The 1916 VFL season was the 20th 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. Played during the peak of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the season was the shortest in the league's history and featured the fewest clubs, with only four clubs – , , and – featuring in 1916. The season ran from 6 May to 2 September, comprising a twelve-match home-and-away season followed by a four-week
finals series
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
featuring all four clubs.
Fitzroy won the
premiership, its sixth VFL premiership; despite finishing in last place during the home-and-away season with a 2–9–1 win–loss–draw record, Fitzroy won all three of its finals, culminating in defeating Carlton by 29 points in the
1916 VFL grand final. Carlton won the
minor premiership
A minor premiership is the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the finals in several Australian sports leagues.
Origins
The etymolo ...
by finishing atop the home-and-away ladder with a 10–2 win–loss record. Collingwood's
Dick Lee
Richard Lee Peng Boon (born 24 August 1956) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, playwright and film director. Lee was awarded the Cultural Medallion, Singapore's pinnacle arts award, for music in 2005.
Early life
Lee was born to a Peranakan fathe ...
won his fifth
leading goalkicker medal as the league's leading goalkicker.
Background
Format
In 1916, the VFL competition consisted of four teams of 18 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves", although any of the 18 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume their place on the field at any time during the match. Each of the four teams played each other four times in a 12 match home-and-away season (each team hosting each of the others twice); once the 12 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1916 VFL ''Premiers'' were determined by the specific format and conventions of the
amended ''Argus'' system.
Impact of the war
The situation of the VFL in 1916 was rather complex.
* By 1916, Australian society in general, and the VFL clubs (and their respective supporters) in particular, were collectively appalled that conflict (originally thought to be one of a few months' duration) had turned into a gigantic, worldwide war of never-before-seen dimensions, and were deeply shocked by the ever-increasing magnitude of the Australian casualty lists.
* At the same time, the apparent egalitarian tranquillity of Melbourne and its football world, was being increasingly polarised by an ever-widening series of divisive issues that arose as a consequence of the war, including:
**Manhood issues, between those who saw war service as a logical extension of the physical and moral training embodied in football, and a manifestation of the unselfish chivalry and team spirit displayed by champion athletes, and those who did not.
***In a series of 1917 editorials, ''The Age'' of Melbourne constantly observed that, in its view, at least 10 of every 15 VFL senior players were fit for overseas service, and that in the absence of their enlistment, ''The Age'' could only conclude that they were either unpatriotic or cowards.
***This sort of sentiment was still strongly held by its advocates for many years. In 1919, with all nine clubs back in its competition, the VFL rejected a suggestion that the Football Record place a star next to the name of each returned serviceman on its players lists. It also rejected a suggestion that returned servicemen wear a special badge on the guernsey to indicate that they had also "played the greater game".
**Class issues, between a
middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. C ...
who predominantly saw preference for sporting activities over military service as a dereliction of "national duty", and a
working class
The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
that felt it had already sacrificed far too much.
**Secular issues, between the predominantly pro-British Australian Protestants and the predominantly pro-Irish Australian Roman Catholics (encouraged by the intensely anti-British, pro-Irish and
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, the
Charleville, County Cork-born
Daniel Mannix
Daniel Patrick Mannix (4 March 1864 – 6 November 1963) was an Irish-born Australian Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th-century Australia.
Early lif ...
).
***This significant division within the 1916 Melbourne population in general was further amplified by the fact that the memberships of certain clubs such as Essendon and Melbourne were almost exclusively affluent and Protestant, whilst those of Collingwood and Richmond were almost exclusively poor and Roman Catholic (Pascoe, 1996, p. 102).
**Financial issues, between those who relied upon match fees to support themselves and their families, and those who did not.
***In Sydney, the amateur, middle-class
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
competition was suspended for 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918, while the professional, working-class
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
competition continued without major change.
**Sporting issues between those who played football for the love of sport — often driven by the ideals of
muscular Christianity
Muscular Christianity is a religious movement that originated in England in the mid-19th century, characterized by a belief in patriotic duty, discipline, self-sacrifice, masculinity, and the moral and physical beauty of Athletics (physical cultur ...
— and those who played football only because they were paid to do so.
***In 1915,
Lawrence Adamson
Lawrence Arthur Adamson, CMG, (20 April 1860 – 14 December 1932) was a schoolmaster of Wesley College, Melbourne, Australia, and is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential in the nation's educational history. Upon his reti ...
