1977 VFL season

The 1977 Victorian Football League season was the 81st season of the elite Australian rules football competition.

1977 VFL Premiership season
Teams12
PremiersNorth Melbourne
(2nd premiership)
Minor premiersCollingwood
(17th minor premiership)
Night seriesHawthorn
(1st Night series win)
Matches played139
Attendance3,304,221 (23,771 per match)
Highest attendance108,224
Coleman MedallistPeter Hudson (Hawthorn)
Brownlow MedallistGraham Teasdale (South Melbourne)

Night series

Hawthorn defeated Carlton 14.11 (95) to 11.5 (71) in the final.

Premiership season

Round 1

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 10.12 (72) South Melbourne 21.15 (141) MCG 22,049 2 April 1977
Hawthorn 13.14 (92) North Melbourne 23.14 (152) Princes Park 20,317 2 April 1977
Fitzroy 21.17 (143) Richmond 18.21 (129) Junction Oval 17,740 2 April 1977
Essendon 14.25 (109) St Kilda 10.17 (77) Windy Hill 17,265 2 April 1977
Collingwood 19.16 (130) Footscray 18.11 (119) Victoria Park 27,377 2 April 1977
Geelong 6.9 (45) Carlton 17.21 (123) Kardinia Park 25,317 2 April 1977

Round 2

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Carlton 16.17 (113) Fitzroy 12.9 (81) Princes Park 25,173 9 April 1977
South Melbourne 27.13 (175) Essendon 15.8 (98) Lake Oval 23,000 9 April 1977
North Melbourne 16.6 (102) Collingwood 13.15 (93) Arden Street Oval 28,073 9 April 1977
Footscray 18.8 (116) Melbourne 12.23 (95) Western Oval 18,295 11 April 1977
Richmond 19.6 (120) Hawthorn 17.17 (119) MCG 42,192 11 April 1977
St Kilda 11.17 (83) Geelong 17.17 (119) Moorabbin Oval 20,338 11 April 1977

Round 3

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 14.18 (102) North Melbourne 16.9 (105) MCG 19,543 16 April 1977
Geelong 6.14 (50) Hawthorn 15.15 (105) Kardinia Park 19,336 16 April 1977
Collingwood 24.22 (166) Essendon 16.19 (115) Victoria Park 26,210 16 April 1977
Carlton 24.26 (170) St Kilda 9.9 (63) Princes Park 19,336 16 April 1977
South Melbourne 11.13 (79) Richmond 13.13 (91) Lake Oval 25,768 16 April 1977
Footscray 20.16 (136) Fitzroy 16.12 (108) VFL Park 17,415 16 April 1977

Round 4

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 19.10 (124) Melbourne 16.24 (120) Windy Hill 14,529 23 April 1977
North Melbourne 16.21 (117) Footscray 12.10 (82) Arden Street Oval 17,239 23 April 1977
St Kilda 19.20 (134) Fitzroy 14.14 (98) Moorabbin Oval 13,401 23 April 1977
Hawthorn 13.18 (96) Carlton 12.11 (83) Princes Park 32,135 23 April 1977
Richmond 14.16 (100) Collingwood 17.24 (126) MCG 91,936 25 April 1977
Geelong 16.18 (114) South Melbourne 12.15 (87) VFL Park 27,136 25 April 1977

Round 5

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 13.24 (102) Richmond 19.17 (131) MCG 22,272 30 April 1977
Footscray 17.14 (116) St Kilda 17.14 (116) Western Oval 15,453 30 April 1977
Fitzroy 12.14 (86) Hawthorn 21.16 (142) Junction Oval 10,428 30 April 1977
Collingwood 18.16 (124) Geelong 15.19 (109) Victoria Park 24,281 30 April 1977
Carlton 21.8 (134) South Melbourne 16.11 (107) Princes Park 21,533 30 April 1977
North Melbourne 18.17 (125) Essendon 15.15 (105) VFL Park 22,323 30 April 1977

