1912 Victorian soccer season

The fourth tournament of the Dockerty Cup saw the first occasion in which a Metropolitan Melbourne team played against a regional Victorian team in the Grand final. Melbourne based Yarraville defeated regional club Wonthaggi Rangers 3–0 in the final, marking Yarraville's first occurrence in the club's history to have achieved a double in both winning the highest premiership league and the cup in the same season.[1] The lead up to the final as of 2020 remains unknown.[2]

The premiership season saw an abundance of change, first with the rebranding of the 'Victorian Amateur League' becoming the 'Victorian Division 1',[3] and for the first time in Football Victoria history, the establishment of its first ever second tier competition, the 'Victorian Division 2'.[4] Division 1 grew from Division 2 to Division 1 for its first season, but became effective in the 1913 season, but relegation from Division 1 to Division 2 was effective immediately.

At the conclusion of the 1911 season, Division 1 teams Williamstown changed its name to 'Yarraville',[5] and South Melbourne also changed its name, renaming as 'Albert Park'.[6] The league grew from seven teams to eleven with four new clubs being established, consisting of Birmingham Victoria, Footscray United, Melbourne Thistle and Sunshine. The reformed Yarraville won its first premiership under its new name (second as a club) after a difficult season in which all but one team did not play the required twenty matches that they were supposed too. Fitzroy and newly established Sunshine, both of whom only played fifteen matches became the first teams in history to be relegated. The season's conclusion also saw the folding of its second team, foundation club Carlton United being the most successful at the time, having been tier one league premiers and Dockerty Cup winners on two occasions each.

The results of the first season of the Victorian Division 2 are still being confirmed as of 2020, with only one known team being documented as having competed.[7] It is believed that the newly established Preston were the premiers and would feature in the completely documented 1913 season.[8]

While there is no complete ladder of the Victorian Division 2 in 1912,[21] it is believed that Preston were the premiers and would feature in the completely documented 1913 season.[22]