1953 VFL season

The 1953 Victorian Football League season was the 57th season of the elite Australian rules football competition.

1953 VFL Premiership season
Teams12
PremiersCollingwood
(12th premiership)
Minor premiersGeelong
(8th minor premiership)
Matches played112
Highest attendance89,149
Leading Goalkicker MedallistJohn Coleman (Essendon)
Brownlow MedallistBill Hutchison (Essendon)

Premiership season

In 1953, 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 1953 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
Geelong 12.15 (87) Hawthorn 5.8 (38) Kardinia Park 19,877 18 April 1953
Essendon 17.9 (111) Fitzroy 12.16 (88) Windy Hill 23,100 18 April 1953
Collingwood 17.16 (118) South Melbourne 11.11 (77) Victoria Park 29,678 18 April 1953
Carlton 7.18 (60) Footscray 9.11 (65) Princes Park 27,198 18 April 1953
St Kilda 8.9 (57) North Melbourne 14.21 (105) Junction Oval 14,000 18 April 1953
Richmond 11.7 (73) Melbourne 9.13 (67) Punt Road Oval 18,000 18 April 1953

Round 2

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 8.9 (57) St Kilda 13.14 (92) Glenferrie Oval 12,000 2 May 1953
Footscray 8.13 (61) Geelong 15.12 (102) Western Oval 28,500 2 May 1953
Fitzroy 12.9 (81) Richmond 11.14 (80) Brunswick Street Oval 21,000 2 May 1953
South Melbourne 13.21 (99) Essendon 13.11 (89) Lake Oval 29,231 2 May 1953
North Melbourne 18.10 (118) Collingwood 11.9 (75) Arden Street Oval 21,377 2 May 1953
Melbourne 8.11 (59) Carlton 13.12 (90) MCG 29,204 2 May 1953

Round 3

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 16.15 (111) Hawthorn 6.6 (42) Western Oval 15,000 9 May 1953
Essendon 17.20 (122) St Kilda 7.16 (58) Windy Hill 18,000 9 May 1953
Collingwood 9.19 (73) Geelong 14.14 (98) Victoria Park 33,000 9 May 1953
North Melbourne 12.12 (84) Melbourne 11.17 (83) Arden Street Oval 12,000 9 May 1953
South Melbourne 10.15 (75) Fitzroy 12.14 (86) Lake Oval 24,000 9 May 1953
Richmond 15.8 (98) Carlton 16.8 (104) Punt Road Oval 31,000 9 May 1953

Round 4

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 7.11 (53) South Melbourne 9.9 (63) Glenferrie Oval 12,000 16 May 1953
Fitzroy 12.14 (86) North Melbourne 10.15 (75) Brunswick Street Oval 20,500 16 May 1953
Carlton 14.11 (95) Collingwood 14.19 (103) Princes Park 37,500 16 May 1953
St Kilda 11.17 (83) Richmond 8.17 (65) Junction Oval 16,500 16 May 1953
Melbourne 4.6 (30) Footscray 9.21 (75) MCG 23,727 16 May 1953
Geelong 12.7 (79) Essendon 9.11 (65) Kardinia Park 35,000 16 May 1953

Round 5

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 6.10 (46) Melbourne 9.3 (57) Windy Hill 9,500 23 May 1953
Collingwood 13.18 (96) Hawthorn 3.8 (26) Victoria Park 9,627 23 May 1953
Carlton 7.10 (52) St Kilda 6.7 (43) Princes Park 9,150 23 May 1953
South Melbourne 8.10 (58) North Melbourne 9.8 (62) Lake Oval 11,000 23 May 1953
Richmond 6.16 (52) Geelong 15.16 (106) Punt Road Oval 10,000 23 May 1953
Footscray 10.6 (66) Fitzroy 1.0 (6) Western Oval 14,087 23 May 1953

