1957 VFL season

The 1957 Victorian Football League season was the 61st season of the elite Australian rules football competition.

1957 VFL Premiership season
Teams12
PremiersMelbourne
(9th premiership)
Minor premiersMelbourne
(5th minor premiership)
Consolation seriesSouth Melbourne
(2nd Consolation series win)
Matches played112
Highest attendance100,324
Coleman MedallistJack Collins (Footscray)
Brownlow MedallistBrian Gleeson (St Kilda)

Premiership season

In 1957, 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 1957 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
St Kilda 12.16 (88) South Melbourne 7.17 (59) Junction Oval 37,000 20 April 1957
Collingwood 8.10 (58) Essendon 13.15 (93) Victoria Park 30,000 20 April 1957
Carlton 10.6 (66) Hawthorn 15.12 (102) Princes Park 24,321 20 April 1957
Fitzroy 7.11 (53) Melbourne 6.14 (50) Brunswick Street Oval 24,000 22 April 1957
Richmond 19.14 (128) North Melbourne 15.15 (105) Punt Road Oval 23,000 22 April 1957
Geelong 11.11 (77) Footscray 10.17 (77) Kardinia Park 34,844 22 April 1957

Round 2

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 9.22 (76) Richmond 8.9 (57) Glenferrie Oval 21,000 27 April 1957
Footscray 12.13 (85) St Kilda 7.11 (53) Western Oval 29,497 27 April 1957
Essendon 11.8 (74) Fitzroy 8.15 (63) Windy Hill 21,500 27 April 1957
North Melbourne 9.13 (67) Geelong 10.13 (73) Arden Street Oval 12,000 27 April 1957
Melbourne 10.20 (80) Collingwood 10.12 (72) MCG 45,571 27 April 1957
South Melbourne 6.16 (52) Carlton 10.16 (76) Lake Oval 22,385 27 April 1957

Round 3

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 12.16 (88) St Kilda 9.11 (65) Brunswick Street Oval 17,000 4 May 1957
South Melbourne 19.16 (130) Richmond 13.9 (87) Lake Oval 19,275 4 May 1957
North Melbourne 13.9 (87) Hawthorn 11.12 (78) Arden Street Oval 11,000 4 May 1957
Melbourne 11.20 (86) Essendon 5.11 (41) MCG 42,920 4 May 1957
Geelong 12.5 (77) Collingwood 12.15 (87) Kardinia Park 24,292 4 May 1957
Footscray 9.10 (64) Carlton 7.9 (51) Western Oval 34,878 4 May 1957

Round 4

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 6.15 (51) Melbourne 4.9 (33) Glenferrie Oval 20,000 11 May 1957
Essendon 11.14 (80) Footscray 4.14 (38) Windy Hill 30,000 11 May 1957
Collingwood 14.9 (93) South Melbourne 11.17 (83) Victoria Park 32,500 11 May 1957
Carlton 15.12 (102) Geelong 13.11 (89) Princes Park 28,888 11 May 1957
St Kilda 16.5 (101) North Melbourne 12.12 (84) Junction Oval 20,000 11 May 1957
Richmond 16.10 (106) Fitzroy 10.31 (91) Punt Road Oval 16,500 11 May 1957

Round 5

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 17.17 (119) St Kilda 13.12 (90) MCG 35,682 18 May 1957
Geelong 9.10 (64) Hawthorn 3.19 (37) Kardinia Park 18,000 18 May 1957
Collingwood 12.12 (84) Fitzroy 13.4 (82) Victoria Park 29,783 18 May 1957
Carlton 16.22 (118) Richmond 13.16 (94) Princes Park 28,936 18 May 1957
North Melbourne 9.16 (70) Footscray 9.14 (68) Arden Street Oval 19,000 18 May 1957
South Melbourne 7.16 (58) Essendon 14.16 (100) Lake Oval 27,500 18 May 1957