, the headmaster of
Melbourne's Wesley College and the President of the
Victorian Amateur Football Association
The Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) is the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded in 1892, it consists of six senior divisions, ranging from Premier to Division 3 i ...
(VAFA), drawing attention to the large number of VAFA players that had enlisted in the
A.I.F compared with the small number of VFL players, had provocatively remarked that if the VFL was to continue to distract young men from "their duty", that the VFL premiership team of 1915 should be given
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
es instead of the traditional medallion.
***It is a matter of record that the VFA played no matches at all in 1916 and 1917. It is also a matter of record that the VAFA, a competition where all of players were amateurs, and paid the VAFA each week to play (the money went to pay for umpires’ fees, etc.), played no matches in 1916 to 1919; however the
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League (WAFL "waffle" or "W-A-F-L") is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season usually lasting f ...
(WAFL), where in practice all players were likewise amateur, continued play throughout the war.
***The
South Australian Football League (SAFL) played no matches in 1916, 1917, and 1918, whilst the
Tasmanian Football League
The Tasmanian State League (TSL), colloquially known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), was the highest-level Australian rules football competition in the state of Tasmania. It disbanded following the end of the 2024 TSL season, 2024 season ...
(TFL) played no matches in 1916, 1917, 1918 and 1919.
* All of these matters were further complicated by the even more intense community polarisation, involving all of the above dimensions plus the additional moral, ethical, gender, and social issues (and the various individual political allegiances) involved in the vociferous debate over the merits and demerits of the two unsuccessful attempts made by the Australian Government (on 28 October 1916 and 20 December 1917) to impose compulsory military service on young Australian men (see
Conscription in Australia
Conscription in Australia, also known as National Service following the Second World War, has a controversial history which dates back to the implementation of compulsory military training and service in the first years of Australia's nationhood. ...
).
* On 17 February 1916, a meeting of Essendon players made the following resolution, stating that these were the only conditions under which they would play in 1916: "That all players play as amateurs. That all gate receipts and membership subscriptions be pooled and held in trust by the League and at the end of the season, be handed over to the
Patriotic Funds." The Essendon committee said it would support the players, and would find the money to cover whatever expenses were necessary to keep the team on the field. The VFL rejected the players' demands, and Essendon did not compete in 1916. Essendon did not compete in 1917 either because the VFL, once again, rejected to accept the players' demands.
* In addition to
Essendon,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
and
St Kilda all refused to play in the VFL competition in 1916 on "patriotic grounds", leaving only the four inner-suburban teams of
Carlton,
Collingwood,
Fitzroy, and
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 ...
(the home grounds of which were all within walking distance of each other).
* Carlton, Collingwood, Fitzroy, and Richmond had each volunteered to devote a significant proportion of their 1916 gate receipts to what were known as Patriotic Funds and also conduct a number of special fundraising activities; however, in June 1917, an audit by the VFL of the money that each club's "patriotic fundraising" had delivered over to the State War Council disclosed that the four clubs, which had appeared to all and sundry to be suffering considerable financial distress during the 1916 season due to the reduction in gate receipts, etc., had apparently discovered that their fundraising had involved an extraordinarily large amount of "expenses". From its recorded "patriotic fundraising" receipts of £918 (), Fitzroy could only deliver £152 () after "expenses"; Collingwood, £40 () from £664 (); Richmond, £90 () from £614 (); and Carlton, nothing at all from £884 (). The State War Council censured the clubs, and appointed its own supervisors to oversee the clubs' fundraising in 1917.
District football
Although the 1916 season itself was disrupted by the war, it was the first season to come under the VFL's new
district football scheme. Under the new scheme:
*Metropolitan Melbourne was divided into nine districts, and players would be required to play for the club which represented the district in which he resided.
*To switch clubs by changing his place of residence, a player would need to reside in his new club's district for:
**13 weeks, with a clearance from his club and a permit from the league
**36 months without a clearance from his club
*Country players in unallocated districts could choose to play for any club, but would remain tied to that club once the initial permit was granted
*Players from the
Ballarat
Ballarat ( ) () is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 census, Ballarat had a population of 111,973, making it the third-largest urban inland city in Australia and the third-largest city in Victoria.
