1968 VFL season

The 1968 Victorian Football League season was the 72nd season of the elite Australian rules football competition.

1968 VFL Premiership season
Teams12
PremiersCarlton
(9th premiership)
Minor premiersEssendon
(10th minor premiership)
Consolation seriesHawthorn
(1st Consolation series win)
Matches played124
Highest attendance116,828
Coleman MedallistPeter Hudson (Hawthorn)
Brownlow MedallistBob Skilton (South Melbourne)

Premiership season

In 1968, 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 20 rounds; matches 12 to 20 were the "home-and-way reverse" of matches 1 to 9.

Once the 20 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1968 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
Footscray 9.18 (72) North Melbourne 13.10 (88) Western Oval 18,269 13 April 1968
Essendon 26.16 (172) Hawthorn 15.9 (99) Windy Hill 17,000 13 April 1968
Collingwood 10.12 (72) Richmond 11.22 (88) Victoria Park 37,018 13 April 1968
Carlton 13.22 (100) Geelong 7.12 (54) Princes Park 30,158 13 April 1968
South Melbourne 18.17 (125) St Kilda 13.22 (100) Lake Oval 23,675 13 April 1968
Melbourne 14.10 (94) Fitzroy 12.18 (90) MCG 24,991 13 April 1968

Round 2

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 17.24 (126) South Melbourne 19.12 (126) Glenferrie Oval 13,536 20 April 1968
St Kilda 16.22 (118) Melbourne 9.8 (62) Moorabbin Oval 21,758 20 April 1968
Geelong 9.17 (71) Footscray 6.11 (47) Kardinia Park 14,589 20 April 1968
North Melbourne 9.9 (63) Essendon 10.22 (82) Arden Street Oval 14,810 20 April 1968
Fitzroy 14.16 (100) Collingwood 10.11 (71) Princes Park 17,149 20 April 1968
Richmond 17.16 (118) Carlton 10.12 (72) MCG 51,889 20 April 1968

Round 3

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Carlton 1.11 (17) Essendon 7.8 (50) Princes Park 37,406 25 April 1968
Richmond 10.15 (75) Geelong 17.21 (123) MCG 52,175 25 April 1968
Footscray 14.10 (94) Hawthorn 16.9 (105) Western Oval 14,054 27 April 1968
Collingwood 2.19 (31) St Kilda 10.7 (67) Victoria Park 29,491 27 April 1968
South Melbourne 13.10 (88) Melbourne 14.14 (98) Lake Oval 17,260 27 April 1968
North Melbourne 15.17 (107) Fitzroy 14.7 (91) Arden Street Oval 13,122 27 April 1968

Round 4

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 12.10 (82) North Melbourne 12.4 (76) MCG 19,498 4 May 1968
Fitzroy 13.19 (97) Footscray 12.13 (85) Princes Park 11,378 4 May 1968
Essendon 16.19 (115) South Melbourne 10.15 (75) Windy Hill 19,000 4 May 1968
St Kilda 12.12 (84) Richmond 7.18 (60) Moorabbin Oval 30,606 4 May 1968
Geelong 6.10 (46) Collingwood 4.13 (37) Kardinia Park 19,144 4 May 1968
Hawthorn 11.11 (77) Carlton 15.10 (100) Glenferrie Oval 17,606 4 May 1968

Round 5

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 6.13 (49) St Kilda 9.7 (61) Arden Street Oval 14,409 11 May 1968
Essendon 16.16 (112) Fitzroy 11.15 (81) Windy Hill 18,500 11 May 1968
Collingwood 17.11 (113) Hawthorn 11.16 (82) Victoria Park 20,688 11 May 1968
Carlton 16.15 (111) Footscray 5.9 (39) Princes Park 14,490 11 May 1968
South Melbourne 8.10 (58) Richmond 13.25 (103) Lake Oval 17,783 11 May 1968
Melbourne 9.9 (63) Geelong 10.10 (70) MCG 31,862 11 May 1968

Round 6

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 13.7 (85) Melbourne 6.12 (48) Western Oval 10,441 18 May 1968
Fitzroy 6.8 (44) St Kilda 19.6 (120) Princes Park 12,852 18 May 1968
Collingwood 13.14 (92) Essendon 9.12 (66) Victoria Park 28,302 18 May 1968
Richmond 14.17 (101) North Melbourne 4.7 (31) MCG 24,317 18 May 1968
Hawthorn 10.11 (71) Geelong 12.10 (82) Glenferrie Oval 10,100 18 May 1968
South Melbourne 10.11 (71) Carlton 12.11 (83) Lake Oval 13,420 18 May 1968