Round 6

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 14.16 (100) South Melbourne 7.5 (47) Kardinia Park 24,832 30 May 1953
Collingwood 9.8 (62) Richmond 5.9 (39) Victoria Park 23,036 30 May 1953
St Kilda 10.9 (69) Footscray 14.9 (93) Junction Oval 19,000 30 May 1953
Melbourne 10.11 (71) Fitzroy 12.9 (81) MCG 21,205 30 May 1953
North Melbourne 7.9 (51) Essendon 9.14 (68) Arden Street Oval 25,000 30 May 1953
Hawthorn 10.7 (67) Carlton 6.11 (47) Glenferrie Oval 12,000 30 May 1953

Round 7

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 7.11 (53) South Melbourne 18.16 (124) Junction Oval 21,000 6 June 1953
Fitzroy 8.12 (60) Hawthorn 5.14 (44) Brunswick Street Oval 9,500 6 June 1953
Essendon 11.18 (84) Richmond 7.6 (48) Windy Hill 21,000 6 June 1953
Carlton 14.16 (100) North Melbourne 7.6 (48) Princes Park 22,219 6 June 1953
Melbourne 8.10 (58) Geelong 11.16 (82) MCG 26,254 6 June 1953
Footscray 7.9 (51) Collingwood 7.10 (52) Western Oval 32,114 6 June 1953

Round 8

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 8.14 (62) North Melbourne 12.8 (80) Glenferrie Oval 7,000 13 June 1953
Collingwood 19.17 (131) St Kilda 8.8 (56) Victoria Park 16,200 13 June 1953
South Melbourne 11.11 (77) Melbourne 9.17 (71) Lake Oval 22,565 13 June 1953
Richmond 8.11 (59) Footscray 9.14 (68) Punt Road Oval 16,000 13 June 1953
Geelong 21.10 (136) Fitzroy 7.8 (50) Kardinia Park 21,489 13 June 1953
Essendon 14.14 (98) Carlton 7.11 (53) Windy Hill 30,300 13 June 1953

Round 9

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 6.9 (45) Richmond 5.12 (42) Arden Street Oval 9,000 20 June 1953
Footscray 5.13 (43) South Melbourne 11.6 (72) Western Oval 21,105 20 June 1953
St Kilda 6.8 (44) Geelong 9.6 (60) Junction Oval 9,500 20 June 1953
Hawthorn 9.10 (64) Essendon 12.15 (87) Glenferrie Oval 8,000 20 June 1953
Melbourne 7.6 (48) Collingwood 9.9 (63) MCG 27,175 20 June 1953
Fitzroy 7.12 (54) Carlton 7.18 (60) Brunswick Street Oval 15,000 20 June 1953

Round 10

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 11.9 (75) St Kilda 7.10 (52) Brunswick Street Oval 9,500 27 June 1953
Carlton 8.15 (63) Geelong 10.14 (74) Princes Park 32,526 27 June 1953
South Melbourne 12.7 (79) Richmond 6.14 (50) Lake Oval 17,000 27 June 1953
Melbourne 10.14 (74) Hawthorn 16.6 (102) MCG 11,993 27 June 1953
North Melbourne 3.7 (25) Footscray 5.12 (42) Arden Street Oval 15,000 27 June 1953
Essendon 11.14 (80) Collingwood 6.16 (52) Windy Hill 31,900 27 June 1953

Round 11

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 12.14 (86) North Melbourne 13.7 (85) Kardinia Park 21,130 4 July 1953
Collingwood 7.19 (61) Fitzroy 9.8 (62) Victoria Park 25,078 4 July 1953
Carlton 14.13 (97) South Melbourne 10.13 (73) Princes Park 29,688 4 July 1953
St Kilda 11.7 (73) Melbourne 8.21 (69) Junction Oval 12,000 4 July 1953
Richmond 12.10 (82) Hawthorn 7.6 (48) Punt Road Oval 11,000 4 July 1953
Footscray 9.15 (69) Essendon 7.11 (53) Western Oval 34,884 4 July 1953

