VFA CHALLENGE FINALS (1903-1932)
SEMI FINALS - 1st vs 3rd / 2nd vs 4th
If 1st won they advanced to the Final.
If 1st lost they advanced to the Challenge Final and played the winner of the Final.
FINAL - winner of First Semi Final vs winner of Second Semi Final
If 1st won they were declared premiers (in such cases the Final has become known retrospectively as the Grand Final).
If 1st lost they advanced to the Challenge Final for a re-match against the winner (in such cases the Final has become known retrospectively as the Preliminary Final).
CHALLENGE FINAL
Only played if the minor premiers lost at the semi-final or final stage. The winner of this match was declared the premier (this match has become known retrospectively as the Grand Final).
The system operated for 28 seasons and Challenge Finals were required in half of those. The minor premiers won 6 of the 14 Challenge Finals played - a success rate of only 43%.
YEAR |
MINOR PREMIER |
MATCH |
OPPONENT |
W/L |
MARGIN |
||
1903 |
RICHMOND |
16-2 |
Semi-Final |
Footscray (3rd) |
14-4 |
L |
31 |
Challenge |
North
Melbourne (2nd) |
15-2-1 |
L |
21 |
|||
1904 |
RICHMOND |
15-2-1 |
Semi-Final |
North
Melbourne (3rd) |
13-5 |
L |
2 |
Challenge |
North
Melbourne (3rd) |
13-5 |
L |
forfeit |
|||
1905 |
NORTH
MELBOURNE |
15-3 |
Semi-Final |
Williamstown
(3rd) |
14-4 |
W |
9 |
Final |
Richmond
(2nd) |
14-4 |
L |
20 |
|||
Challenge |
Richmond
(2nd) |
14-4 |
L |
25 |
|||
1909 |
PRAHRAN |
16-2 |
Semi-Final |
Brunswick
(3rd) |
11-7 |
L |
18 |
Challenge |
Brunswick
(3rd) |
11-7 |
L |
17 |
|||
1910 |
NORTH
MELBOURNE |
15-2-1 |
Semi-Final |
Brunswick
(3rd) |
14-4 |
L |
6 |
Challenge |
Brunswick
(3rd) |
14-4 |
W |
29 |
|||
1911 |
ESSENDON
ASSOC. |
16-2 |
Semi-Final |
Prahran (3rd) |
13-5 |
W |
7 |
Final |
Brunswick
(4th) |
12-6 |
L |
2 |
|||
Challenge |
Brunswick
(4th) |
12-6 |
W |
8 |
|||
1912 |
FOOTSCRAY |
15-3 |
Semi-Final |
Essendon A
(3rd) |
13-5 |
L |
23 |
Challenge |
Essendon A
(3rd) |
13-5 |
L |
21 |
|||
1919 |
NORTH
MELBOURNE |
18-0 |
Semi-Final |
Brunswick
(3rd) |
12-6 |
L |
9 |
Challenge |
Footscray (2nd) |
14-4 |
L |
22 |
|||
1921 |
FOOTSCRAY |
15-1-1 |
Semi-Final |
Brunswick
(3rd) |
13-3-1 |
W |
25 |
Final |
Williamstown
(4th) |
9-7 |
L |
3 |
|||
Challenge |
Williamstown
(4th) |
9-7 |
L |
18 |
|||
1922 |
FOOTSCRAY |
16-2 |
Semi-Final |
Port
Melbourne (3rd) |
14-4 |
L |
20 |
Challenge |
Port
Melbourne (3rd) |
14-4 |
L |
2 |
|||
1923 |
FOOTSCRAY |
16-2 |
Semi-Final |
Williamstown
(3rd) |
12-6 |
W |
32 |
Final |
Port
Melbourne (2nd) |
15-2-1 |
L |
16 |
|||
Challenge |
Port
Melbourne (2nd) |
15-2-1 |
W |
14 |
|||
1927 |
COBURG |
18-0 |
Semi-Final |
Port
Melbourne (3rd) |
13-5 |
DRAW |
- |
Semi-Final |
Port
Melbourne (3rd) |
13-5 |
L |
49 |
|||
Challenge |
Brighton
(2nd) |
14-4 |
W |
34 |
|||
1929 |
NORTHCOTE |
17-5 |
Semi-Final |
Preston
(3rd) |
16-6 |
W |
14 |
Final |
Port
Melbourne (2nd) |
17-5 |
DRAW |
- |
|||
Final |
Port
Melbourne (2nd) |
17-5 |
L |
4 |
|||
Challenge |
Port
Melbourne (2nd) |
17-5 |
W |
42 |
|||
1931 |
OAKLEIGH |
14-4 |
Semi-Final |
Preston
(3rd) |
12-5-1 |
L |
23 |
Challenge |
Northcote (4th) |
12-6 |
W |
3 |
|||
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NO CHALLENGE: |
1906 / 07 /
08 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 18 / 20 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 28 / 30 / 32 |
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Written and researched by David Eastman
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First published 4/5/2014
Page last updated 4/10/2019 |