Within mo ...
and
Bendigo
Bendigo ( ) is an Australian city in north-central Victoria. The city is located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital.
As of 2022, Bendigo has a popula ...
leagues and the
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 ...
also required a clearance from their current club to move to a VFL club.
*The rule was
grandfathered to allow current players to remain at their clubs regardless of residential qualification
The scheme had been developed by a league sub-committee over the previous two years (and had originally allowed for players to qualify for
University
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
based on past or present enrolment at the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...
and affiliated academic bodies),
and the final approval for the scheme came in October 1915. District/zone recruiting remained in place from 1916 until 1991.
Home-and-away season
Round 1
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 7.18 (60)
,
, 9.10 (64)
,
Princes Park
, 6 May 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 10.9 (69)
,
, 11.11 (77)
,
Punt Road Oval
Punt Road Oval, also known as the Richmond Cricket Ground or known by naming rights sponsorship as the Swinburne Centre, is an Australian rules football ground and a former Cricket oval located within the Yarra Park precinct of East Melbourne, ...
, 6 May 1916
Round 2
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 9.12 (66)
,
, 5.7 (37)
,
Brunswick Street Oval
The WT Peterson Community Oval, best known as the Brunswick Street Oval and also as the Fitzroy Cricket Ground, is an Australian rules football and cricket ground located in Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North, Victoria, Australia.
History Aust ...
, 13 May 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 7.3 (45)
,
, 10.11 (71)
,
Victoria Park
, 13 May 1916
Round 3
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 7.8 (50)
,
, 6.14 (50)
,
Brunswick Street Oval
The WT Peterson Community Oval, best known as the Brunswick Street Oval and also as the Fitzroy Cricket Ground, is an Australian rules football and cricket ground located in Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North, Victoria, Australia.
History Aust ...
, 20 May 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 7.19 (61)
,
, 9.12 (66)
,
Punt Road Oval
Punt Road Oval, also known as the Richmond Cricket Ground or known by naming rights sponsorship as the Swinburne Centre, is an Australian rules football ground and a former Cricket oval located within the Yarra Park precinct of East Melbourne, ...
, 20 May 1916
Round 4
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 10.18 (78)
,
, 7.11 (53)
,
Victoria Park
, 27 May 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 7.9 (51)
,
, 13.6 (84)
,
Brunswick Street Oval
The WT Peterson Community Oval, best known as the Brunswick Street Oval and also as the Fitzroy Cricket Ground, is an Australian rules football and cricket ground located in Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North, Victoria, Australia.
History Aust ...
, 27 May 1916
Round 5
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 10.15 (75)
,
, 11.10 (76)
,
Princes Park
, 3 June 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 19.13 (127)
,
, 9.14 (68)
,
Punt Road Oval
Punt Road Oval, also known as the Richmond Cricket Ground or known by naming rights sponsorship as the Swinburne Centre, is an Australian rules football ground and a former Cricket oval located within the Yarra Park precinct of East Melbourne, ...
, 3 June 1916
Round 6
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 11.13 (79)
,
, 8.17 (65)
,
Victoria Park
, 10 June 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 14.8 (92)
,
, 3.13 (31)
,
Princes Park
, 10 June 1916
Round 7
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 10.14 (74)
,
, 11.9 (75)
,
Victoria Park
, 17 June 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 7.8 (50)
,
, 10.19 (79)
,
Brunswick Street Oval
The WT Peterson Community Oval, best known as the Brunswick Street Oval and also as the Fitzroy Cricket Ground, is an Australian rules football and cricket ground located in Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North, Victoria, Australia.
History Aust ...
, 17 June 1916
Round 8
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 9.11 (65)
,
, 7.11 (53)
,
Princes Park
, 24 June 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 9.11 (65)
,
, 7.13 (55)
,
Punt Road Oval
Punt Road Oval, also known as the Richmond Cricket Ground or known by naming rights sponsorship as the Swinburne Centre, is an Australian rules football ground and a former Cricket oval located within the Yarra Park precinct of East Melbourne, ...
