edition was played on the 17 September between South Melbourne and Carlton. With an attendance of 32,450 watching the match, South Melbourne win was credited in the second quarter when they outscored Carlton 4.2 to 0.3 to open up a thirty-one point lead. Carlton tried to come back into the match throghout the final quarter and had a chance to take the lead but a dropped pass from Hands would give South Melbourne the win by six points and become the first winners of the Night Series Cup.