1969 VFL season

The 1969 Victorian Football League season was the 73rd season of the elite Australian rules football competition.

1969 VFL Premiership season
Teams12
PremiersRichmond
(7th premiership)
Minor premiersCollingwood
(14th minor premiership)
Consolation seriesHawthorn
(2nd Consolation series win)
Matches played124
Attendance2,923,016 (23,573 per match)
Highest attendance119,165
Coleman MedallistDoug Wade (Geelong)
Brownlow MedallistKevin Murray (Fitzroy)

Premiership season

In 1969, 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; rounds 12 to 20 were the "home-and-away reverse" of rounds 1 to 9.

Once the 20 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1969 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
North Melbourne 15.20 (110) South Melbourne 14.17 (101) Arden Street Oval 14,046 5 April 1969
Hawthorn 17.9 (111) Collingwood 11.23 (89) Glenferrie Oval 28,104 5 April 1969
St Kilda 11.13 (79) Carlton 11.16 (82) Moorabbin Oval 37,767 5 April 1969
Geelong 17.16 (118) Melbourne 13.13 (91) Kardinia Park 23,501 7 April 1969
Fitzroy 15.13 (103) Footscray 23.21 (159) Princes Park 20,210 7 April 1969
Richmond 15.21 (111) Essendon 12.10 (82) MCG 62,152 7 April 1969

Round 2

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 12.7 (79) North Melbourne 15.17 (107) MCG 16,379 12 April 1969
Footscray 9.11 (65) St Kilda 14.14 (98) Western Oval 21,352 12 April 1969
Essendon 13.13 (91) Geelong 14.7 (91) Windy Hill 18,400 12 April 1969
Collingwood 11.16 (82) Richmond 14.15 (99) Victoria Park 27,353 12 April 1969
Carlton 30.30 (210) Hawthorn 12.10 (82) Princes Park 26,400 12 April 1969
South Melbourne 14.14 (98) Fitzroy 15.10 (100) Lake Oval 12,464 12 April 1969

Round 3

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 19.20 (134) South Melbourne 11.8 (74) Kardinia Park 15,068 19 April 1969
Fitzroy 14.7 (91) St Kilda 19.18 (132) Princes Park 12,240 19 April 1969
Essendon 12.13 (85) Hawthorn 14.14 (98) Windy Hill 15,800 19 April 1969
Collingwood 19.16 (130) Melbourne 9.8 (62) Victoria Park 18,729 19 April 1969
Richmond 13.28 (106) North Melbourne 16.15 (111) MCG 26,884 19 April 1969
Footscray 7.10 (52) Carlton 11.15 (81) Western Oval 20,250 19 April 1969

Round 4

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 9.15 (69) Geelong 13.14 (92) Moorabbin Oval 42,954 25 April 1969
Melbourne 10.19 (79) Essendon 13.19 (97) MCG 38,358 25 April 1969
Carlton 13.11 (89) Collingwood 23.15 (153) Princes Park 39,120 26 April 1969
South Melbourne 13.13 (91) Richmond 19.22 (136) Lake Oval 16,663 26 April 1969
Hawthorn 19.16 (130) Footscray 12.13 (85) Glenferrie Oval 15,589 26 April 1969
North Melbourne 19.15 (129) Fitzroy 13.18 (96) Arden Street Oval 13,224 26 April 1969

Round 5

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 21.10 (136) Melbourne 14.20 (104) Glenferrie Oval 13,186 3 May 1969
Footscray 11.18 (84) Geelong 22.12 (144) Western Oval 17,522 3 May 1969
Essendon 16.17 (113) North Melbourne 12.11 (83) Windy Hill 23,000 3 May 1969
Carlton 20.17 (137) South Melbourne 17.10 (112) Princes Park 19,041 3 May 1969
Richmond 18.12 (120) Fitzroy 6.19 (55) MCG 22,991 3 May 1969
St Kilda 18.12 (120) Collingwood 16.18 (114) Moorabbin Oval 34,959 3 May 1969