Round 12

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 11.9 (75) Richmond 11.9 (75) MCG 19,402 11 July 1953
Hawthorn 9.8 (62) Geelong 12.14 (86) Glenferrie Oval 14,000 11 July 1953
Footscray 13.12 (90) Carlton 8.18 (66) Western Oval 31,668 11 July 1953
North Melbourne 20.11 (131) St Kilda 5.16 (46) Arden Street Oval 10,500 18 July 1953
Fitzroy 7.20 (62) Essendon 14.13 (97) Brunswick Street Oval 25,500 18 July 1953
South Melbourne 12.9 (81) Collingwood 17.17 (119) Lake Oval 30,000 18 July 1953

Round 13

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 12.11 (83) South Melbourne 8.14 (62) Windy Hill 23,000 25 July 1953
Collingwood 13.16 (94) North Melbourne 8.17 (65) Victoria Park 23,868 25 July 1953
Carlton 12.24 (96) Melbourne 10.10 (70) Princes Park 16,367 25 July 1953
St Kilda 9.13 (67) Hawthorn 4.14 (38) Junction Oval 7,500 25 July 1953
Geelong 11.12 (78) Footscray 8.10 (58) Kardinia Park 32,093 25 July 1953
Richmond 13.7 (85) Fitzroy 13.12 (90) Punt Road Oval 15,000 25 July 1953

Round 14

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 9.13 (67) North Melbourne 8.16 (64) MCG 13,768 1 August 1953
Fitzroy 12.18 (90) South Melbourne 7.19 (61) Brunswick Street Oval 16,000 1 August 1953
Carlton 15.16 (106) Richmond 10.19 (79) Princes Park 21,508 1 August 1953
Hawthorn 3.10 (28) Footscray 11.10 (76) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 1 August 1953
St Kilda 9.10 (64) Essendon 14.15 (99) Junction Oval 19,500 1 August 1953
Geelong 7.13 (55) Collingwood 10.15 (75) Kardinia Park 31,635 1 August 1953

Round 15

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 13.16 (94) St Kilda 11.14 (80) Punt Road Oval 9,500 8 August 1953
Footscray 14.14 (98) Melbourne 9.7 (61) Western Oval 18,075 8 August 1953
Essendon 8.13 (61) Geelong 7.8 (50) Windy Hill 41,000 8 August 1953
South Melbourne 7.12 (54) Hawthorn 9.8 (62) Lake Oval 8,500 8 August 1953
North Melbourne 17.19 (121) Fitzroy 7.9 (51) Arden Street Oval 12,000 8 August 1953
Collingwood 12.15 (87) Carlton 9.16 (70) Victoria Park 31,277 8 August 1953

Round 16

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 8.8 (56) South Melbourne 11.21 (87) Arden Street Oval 8,000 15 August 1953
Geelong 14.18 (102) Richmond 4.9 (33) Kardinia Park 10,000 15 August 1953
Fitzroy 7.11 (53) Footscray 14.14 (98) Brunswick Street Oval 17,500 15 August 1953
Melbourne 8.9 (57) Essendon 12.10 (82) MCG 25,543 15 August 1953
Hawthorn 11.6 (72) Collingwood 12.16 (88) Glenferrie Oval 7,000 15 August 1953
St Kilda 8.15 (63) Carlton 7.16 (58) Junction Oval 9,700 15 August 1953

Round 17

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 12.18 (90) St Kilda 4.5 (29) Western Oval 15,158 22 August 1953
Fitzroy 6.13 (49) Melbourne 9.10 (64) Brunswick Street Oval 7,500 22 August 1953
Essendon 12.6 (78) North Melbourne 12.7 (79) Windy Hill 18,000 22 August 1953
Carlton 12.15 (87) Hawthorn 6.9 (45) Princes Park 8,500 22 August 1953
South Melbourne 14.14 (98) Geelong 8.7 (55) Lake Oval 21,000 22 August 1953
Richmond 12.9 (81) Collingwood 13.17 (95) Punt Road Oval 18,000 22 August 1953