, 24 June 1916
Round 9
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 8.11 (59)
,
, 8.10 (58)
,
Victoria Park
, 8 July 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 12.19 (91)
,
, 6.5 (41)
,
Princes Park
, 8 July 1916
Round 10
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 11.15 (81)
,
, 8.14 (62)
,
Princes Park
, 15 July 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 14.9 (93)
,
, 9.13 (67)
,
Punt Road Oval
Punt Road Oval, also known as the Richmond Cricket Ground or known by naming rights sponsorship as the Swinburne Centre, is an Australian rules football ground and a former Cricket oval located within the Yarra Park precinct of East Melbourne, ...
, 15 July 1916
Round 11
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 9.11 (65)
,
, 10.15 (75)
,
Brunswick Street Oval
The WT Peterson Community Oval, best known as the Brunswick Street Oval and also as the Fitzroy Cricket Ground, is an Australian rules football and cricket ground located in Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North, Victoria, Australia.
History Aust ...
, 22 July 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 10.10 (70)
,
, 9.18 (72)
,
Victoria Park
, 22 July 1916
Round 12
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 8.9 (57)
,
, 11.9 (75)
,
Brunswick Street Oval
The WT Peterson Community Oval, best known as the Brunswick Street Oval and also as the Fitzroy Cricket Ground, is an Australian rules football and cricket ground located in Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North, Victoria, Australia.
History Aust ...
, 29 July 1916
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 9.11 (65)
,
, 12.10 (82)
,
Punt Road Oval
Punt Road Oval, also known as the Richmond Cricket Ground or known by naming rights sponsorship as the Swinburne Centre, is an Australian rules football ground and a former Cricket oval located within the Yarra Park precinct of East Melbourne, ...
, 29 July 1916
Ladder
, -
, 1 , , align=left , , , 12 , , 10 , , 2 , , 0 , , 918 , , 669 , , 137.2 , , 40
, -
, 2 , , align=left , , , 12 , , 6 , , 5 , , 1 , , 803 , , 803 , , 100.0 , , 26
, -
, 3 , , align=left , , , 12 , , 5 , , 7 , , 0 , , 792 , , 881 , , 89.9 , , 20
, -
, 4 , , align=left , (P) , , 12 , , 2 , , 9 , , 1 , , 711 , , 871 , , 81.6 , , 10
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 67.2
Source
AFL Tables
/onlyinclude>
Finals series
Semi-finals
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, Attendance
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 8.9 (57)
,
, 9.9 (63)
, MCG
, 12 August 1916
, 9,690
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 10.15 (75)
,
, 10.12 (72)
, MCG
, 19 August 1916
, 11,728
Preliminary final
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, Attendance
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 5.12 (42)
,
, 9.11 (65)
, MCG
, 26 August 1916
, 15,567
Grand final
, - bgcolor="#CCCCFF"
, Home team
, Home team score
, Away team
, Away team score
, Venue
, Date
, Attendance
, - bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
,
, 8.8 (56)
,
, 12.13 (85)
, MCG
, 2 September 1916
, 21,130
Season notes
* Fitzroy finished last at the end of the home-and-away season, and finished last overall based on finals results. While it is often said that Fitzroy won both the "wooden spoon
A wooden spoon is a Kitchen utensil, utensil commonly used in food preparation. In addition to its culinary uses, wooden spoons also feature in folk art and culture.
History
The word ''spoon'' derives from an ancient word meaning a chip of woo ...
" and the premiership in the 1916 season, Richmond is the officially recognised wooden spooner, according to both the official AFL Season Guide and the ''Football Record''.
Awards
* The 1916 VFL Premiership team was Fitzroy.
* The VFL's leading goalkicker was Dick Lee
Richard Lee Peng Boon (born 24 August 1956) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, playwright and film director. Lee was awarded the Cultural Medallion, Singapore's pinnacle arts award, for music in 2005.
Early life
Lee was born to a Peranakan fathe ...
of Collingwood with 48 goals.
See also
* 1916 Pioneer Exhibition Game
References
* Maplestone, M., ''Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996'', Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996.
* McIntyre, S., "Football weathers the storm of war", p. 91 in 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.
* Pascoe, R., "Local heroes — How they played", pp. 102–103 in 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.
* Richardson, N. (2016), ''The Game of Their Lives'', Pan Macmillan Australia: Sydney.
* 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.
Sources
1916 VFL season
at AFL Tables
1916 VFL season
at Australian Football
{{DEFAULTSORT:1916 VFL season
Australian Football League seasons
VFL season