Round 6

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 13.15 (93) Richmond 16.25 (121) MCG 26,848 10 May 1969
Collingwood 17.13 (115) Footscray 8.14 (62) Victoria Park 19,025 10 May 1969
South Melbourne 14.9 (93) St Kilda 7.14 (56) Lake Oval 17,536 10 May 1969
North Melbourne 13.9 (87) Hawthorn 14.12 (96) Arden Street Oval 15,338 10 May 1969
Fitzroy 13.12 (90) Essendon 17.13 (115) Princes Park 13,028 10 May 1969
Geelong 18.16 (124) Carlton 13.7 (85) Kardinia Park 32,025 10 May 1969

Round 7

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 14.15 (99) North Melbourne 14.23 (107) Kardinia Park 17,102 17 May 1969
Footscray 8.10 (58) South Melbourne 9.12 (66) Western Oval 11,462 17 May 1969
Collingwood 13.20 (98) Fitzroy 13.7 (85) Victoria Park 14,614 17 May 1969
Carlton 14.24 (108) Melbourne 12.6 (78) Princes Park 14,973 17 May 1969
Richmond 7.10 (52) Hawthorn 8.13 (61) MCG 35,933 17 May 1969
St Kilda 16.10 (106) Essendon 11.14 (80) Moorabbin Oval 19,008 17 May 1969

Round 8

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 15.13 (103) St Kilda 13.16 (94) Arden Street Oval 16,602 24 May 1969
Fitzroy 12.9 (81) Melbourne 15.12 (102) Princes Park 9,086 24 May 1969
Essendon 15.15 (105) Footscray 13.12 (90) Windy Hill 15,400 24 May 1969
Hawthorn 13.16 (94) Geelong 13.12 (90) Glenferrie Oval 21,788 24 May 1969
South Melbourne 11.8 (74) Collingwood 18.22 (130) Lake Oval 21,142 24 May 1969
Richmond 12.14 (86) Carlton 17.13 (115) MCG 48,656 24 May 1969

Round 9

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 9.15 (69) South Melbourne 14.10 (94) MCG 13,765 31 May 1969
Footscray 8.13 (61) Richmond 7.8 (50) Western Oval 8,529 31 May 1969
Collingwood 17.16 (118) North Melbourne 9.4 (58) Victoria Park 21,154 31 May 1969
Carlton 15.13 (103) Essendon 6.9 (45) Princes Park 16,930 31 May 1969
St Kilda 14.11 (95) Hawthorn 7.7 (49) Moorabbin Oval 15,186 31 May 1969
Geelong 15.17 (107) Fitzroy 6.9 (45) Kardinia Park 8,923 31 May 1969

Round 10

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 14.10 (94) St Kilda 11.14 (80) MCG 44,710 7 June 1969
Fitzroy 12.9 (81) Hawthorn 16.9 (105) Princes Park 10,170 7 June 1969
Collingwood 14.22 (106) Geelong 8.11 (59) Victoria Park 38,436 14 June 1969
South Melbourne 15.13 (103) Essendon 18.15 (123) Lake Oval 18,453 14 June 1969
Melbourne 17.18 (120) Footscray 12.23 (95) MCG 27,330 16 June 1969
North Melbourne 7.15 (57) Carlton 10.18 (78) Arden Street Oval 26,914 16 June 1969

Round 11

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 25.13 (163) South Melbourne 14.21 (105) Glenferrie Oval 13,369 21 June 1969
Geelong 17.11 (113) Richmond 12.14 (86) Kardinia Park 24,278 21 June 1969
Footscray 20.23 (143) North Melbourne 15.7 (97) Western Oval 12,893 21 June 1969
Carlton 24.14 (158) Fitzroy 14.14 (98) Princes Park 16,260 21 June 1969
St Kilda 17.18 (120) Melbourne 13.16 (94) Moorabbin Oval 19,491 21 June 1969
Essendon 13.19 (97) Collingwood 16.12 (108) Windy Hill 28,850 21 June 1969

