The 1969 VFL season was the 73rd season of the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFL), the highest level senior

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 5 April until 27 September, and comprised a 20-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs. The premiership was won by the

Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers or colloquially the Tiges, is a professional Australian rules football team competing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Founded in 1885 in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, Victoria, Ric ...

for the seventh time, after it defeated by 25 points in the 1969 VFL Grand Final.

Background

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.

Home-and-away season

Round 1

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.20 (110) , , 14.17 (101) , Arden Street Oval , 14,046 , 5 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.9 (111) , , 11.23 (89) ,

Glenferrie Oval Glenferrie Oval is an Australian rules football stadium located in Hawthorn, Victoria, Hawthorn, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the historic home of, and is synonymous with, the Hawthorn Football Club, who played there from ...

, 28,104 , 5 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.13 (79) , , 11.16 (82) , Moorabbin Oval , 37,767 , 5 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.16 (118) , , 13.13 (91) ,

Kardinia Park Kardinia Park is a major public park located in South Geelong, Victoria, South Geelong, Victoria (Australia), Victoria. A number of public and sporting facilities are located in the park: a major Australian Football League, AFL stadium, a seco ...

, 23,501 , 7 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.13 (103) , , 23.21 (159) , Princes Park , 20,210 , 7 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.21 (111) , , 12.10 (82) , MCG , 62,152 , 7 April 1969

Round 2

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.7 (79) , , 15.17 (107) , MCG , 16,379 , 12 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.11 (65) , , 14.14 (98) , Western Oval , 21,352 , 12 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.13 (91) , , 14.7 (91) , Windy Hill , 18,400 , 12 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.16 (82) , , 14.15 (99) , Victoria Park , 27,353 , 12 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 30.30 (210) , , 12.10 (82) , Princes Park , 26,400 , 12 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.14 (98) , , 15.10 (100) ,

Lake Oval Lakeside Stadium is an Australian sports arena in the South Melbourne suburb of Albert Park, Victoria, Albert Park. Comprising an athletics track and soccer stadium, it currently serves as the home ground and administrative base for association ...

, 12,464 , 12 April 1969

Round 3

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.20 (134) , , 11.8 (74) ,

, 15,068 , 19 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.7 (91) , , 19.18 (132) , Princes Park , 12,240 , 19 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.13 (85) , , 14.14 (98) , Windy Hill , 15,800 , 19 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.16 (130) , , 9.8 (62) , Victoria Park , 18,729 , 19 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.28 (106) , , 16.15 (111) , MCG , 26,884 , 19 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 11.15 (81) , Western Oval , 20,250 , 19 April 1969

Round 4

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.15 (69) , , 13.14 (92) , Moorabbin Oval , 42,954 , 25 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.19 (79) , , 13.19 (97) , MCG , 38,358 , 25 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.11 (89) , , 23.15 (153) , Princes Park , 39,120 , 26 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.13 (91) , , 19.22 (136) ,

, 16,663 , 26 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.16 (130) , , 12.13 (85) ,

, 15,589 , 26 April 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.15 (129) , , 13.18 (96) , Arden Street Oval , 13,224 , 26 April 1969

Round 5

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 21.10 (136) , , 14.20 (104) ,

, 13,186 , 3 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.18 (84) , , 22.12 (144) , Western Oval , 17,522 , 3 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.17 (113) , , 12.11 (83) , Windy Hill , 23,000 , 3 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.17 (137) , , 17.10 (112) , Princes Park , 19,041 , 3 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.12 (120) , , 6.19 (55) , MCG , 22,991 , 3 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.12 (120) , , 16.18 (114) , Moorabbin Oval , 34,959 , 3 May 1969

Round 6

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.15 (93) , , 16.25 (121) , MCG , 26,848 , 10 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.13 (115) , , 8.14 (62) , Victoria Park , 19,025 , 10 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.9 (93) , , 7.14 (56) ,

, 17,536 , 10 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.9 (87) , , 14.12 (96) , Arden Street Oval , 15,338 , 10 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.12 (90) , , 17.13 (115) , Princes Park , 13,028 , 10 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.16 (124) , , 13.7 (85) ,