Round 6

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 17.12 (114) South Melbourne 6.15 (51) MCG 28,250 25 May 1957
Footscray 14.14 (98) Richmond 10.19 (79) Western Oval 24,902 25 May 1957
Essendon 9.12 (66) Hawthorn 11.8 (74) Windy Hill 22,000 25 May 1957
St Kilda 10.13 (73) Geelong 13.5 (83) Junction Oval 24,000 25 May 1957
North Melbourne 13.13 (91) Collingwood 10.16 (76) Arden Street Oval 20,000 25 May 1957
Fitzroy 12.10 (82) Carlton 14.12 (96) Brunswick Street Oval 24,500 25 May 1957

Round 7

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 12.16 (88) St Kilda 8.9 (57) Victoria Park 23,458 1 June 1957
Carlton 13.9 (87) Essendon 7.20 (62) Princes Park 34,740 1 June 1957
South Melbourne 11.9 (75) North Melbourne 11.13 (79) Lake Oval 15,000 1 June 1957
Richmond 7.10 (52) Melbourne 6.14 (50) Punt Road Oval 16,000 1 June 1957
Hawthorn 11.11 (77) Footscray 7.8 (50) Glenferrie Oval 26,000 1 June 1957
Geelong 14.15 (99) Fitzroy 17.11 (113) Kardinia Park 17,240 1 June 1957

Round 8

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 11.15 (81) St Kilda 10.19 (79) Punt Road Oval 21,000 8 June 1957
Fitzroy 10.11 (71) North Melbourne 10.17 (77) Brunswick Street Oval 15,000 8 June 1957
Essendon 21.12 (138) Geelong 15.12 (102) Windy Hill 22,000 8 June 1957
Carlton 10.11 (71) Melbourne 14.15 (99) Princes Park 31,096 8 June 1957
South Melbourne 9.14 (68) Hawthorn 13.11 (89) Lake Oval 18,200 8 June 1957
Footscray 12.17 (89) Collingwood 6.4 (40) Western Oval 34,742 8 June 1957

Round 9

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 12.13 (85) Richmond 13.14 (92) Victoria Park 32,280 15 June 1957
St Kilda 3.12 (30) Essendon 9.21 (75) Junction Oval 33,500 15 June 1957
North Melbourne 7.14 (56) Carlton 8.15 (63) Arden Street Oval 28,000 15 June 1957
Footscray 12.15 (87) South Melbourne 8.12 (60) Western Oval 28,450 17 June 1957
Melbourne 23.16 (154) Geelong 14.10 (94) MCG 48,001 17 June 1957
Hawthorn 15.14 (104) Fitzroy 7.14 (56) Glenferrie Oval 23,000 17 June 1957

Round 10

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 10.8 (68) South Melbourne 10.10 (70) Kardinia Park 12,456 22 June 1957
Fitzroy 9.14 (68) Footscray 14.14 (98) Brunswick Street Oval 17,500 22 June 1957
North Melbourne 11.12 (78) Melbourne 16.13 (109) Arden Street Oval 14,000 22 June 1957
St Kilda 10.15 (75) Hawthorn 8.11 (59) Junction Oval 21,000 22 June 1957
Richmond 13.10 (88) Essendon 7.19 (61) Punt Road Oval 25,000 22 June 1957
Collingwood 14.16 (100) Carlton 9.9 (63) Victoria Park 33,345 22 June 1957

Round 11

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 10.9 (69) Richmond 14.8 (92) Kardinia Park 18,177 29 June 1957
Essendon 11.14 (80) North Melbourne 13.11 (89) Windy Hill 18,500 29 June 1957
Carlton 13.14 (92) St Kilda 7.13 (55) Princes Park 21,454 29 June 1957
Melbourne 12.15 (87) Footscray 7.9 (51) MCG 49,512 29 June 1957
South Melbourne 15.19 (109) Fitzroy 14.12 (96) Lake Oval 16,200 29 June 1957
Hawthorn 10.14 (74) Collingwood 13.15 (93) Glenferrie Oval 27,000 29 June 1957

Round 12

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 17.15 (117) Richmond 10.13 (73) Arden Street Oval 21,000 6 July 1957
Footscray 9.11 (65) Geelong 9.10 (64) Western Oval 23,578 6 July 1957
South Melbourne 11.15 (81) St Kilda 9.17 (71) Lake Oval 18,000 6 July 1957
Melbourne 24.14 (158) Fitzroy 10.14 (74) MCG 21,370 6 July 1957
Essendon 12.16 (88) Collingwood 10.13 (73) Windy Hill 26,500 6 July 1957
Hawthorn 7.10 (52) Carlton 8.13 (61) Glenferrie Oval 26,000 6 July 1957