Round 7

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 7.15 (57) South Melbourne 8.13 (61) Arden Street Oval 7,730 25 May 1968
Essendon 11.14 (80) Richmond 10.18 (78) Windy Hill 22,980 25 May 1968
Carlton 15.11 (101) Collingwood 9.13 (67) Princes Park 26,045 25 May 1968
Melbourne 11.14 (80) Hawthorn 11.10 (76) MCG 17,263 25 May 1968
St Kilda 11.13 (79) Footscray 4.11 (35) Moorabbin Oval 16,056 25 May 1968
Geelong 11.21 (87) Fitzroy 7.6 (48) Kardinia Park 11,474 25 May 1968

Round 8

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 9.8 (62) South Melbourne 11.9 (75) Western Oval 14,755 8 June 1968
Collingwood 11.13 (79) Melbourne 13.7 (85) Victoria Park 24,375 8 June 1968
North Melbourne 9.11 (65) Geelong 13.11 (89) Arden Street Oval 13,209 8 June 1968
Richmond 11.15 (81) Hawthorn 11.14 (80) MCG 31,325 10 June 1968
St Kilda 16.17 (113) Essendon 8.9 (57) Moorabbin Oval 43,231 10 June 1968
Fitzroy 4.10 (34) Carlton 13.15 (93) Princes Park 19,306 10 June 1968

Round 9

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 9.9 (63) Richmond 17.17 (119) MCG 39,609 15 June 1968
Geelong 15.9 (99) St Kilda 11.9 (75) Kardinia Park 29,404 15 June 1968
Essendon 11.17 (83) Footscray 5.11 (41) Windy Hill 14,000 15 June 1968
Carlton 20.11 (131) North Melbourne 10.15 (75) Princes Park 15,270 15 June 1968
Hawthorn 21.14 (140) Fitzroy 16.14 (110) Glenferrie Oval 11,039 15 June 1968
South Melbourne 19.10 (124) Collingwood 15.9 (99) Lake Oval 17,193 15 June 1968

Round 10

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 13.15 (93) South Melbourne 8.15 (63) Kardinia Park 17,794 22 June 1968
Fitzroy 12.12 (84) Richmond 15.15 (105) Princes Park 11,204 22 June 1968
North Melbourne 8.14 (62) Hawthorn 15.16 (106) Arden Street Oval 7,884 22 June 1968
Melbourne 9.14 (68) Essendon 15.6 (96) MCG 32,932 22 June 1968
Footscray 5.7 (37) Collingwood 9.11 (65) Western Oval 13,120 22 June 1968
St Kilda 3.10 (28) Carlton 8.8 (56) Moorabbin Oval 28,885 22 June 1968

Round 11

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 15.11 (101) St Kilda 17.9 (111) Glenferrie Oval 19,279 29 June 1968
Essendon 14.20 (104) Geelong 12.9 (81) Windy Hill 24,450 29 June 1968
Collingwood 13.16 (94) North Melbourne 4.8 (32) Victoria Park 14,814 29 June 1968
Carlton 11.19 (85) Melbourne 6.7 (43) Princes Park 15,234 29 June 1968
Richmond 17.20 (122) Footscray 16.8 (104) MCG 17,844 29 June 1968
South Melbourne 17.15 (117) Fitzroy 13.12 (90) Lake Oval 11,241 29 June 1968

Round 12

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 15.19 (109) South Melbourne 6.9 (45) Moorabbin Oval 19,059 6 July 1968
Fitzroy 11.14 (80) Melbourne 14.16 (100) Princes Park 8,530 6 July 1968
North Melbourne 8.9 (57) Footscray 9.18 (72) Arden Street Oval 7,844 6 July 1968
Hawthorn 11.17 (83) Essendon 17.10 (112) Glenferrie Oval 12,480 6 July 1968
Richmond 17.12 (114) Collingwood 17.15 (117) MCG 43,165 6 July 1968
Geelong 8.7 (55) Carlton 9.9 (63) Kardinia Park 25,007 6 July 1968

Round 13

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 10.11 (71) St Kilda 10.16 (76) MCG 30,581 13 July 1968
Footscray 18.18 (126) Geelong 5.13 (43) Western Oval 13,092 13 July 1968
Essendon 16.19 (115) North Melbourne 9.9 (63) Windy Hill 11,690 13 July 1968
Collingwood 18.14 (122) Fitzroy 18.7 (115) Victoria Park 16,357 13 July 1968
Carlton 11.14 (80) Richmond 10.14 (74) Princes Park 24,245 13 July 1968
South Melbourne 12.10 (82) Hawthorn 15.11 (101) Lake Oval 11,191 13 July 1968