, 32,025 , 10 May 1969

Round 7

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.15 (99) , , 14.23 (107) ,

, 17,102 , 17 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.10 (58) , , 9.12 (66) , Western Oval , 11,462 , 17 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.20 (98) , , 13.7 (85) , Victoria Park , 14,614 , 17 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.24 (108) , , 12.6 (78) , Princes Park , 14,973 , 17 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.10 (52) , , 8.13 (61) , MCG , 35,933 , 17 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.10 (106) , , 11.14 (80) , Moorabbin Oval , 19,008 , 17 May 1969

Round 8

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.13 (103) , , 13.16 (94) , Arden Street Oval , 16,602 , 24 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.9 (81) , , 15.12 (102) , Princes Park , 9,086 , 24 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.15 (105) , , 13.12 (90) , Windy Hill , 15,400 , 24 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.16 (94) , , 13.12 (90) ,

, 21,788 , 24 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.8 (74) , , 18.22 (130) ,

, 21,142 , 24 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.14 (86) , , 17.13 (115) , MCG , 48,656 , 24 May 1969

Round 9

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.15 (69) , , 14.10 (94) , MCG , 13,765 , 31 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.13 (61) , , 7.8 (50) , Western Oval , 8,529 , 31 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.16 (118) , , 9.4 (58) , Victoria Park , 21,154 , 31 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.13 (103) , , 6.9 (45) , Princes Park , 16,930 , 31 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.11 (95) , , 7.7 (49) , Moorabbin Oval , 15,186 , 31 May 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.17 (107) , , 6.9 (45) ,

, 8,923 , 31 May 1969

Round 10

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.10 (94) , , 11.14 (80) , MCG , 44,710 , 7 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.9 (81) , , 16.9 (105) , Princes Park , 10,170 , 7 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.22 (106) , , 8.11 (59) , Victoria Park , 38,436 , 14 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.13 (103) , , 18.15 (123) ,

, 18,453 , 14 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.18 (120) , , 12.23 (95) , MCG , 27,330 , 16 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 7.15 (57) , , 10.18 (78) , Arden Street Oval , 26,914 , 16 June 1969

Round 11

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 25.13 (163) , , 14.21 (105) ,

, 13,369 , 21 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.11 (113) , , 12.14 (86) ,

, 24,278 , 21 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.23 (143) , , 15.7 (97) , Western Oval , 12,893 , 21 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 24.14 (158) , , 14.14 (98) , Princes Park , 16,260 , 21 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.18 (120) , , 13.16 (94) , Moorabbin Oval , 19,491 , 21 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.19 (97) , , 16.12 (108) , Windy Hill , 28,850 , 21 June 1969

Round 12

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 8.15 (63) , , 7.12 (54) , Windy Hill , 16,957 , 28 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.24 (78) , , 6.11 (47) , Victoria Park , 31,923 , 28 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.12 (66) , , 7.12 (54) , Princes Park , 22,154 , 28 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.11 (83) , , 11.14 (80) ,

, 9,461 , 28 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.12 (78) , , 15.9 (99) , MCG , 23,557 , 28 June 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.13 (115) , , 10.8 (68) , Western Oval , 11,603 , 28 June 1969

Round 13

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 18.21 (129) , , 11.14 (80) , Princes Park , 7,540 , 5 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.16 (130) , , 19.13 (127) , Arden Street Oval , 6,470 , 5 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 12.5 (77) , Moorabbin Oval , 14,995 , 5 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 10.14 (74) , , 13.16 (94) ,

, 20,247 , 5 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.15 (93) , , 12.19 (91) , MCG , 45,546 , 5 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.14 (80) , , 22.17 (149) ,

, 18,848 , 5 July 1969

Round 14

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 6.12 (48) , , 17.15 (117) , Arden Street Oval , 10,597 , 12 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.12 (114) , , 16.16 (112) , Princes Park , 15,078 , 12 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.15 (87) , , 17.11 (113) ,