Round 6

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 25.41 (191) St Kilda 16.7 (103) Princes Park 11,918 7 May 1977
Geelong 21.17 (143) Melbourne 13.15 (93) Kardinia Park 17,219 7 May 1977
Essendon 13.11 (89) Footscray 29.15 (189) Windy Hill 19,399 7 May 1977
Richmond 19.15 (129) North Melbourne 14.12 (96) MCG 34,408 7 May 1977
South Melbourne 21.19 (145) Fitzroy 19.12 (126) Lake Oval 11,802 7 May 1977
Collingwood 22.20 (152) Carlton 7.8 (50) VFL Park 64,256 7 May 1977

Round 7

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 14.14 (98) South Melbourne 14.14 (98) Moorabbin Oval 18,563 14 May 1977
Footscray 8.13 (61) Hawthorn 20.11 (131) Western Oval 17,935 14 May 1977
North Melbourne 23.11 (149) Geelong 12.12 (84) Arden Street Oval 17,259 14 May 1977
Fitzroy 11.14 (80) Collingwood 15.23 (113) Junction Oval 20,735 14 May 1977
Melbourne 14.12 (96) Carlton 16.20 (116) MCG 27,456 14 May 1977
Essendon 15.9 (99) Richmond 14.15 (99) VFL Park 32,326 14 May 1977

Round 8

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 19.21 (135) St Kilda 11.12 (78) Victoria Park 21,598 21 May 1977
Carlton 8.17 (65) North Melbourne 9.8 (62) Princes Park 22,364 21 May 1977
South Melbourne 7.13 (55) Hawthorn 18.7 (115) Lake Oval 11,443 21 May 1977
Richmond 16.18 (114) Footscray 13.17 (95) MCG 21,519 21 May 1977
Geelong 13.16 (94) Essendon 13.9 (87) Kardinia Park 15,674 21 May 1977
Melbourne 19.26 (140) Fitzroy 14.8 (92) VFL Park 11,259 21 May 1977

Round 9

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 18.19 (127) Melbourne 20.12 (132) Moorabbin Oval 15,254 28 May 1977
South Melbourne 14.14 (98) Footscray 11.13 (79) Lake Oval 12,104 28 May 1977
North Melbourne 12.12 (84) Fitzroy 10.14 (74) Arden Street Oval 8,940 28 May 1977
Hawthorn 16.12 (108) Collingwood 22.10 (142) Princes Park 34,727 28 May 1977
Essendon 14.12 (96) Carlton 10.17 (77) Windy Hill 23,224 28 May 1977
Richmond 18.13 (121) Geelong 10.11 (71) VFL Park 26,007 28 May 1977

Round 10

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 21.14 (140) Geelong 15.13 (103) Western Oval 15,093 4 June 1977
Collingwood 15.20 (110) South Melbourne 20.16 (136) Victoria Park 24,309 4 June 1977
Carlton 16.9 (105) Richmond 19.11 (125) Princes Park 28,556 4 June 1977
Melbourne 16.19 (115) Hawthorn 19.13 (127) MCG 21,586 4 June 1977
Fitzroy 14.16 (100) Essendon 23.16 (154) Junction Oval 13,150 4 June 1977
North Melbourne 21.16 (142) St Kilda 7.15 (57) VFL Park 19,199 4 June 1977

Round 11

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
South Melbourne 12.9 (81) North Melbourne 9.11 (65) Lake Oval 20,785 11 June 1977
Geelong 20.13 (133) Fitzroy 11.16 (82) Kardinia Park 14,664 11 June 1977
Carlton 17.14 (116) Footscray 8.19 (67) VFL Park 25,745 11 June 1977
St Kilda 13.10 (88) Richmond 16.5 (101) Moorabbin Oval 23,979 13 June 1977
Hawthorn 23.25 (163) Essendon 8.9 (57) Princes Park 25,609 13 June 1977
Melbourne 11.20 (86) Collingwood 17.17 (119) MCG 63,188 13 June 1977

Round 12

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Carlton 3.13 (31) Geelong 2.12 (24) Princes Park 11,009 18 June 1977
South Melbourne 8.22 (70) Melbourne 9.10 (64) Lake Oval 20,785 18 June 1977
North Melbourne 6.11 (47) Hawthorn 6.12 (48) Arden Street Oval 9,027 18 June 1977
Richmond 13.15 (93) Fitzroy 6.5 (41) MCG 12,877 18 June 1977
Footscray 5.6 (36) Collingwood 9.15 (69) Western Oval 11,921 18 June 1977
Essendon 5.16 (46) St Kilda 5.12 (42) VFL Park 14,337 18 June 1977

