VFA-VFL - DRAWN FINALS
To date, there have been just seven drawn finals in VFA-VFL history and one decided in extra-time.*
Remarkably, in 1912 a replay had to be replayed and in 1927 two of the drawn finals occurred a week apart...
Remarkably, in 1912 a replay had to be replayed and in 1927 two of the drawn finals occurred a week apart...
1912 First Semi Final
North Melbourne (2nd) drew with Brunswick (4th).
1912 First Semi Final (replay)
This match was also drawn - North Melbourne won the replay of the replay by 15 points.
1927 First Semi Final
Brighton (2nd) drew with Preston (4th) - Brighton won the replay by 14 points.
1927 Second Semi Final
Coburg (1st) drew with Port Melbourne (3rd) - Port Melbourne won the replay by 49 points.
1929 Preliminary Final
Northcote (1st) drew with Port Melbourne (2nd) - Port Melbourne won the replay by 4 points. The same teams then played a challenge final the following week to decide the premiership. Northcote won the third and deciding match by 42 points.
1937 First Semi Final
Yarraville (3rd) drew with Prahran (4th) - Prahran won the replay by 28 points.
1958 Grand Final
Williamstown (1st) drew with Moorabbin (2nd) - Williamstown won the replay by 32 points.
2018 First Elimination Final
Box Hill (6th) were tied with Port Melbourne (7th) after four quarters of play.
Ten minutes of extra time were played and Box Hill kicked 2.1 to Port's 0.2 to win by 11 points. They later won their semi-final by 29 points, their preliminary final by a point, and then won the Grand Final by 10 points, having trailed all game until midway through the final quarter.
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FOOTNOTE - The 1927 VFA finals series was originally scheduled to last a minimum of three weeks, with the possibility of a fourth week if a challenge final was required. However, due to a bizarre chain of events the series lasted an unprecedented 7 weeks:
Sept.3 - First Semi Final (drawn)
Sept.10 - Second Semi Final (drawn)
Sept.17 - First Semi Final replay
Sept.24 - Second Semi Final replay
Oct.1 - Preliminary Final - postponed a week due to torrential rain
Oct.8 - Preliminary Final
Oct.15 - Grand Final
*correct to the end of the 2019 season
North Melbourne (2nd) drew with Brunswick (4th).
1912 First Semi Final (replay)
This match was also drawn - North Melbourne won the replay of the replay by 15 points.
1927 First Semi Final
Brighton (2nd) drew with Preston (4th) - Brighton won the replay by 14 points.
1927 Second Semi Final
Coburg (1st) drew with Port Melbourne (3rd) - Port Melbourne won the replay by 49 points.
1929 Preliminary Final
Northcote (1st) drew with Port Melbourne (2nd) - Port Melbourne won the replay by 4 points. The same teams then played a challenge final the following week to decide the premiership. Northcote won the third and deciding match by 42 points.
1937 First Semi Final
Yarraville (3rd) drew with Prahran (4th) - Prahran won the replay by 28 points.
1958 Grand Final
Williamstown (1st) drew with Moorabbin (2nd) - Williamstown won the replay by 32 points.
2018 First Elimination Final
Box Hill (6th) were tied with Port Melbourne (7th) after four quarters of play.
Ten minutes of extra time were played and Box Hill kicked 2.1 to Port's 0.2 to win by 11 points. They later won their semi-final by 29 points, their preliminary final by a point, and then won the Grand Final by 10 points, having trailed all game until midway through the final quarter.
--------------------------
FOOTNOTE - The 1927 VFA finals series was originally scheduled to last a minimum of three weeks, with the possibility of a fourth week if a challenge final was required. However, due to a bizarre chain of events the series lasted an unprecedented 7 weeks:
Sept.3 - First Semi Final (drawn)
Sept.10 - Second Semi Final (drawn)
Sept.17 - First Semi Final replay
Sept.24 - Second Semi Final replay
Oct.1 - Preliminary Final - postponed a week due to torrential rain
Oct.8 - Preliminary Final
Oct.15 - Grand Final
*correct to the end of the 2019 season
POSTPONED & ABANDONED FINALS
1910 First Semi Final
Essendon 'A' (2nd) vs Prahran (4th) - postponed on the morning of the match due to torrential rain. The entire finals series was pushed back a week as a result.
1920 Second Semi Final
Footscray (1st) vs North Melbourne (3rd)
Sept.18 - the match was postponed a week due to torrential rain.
Sept.25 - Footscray led the postponed match by 5 points when Considine, a North Melbourne player, marked 30 yards out from goal a split second before the final bell. The crowd believed the game had ended and flooded the field, making it impossible for Considine to take his shot at goal. The VFA ruled the match unfinished and ordered a replay.