Round 14

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 10.10 (70) South Melbourne 12.8 (80) MCG 18,976 20 July 1968
Geelong 13.11 (89) Richmond 9.16 (70) Kardinia Park 23,932 20 July 1968
Fitzroy 13.17 (95) North Melbourne 9.14 (68) Princes Park 7,563 20 July 1968
Hawthorn 24.8 (152) Footscray 10.10 (70) Glenferrie Oval 13,810 20 July 1968
St Kilda 11.10 (76) Collingwood 12.13 (85) Moorabbin Oval 28,246 20 July 1968
Essendon 7.13 (55) Carlton 6.13 (49) Windy Hill 32,000 20 July 1968

Round 15

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 13.16 (94) St Kilda 9.10 (64) MCG 42,740 27 July 1968
Collingwood 4.12 (36) Geelong 7.12 (54) Victoria Park 25,849 27 July 1968
Carlton 9.14 (68) Hawthorn 11.15 (81) Princes Park 18,470 27 July 1968
North Melbourne 5.8 (38) Melbourne 6.4 (40) Arden Street Oval 5,826 27 July 1968
Footscray 9.12 (66) Fitzroy 10.11 (71) Western Oval 10,148 27 July 1968
South Melbourne 7.12 (54) Essendon 14.13 (97) Lake Oval 14,690 27 July 1968

Round 16

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 15.21 (111) South Melbourne 10.11 (71) MCG 22,404 3 August 1968
Geelong 11.9 (75) Melbourne 10.8 (68) Kardinia Park 14,240 3 August 1968
St Kilda 8.13 (61) North Melbourne 6.3 (39) Moorabbin Oval 13,355 3 August 1968
Fitzroy 13.15 (93) Essendon 13.16 (94) Princes Park 12,080 3 August 1968
Hawthorn 15.11 (101) Collingwood 10.16 (76) Glenferrie Oval 26,928 3 August 1968
Footscray 16.6 (102) Carlton 10.10 (70) Western Oval 15,184 3 August 1968

Round 17

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 7.9 (51) Richmond 11.19 (85) Arden Street Oval 9,374 10 August 1968
Geelong 10.7 (67) Hawthorn 7.9 (51) Kardinia Park 20,822 10 August 1968
Carlton 18.14 (122) South Melbourne 11.14 (80) Princes Park 15,620 10 August 1968
Melbourne 10.14 (74) Footscray 9.11 (65) MCG 18,733 10 August 1968
St Kilda 12.19 (91) Fitzroy 6.5 (41) Moorabbin Oval 15,643 10 August 1968
Essendon 20.18 (138) Collingwood 7.11 (53) Windy Hill 21,300 10 August 1968

Round 18

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 14.13 (97) Melbourne 8.11 (59) Glenferrie Oval 14,359 17 August 1968
Footscray 6.8 (44) St Kilda 16.13 (109) Western Oval 15,211 17 August 1968
Fitzroy 10.12 (72) Geelong 14.10 (94) Princes Park 9,782 17 August 1968
South Melbourne 9.14 (68) North Melbourne 11.13 (79) Lake Oval 7,412 17 August 1968
Richmond 10.14 (74) Essendon 7.12 (54) MCG 68,529 17 August 1968
Collingwood 10.10 (70) Carlton 16.11 (107) Victoria Park 24,496 17 August 1968

Round 19

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 11.13 (79) Richmond 11.22 (88) Glenferrie Oval 21,772 24 August 1968
Geelong 14.13 (97) North Melbourne 13.9 (87) Kardinia Park 13,872 24 August 1968
Essendon 10.6 (66) St Kilda 9.12 (66) Windy Hill 24,700 24 August 1968
Carlton 21.17 (143) Fitzroy 12.19 (91) Princes Park 16,123 24 August 1968
South Melbourne 11.12 (78) Footscray 11.16 (82) Lake Oval 8,012 24 August 1968
Melbourne 12.14 (86) Collingwood 12.15 (87) MCG 29,967 24 August 1968