Round 13

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 11.9 (75) St Kilda 12.13 (85) Kardinia Park 13,033 25 June 1977
Essendon 9.9 (63) South Melbourne 6.15 (51) Windy Hill 16,309 25 June 1977
Collingwood 13.19 (97) North Melbourne 8.8 (56) Victoria Park 28,079 25 June 1977
Melbourne 7.9 (51) Footscray 15.12 (102) MCG 12,566 25 June 1977
Fitzroy 11.9 (75) Carlton 9.14 (68) Junction Oval 10,850 25 June 1977
Hawthorn 9.12 (66) Richmond 7.10 (52) VFL Park 34,820 25 June 1977

Round 14

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 7.15 (57) South Melbourne 9.10 (64) Kardinia Park 14,933 2 July 1977
Footscray 9.10 (64) North Melbourne 11.15 (81) Western Oval 17,151 2 July 1977
Collingwood 22.9 (141) Richmond 11.12 (78) Victoria Park 32,833 2 July 1977
Carlton 9.8 (62) Hawthorn 7.6 (48) Princes Park 24,520 2 July 1977
Melbourne 9.16 (70) Essendon 8.11 (59) MCG 21,473 2 July 1977
St Kilda 14.12 (96) Fitzroy 10.12 (72) VFL Park 17,028 2 July 1977

Round 15

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 15.13 (103) Footscray 11.19 (85) Junction Oval 8,680 9 July 1977
North Melbourne 18.19 (127) Melbourne 11.10 (76) Arden Street Oval 11,253 9 July 1977
Hawthorn 28.23 (191) Geelong 13.6 (84) Princes Park 21,391 9 July 1977
Essendon 14.19 (103) Collingwood 17.12 (114) Windy Hill 27,042 9 July 1977
St Kilda 17.12 (114) Carlton 18.14 (122) Moorabbin Oval 8,120 9 July 1977
Richmond 14.16 (100) South Melbourne 10.11 (71) VFL Park 34,291 9 July 1977

Round 16

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 17.14 (116) North Melbourne 11.11 (77) Windy Hill 17,489 16 July 1977
Richmond 10.11 (71) Melbourne 13.12 (90) MCG 19,075 16 July 1977
St Kilda 10.16 (76) Footscray 13.18 (96) Moorabbin Oval 12,659 16 July 1977
Hawthorn 20.14 (134) Fitzroy 11.12 (78) Princes Park 8,200 16 July 1977
South Melbourne 12.4 (76) Carlton 13.7 (85) Lake Oval 17,058 16 July 1977
Geelong 16.6 (102) Collingwood 12.25 (97) VFL Park 26,029 16 July 1977

Round 17

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 15.11 (101) Richmond 14.14 (98) Arden Street Oval 15,359 23 July 1977
Fitzroy 7.13 (55) South Melbourne 16.21 (117) Junction Oval 10,220 23 July 1977
Carlton 11.8 (74) Collingwood 15.16 (106) Princes Park 38,220 23 July 1977
Melbourne 15.18 (108) Geelong 20.14 (134) MCG 15,890 23 July 1977
Footscray 12.21 (93) Essendon 11.10 (76) Western Oval 17,834 23 July 1977
Hawthorn 24.19 (163) St Kilda 11.11 (77) VFL Park 20,469 23 July 1977

Round 18

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 6.15 (51) North Melbourne 14.11 (95) Kardinia Park 17,898 30 July 1977
Collingwood 18.14 (122) Fitzroy 13.11 (89) Victoria Park 16,885 30 July 1977
South Melbourne 21.12 (138) St Kilda 12.11 (83) Lake Oval 13,906 30 July 1977
Hawthorn 18.10 (118) Footscray 15.14 (104) Princes Park 10,420 30 July 1977
Richmond 16.15 (111) Essendon 9.11 (65) MCG 33,085 30 July 1977
Carlton 17.11 (113) Melbourne 7.4 (46) VFL Park 18,852 30 July 1977