Round 13

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 12.15 (87) North Melbourne 8.13 (61) Kardinia Park 14,806 13 July 1957
Collingwood 7.7 (49) Melbourne 6.13 (49) Victoria Park 24,216 13 July 1957
Carlton 11.15 (81) South Melbourne 10.5 (65) Princes Park 20,572 13 July 1957
Richmond 11.12 (78) Hawthorn 10.15 (75) Punt Road Oval 22,000 13 July 1957
St Kilda 14.16 (100) Footscray 14.8 (92) Junction Oval 24,400 13 July 1957
Fitzroy 7.10 (52) Essendon 9.18 (72) Brunswick Street Oval 12,500 13 July 1957

Round 14

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 10.13 (73) South Melbourne 11.12 (78) Punt Road Oval 21,000 27 July 1957
Hawthorn 7.13 (55) North Melbourne 5.4 (34) Glenferrie Oval 10,000 27 July 1957
Essendon 9.18 (72) Melbourne 11.7 (73) Windy Hill 22,500 27 July 1957
Collingwood 13.14 (92) Geelong 6.8 (44) Victoria Park 21,316 27 July 1957
Carlton 11.13 (79) Footscray 7.10 (52) Princes Park 31,810 27 July 1957
St Kilda 15.18 (108) Fitzroy 8.8 (56) Junction Oval 14,500 27 July 1957

Round 15

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 13.11 (89) St Kilda 14.9 (93) Arden Street Oval 10,000 3 August 1957
Fitzroy 15.13 (103) Richmond 13.13 (91) Brunswick Street Oval 12,000 3 August 1957
Melbourne 8.18 (66) Hawthorn 10.13 (73) MCG 32,163 3 August 1957
Footscray 7.8 (50) Essendon 12.11 (83) Western Oval 24,942 3 August 1957
South Melbourne 9.13 (67) Collingwood 12.19 (91) Lake Oval 25,300 3 August 1957
Geelong 11.19 (85) Carlton 6.7 (43) Kardinia Park 16,808 3 August 1957

Round 16

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 6.6 (42) North Melbourne 8.13 (61) Western Oval 13,325 10 August 1957
Essendon 10.15 (75) South Melbourne 7.13 (55) Windy Hill 16,000 10 August 1957
St Kilda 1.5 (11) Melbourne 6.13 (49) Junction Oval 17,100 10 August 1957
Hawthorn 14.19 (103) Geelong 8.7 (55) Glenferrie Oval 12,000 10 August 1957
Fitzroy 8.14 (62) Collingwood 8.13 (61) Brunswick Street Oval 22,000 10 August 1957
Richmond 11.9 (75) Carlton 7.9 (51) Punt Road Oval 22,000 10 August 1957

Round 17

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 8.10 (58) St Kilda 10.13 (73) Kardinia Park 12,759 17 August 1957
Collingwood 13.14 (92) North Melbourne 11.13 (79) Victoria Park 20,310 17 August 1957
Carlton 11.13 (79) Fitzroy 5.11 (41) Princes Park 25,945 17 August 1957
South Melbourne 11.9 (75) Melbourne 9.17 (71) Lake Oval 18,100 17 August 1957
Richmond 13.11 (89) Footscray 14.14 (98) Punt Road Oval 19,000 17 August 1957
Hawthorn 13.7 (85) Essendon 9.10 (64) Glenferrie Oval 31,000 17 August 1957

Round 18

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 10.20 (80) South Melbourne 17.11 (113) Arden Street Oval 10,000 24 August 1957
Melbourne 18.12 (120) Richmond 10.11 (71) MCG 35,751 24 August 1957
Footscray 8.11 (59) Hawthorn 7.15 (57) Western Oval 25,436 24 August 1957
Fitzroy 15.14 (104) Geelong 10.20 (80) Brunswick Street Oval 10,000 24 August 1957
St Kilda 14.12 (96) Collingwood 7.14 (56) Junction Oval 29,300 24 August 1957
Essendon 17.21 (123) Carlton 9.8 (62) Windy Hill 35,000 24 August 1957