Round 12

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 8.15 (63) Richmond 7.12 (54) Windy Hill 16,957 28 June 1969
Collingwood 9.24 (78) Hawthorn 6.11 (47) Victoria Park 31,923 28 June 1969
Carlton 9.12 (66) St Kilda 7.12 (54) Princes Park 22,154 28 June 1969
South Melbourne 12.11 (83) North Melbourne 11.14 (80) Lake Oval 9,461 28 June 1969
Melbourne 11.12 (78) Geelong 15.9 (99) MCG 23,557 28 June 1969
Footscray 17.13 (115) Fitzroy 10.8 (68) Western Oval 11,603 28 June 1969

Round 13

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 18.21 (129) South Melbourne 11.14 (80) Princes Park 7,540 5 July 1969
North Melbourne 19.16 (130) Melbourne 19.13 (127) Arden Street Oval 6,470 5 July 1969
St Kilda 12.15 (87) Footscray 12.5 (77) Moorabbin Oval 14,995 5 July 1969
Geelong 10.14 (74) Essendon 13.16 (94) Kardinia Park 20,247 5 July 1969
Richmond 13.15 (93) Collingwood 12.19 (91) MCG 45,546 5 July 1969
Hawthorn 11.14 (80) Carlton 22.17 (149) Glenferrie Oval 18,848 5 July 1969

Round 14

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 6.12 (48) Richmond 17.15 (117) Arden Street Oval 10,597 12 July 1969
Carlton 17.12 (114) Footscray 16.16 (112) Princes Park 15,078 12 July 1969
South Melbourne 12.15 (87) Geelong 17.11 (113) Lake Oval 9,598 12 July 1969
St Kilda 9.4 (58) Fitzroy 11.8 (74) Moorabbin Oval 11,874 12 July 1969
Hawthorn 17.19 (121) Essendon 16.18 (114) Glenferrie Oval 17,605 12 July 1969
Melbourne 16.11 (107) Collingwood 15.19 (109) MCG 32,485 12 July 1969

Round 15

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 22.12 (144) South Melbourne 11.11 (77) MCG 21,959 19 July 1969
Geelong 13.14 (92) St Kilda 16.8 (104) Kardinia Park 19,522 19 July 1969
Footscray 15.16 (106) Hawthorn 14.9 (93) Western Oval 15,955 19 July 1969
Fitzroy 20.6 (126) North Melbourne 14.12 (96) Princes Park 9,670 19 July 1969
Essendon 13.21 (99) Melbourne 13.16 (94) Windy Hill 15,012 19 July 1969
Collingwood 15.16 (106) Carlton 17.14 (116) Victoria Park 43,610 19 July 1969

Round 16

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 13.17 (95) Hawthorn 21.5 (131) MCG 32,527 26 July 1969
North Melbourne 13.16 (94) Essendon 9.13 (67) Arden Street Oval 14,103 26 July 1969
South Melbourne 11.8 (74) Carlton 19.12 (126) Lake Oval 15,151 26 July 1969
Fitzroy 9.12 (66) Richmond 8.9 (57) Princes Park 16,211 2 August 1969
Collingwood 12.11 (83) St Kilda 10.13 (73) Victoria Park 29,759 2 August 1969
Geelong 23.17 (155) Footscray 11.12 (78) Kardinia Park 21,025 2 August 1969

Round 17

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 9.14 (68) South Melbourne 15.10 (100) Moorabbin Oval 13,400 9 August 1969
Hawthorn 22.12 (144) North Melbourne 18.18 (126) Glenferrie Oval 13,504 9 August 1969
Essendon 19.18 (132) Fitzroy 14.11 (95) Windy Hill 15,548 9 August 1969
Carlton 14.11 (95) Geelong 17.8 (110) Princes Park 27,166 9 August 1969
Richmond 19.11 (125) Melbourne 12.13 (85) MCG 23,519 9 August 1969
Footscray 11.16 (82) Collingwood 16.8 (104) Western Oval 21,201 9 August 1969