, 9,598 , 12 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.4 (58) , , 11.8 (74) , Moorabbin Oval , 11,874 , 12 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.19 (121) , , 16.18 (114) ,

, 17,605 , 12 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.11 (107) , , 15.19 (109) , MCG , 32,485 , 12 July 1969

Round 15

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 22.12 (144) , , 11.11 (77) , MCG , 21,959 , 19 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.14 (92) , , 16.8 (104) ,

, 19,522 , 19 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.16 (106) , , 14.9 (93) , Western Oval , 15,955 , 19 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.6 (126) , , 14.12 (96) , Princes Park , 9,670 , 19 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.21 (99) , , 13.16 (94) , Windy Hill , 15,012 , 19 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 15.16 (106) , , 17.14 (116) , Victoria Park , 43,610 , 19 July 1969

Round 16

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.17 (95) , , 21.5 (131) , MCG , 32,527 , 26 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.16 (94) , , 9.13 (67) , Arden Street Oval , 14,103 , 26 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.8 (74) , , 19.12 (126) ,

, 15,151 , 26 July 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.12 (66) , , 8.9 (57) , Princes Park , 16,211 , 2 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 12.11 (83) , , 10.13 (73) , Victoria Park , 29,759 , 2 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 23.17 (155) , , 11.12 (78) ,

, 21,025 , 2 August 1969

Round 17

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.14 (68) , , 15.10 (100) , Moorabbin Oval , 13,400 , 9 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 22.12 (144) , , 18.18 (126) ,

, 13,504 , 9 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.18 (132) , , 14.11 (95) , Windy Hill , 15,548 , 9 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.11 (95) , , 17.8 (110) , Princes Park , 27,166 , 9 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.11 (125) , , 12.13 (85) , MCG , 23,519 , 9 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 11.16 (82) , , 16.8 (104) , Western Oval , 21,201 , 9 August 1969

Round 18

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.10 (88) , , 13.21 (99) ,

, 19,480 , 16 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.25 (139) , , 11.10 (76) , Windy Hill , 15,246 , 16 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.11 (89) , , 14.14 (98) , Arden Street Oval , 12,836 , 16 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.17 (113) , , 13.18 (96) ,

, 11,250 , 16 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 9.16 (70) , , 12.18 (90) , Princes Park , 17,890 , 16 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.15 (99) , , 13.14 (92) , MCG , 27,209 , 16 August 1969

Round 19

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 16.14 (110) , , 14.11 (95) ,

, 31,569 , 23 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 19.15 (129) , , 6.22 (58) , Victoria Park , 19,428 , 23 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 20.7 (127) , , 24.12 (156) , Princes Park , 27,657 , 23 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 21.18 (144) , , 8.10 (58) , Moorabbin Oval , 11,109 , 23 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.13 (97) , , 14.15 (99) , MCG , 17,790 , 23 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.10 (94) , , 12.10 (82) , Western Oval , 16,043 , 23 August 1969

Round 20

, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF" , Home team , Home team score , Away team , Away team score , Venue , Crowd , Date , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 14.17 (101) , , 13.12 (90) ,

, 13,539 , 30 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.15 (93) , , 9.16 (70) , Princes Park , 12,990 , 30 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.18 (120) , , 13.7 (85) ,

, 10,038 , 30 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 23.16 (154) , , 9.10 (64) , MCG , 33,591 , 30 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 13.11 (89) , , 14.12 (96) , Arden Street Oval , 17,504 , 30 August 1969 , - bgcolor="#FFFFFF" , , 17.16 (118) , , 20.9 (129) , Windy Hill , 24,456 , 30 August 1969