Round 18

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 16.14 (110) Melbourne 8.8 (56) Kardinia Park 18,124 29 August 1953
Collingwood 10.14 (74) Footscray 8.7 (55) Victoria Park 33,867 29 August 1953
South Melbourne 13.20 (98) St Kilda 4.12 (36) Lake Oval 13,000 29 August 1953
Hawthorn 9.10 (64) Fitzroy 13.6 (84) Glenferrie Oval 5,000 29 August 1953
Richmond 13.7 (85) Essendon 19.12 (126) Punt Road Oval 19,000 29 August 1953
North Melbourne 14.10 (94) Carlton 15.15 (105) Arden Street Oval 14,000 29 August 1953

Ladder

1953 VFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Geelong 18 15 3 0 1546 1079 143.3 60 Finals
2 Collingwood (P) 18 14 4 0 1518 1229 123.5 56
3 Footscray 18 13 5 0 1309 959 136.5 52
4 Essendon 18 13 5 0 1529 1177 129.9 52
5 Carlton 18 10 8 0 1409 1310 107.6 40
6 Fitzroy 18 10 8 0 1208 1421 85.0 40
7 North Melbourne 18 9 9 0 1388 1287 107.8 36
8 South Melbourne 18 9 9 0 1385 1323 104.7 36
9 St Kilda 18 5 13 0 1065 1561 68.2 20
10 Richmond 18 3 14 1 1220 1501 81.3 14
11 Melbourne 18 3 14 1 1137 1420 80.1 14
12 Hawthorn 18 3 15 0 974 1421 68.5 12
Source: VFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers.

Finals

First Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Footscray 3.7 3.8 4.11 6.13 (49)
Essendon 1.0 3.7 4.7 5.11(41)
Attendance: 68,533

Second Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Geelong 3.1 6.4 7.12 8.12 (60)
Collingwood 2.3 5.7 7.8 13.12 (90)
Attendance: 70,292

Preliminary Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Geelong 0.6 2.7 6.10 8.15 (63)
Footscray 2.1 3.4 4.5 5.7 (37)
Attendance: 58,615

Grand final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Collingwood 2.4 5.6 10.10 11.11 (77)
Geelong 2.2 3.9 5.11 8.17 (65)
Attendance: 89,149

Awards

Notable events

  • Because Anzac Day fell on a Saturday, there was a fortnight between Rounds 1 and 2. On the evening of Friday 24 April a night-time exhibition match was held between Collingwood and Fitzroy, under lights, at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds for the benefit of St Vincent's Hospital. Collingwood 9.13 (67) defeated Fitzroy 4.19 (43) before a crowd of 22,000.[1]
  • Footscray would win their first final since joining the league in 1925, their twenty-ninth season. This came after making the finals six times previously and being eliminated each time (1938, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1948 and 1951).
  • In Round 2, John Coleman kicked 11 of Essendon's 13 goals.
  • In Round 5, Fitzroy came close to becoming the first (and only) VFL/AFL team to be held scoreless in their match against Footscray at the Western Oval, which was played amidst heavy rain and a burst water main. Allan Ruthven managed their only scoring shot, a goal, with about six minutes remaining in the match.[2] To date, it remains the longest amount of time a team has been kept scoreless in a match.
  • In a streak dating back to 1952, Geelong won 23 consecutive matches, and played 26 consecutive matches without defeat; as of 2020, both of these remain VFL/AFL records. The winning streak ended in Round 14, when Collingwood defeated Geelong by 20 points.
  • Overall it was a low-scoring season: Footscray's 959 points against remains the lowest average points conceded per game since 1919; the season's highest score of 21.10 (136) was the lowest since 1924; and, for the first time since 1927, there was no match where both teams scored more than 100 points.
  • The Collingwood Grand Final team contained three sets of brothers: Lou Richards and Ron Richards; Bob Rose and Bill Rose; Bill Twomey, Jr., Pat Twomey, and Mick Twomey.
  • Collingwood supporter and businessman John Wren suffered a heart attack at the 1953 Grand Final and died one month later.

References

  1. Hugh Buggy (25 April 1953). "Magpies rout Maroons in third quarter". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. p. 30.
  2. Hugh Buggy (25 May 1953). "One goal debacle nears record". The Argus. Melbourne, VIC. p. 12.
  • Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872-1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-9591740-2-8
  • 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, 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
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