Round 18

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 13.10 (88) Richmond 13.21 (99) Glenferrie Oval 19,480 16 August 1969
Essendon 19.25 (139) St Kilda 11.10 (76) Windy Hill 15,246 16 August 1969
North Melbourne 13.11 (89) Geelong 14.14 (98) Arden Street Oval 12,836 16 August 1969
South Melbourne 16.17 (113) Footscray 13.18 (96) Lake Oval 11,250 16 August 1969
Fitzroy 9.16 (70) Collingwood 12.18 (90) Princes Park 17,890 16 August 1969
Melbourne 14.15 (99) Carlton 13.14 (92) MCG 27,209 16 August 1969

Round 19

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 16.14 (110) Hawthorn 14.11 (95) Kardinia Park 31,569 23 August 1969
Collingwood 19.15 (129) South Melbourne 6.22 (58) Victoria Park 19,428 23 August 1969
Carlton 20.7 (127) Richmond 24.12 (156) Princes Park 27,657 23 August 1969
St Kilda 21.18 (144) North Melbourne 8.10 (58) Moorabbin Oval 11,109 23 August 1969
Melbourne 14.13 (97) Fitzroy 14.15 (99) MCG 17,790 23 August 1969
Footscray 14.10 (94) Essendon 12.10 (82) Western Oval 16,043 23 August 1969

Round 20

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 14.17 (101) St Kilda 13.12 (90) Glenferrie Oval 13,539 30 August 1969
Fitzroy 13.15 (93) Geelong 9.16 (70) Princes Park 12,990 30 August 1969
South Melbourne 17.18 (120) Melbourne 13.7 (85) Lake Oval 10,038 30 August 1969
Richmond 23.16 (154) Footscray 9.10 (64) MCG 33,591 30 August 1969
North Melbourne 13.11 (89) Collingwood 14.12 (96) Arden Street Oval 17,504 30 August 1969
Essendon 17.16 (118) Carlton 20.9 (129) Windy Hill 24,456 30 August 1969

Ladder

1969 VFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Collingwood 20 15 5 0 2129 1651 129.0 60 Finals
2 Carlton 20 15 5 0 2260 1875 120.5 60
3 Geelong 20 13 6 1 2092 1745 119.9 54
4 Richmond (P) 20 13 7 0 2060 1653 124.6 52
5 Hawthorn 20 13 7 0 2025 2050 98.8 52
6 Essendon 20 10 9 1 1941 1893 102.5 42
7 St Kilda 20 9 11 0 1803 1747 103.2 36
8 North Melbourne 20 8 12 0 1859 2125 87.5 32
9 South Melbourne 20 7 13 0 1803 2186 82.5 28
10 Fitzroy 20 7 13 0 1745 2118 82.4 28
11 Footscray 20 6 14 0 1778 2079 85.5 24
12 Melbourne 20 3 17 0 1838 2211 83.1 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 10.17 (77) defeated Melbourne 9.18 (72).

Premiership Finals

First Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Geelong 2.1 2.4 3.6 7.7 (49)
Richmond 8.3 14.7 20.11 25.17 (167)
Attendance: 101,233

Second Semi-Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Collingwood 2.4 5.5 6.6 10.11 (71)
Carlton 1.4 5.8 11.10 16.11 (107)
Attendance: 108,544

Preliminary Final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Collingwood 4.2 7.6 8.8 12.9 (81)
Richmond 3.2 6.12 13.14 15.17 (107)
Attendance: 107,279

Grand final

Team 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr Final
Carlton 1.4 2.7 8.10 8.12 (60)
Richmond 2.2 6.5 8.6 12.13 (85)
Attendance: 119,165