Ladder

1957 VFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Melbourne (P) 18 12 5 1 1567 1129 138.8 50 Finals
2 Essendon 18 11 7 0 1447 1223 118.3 44
3 Hawthorn 18 11 7 0 1321 1132 116.7 44
4 Carlton 18 11 7 0 1341 1348 99.5 44
5 Collingwood 18 9 8 1 1390 1366 101.8 38
6 Footscray 18 9 8 1 1263 1275 99.1 38
7 Richmond 18 9 9 0 1506 1604 93.9 36
8 North Melbourne 18 8 10 0 1404 1477 95.1 32
9 St Kilda 18 8 10 0 1318 1394 94.5 32
10 South Melbourne 18 7 11 0 1349 1519 88.8 28
11 Fitzroy 18 6 12 0 1355 1611 84.1 24
12 Geelong 18 5 12 1 1368 1551 88.2 22
Source: VFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers.

Night Series Competition

The night series were held under the floodlights at Lake Oval, South Melbourne.

In all other years of the night competition (i.e., 1956–1971), only teams that had finished 5th to 12th on ladder at the end of the home-and-away season competed; i.e., teams which were not playing in any of the end of season finals matches.

In 1957, due to the perceived popularity of the competition's initial year (1956), all twelve VFL clubs played in the 1957 Night Series. The series was marred by bad weather, with two matches having to be abandoned. Only an average of 16,000 spectators attending each of the 11 matches that were played. In 1958, the competition reverted to the 1956 structure, where only teams finishing 5th to 12th on the ladder competed.

Final: South Melbourne 15.13 (103) defeated Geelong 8.4 (52)

Premiership Finals

This season was the first Hawthorn season ever in the finals after entering the league for the 33rd season.

First Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Hawthorn 5.3 7.6 9.7 10.11 (71)
Carlton 0.2 1.4 2.7 6.12 (48)
Attendance: 69,455

Second Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Melbourne 2.4 2.6 6.15 8.19 (67)
Essendon 1.3 10.6 11.9 12.11 (83)
Attendance: 70,232

Preliminary Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Melbourne 4.4 11.4 16.9 22.12 (144)
Hawthorn 1.4 4.8 9.9 11.10 (76)
Attendance: 74,090

Grand final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Essendon 2.3 4.4 7.8 7.13 (55)
Melbourne 6.2 9.9 12.11 17.14 (116)
Attendance: 100,324

Awards

Notable events

  • Following the successful introduction of televised sport in 1956, the VFL decides to allow the live broadcast of the last quarter of three VFL matches each Saturday afternoon. Experiments conducted in 1956 involving three "closed circuit" telecasts of three of the finals matches, and the live broadcast of the Olympic Games' demonstration match had shown that it was possible to from "wide-shots" to "close-ups" quickly enough to provide effective viewing. Each station's telecast had a principal commentator: Tony Charlton (HSV-7), Ken Dakin (ABV-2), and Ian Johnson (GTV-9).
  • In Round 4, Richmond defeated Fitzroy by 15 points despite having fifteen fewer scoring shots. This remains the greatest deficit in scoring shots by a winning side, though equalled by Geelong against Collingwood in 1977.
  • In August, learning from the success of the Olympic Games, and in an attempt to counter the problems of overnight queues outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground prior to each final, the VFL sold reserved tickets through the mail for the finals series. It was also anticipated that this would greatly assist country people, who could now book seats and accommodation well in advance.
  • Hawthorn made the final four for the first time since their VFL debut in 1925, ending the longest finals drought in VFL/AFL history (thirty-two years and 595 matches).
  • Allan Nash becomes the last umpire to officiate in all games of a finals series.[3]

Sources

  • 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

References

  1. "Club title to Dons". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. 26 August 1957. p. 32.
  2. John Craven (21 September 1957). "North seconds just hold on for flag". The Herald. Melbourne. p. 21.
  3. Atkinson, Graeme (1989). 3AW Book of Footy Records. South Melbourne: Magistra Publishing Company Pty Ltd. p. 278. ISBN 1863210091..
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