Ladder

, - style=background:#FFFFBB , 1 , , align=left , , , 20 , , 15 , , 5 , , 0 , , 2129 , , 1651 , , 129.0 , , 60 , - style=background:#FFFFBB , 2 , , align=left , , , 20 , , 15 , , 5 , , 0 , , 2260 , , 1875 , , 120.5 , , 60 , - style=background:#FFFFBB , 3 , , align=left , , , 20 , , 13 , , 6 , , 1 , , 2092 , , 1745 , , 119.9 , , 54 , - style=background:#FFFFBB , 4 , , align=left , (P) , , 20 , , 13 , , 7 , , 0 , , 2060 , , 1653 , , 124.6 , , 52 , - , 5 , , align=left , , , 20 , , 13 , , 7 , , 0 , , 2025 , , 2050 , , 98.8 , , 52 , - , 6 , , align=left , , , 20 , , 10 , , 9 , , 1 , , 1941 , , 1893 , , 102.5 , , 42 , - , 7 , , align=left , , , 20 , , 9 , , 11 , , 0 , , 1803 , , 1747 , , 103.2 , , 36 , - , 8 , , align=left , , , 20 , , 8 , , 12 , , 0 , , 1859 , , 2125 , , 87.5 , , 32 , - , 9 , , align=left , , , 20 , , 7 , , 13 , , 0 , , 1803 , , 2186 , , 82.5 , , 28 , - , 10 , , align=left , , , 20 , , 7 , , 13 , , 0 , , 1745 , , 2118 , , 82.4 , , 28 , - , 11 , , align=left , , , 20 , , 6 , , 14 , , 0 , , 1778 , , 2079 , , 85.5 , , 24 , - , 12 , , align=left , , , 20 , , 3 , , 17 , , 0 , , 1838 , , 2211 , , 83.1 , , 12 Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 97.2
Source
AFL Tables
/onlyinclude>

Finals series

Semi-finals

Preliminary final

Grand final

Consolation Night Series Competition

The consolation night series were held under the floodlights at Lake Oval,

South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...

, 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 Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

9.18 (72).

Season notes

* 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. Three full-forwards kicked large hauls of goals in 1969:

Doug Wade Douglas Graeme Wade (born 16 October 1941) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League, Victorian Football League (VFL). He was the League ...

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...

with 127 goals,

Peter Hudson Peter John Hudson Order of Australia, AM (born 19 February 1946) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL) and for the New ...

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. *Prior to the season, Geoff Bryant of

Victorian Football Association The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

club Box Hill was cleared to the

North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos or colloquially the Roos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AF ...

. Under a rule that the VFA had introduced in

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

, a

transfer fee In professional football, a transfer is the action taken whenever a player under contract moves between clubs. It refers to the transferring of a player's registration from one association football club to another. In general, the players can onl ...

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 – 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. 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. * In Round 2, Carlton set the record for highest score in a game, scoring 30.30 (210) against Hawthorn. This beat

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

'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 1978 VFL season was the 82nd season of the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 1 Ap ...

. * 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 Terry Waters (14 December 1943 – 27 July 2020) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood Football Club, Collingwood in the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL). Originally from Victori ...

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 Vincent Waite (26 February 1949 – 5 July 2003) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton in the VFL. His son Jarrad followed in his footsteps and started his football career with Carlton, being drafted under the father–s ...

(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 Edward James Whitten Sr. Order of Australia, OAM (27 July 1933 – 17 August 1995) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Footscray Football Club in the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL). Bo ...

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

thrashed

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.)

Awards

* The 1969 VFL Premiership team was

. * The VFL's leading goalkicker was

who kicked 127 goals (including 5 goals in the final series). * The winner of the 1969

Brownlow Medal The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as Charlie), is awarded to the best and fairest player in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by the f ...

was Kevin Murray of Fitzroy with 19 votes. *

took the "wooden spoon" in 1969. * The reserves premiership was won by . Melbourne 12.16 (88) defeated 8.12 (60) in the Grand Final, held as a curtain-raiser to the seniors Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 27 September.

References

* Hogan, P., ''The Tigers of Old'', The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 1996. * Maplestone, M., ''Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996'', Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. * Rogers, S. & Brown, A., ''Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition)'', Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998. * 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.
Blueseum: Match Report: Round 4, 1969

Sources

at AFL Tables
1969 VFL season
at Australian Football {{DEFAULTSORT:1969 VFL season Australian Football League seasons VFL season