Awards

Notable events

  • The VFL introduced a rule awarding a free kick against a player if he kicked the ball out of bounds on the full. The rule is considered to be a major contributor to an increase in scoring, and an increased prominence of full forwards, by forcing teams to play more direct football – a trend which had also seen under the out-of-bounds rules which were in place during the 1930s.[2] Three full-forwards kicked large hauls of goals in 1969: Doug Wade of Geelong with 127 goals, Peter Hudson of Hawthorn with 120 goals (including 16.1 in Round 5), and Peter McKenna of Collingwood with 98 goals (including 16.4 in Round 19). The VFL was reprimanded for introducing the rule change without the approval of the Australian National Football Council, but there was no further penalty and the rule was soon agreed to at ANFC level.[3]
  • Prior to the season, Geoff Bryant of Victorian Football Association club Box Hill was cleared to the North Melbourne Football Club. Under a rule that the VFA had introduced in 1967, a transfer fee of $2,000 was set for Bryant's clearance; but, under the Coulter Laws, VFL clubs were forbidden from paying any sort of transfer fee. The VFA formally approved Bryant's clearance, and it initially appeared that it had done so without the transfer fee being paid; but VFA secretary Fred Hill then reported to the press that North Melbourne had indeed secretly paid the transfer fee in defiance of the VFL's rules[4] – and, in fact, Box Hill president Reg Shineberg claimed to have received the fee in cash, under cover of darkness, from a man he did not know.[5] North Melbourne was required to face the VFL arbitrators over the allegations, but charges against the club were dropped when the VFA did not provide any written corroborating evidence. Whether or not the illegal transfer fee was actually paid was never proven.[6]
  • In Round 2, Carlton set the record for highest score in a game, scoring 30.30 (210) against Hawthorn. This beat Richmond's 38-year-old record, set in the 1931 VFL season, by eleven points. This Carlton record stood for another 9 years, remained unbeaten until the 1978 VFL season.
  • The lowest score of the season was a record high 6.9 (45). The previous record high lowest score was 42 points in 1943.
  • In Round 4, Carlton and Collingwood played a tough, spiteful, and vicious match with many brawls at Princes Park. "Percy" Jones of Carlton was reported for striking both Terry Waters and "Jerker" Jenkin of Collingwood during the first quarter; Carlton's Ricky McLean was reported for striking Collingwood's Len Thompson during the first quarter and for striking Collingwood's Brian McKenzie during the last quarter; Ted Potter was reported for striking Carlton's John Nicholls during the last quarter (Nicholls had to leave the field with an eye injury); Len Thompson was reported for striking Carlton's Vin Waite (Carlton's 19th man, who substituted for the injured Nicholls) during the last quarter. Whilst the field umpire (Ray Sleeth) was writing out the match reports he had an extended, heated clash with Carlton president George Harris; the reason for this extended clash was later evident when all of the charges against all of the players were dismissed on a technicality: the umpires had taken too long to inform the club officials of the charges after the final siren had sounded.
  • In Round 8, Michael Patterson was hit in the face with a football by Carlton trainer, Ron Vincent. The event was immortalised in Mike Brady's football anthem "Up There Cazaly".
  • On 27 July 1969, Ted Whitten turned 36. The Round 16 Footscray team of twenty contained ten players who had not even been born when Whitten played his first game for Footscray in 1951.
  • In the First Semi-Final Richmond thrashed Geelong by a VFL semi-final record margin, 25.17 (167) to 7.7 (49) in front of a record crowd of 101,233 spectators.
  • In the 1969 Grand Final, Ian Owen's Richmond guernsey carried the number 52. There is no record of any Grand Final player carrying a larger number. (Owen played the entire match with a depressed fracture of the cheekbone that he had sustained in the Preliminary Final against Collingwood a week earlier.)

See also

References

  1. "Win worth waiting for". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. 29 September 1969. p. 23.
  2. Stephen Rodgers (1992), Every Game Ever Played (3rd ed.), Viking O'Neil, p. 514
  3. Scot Palmer (17 March 1970). "Permits: VFA is expelled". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. p. 62.
  4. Rex Pullen (9 April 1969). "$2000 paid for North star". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. pp. 67–68.
  5. Kevin Hogan (19 April 1969). "North, secretary to face charges". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. p. 52.
  6. Bob Crimeen (29 April 1969). "Joseph, club get all clear". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. pp. 55–56.
  • 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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