Oct.2 - Footscray won the replay by 4 points and then claimed the title the following week with a 3 point win in the Grand Final.
1921 Preliminary Final
Footscray (1st) vs Williamstown (4th)
Oct.8 - Williamstown led by 4 points when the match was abandoned midway through the third quarter due to a freak hailstorm.
Oct.15 - Williamstown won the replay by 4 points then defeated Footscray again in the Challenge Final on October 22nd to win the title.
1925 Grand Final
Brunswick (1st) vs Port Melbourne (4th) - postponed from August 22nd to August 29th due to torrential rain.
1927 Preliminary Final
Brighton (2nd) vs Port Melbourne (3rd) - postponed from October 1st to October 8th due to torrential rain.
1934 Grand Final
Northcote (1st) vs Coburg (4th)
The match was originally scheduled for September 29th at Olympic Park but torrential rain had persisted throughout the week prior and continued on game day. Despite the match being heavily promoted, the VFA decided on the morning of the match to postpone the Grand Final until the following weekend.
It later emerged that Olympic Park was unavailable the following Saturday afternoon, leaving the Association scrambling to find another venue. All of the VFA suburban grounds were unavailable having been top-dressed in preparation for the cricket season. The VFA asked permission to play their Grand Final at the MCG as a curtain-raiser to the VFL Preliminary Final but the League Seconds refused to play at another venue.
The option of playing the game on Saturday night at Olympic Park was investigated but there were doubts over the suitability of the new floodlights at the venue. The Association decided not to use their showcase match as an experiment for night football and another venue was sought. The only suitable venue that remained was the arena at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and the match was played there on October 6th in weather conditions similar to the previous Saturday and in front of only 2,300 spectators - around 8,000 less than the crowd expected the week before. [The Argus 3-10-1934]
1990 Grand Final
Springvale (2nd) vs Williamstown (4th)
The match was postponed a week because a drawn final in the AFL pushed their finals series back a week, creating a date clash between the AFL and VFA Grand Finals.
Essendon 'A' (2nd) vs Prahran (4th) - postponed on the morning of the match due to torrential rain. The entire finals series was pushed back a week as a result.
1920 Second Semi Final
Footscray (1st) vs North Melbourne (3rd)
Sept.18 - the match was postponed a week due to torrential rain.
Sept.25 - Footscray led the postponed match by 5 points when Considine, a North Melbourne player, marked 30 yards out from goal a split second before the final bell. The crowd believed the game had ended and flooded the field, making it impossible for Considine to take his shot at goal. The VFA ruled the match unfinished and ordered a replay.
Oct.2 - Footscray won the replay by 4 points and then claimed the title the following week with a 3 point win in the Grand Final.
1921 Preliminary Final
Footscray (1st) vs Williamstown (4th)
Oct.8 - Williamstown led by 4 points when the match was abandoned midway through the third quarter due to a freak hailstorm.
Oct.15 - Williamstown won the replay by 4 points then defeated Footscray again in the Challenge Final on October 22nd to win the title.
1925 Grand Final
Brunswick (1st) vs Port Melbourne (4th) - postponed from August 22nd to August 29th due to torrential rain.
1927 Preliminary Final
Brighton (2nd) vs Port Melbourne (3rd) - postponed from October 1st to October 8th due to torrential rain.
1934 Grand Final
Northcote (1st) vs Coburg (4th)
The match was originally scheduled for September 29th at Olympic Park but torrential rain had persisted throughout the week prior and continued on game day. Despite the match being heavily promoted, the VFA decided on the morning of the match to postpone the Grand Final until the following weekend.
It later emerged that Olympic Park was unavailable the following Saturday afternoon, leaving the Association scrambling to find another venue. All of the VFA suburban grounds were unavailable having been top-dressed in preparation for the cricket season. The VFA asked permission to play their Grand Final at the MCG as a curtain-raiser to the VFL Preliminary Final but the League Seconds refused to play at another venue.
The option of playing the game on Saturday night at Olympic Park was investigated but there were doubts over the suitability of the new floodlights at the venue. The Association decided not to use their showcase match as an experiment for night football and another venue was sought. The only suitable venue that remained was the arena at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and the match was played there on October 6th in weather conditions similar to the previous Saturday and in front of only 2,300 spectators - around 8,000 less than the crowd expected the week before. [The Argus 3-10-1934]
1990 Grand Final
Springvale (2nd) vs Williamstown (4th)
The match was postponed a week because a drawn final in the AFL pushed their finals series back a week, creating a date clash between the AFL and VFA Grand Finals.
Written and researched by David Eastman
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First published 4/5/2014
Page last updated 4/11/2018 |