Round 19

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 19.15 (129) Richmond 15.11 (101) Western Oval 16,897 6 August 1977
Fitzroy 23.8 (146) Melbourne 12.12 (84) Junction Oval 7,475 6 August 1977
Essendon 15.20 (110) Geelong 18.16 (124) Windy Hill 13,664 6 August 1977
St Kilda 11.9 (75) Collingwood 14.17 (101) Moorabbin Oval 21,876 6 August 1977
North Melbourne 8.15 (63) Carlton 6.7 (43) Arden Street Oval 22,160 6 August 1977
South Melbourne 16.7 (103) Hawthorn 10.18 (78) VFL Park 31,253 6 August 1977

Round 20

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 27.13 (175) St Kilda 15.14 (104) MCG 12,967 13 August 1977
Geelong 5.16 (46) Richmond 19.18 (132) Kardinia Park 17,081 13 August 1977
Footscray 9.19 (73) South Melbourne 14.12 (96) Western Oval 18,514 13 August 1977
Collingwood 13.21 (99) Hawthorn 15.15 (105) Victoria Park 30,184 13 August 1977
Carlton 22.14 (146) Essendon 16.15 (111) Princes Park 20,120 13 August 1977
North Melbourne 10.19 (79) Fitzroy 9.11 (65) VFL Park 12,350 13 August 1977

Round 21

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 16.14 (110) Melbourne 14.15 (99) Princes Park 8,850 20 August 1977
Essendon 10.13 (73) Fitzroy 20.17 (137) Windy Hill 10,180 20 August 1977
St Kilda 11.12 (78) North Melbourne 15.16 (106) Moorabbin Oval 11,506 20 August 1977
South Melbourne 8.9 (57) Collingwood 12.17 (89) Lake Oval 29,186 20 August 1977
Richmond 15.13 (103) Carlton 14.16 (100) MCG 49,134 20 August 1977
Footscray 11.19 (85) Geelong 10.8 (68) VFL Park 11,010 20 August 1977

Round 22

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 25.21 (171) St Kilda 17.10 (112) MCG 24,122 27 August 1977
North Melbourne 14.9 (93) South Melbourne 15.13 (103) Arden Street Oval 19,102 27 August 1977
Fitzroy 19.27 (141) Geelong 14.16 (100) Junction Oval 7,644 27 August 1977
Essendon 19.16 (130) Hawthorn 25.18 (168) Windy Hill 14,325 27 August 1977
Footscray 15.13 (103) Carlton 12.13 (85) Western Oval 22,426 27 August 1977
Collingwood 17.13 (115) Melbourne 14.17 (101) VFL Park 36,306 27 August 1977

Ladder

1977 VFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Collingwood 22 18 4 0 2560 1959 130.7 72 Finals
2 Hawthorn 22 17 5 0 2618 1959 133.6 68
3 North Melbourne (P) 22 15 7 0 2124 1803 117.8 60
4 Richmond 22 14 7 1 2370 2085 113.7 58
5 South Melbourne 22 13 8 1 2148 1942 110.6 54
6 Carlton 22 13 9 0 2081 1859 111.9 52
7 Footscray 22 10 11 1 2170 2141 101.4 42
8 Geelong 22 8 14 0 1930 2333 82.7 32
9 Essendon 22 7 14 1 2085 2518 82.8 30
10 Fitzroy 22 6 16 0 2072 2474 83.8 24
11 Melbourne 22 5 17 0 2117 2492 85.0 20
12 St Kilda 22 3 17 2 1966 2676 73.5 16
Source: VFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers.