Round 20

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 17.14 (116) Hawthorn 18.18 (126) Princes Park 11,440 31 August 1968
Collingwood 23.19 (157) South Melbourne 14.14 (98) Victoria Park 11,648 31 August 1968
Richmond 18.21 (129) Melbourne 12.8 (80) MCG 34,546 31 August 1968
St Kilda 16.14 (110) Geelong 8.11 (59) Moorabbin Oval 34,073 31 August 1968
Footscray 12.13 (85) Essendon 15.22 (112) Western Oval 19,196 31 August 1968
North Melbourne 11.13 (79) Carlton 15.10 (100) Arden Street Oval 16,189 31 August 1968

Ladder

1968 VFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Essendon 20 16 3 1 1860 1428 130.3 66 Finals
2 Carlton (P) 20 15 5 0 1751 1343 130.4 60
3 Geelong 20 15 5 0 1528 1431 106.8 60
4 St Kilda 20 14 5 1 1718 1263 136.0 58
5 Richmond 20 14 6 0 1889 1536 123.0 56
6 Hawthorn 20 9 10 1 1934 1869 103.5 38
7 Collingwood 20 9 11 0 1623 1717 94.5 36
8 Melbourne 20 8 12 0 1434 1709 83.9 32
9 South Melbourne 20 6 13 1 1639 1954 83.9 26
10 Footscray 20 5 15 0 1413 1710 82.6 20
11 Fitzroy 20 4 16 0 1643 2035 80.7 16
12 North Melbourne 20 3 17 0 1266 1703 74.3 12
Source: VFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers.

Consolation Night Series Competition

The consolation night series were held under the floodlights at Lake Oval, South Melbourne, for the teams (5th to 12th on ladder) out of the finals at the end of the home and away rounds.

Final: Hawthorn 16.15 (111) defeated North Melbourne 6.14 (50).

Premiership Finals

First Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Geelong 4.4 9.7 14.10 19.13 (127)
St Kilda 2.4 4.10 8.13 11.17 (83)
Attendance: 98,885

Second Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Essendon 1.2 7.6 7.8 8.11 (59)
Carlton 5.8 6.9 11.12 13.17 (95)
Attendance: 106,365

Preliminary Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Essendon 3.6 7.10 10.18 11.25 (91)
Geelong 5.3 8.6 8.10 9.13 (67)
Attendance: 103,549

Grand final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Carlton 2.2 6.8 7.9 7.14 (56)
Essendon 2.1 5.1 6.4 8.5 (53)
Attendance: 116,828

Awards

Notable events

  • The season's home-and-away draw was extended from 18 to 20 rounds. This now meant that each team met nine of the other eleven teams twice in a season.
  • In Round 3, the Anzac Day match between Carlton and Essendon at Princes Park was greatly affected by an unusually strong wind that blew across the ground from wing to wing, making kicking and marking entirely unpredictable as balls would almost turn at right angles in the air as they moved down the ground towards the outer (eastern) end and lost the protection of the stands (or, whilst in the stand-protected western end, the ball went above the protection of the stands). In an otherwise close, hard-fought match with not many scoring opportunities available, Carlton were least able to cope with the windy conditions, kicking 1.11 (17) to Essendon's 7.8 (50).
  • In Round 7, Essendon played Richmond at Windy Hill in a rain-sodden game that finished in such dark conditions that players could not see across the ground. In the last quarter, a goal was awarded to Geoff Gosper, although several Richmond players protested that the ball had hit the post. Essendon won the match by two points, 11.14 (80) to Richmond's 10.18 (78).
  • After the Round 8 match between Hawthorn and Richmond at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the teams and many of the fans left the ground believing the game had been tied 11.15 (81) apiece. After the goal-umpires checked their scorecards, it was confirmed that the scoreboard was reading incorrectly, and that Richmond had, in fact, won by a point: 11.15 (81) to 11.14 (80).
  • Peter Hudson became the first player to kick 100 goals in a season since John Coleman in 1952.
  • In Round 17 and Round 18 respectively, Ron Barassi and Brian Dixon played their 250th VFL games. At the time, only thirteen other players had reached the milestone.
  • After Round 18 of the Under-19s competition, Geelong was stripped of all premiership points that it had earned in matches in which it had fielded ineligible player John Taylor, who was residentially tied to Footscray. The lost points relegated Geelong from fourth to last place on the ladder.[2]
  • For the first and, as of 2020, only time in VFL history, the premiership team kicked fewer goals than the runners-up in the Grand Final.

References

  1. Rex Pullen (30 September 1968). "Reserves flag to Bombers". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. p. 51.
  2. Marc Fiddian (24 August 1968). "Cats out of U. 19 finals". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 24.
  • Hogan, P., The Tigers Of Old, The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 1996. ISBN 0-646-18748-1
  • 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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