Finals

Elimination final

Elimination final
3 September 2:30pm Richmond def. South Melbourne VFL Park (crowd: 63,663)
5.4 (34)
7.6 (48)
11.8 (74)
 13.10 (88)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
2.3 (15)
6.7 (43)
6.10 (46)
 7.12 (54)
Umpires: Deller, Smith
Television broadcast: Seven Network
Edwards, Monteath, Cloke, Dunne 2
Malthouse, Noonan, Bartlett, Raines, Roberts 1
Goals 2 Lambert
1 Goss, Browning, Teasdale, Daniher, Morrison
Bourke, Cloke, Bartlett, Malthouse, Monteath, Sheedy, Edwards Best Round, McLeish, Browning, Morrison, Rantall, O'Neill, Teasdale

Qualifying final

Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 19.11 (125) North Melbourne 12.15 (83) MCG 64,068 3 September

Semi finals

Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 16.14 (110) Richmond 9.9 (63) VFL Park 48,105 10 September
Collingwood 17.10 (112) Hawthorn 16.14 (110) MCG 87,421 10 September

Preliminary final

Home team Score Away team Score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 16.16 (112) Hawthorn 5.15 (45) VFL Park 61,242 17 September

Grand final

North Melbourne drew with Collingwood 9.22 (76) to 10.16 (76), in front of a crowd of 108,244 people.

Game Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Grand final Collingwood 9.22 (76) North Melbourne 10.16 (76) MCG 108,224 24 September 1977


Grand final replay

A replay was held, and North Melbourne defeated Collingwood 21.25 (151) to 19.10 (124) in front of a crowd of 98,491 people. (For an explanation of scoring see Australian rules football).

Game Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Grand final Collingwood 19.10 (124) North Melbourne 21.25 (151) MCG 98,491 1 October 1977

Awards

Notable events

  • Hawthorn's round 6 victory over St Kilda set the following records - 41 behinds (previous highest 34) and 66 scoring shots (previous highest 60). 13 different Hawthorn players kicked a behind - still a VFL/AFL record.[2]
  • For the only time in VFL/AFL history, two players from one team - Peter Hudson (110) and Leigh Matthews (91) of Hawthorn - combined for over 200 goals in one season. Additionally, it was the first time since 1906 that one club produced the top two leading goalkickers in a season.
  • In the Round 15 game against Geelong, Hawthorn had three players - Hudson with eight, John Hendrie with eight, and Leigh Matthews with seven - kick seven or more goals in one match. This has been repeated only by Fitzroy with Matthew Rendell, Bernie Quinlan and Michael Conlan in 1983 against North Melbourne.
  • In shocking conditions in Round 12, Carlton and Geelong played the first match since the 1927 Grand Final where both teams scored three or fewer goals. Both teams’ scores were lower than any score from any other game during 1977. In the same round, North Melbourne's Malcolm Blight missed a set shot for goal after the final siren at the Arden Street Oval, which resulted in Hawthorn winning the game.
  • In Round 16, Geelong beat Collingwood despite having fifteen fewer scoring shots. This equalled Richmond's record against Fitzroy from 1957.
  • In the Reserve and Under-19 Grades, the appalling weather of mid- to late June caused the only cancellation (as opposed to postponement) of matches in VFL/AFL history until 2015. These cancellations affected Round 14 in the Reserves and Round 13 in the Under-19s.
  • South Melbourne played in its last finals series before relocating to Sydney, as well as its first final series since 1970, and only its second since the infamous 1945 "bloodbath" grand final.
  • St Kilda "won" its nineteenth wooden spoon and first since 1955. With the club having finished last 27 times since 1897 (as of 2020), this twenty-two year gap is the longest between spoons for the club.
  • Collingwood became the first VFL/AFL team to win the Minor Premiership after winning the wooden spoon the year before.
  • North Melbourne is the only team to play twenty-seven premiership matches in a VFL/AFL season.[3] With the abolition of grand final replays in 2016, this record will remain indefinitely, as the current AFL fixture allows for a maximum of 26 matches (22 home and away matches plus four finals). John Cassin was the only player to play in all 27 matches.

See also

References

  1. "All the scores". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. 26 September 1977. p. 30.
  2. "Hawthorn v St Kilda, Rd 6, 1977". afltables.com. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  3. Rodgers, Stephen (1996). 100 Years of AFL players - Volume 3. Melbourne: East-Side Printing. p. 1586. ISBN 0646300164.
  • Stephen Rogers and Ashley Brown (1998). Every Game Ever Played. 6th ed. Victoria: Penguin Books.


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